Portsmouth to Deltaville, Virginia

Osprey taking off

We were lucky that the breeze shifted to the West as we slept well in our wide open to the east Little Alligator River anchorage.  As we dodged the crab pots on the way out, it looked as though we'd have enough wind to sail the 20 miles across the Albemarle Sound.  I was so excited.  In my eagerness to prepare the sails and lines, I missed that one of the markers had been changed.  It was red nun 8A.  Nuns are big plastic floating buoys that can be easily moved as shoals form and change especially at the mouths of rivers.  I should have paid attention to help Dave with the navigation at this tricky point where there is a dog leg bend in the ICW route.  We ran aground twice before I figured out the problem.  No worries.  We  got her unstuck and carried on.  We discussed our mistake and realized that as they signal recent movement in shoals, we should always honor the nuns.  And Dave added, "Religiously!"   

Soon after we had both sails flying and whizzed across the Albemarle Sound in that lovely west wind.  About halfway across, a solemn voice hailed us on the VHF, "Blue-hulled sailing vessel heading east in the Albemarle Sound, this is the green power boat passing you going west."  My first thought was, "Uh, oh.  What did we do wrong?"  I responded, "Green power boat, this is Wayward Wind."  He replied, "Wayward Wind, you're looking good!"  Whew!  "Thank you,” I answered.  “It's a pleasure to be sailing." 

Native marsh mallow in bloom

After the Sound, we doused the sails and threaded our way through the cut.  We stopped at Coinjock Marina to top off on fuel and water.  As we pulled up, we exchanged greetings with the dock hand, who said he was just trying to survive this balmy weather.  I said, “Yea, it’s balmy alright.”  He said, “It’s HOT.  “Balmy” is just sugar-coating it.  It’s just HOT.”   Hot or balmy, it was a great spot to buy ice cream.    While at the dock, a nice couple that we’d been playing leap-frog with for the past three days, pulled up in their catamaran, Wonderland.  It was fun to meet them as we’d spoken on the radio a couple of times.  They’d owned a smaller Freedom sailboat but had decided to get a catamaran to have more living space as they now live aboard full-time.  They hadn’t been on a Freedom 45, so we gave them a quick tour.  It’s always fun to meet new cruisers as there is an instant camaraderie. 

With little wind, we motored through the shallow Carrituck Sound headed to the Pungo Ferry Bridge anchorage.  We remembered it as being very shallow from our previous trip and were hoping that it hadn’t shoaled much more as there really were not any anchorages for many miles around.  When we got there, we inched our way around and slogged through less than five feet of water to find an OK spot away from the bridge and just out of the channel to drop the anchor in 4.5 feet of water with the hope that there would not be a wind tide to leave us high and dry by morning.  That night, twice, with spotlights ablaze, tugboats slowly pushed barges past us and under the Pungo Ferry Bridge.  We awoke the next morn, lifted the anchor and slogged our way out nicely into the channel and under the bridge.

Rollin' on the river

The scenery is starkly beautiful in this part of Virginia.  We talked about the Civil War and Dave said he could imagine the Confederate soldiers moving in the brush.  It was hard to believe that we were only 29 miles from Norfolk yet it was rural and wild feeling.  Within that 29 miles we passed under nine bridges, including swing, lift and bascule, a couple of 65-foot fixed bridges, and one lock.  All went smoothly. 

 

 

 

 

 

Things became increasingly industrial as we neared Norfolk.  It is a vast center of both civil and naval ship building.  We spent one night at the High Street dock on the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River.  It's nice because the shops and cafes are right on High Street. 

 

Who wouldn't shop here?

Also on High Street is the Commodore Theater.  It is a refurbished movie theater built in 1945 with tables for dining while viewing films.  The temperature was in the mid-90s so we thought that the Commodore was the right place to be.  We watched Man of Steel.  So much violence and destruction.  Geez!  I found it boring...Oh, there they go fighting and ruining perfectly good architecture again.  But the experience as a whole, was fun, and I recommend it.  Besides, how often do you get to have an ice cold beer at a movie theater?

 

The Commodore Theater

Early the next morning, we started on the long haul to Deltaville.   As mentioned, the Norfolk waterfront is lined for miles and miles with ship building facilities.  It took us a full two and a half hours to get into the Chesapeake.  

 

Shipyard in Norfolk

 

Finally, the Chesapeake.  And as it so often happens in the Chesapeake during the summer, especially during a heat wave, no wind.  So it was a long motor to Deltaville, but we made it in the late afternoon.  We anchored in front of Deltaville Marina and paid to use the facilities which included a pool.  So refreshing. 

 

Up to this point, we have been in "Go Mode" focusing on getting north quickly.  Now we're here, in the Chesapeake, so we are beginning the process of getting estimates and quotes to repair and paint the hull of the boat.  The results will determine our next steps. 

 

Thimble Shoal Lighthouse outside of Norfolk in the Chesapeake Bay