Monday the 23rd came and we finally pulled out of AYB in time to make the 9a.m. opening of the Great Bridge Bridge. Once through the bridge we went directly into the Great Bridge Lock.
We continued up the remaining few miles of the ICW passing the jct. of the Dismal Swamp route.
And on to the Gilmerton Bridge where we of course had to wait for it's scheduled opening.
The waterway is scheduled to be closed for up to two weeks in September when they replace the lift span of the Gilmerton Bridge.
The Norfolk harbor is quite busy with commercial and Navy traffic as well as people like us gawking at all of it.
As we passed through downtown Norfolk we also passed Mile 0 of the ICW. No more protected waters for Tourist as we head into Chesapeake Bay.
Our course took us near Thimble Shoal Lighthouse and into the York River and on to Yorktown, our destination for a couple of nights. We stayed right in town at Yorktown Landing Marina. Convenient but exposed.
Tuesday we hopped aboard the free trolley and road around Yorktown checking out the sites. Once a thriving port it now has only 800 full-time residents. Tourism is the staple.
When the trolley stopped at the Battlefield visitor center we jumped off and went inside. We were hoping to take a walking tour of the battlefield but due to the extreme heat they cancelled the outdoor lectures. Needless to say Pam was relieved!
The 20 minute film was informative as well as the ranger's lecture about the battle.
Yorktown was an interesting stop which complemented our previous visit to Williamsburg. The only downside was the marina. As I stated earlier it is completely exposed to the elements. We found out just how much on Wednesday afternoon. A storm ripped through with winds clocked at 59 mph. All around the area power was out, trees were down, and streets were flooded. We bounced around in the slip until the storm passed. Thinking we were in the clear we watched a little TV and went to bed. Then around 2:30 a.m. I woke up feeling like I was drunk. The whole world was bucking up and down. Once I realized it wasn't a dream I looked outside to see 4' waves crashing over the dock. Tourist was bouncing off the dock like a rubber ball. At any minute I expected the cleats to give or the lines to break.
After about 45 minutes things started to calm down to the point that we both felt comfortable enough to try and sleep. It worked! When we woke up it was calm, sunny, and already hot outside.
The cleaning detail (me) took care of the marks left on the hull from the previous night before casting off.
Back down the York River and on to Mobjack Bay where we planned to anchor for a couple of nights. Of course it wouldn't be the Chesapeake without crab pots which require a constant lookout to avoid running over them and fouling a prop.
Up Mobjack Bay we went to the North River and then to a point where the markers ended near Ellington Mansion to our anchorage.
Ellington Mansion.
A few homes dotted the shoreline on either side but little sign of life showed itself while we were here.
This proved to be a very quiet spot with only 1 jet skier and 2 boats going by us during the time we were here.
7/27/12 Friday The past two nights were comfortable at anchor but the days have been oppressive to the point that we decided to pull anchor and head to a marina. Having looked at a variety of places we decided to make the run from our anchorage back into the Chesapeake and 15 miles up the Rhappahonack River to Urbanna, Va. (www.urbanna.com) A phone call got us a covered slip at Doziers Urbanna Marina for the next two nights. Cool!
Tourist covered the 55 miles with no crab pot encounters and arrived in the early afternoon.
We passed this Chesapeake Bay Buy Boat as we came into Urbanna.
The Buy Boats were just that. In days gone by they would travel to the oyster beds and buy the oysters from the small boats that were harvesting them so that the oyster-men could continue their harvest. The Buy boat would in turn take the harvest back to port and sell them.
There are still a number of these boats along the East Coast that have been restored.
More info at (www.oysterbuyboats.com)
After washing the salt off and a cocktail reward we were able to witness a double rainbow following a brief rain shower.
Urbanna is touted as a small laid back town with a variety of shops and places to dispose of your money.They too have a trolley that for a quarter will take you around town.
7/28/12 Saturday Of course we did the trolley thing and then got off to have lunch at Marshall's Drug Store where they still have the old soda fountain counters and atmosphere.
Of course in perusing the shops Pam found the ideal shoe for her. A high heel that doubles as a corkscrew.
Our wanderings took us past this restored old home of some historic significance that I can't remember.
We ended up at the local market where we bought a few groceries and received a ride back to Tourist from the manager. He said they let the marinas know that they will provide transportation to & from the store for transients. We just didn't get the word.
That evening we were guests of the Brubakers at their condo for a great dinner. Afterwards the girls insisted on playing domino's. Bru and I were drug to the table kicking and screaming! In an attempt to squelch any further thoughts of future games I royally kicked their butts. Only time will tell if my plan works!
729/12 Sunday This morning we took our time getting underway. Today's destination, an anchorage on the Carrotoman River. Again we found a spot some distance up the river protected from most winds that reminded us of some of the coves on Kentucky Lake. Beautiful scenery and very little traffic. Even a small sand bar that exposed itself when the tide went out.
Seriously - put that boat in high speed and run up to Maine, temps in the mid 70's and lobster every night - hope you are enjoying the Chesapeake.
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