On the ICW

Sunset over Cape Charles

After two months of sailing and motoring and waiting and worrying, we finally made it to Mile Maker 0 on the ICW on Sunday, October 16th. But I am getting way ahead of myself. On Thursday, October 13th, we picked up Dick and Susie in Kilmarnock and sailed to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore. Well, we sailed about 1/3 of the trip and crapped our pants the other 2/3. Winds built to nearly 30 kts and the waves built to 6 feet. Waves came over the bow all the way back to the cockpit. We were all pretty wet. After nearly 7 hours we slogged into Cape Charles and bounced into a slip. Cocktail hour was immediately declared. After being tied down for two days due to inclement weather (we are getting very familiar with this), we left Cape Charles and sailed nearly half way to Norfolk. This began the best part of our travels on the Chesapeake. Perfect winds and seas, sunshine and warm weather. Dick and Susie really enjoyed the ride and we got to see the fleet in port. Very impressive. Two aircraft carriers and a ton of missile cruisers and assorted other naval ships. Awesome fire power. 

Major fire power in port

Dick and Susie and the fleet

 

Me and the fleet

Susie and Marg and the fleet

Alize in port in Norfolk

Blue, Blanche, Marg and Jim with the
cruise ship Glory in the background

Norfolk is incredible. So much going on in the downtown area. We also had the good fortune to connect with Jim and Blanche Terracino and my buddy Blue. Jim and Blanche live in Virginia Beach and Blue was on business in the area. We had dinner together and Blue spent the night on board and traveled with us to Great Bridge where his mother lives. Mile Marker 0 is the beginning of the IntraCoastal Waterway and it is directly across from the marina where we stayed. A milestone, that a month ago when we were stuck in the Erie Canal, I wasn't sure we were going to see. Norfolk was alive with activity. There was a wine festival going on, the Carnival Cruise ship Glory was preparing to set sail and there was all the commotion and festivities surrounding that, and it was a beautiful, sunny, warm Sunday and the whole town was out enjoying it.

This is called The Aqua John

On Monday, Marg, Blue and I left Norfolk and headed down the ICW for the short trip to Great Bridge, VA. We passed the naval yards where ships were being refitted or cut up into scrap. We played dodge em with huge container ships and managed to screw up our timing and missed the opening of the first of several lift bridges we would travel under. That held us up for nearly an hour.But I did get to see a unique design in marine sanitation devices for small boats. It's roomy, inexpensive, and unique.

 

Marg locking us through

Eventually we locked through the Great Bridge Lock and went under the Great Bridge Bridge and tied up at Atlantic Yacht Center Marina. At the lock, the lock keeper treated us all to Halloween candy. She was a character. A very happy lady. She even said she would hold us up at the lock a little longer so we didn't have to wait for the bridge to open. She explained that it is more comfortable waiting in the lock than drifting around waiting for the bridge to open. Nice person.

So we are now 12 miles deep into the ICW. On Tuesday the 18th, we will head down to Coinjock which is in North Carolina. We now feel like we are really moving along and will make our scheduled arrival in Florida by December 1. As long as we can find internet connections we'll keep you all up to date on our journeys. Thanks for being with us.