Finding Comfort in the Familiar

Great Bridge to Deltaville |  9.4 Hours  |  61 Miles 

The final day of our 2019-2020 Winter Cruise began with the sunrise. As the day broke behind us, we brought our dock lines onboard and slipped away from the dock in the still water. The bridge was open for us when we approached at 7:00. We passed through and proceeded directly into the lock for a two-foot lift. We were then on our way. Scenic woodlands quickly gave way to the concrete jungle. We settled in behind the tug Jack Holland and followed it through a labyrinth of bridges. We've traveled this section of the ICW for many years and have a good sense of the flow ... I-64 high-rise to Gilmerton, hang a left, under the Jordan, then two railroad spans. Occasionally a delay is encountered for a closed railroad bridge, but we experienced none today.

The Elizabeth River through Norfolk was deserted. Sunday morning and early in the season were possible contributing factors, but the COVID-19 Stay at Home Order was definitely responsible for for the empty Waterside district. We saw more dolphin than boats. Even the Navy's docks were empty. The USS John C. Stennis sat by itself on the Navy's pier. Five aircraft carriers were lined up when we came through in November. We crossed the Hampton Roads Tunnel and spotted the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, one of my favorites, on the shore at Fort Monroe.

At 10:00 I was able to stream the Palm Sunday service from Home Church in Winston-Salem and enjoyed the music as we made our way into the Chesapeake Bay. It's just part of my family Easter traditions. We had a nice, flat ride today and the bow (and windshield) stayed dry. More familiar landmarks helped us count down the miles. We paused for a moment for a photo of Wolf Trap Lighthouse. As we turned into the Rappahannock River, the Norris Bridge was visible on the horizon. It was not necessary to go to the bridge today. We turned at the 1BC (#1, Broad Creek) day marker for the final stretch to our home slip.

An osprey supervised our turn into Stingray channel. It was low tide and I'm sure he was waiting for some drama. None today. We had at least 2.5 feet under us the whole time. The sight of the marina office in the replica screwpile lighthouse confirmed that we had reached home ... almost. We made the necessary stop at the pumpout station to take care of business before backing into our slip. We did a quick clean-up of the decks and then took a short walk around the marina before dinner. Along the way we heard the familiar sound of the resident bald eagle and later saw it atop a nearby pine tree. A nearly-full moon rose off our stern to mark the end of this day and our rushed trip home. Since deciding to leave The Bahamas from Big Major's we traveled 156 hours and 1136 miles over 14 days at an average speed of 7.3 knots. That's quite a stretch for us and we'll take it slow here in Deltaville for the next few days while social distancing ourselves from the craziness going on in Richmond. Hopefully, we'll be able to do this again next fall and visit family and familiar places that we missed this year. Thanks for following along.

Refilling the Tanks

Great Bridge 

I was out for my morning walk before folks made their way to the park. It was a peaceful trek along the trails with the only sounds being those of songbirds, woodpeckers, and squirrels. The drop in temperature overnight combined with the breeze led to a newly deposited layer of yellow Carolina jasmine blossoms across the forest floor. Back onboard, we gathered our bags and headed over to Kroger with our shopping list. There were three distinct groups in the store -- those wearing masks and gloves, those (like us) without protective gear but respectful of others, and way too many who were clueless and wandered around in their own world. We loaded up on fruit, veggies, and yogurt and got back to Crossroads as quickly as possible to wash our hands and put everything away. Heavy clouds moved in and it turned much colder. We watched as several good-sized logs floated by and endured a nerve-wracking 45 minutes as this workboat attempted to hold station beside us while waiting for the bridge's scheduled opening. It was very poor timing on the captain's part and the bridge wasn't going to open early. Once that mess cleared out, we prepared to run over to the fuel dock and top off the tanks. I held out as long as I could, but finally had to pull the Cold Gear back out of storage and pair it with a long-sleeved T-shirt and a fleece jacket. I could feel my tan fading under all the layers.

A pleasant surprise was seeing $1.93 a gallon for diesel. (The going rate in The Bahamas was around $5.00 a gallon. We took over 300 gallons, so the savings add up.) I enjoyed the view of the colorful azaleas and pansies as I pumped and went for a closer look as Barry paid. Docking practice concluded as we made our way back to the Battlefield Park Docking Pier. I finished my latest book and then went for another walk through the woods. We took the same route as I did this morning, but the scenery was new and different. I spotted a large patch of lady slippers that I had totally missed earlier in the day. These rare woodland orchids have always been one of my favorites.

Sweet Virginia Breeze

Coinjock, NC to Great Bridge, VA |  5.3 Hours  |  33 Miles 

Before departing this morning, we needed to remove some of the salty residue from yesterday. Barry washed our pilothouse windows and I followed behind with the squeegee. We were good to go. The canal water was still and the wind was light as we exited the facedock at Coinjock Marina. Granny's compass was spot-on as we headed north into Currituck Sound. So much for our clean windows. The north wind once again whipped up a chop that frequently sent water up to the glass. The breeze blew steadily at 25-30 knots with gusts topping 40, but we were comfortable in the pilothouse.

The scenery improved once we entered the North Landing River. Osprey populated most day markers. Some of them had massive nests. Turtles sunned themselves on floating logs as we paced our arrival to the first of two bridge openings. The North Landing Swing Bridge opened on the hour and we coasted through without stopping. One hour later, we reached the Centerville Turnpike Bridge with similar timing, and passed right through. Shortly thereafter we tied up at the Great Bridge Town Dock and I quickly left the boat for a long-anticipated walk through the adjoining park.

Finally ... terra firma. The Sweet Virginia Breeze* was dampened by the canopy yet the sun shined warmly through to the forest floor. I soon removed my jacket and rolled up my sleeves while getting in more steps than I had in the last two weeks combined. Tender new leaves glowed in the filtered light. An elaborate boardwalk led to an observation platform at the edge of a marsh where the grasses flowed in mesmerizing wind-powered waves.

The real highlights for me were the flowers. The whites of dogwood, viburnum, and spirea were a welcome reintroduction to springtime in Virginia. Also on display were the non-so-welcome signs of spring -- pine pollen and dandelions. Today, however, all is good and I'm thankful for this place.

*Sweet Virginia Breeze, by Steve Bassett and Robbin Thompson,
  is the Commonwealth's Official Popular Song.

  Woke up this morning, the breeze blowin' 'cross my face,
  And I just had to look up above and thank somebody for this place,
  Because He must've been thinkin' bout me
  When He planted that very first dogwood tree,
  It's where I want to be,
  Livin' in the Sweet Virginia Breeze.

Crossing the Sound

Belhaven to Coinjock |  10.5 Hours  |  88 Miles 

My theory that the colder the air temperature the more mud that comes up with the anchor was reinforced this morning. All 100 feet of anchor chain was caked in thick, black sludge. By the time the anchor was secure, the deck and I were covered with mud. Soon thereafter I was soaked and cold from the washdown. Oh, how I miss The Bahamas. Our trip through the Alligator-Pungo Canal was peaceful. The water was smooth and we saw only a few other boats along the way. Mirror-like reflections lined the shore.

The whitecaps of a chop were visible as we approached the entrance into the Alligator River. The north wind was driving waves on our nose. The ride was wet but not uncomfortable. The Alligator River Swing Bridge operator opened the span as we approached and the assembled pelicans ushered us into Albemarle Sound.

The chop intensified and the wind continued to build to a consistent 30+ knots. We tacked our way across the churned-up Sound trying to minimize the roll from a beam sea, but adding an hour to the crossing. When we arrived at our intended anchorage, the conditions were not very good so we kept on going. Our planned 61 mile day turned into 88 miles. The setting sun showed all the salt spray on the pilothouse windows once docked at Coinjock Marina. All is calm in the canal and I'm sure we'll sleep well tonight. 

Enjoying Some Down Time While Waiting on the Weather

Belhaven 

The rain and wind continued overnight. We pulled blankets out of storage and slept well as the cabin temperature dropped into the mid-50s. The first order of business this morning was to turn on the heat. A quick check of the anchor monitor showed that we were again holding strong and forming a nice "banana." The scene outside was gloomy so I did my yoga stretching and then went to work on some chores to keep busy. Our daily pantry was restocked from storage and the cabin was vacuumed before lunch. 

For the afternoon, I brought a blanket up to the pilothouse and spent a few hours reading and checking in with several friends. Slowly but surely the dreary clouds began to clear and the sun came out -- literally and figuratively. I made personal pizzas for dinner and we enjoyed a nice sunset here in Belhaven.

The Alligator River Swing Bridge was closed today because of high winds. We couldn't have reached our next destination of Camden Point if we had tried. It was the perfect day to take a break. We'll leave in the morning to pass through the bridge then cross the Albemarle Sound. We are three travel days away from tying up in our home slip where we'll continue to socially distance ourselves, but with electricity and the opportunity to go for a walk.