2023 South: Chesapeake Virginia to Hobucken NC

 21 October 2023

Chesapeake, Virginia

No boat travel

When we saw our friends on "Heliopause" in Chincoteague, Virginia, we did not think we would meet up with them again until we were both in Marathon, Florida. Fate, however, had other plans for us. Our paths crossed again, by mutual agreement, in Chesapeake, Virginia at the free dockage at Great Bridge. We stayed two nights knowing, via back-and-forth texting, that they would be arriving the day after us. That way we could have one day overlap for a visit. 

They arrived in the morning. After lunch, Scott, Brenda, Scott's sister Heather, and her husband Joe came knocking at our boat to say hello. Scott told us about a nature trail located at the park, and an excited Clark went off with Scott, Heather, and Joe to explore. Brenda was walked out from hiking all over Chesapeake in the morning, so the two of us stayed behind on "Sunset Delight' to chat. After a while Joe left the trail explorers and came back to SD to rest. 

Shark Boat

Based on some of the photos Clark took, it looks like the walk was a bit of a challenge in some places. 

Scott made a bridge from wood laying around by the trail. I am pretty sure I would have wanted to turn around at this point.

Heather navigating the "bridge"

Scott

Scenery along the way ..

Apparently it is fowl-hunting season here. Heather told me that hunters were hiding behind "blinds" and shooting at ducks and geese in the water. 

Heather, Scott, and Clark

This part of the trail appears to be more my speed.

Clark said he found a natural "hand broom" to sweep the trail.

After everyone returned from exploring the trail, we agreed to meet up for a combined dinner on "Heliopause". I brought the veggies and Brenda provided everything else including the marinated steaks. To visit them, we had to take our lives in our hands to cross the highway to get to their boat on the other side of Great Bridge.

"Heliopause" in the middle of this pack

Clark decided to take a few local pictures before climbing onboard for dinner.

Great Bridge

Dinner and company were both wonderful. We had a great time but decided we better leave at sunset to get across the highway before it became too dark. It is a four-lane highway to cross with fast-moving cars on it. We found an opening and made a run for it. Fortunately we are here to tell the tale.

22 October 2023

Depart: Great Bridge free dock, Chesapeake, Virginia 9:40

Arrive: Alligator River (Sandy Point #2) anchorage 5:50

Distance: ~62 nm

Before truly getting underway, we stopped at Atlantic Yacht Basin for fuel as they appeared to have the best price in the area. Because we purchased over 200 gallons of fuel, we also received a bulk discount. Fueling did not take too long, and we were on our way at 10:10.

Along the way I spied a cannon pointed at the waterway. We have never noticed it before.

We had 2 bridges that we needed to have open to transit today. Having made it through Centerville Bridge with no issues, we did not know if we could make it to North Landing Bridge on time for the next opening or if we would be stuck waiting. Clark was pushing it to try to make the bridge for the opening, and it was unclear we would make it in time. 

The bridge is located around a bend in the river. We had to wait until we rounded that bend to call the bridge to tell them we were trying to make the next opening. When we finally got around the bend, Clark called and asked if he would let us through. He said, "I can't control your throttle captain." At that, Clark got the message and pushed it up to get us there faster. When he saw we were moving fast, he said, "Keep it coming Cap!"

Meanwhile, there was a boat that had been following us at approximately our speed. As we went through the bridge opening, I looked back and saw him just rounding the bend. I thought that poor guy is going to get to the bridge just as it closes in front of him. To my surprise, the bridge tender told the boater, "If you can get to the bridge in the next minute and a half, you can go through." 

At that, the guy said, "Let's see what I can do" and pushed his throttles up to try to get to the bridge in the designated amount of time. He made it because the tender held the bridge a tad longer than the allocated time. After the boat, which was named "Happy Ours", was past the bridge fenders, he called the tender to thank him for holding the bridge. 

The tender replied, "Remember me around the holidays Captain!" Clark and I had a good laugh at that.

View of boats on the North River

Tree stumps along the waterway

Clark's original plan was to anchor just before Albemarle Sound and cross the next morning. However, when we approached the sound, he decided that it was a perfect day to cross, so we kept going. The crossing took about 90 minutes. We had to watch for fish traps along the way.

We dropped anchor at an anchorage called Sandy Point #2. Winds picked up during the night, so we probably should have gone in the river further to find something a little more protected as, when the wind gusted, we rocked quite a bit.

Sunset on the Alligator River

23 October 2023

Depart: Sandy Point #2 anchorage, Alligator River 9:00

Arrive: Re Mayo Dock 5:10

Distance: ~ 67 nm

Our travels this morning took us on the Alligator River, the Alligator / Pongo Canal, the Pongo River, and across the Pamlico River. 

Clark liked the Skeleton Tree he saw on the side of the waterway, so I took a picture for him.

This summer a couple on a boat named "Meraki" visited us in NJ and stayed for about 2 weeks while Clark worked with the owner to sort out and fix a variety of electrical issues on the boat. Suddenly today, we heard over the VHF radio someone calling the boat name "Meraki". It turned out to be the same boat. However, the owners were not on the boat, they had hired a captain to move it for them. 

As he passed by, the boat captain haled us on the VHF radio to introduce himself and say hello. Soon afterwards, we were haled by another boater. This one turned out to be a long-time friend of ours. They had heard "Sunset Delight" called on the radio and knew we were nearby.

This haling vessel was "Daybreak" with our friends Kenny and Jeannie on board. Clark said, "Where are you?" and Kenny replied, "Right behind you!" We looked and there they were right behind us.

"Daybreak" crossing Pamlico River

 

Kenny and Clark talked over the radio about plans for the night. Clark, of course, planned to drop anchor. Kenny said they planned to dock at Re Mayo, which is a marine store and seafood market. Kenny told us the dockage cost $.40 per foot and hoped we would join them for the night. Being able to meet up with our friends for a mere $25 for the night sounded too good to pass up, so we changed our plans.  We love being flexible as we never know what might influence our travel plans - travel time, weather, friends, ...

"Daybreak" arrived at Re Mayo about 30 minutes before we did. They were there on the dock to help us tie up. Since we arrived just after 5:00, the business had just closed for the night. They said we could pay in the morning. 

After saying our hellos and chatting for a bit, we agreed that we would each prepare our own foods and then eat on "Sunset Delight". It has been a couple of years since we saw each other, so we had a lot of catching up to do. We had a lovely evening. We are hoping we will see them sometime this winter in Key West, Florida.

Map showing Re Mayo
where we docked for the night

Sometime after dinner, Clark and Kenny disappeared so Kenny could show Clark something on "Daybreak". Unrelated to whatever it was Kenny wanted to show Clark, Clark came back the proud owner of a broken VHF radio that Kenny no longer wanted onboard his boat. Of course, Clark, who I fondly call "the garbage collector" when it comes to electronics, was happy to bring it onto our boat. Me - not so much.

Clark worked on the radio, and voila, it is no longer a broken VHF radio! The one we have at our lower helm has a fouled up display, so perhaps this is a good, temporary replacement where temporary could be in terms of months or years. One never knows with Clark.