Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Pack It In - Boats and Travel

Wed-Tues May 3-9

We arrived at Coinjock Marina at 3:30, the owner and dockhands took our lines and tied us up 1' in front of a little sailboat. The next boat came in and they tied it up 1' from our anchor! Wow, we are being packed like sardines because there are more boats to arrive. By evening every foot of the dock was full--all 1'apart. Early morning saw most of the boats depart, but we have a car reserved to go to the Outer Banks and see the lighthouses. (Judy, I hope you like the lighthouse pictures.)


 
Currituck Sound Lighthouse


I got up early on Friday to take the car back to Enterprise amidst tornado warnings and downpours. More rain and west winds would make a rough crossing on the Currituck Sound. By evening the dock was packed tight again. Too much water for the low lying swing bridges, so they were closed for 2 days. Several boats were rafted to get everybody tied up.

Finally on Sunday the bridges opened back up. All the go-fast boats left early, we left at 11 am to arrive about 5 at Atlantic Yacht Basin just south of Norfolk.

On Monday we went straight through Norfolk, past the Hampton Road bridge tunnel and into the Chesapeake Bay. It wasn't too bad to start, but as the day wore on we bounced and tossed and turned to keep the waves from hitting us directly on the nose. By 5 we were so glad to get to Deltaville Regatta Marina. And have docktales with the other loopers there! 
Thimble Shoal Lighthouse
The next morning I used the courtesy car to run to the store for some supplies and off we go again into the Chesapeake Bay. It wasn't as bad as the day before!  At 5 we made it to St. Marys at the Point Lookout marina near the mouth of the Potomac river.
Smith Point Lighthouse