Surviving Tropical Storm Andrea and getting to Norfolk VA

We survived Tropical Storm Andrea!! Whhewww, that was a close one. NOT. Where we are in Portsmouth VA along the bay it rained a gentle farmers rain not much on Thursday night late, on and off on Friday and it is clear this morning as I write this on Saturday 6/8. I am confident the way we tied up the boat helped minimize rocking but overall it was a smoother experience than we expected.

Kermit on the other hand thinks the National Weather Service was totally overplaying the storm. This despite the extensive flooding throughout the southeast and winds so strong they kept Jim and Joy in Coinjock, NC along a protected stretch of the ICW. This is another one of those “put a quarter in Kermit” issues. Don’t go there.

Mike from One September says the storm appeared gentle to us because the wind was out of the south and we are on the north side of the land here at the south end of the Chesapeake Bay. Does that make sense? Think about it for a minute. It makes sense. The wind is coming from the south over the land. If it was coming from the north it would whip up across the water making the experience so much more violent. We were lucky… again. Good Karma!!

Let me back track a little. We left Beaufort NC (a cute town) on Tuesday morning early because we saw the storm coming. We weren’t sure the extent or that it would turn into the first named storm of the season but we knew something was coming. Our target was Norfolk VA where we hoped to spend the weekend with Judy and Mike from One September at their home base in Virginia Beach.

To achieve our target we needed to cross two large bodies of water that kick up big time in a storm. This entire area is protected by barrier islands we know as the Outer Banks. We visited there many times with the Lipka and Vellucci families but we rarely ventured away from the comfort and beauty of the OBX. Oh, there was that one adventure to Okracoke Island and another adventure to Hattaras Lighthouse, always closed for restoration when we visited, but other than that we seldom ventured out.

The Neuse River, leading from the Atlantic to New Bern NC and the Pamlico Sound from the barrier islands to Washington NC are both very shallow and very wide. As such it can whip up like crazy when there is a storm or even the hint of a storm. So we were concerned about our ability to get to Virginia Beach/Norfolk before the storm.

It was a shame too because we had important stops scheduled along the way. Washington NC is very close to Greenville NC where Martha lives. We have lots of friends there from diving experiences with Blue Region Scuba. There were planning all sorts of fun activities for us. But to get there would be just about an entire day due east then another day due west to connect again with the ICW. We would have been caught in the storm or delayed significantly. We love you, folks, but we couldn’t make it happen.

Matt and Kelly Penn were vacationing in Nags Head this week. We talked with them several weeks in advance. We wanted to meet them in Manteo on Roanoke Island just a short hop from Nags Head and the Outer Banks towns where we vacationed so many times. But to get to Manteo we would have had to turn due east from Belhaven at the mouth of the Pamlico Sound. If the weather kicked up as we expected and as it turns out as it happened we would have been stuck there for several days in a storm. We couldn’t make it happen. Matt and Kelly are boaters. They understand. But it was disappointing.

We love seeing friends and family so it is really disappointing when we can’t, especially in the case of the Greenville NC folks. We planned that stop from the very beginning of the trip. Very disappointing.

The trip between Beaufort NC and Norfolk takes two long days at 10mph. The water in both the Pamlico Sound and the Albemarle Sound is very shallow. The channels are dredged to about 12 or 14 feet. Get out of the channel and you are looking at 3 or 4 feet. Both bodies of water look and feel like Sandusky Bay or Lake St. Clair. 

There are lots of small boats like fishing boats, ski boats, and jet skis that do not mind the shallow water, just like Sandusky Bay. You cannot always see all the sides of the water. The water is kind of a brown green, not dirty but reflecting the plants growing in the bottom. It is very pretty.

Since we were in a hurry to stay ahead of the storm Kermit was extremely focused on driving safely but quickly. We sped up a few times so we could make bridge openings. It felt funny traveling at more than 8 or 10 mph. Isn’t that odd? Our Lake Erie friends must be shaking their heads at us!! We’ve gone soft.

approaching Belhaven Dowry Marina

There are only two places to stay along this route if you go straight through. Jim and Joy (Jim’sJoy) took a left at the mouth of the Neuse River on Tuesday morning after leaving Beaufort so they could visit New Bern NC. I visited already with Martha in April when we went to visit the perfect boat, Starlight Dreamer. Kermit didn’t want to go unless we planned to buy the boat, which we don’t. So Jim and Joy went on alone. They got stuck and are still in Coinjoick sitting out the storm!

The first place after Beaufort after crossing the Neuse River is Belhaven NC. There is not much there. Frankly I can’t even remember what it was like. We were tired and went to bed early. 

Cool tree

Everyone needs a random telephone booth

The owner who died

Oh yeah, now I remember. This marina was the dream of a fellow from up north. He fell in love with the place, bought the marina and started fixing it up. Then he died. Tough. His wife, Mary, runs the marina. I think he is buried right by the swimming pool. At least there is a marker that looks just like my dad’s located next to the swimming pool.  

They love memorials here

There were a lot of transients in that marina and we were invited to a pot luck in the clubhouse. Such a nice clubhouse!! And a beautiful pool!! And the docks were nice. Lots of the folks seemed like they knew one another. We ran into a couple we met originally in Fort Myers. We saw them again in Coinjock because there isn’t really another route. Nice people with a couple of dogs. We might look them up in the upper Chesapeake. They were from Annapolis.

Mike and Judy took us to see Belhaven. Not much there. The other marinas were empty; lots of houses were for sale, and not much going on. We stopped to re-provision at Food Lion then went home and went to bed.

The pool at Dowry Marina in Belhaven

a duck blind on the river

Alligator River

Crossing the Pamlico sound

The next day we left Belhaven NC and crossed the Pamlico Sound. When we got to the entrance of the sound we made the decision to press forward and not stop at Manteo. The crossing was rocky but uneventful. It is like Lake Erie on a regular day with square waves about a foot or two with very close intervals. We sped up just a little to flatten it out, probably traveling at the top end of 10mph most of the day. After the Pamlico we entered the Alligator River. Our target was Coinjock NC in the middle of the Alligator River.

Military planes on maneuvers

bald eagle

approaching Coinjock Marina NC

Coinjock is great!!! I mean the Coinjock Marina of course. We are not sure what else is around there and it is not important to know because everything you could ever want is at Coinjock. This marina is run by the nicest people. They keep is clean, well maintained, and the staff is just nice. Flat out nice and considerate.

One September approaching Coinjock

The marina is a long pier on the starboard side of the Alligator River. On the other side is Midway Marina. I guess that is where you go when Coinjock is full. It appears from eavesdropping on phone calls that the owner picks and chooses who gets to stay and who will get the answer that the marina is full with no more reservations possible. I guess it was good karma again because we got the last two slips. One September sort of stuck out at the back end of the dock.

There is so much wonderful about this place I am not sure where to start. First of all the dockhands helped us tie up and rolled up a big homemade set of steps, just like the steps that Paul made for us at Venetian, just like home. 

Rusty liked Coinjock

Rusty could step right off the boat and walk across the dock to grass to do his business. This was the first time in ages he didn’t have to walk a block or two down docks and up ramps to get to the approved place. Of course that doesn’t stop Rusty from pooping whenever he feels like it as long as he is 20 feet or so from the boat but Coinjock provided the relief Rusty needed.

Coinjock is not just a marina. It is a community. Homes stand right next to the river and the marina dock. There are kids’ bikes and toys scattered about in a friendly fashion. There are flower pots tacked to trees and poles so it looks pretty.

The marina office has a bar with stools without liquor but it makes a great place to sit or stand and chat. And these are friendly folks. The doors are open and dogs wander in and out all the time.

Make it stop, Mom, please? 

Aren't they adorable? I want a puppy!!

The marina owners have a 9 year old black lab female that is kind of crabby when she is in the office. She growls. But outside she is friendly as can be. 

The owner runs a duck hunting business in the offseason so he just got a little female black lab puppy to supplement the older dog. It is the cutest thing!! They have a little dachshund too that is surprisingly well behaved. Another family in the neighborhood has a black lab puppy only a few weeks older. So it was dog heaven. Rusty had fun! At least we had fun watching the puppies pull on Rusty’s leash. I am not sure how much Rusty liked it but that is ok. He is a dog.

Lots of big boats (I mean BIG yacht type boats) stop here along the way. The owner seems to know everyone. When I was paying for the gas the next morning (3.99 per gallon by check for 221 gallons) someone called on the radio asking for reservations for the day. The dockhand paused, checked with the owner to see if that particular boat could come. Only with the owner’s nod did that boat get a reservation.  I think it serves us well to be nice!

Coinjock is known for their prime rib. The offer a 32 ounce prime rib for a low price. I can’t remember the price. This is a must stop destination on the loop so off we walked down the dock to the restaurant.  There can’t be more than 20 boats at Coinjock but the restaurant was packed. Locals must go there because all those folks did not come off the boats.

Michael had the 12 ounce prime rib – not bad for a fellow who doesn’t eat meat!! Plus he had a Long Island Ice tea!!  Not bad for a fellow who doesn’t drink. As Kermit says, “the conversion is almost complete”. The rest of us had shrimp, fish or steak and it was really good. The best part was those house made potato chips that came out of the kitchen hot and salty with a homemade ranch dressing to die for. Next time I complain about my tight fitting clothes, I am sure someone will remind me about the food I have been eating.

Another dead boat

We left Coinjock on Thursday morning as soon as we could fill up with gas when the marine office opened. The journey up the ICW to Norfolk is filled with bridges that must be opened and even a lock. The 60 miles or so took forever. It was exhausting. 

I don't know why but I love
dead boats - I have quite a collection!

Traffic jam at a swim bridget

Bald eagles everywhere!

traffic jam at a lift bridge

I think this is a snake sunning itself
on a dead boat - either way, yuck

Say it slowly... funny boat name!

Sometimes we had to speed up to catch the next bridge opening otherwise we would have to wait for the next hour opening. The bridge tender at one of the bridges scolded one boat. She said, “You better hurry up or you will miss another bridge and have to wait again. You don’t want that, do you?” She made her point. 

One time Michael who was in the lead in One September stalled a little to allow a south bound boat to get through so a trawler behind us could catch up. The trawler said it was the fastest he ever moved that boat!!

We even had a little lock. It was adorable. 

Just before reaching Norfolk we passed the place where you head off on the Dismal Swamp. We could have taken the Dismal Swamp and many people do but the last thing we wanted was more swamp. We’ve driven along the Dismal Swamp waterway on our way to the Outer Banks before and we survived the low country so I think we have the idea.

Mama duck sitting on a nest at
the cute little lock

We entered Norfolk in the middle of the afternoon. So many naval ships, so little time. I can't take it all in. The ships are so large. People are crawling all over them. There are guards with guns tucked everywhere and naval police boats patrolling in front of all the ships. Each ship has fencing around it to protect against an incident like the USS Cole.

a submarine!

police boat going back and forth protecting the big ships

entering Ocean Marine Yacht Center - that is One September

We got tied up just in time for the storm to hit. The dockmaster came around to double check everyone’s lines and told us to put more lines on. We used all our lines but one and survived just fine.

Yesterday (Friday) we came back from buzzing around with Mike and Judy in Virginia Beach (more about that later) only to find we lost our small orange ball fender. Kermit was really mad. He thought he saw our fender on a looper boat across the way. How dare he? As he stomped up the dock to confront the possible thief, he decided to stop in the office. Sure enough, there was our fender safely behind the counter! The dock hands found it floating along the gas dock about 10 slips away. We are not sure how that happened. Probably that sneaky looper in the next fairway took it off on purpose!!

Next: The scoop on Michael and Judy’s family, friends and club. PS: They are lovely!