May 9-19

May 9 – Norfolk to Deltaville/Doziers Marina (58 miles)

May 11 – Deltaville to Lower Machodoc Creek/Ragged Point Anchorage (61 miles)

May 12 – Rugged Point Anchorage to Belmont Bay Harbor (66 miles)

May 13 – Belmont Bay Harbor to Washington, DC (30 miles)

May 14-19 Gangplank Marina in downtown Washington DC

Miles Traveled this Blog Entry: 215

Total Miles Traveled:  4,866

Add Maryland as the 14^th State.  The VA/MD State line runs along the Virginia Shore of the Potomac

Happily pulling out of Norfolk – it is time to go – we passed one huge naval ship after another – aircraft carriers to Red Cross Hospital ships being thankful that they were tied up and wouldn’t get in our way.  However, as we entered the Hampton Crossing (where the ICW, the inlet from the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay meet) we noted a huge carrier on the horizon.  Over time we realized that we were headed for one another in the channel but it seemed we would pass without incident.  Just then a calm but stern voice came over the VHF radio on channel 16, “calling the white trawler near G19.”  Quickly looking up our location, we realized that she was talking to us and discovered that we were almost within the ship’s 500 yard (it is 100 yards when docked) safety zone as indicated by two patrol boats moving at top speed up and down the ships length. As requested we made an immediate left turn out of the channel for a quick get-away changing course up the Chesapeake closer to shore than the Captain’s charted route but enjoying a smooth and uneventful voyage up to Dozier’s Marina in Deltaville, VA where we spent two beautiful days.

Some words about Deltaville:  First, this is where we moved the car, the area where Curt taught sailing at Chase, a Boy Scout Camp, back in 2003 & 4 and where we once visited him – could have fooled me!  Second, you know you are in a boating town when the hardware store is bigger and better stocked than the grocery and a complete set of Waterway Guides is available in the local cafe.

I enjoyed a relaxed birthday celebration here exploring the town in the morning and sitting by the pool in the afternoon.  Diane, onboard the Boatel, gave me a lovely, handmade sea glass necklace.  It is amazing how new friends make your birthday special when you are away from home.  A severe storm kept us from visiting the surrounding area that evening but it eventually abated and we got away to savor a tasty dinner and unique ambiance at the White Dog Bistro in Matthews.  Thanks everyone for the birthday and mothers day well wishes.  We will return to Deltaville in two weeks to put the Namaste to bed for the summer but more on that later, first on to DC.

Memorably quiet birthday with the love of my life!  We never run out of things to talk about.

The mouth of the Potomac (off the Chesapeake) is wide and one of those places where an opposing wind and current can make for a rough ride through the entrance.  We had no such thing.  Our two and a half-day run up the Potomac was absolutely spectacular for weather and scenery.  We anchored out the first night in the Little Machodoc River off Ragged Pointe.  The weather was perfect, even though I couldn’t get the various weather resources to agree on a remotely similar forecast.  The second night we stopped at the Belmont Bay Harbor Marina on the Occoquan River.  Not much here and it was 90 degrees so we just turned on the a/c and collapsed.

 

Sunset at anchor on the Potomac

On our final leg into DC we hoped to stop at Mt. Vernon where a free dock allows boaters to tie up while you enjoy the historic venue.  Unfortunately for us a barge was already there, two tour boats were unloading passengers and the weather was turning cloudy/rainy so we opted to save the stop for our way back down the Potomac.  From here the sights of the National Harbor, Alexandria and finally Washington were welcoming.

As we entered the Washington Channel, a mile-long dredged cut along the newly renovated DC waterfront, we called the Gangplank Marina for directions and assistance.  As the most expensive marina of the season thus far ($3/ft/night), we were expecting amenities which were not to be.  The dockhand attempted to help both us and another boat arriving at the same time.  Although Eric is a really nice kid, he gave us incorrect and then incomplete directions followed by no clue as to how to manage lines in a cross wind.  Both the Namaste and Ole Girl were eventually secured to what are new floating docks but there is no WiFi, no laundry, two showers located in a movable trailer, and a very long walk to anything resembling dirt/grass for Sammy.  The offset is that we are a short walk to the monuments, the Mall, and the Metro.

We have been here seven days and have walked a total of 85,000 steps or about 35 miles, and minus the foot blisters, have loved every minute.  The DC Warf waterfront is far from complete but workers are everywhere trying to get things ready for summer.  Currently there are many nice restaurants, shops, a theater, and even a CVS where you catch the free SW neighborhood shuttle to the Mall.  From there the metro is available to go anywhere in the city.  However, we found that the 1 mile walk to the Mall was often easier at least until the rain began.

Day one: We decided to take Sammy and walked the length of the Mall.  Highlights included coming upon a national Police Drum and Bugle Core competition and, along with thousands of our fellow citizens, soaking in the ambiance of our nation’s capital on a business day. While Sammy really needed the walk, we were unable to take her inside any buildings and the afternoon turned blistering hot so we all hiked back to the Namaste and the a/c just before one heck of a storm!  One thing I wish to comment upon is the more than pleasant nature of all security and guide people around the city.  Everyone was more than happy to chat.

Day two:  The weather continued to be beautiful so we decided on another day of walking, this time to the monuments but sans Sammy.  The Jefferson Monument surrounded by famous cherry trees was less than a mile from the boat. I truly cannot imagine the beauty when in bloom the end of April.  Moving on we saw the Lincoln, MLK, and FDR (my personal fav) memorials –  which I have seen before but remain awe inspiring!

Ultimately, we landed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts which is a living memorial to JFK.  This was surely a highlight of our visit to DC.  Nancy, a volunteer friend of the center, took just the two of us on a free 1.5 hour tour including all but one of the theaters, the presidential boxes, the lounges and an explanation of the gifts of 60 different countries who honored his memory.  There are State and a National Halls with flags flying!  Jim’s sister Erin performed here for two years before moving to California.

 

 

Day Three:  We woke to cloudy skies and drizzle.  What to do?  Well, we hiked back to the Mall to take in some of the venues we had not seen in past visits.  This included the Capital Building where we ended up spending our entire day.  After a rather perfunctory but still impressive and efficient mass tour we passed a desk labeled Senate Tours.  Since we hadn’t contacted ahead for tickets we were directed across the street to the Hart Building and Debbie Stabenow’s, (LMSW and grad of MSU) office.  Debbie was there but “in a meeting”.  Otherwise I am certain she would have greeted us.  The impressive suite of offices and friendly receptionist sufficed and we got our tickets to the Senate gallery and passed through three security stations just in time to view the net neutrality debate and vote.  No kidding, we saw all 100 senators (except of course John McCain) including Bernie who was first to vote and Elizabeth Warren who stood just a few feet away.  The resolution passed which is supported by 86% of the population.  Now on to the House where it is apparently less popular.  Keep your fingers crossed!

One of the many pictures hanging in Debbie’s Office – yes, 16 out of 100 and no women of color!  Other photos included Holland Tulips and the Mackinaw Bridge.

Day Four:  Raining again and our toes were squealing so we decided to take the day off.  Sammy was happy for our company and we enjoyed a quiet day on the boat – reading, writing, and napping! There are a few other Looper boats here but today we met Low Profile, shared happy hour and found we had much in common.  Great, fun people!

Day Five:  RAINING again!  Had a long lunch with our new friends Debbie and Tim and then went back to their boat for more conversation.  We had tickets for “Capitol Steps” at a theater in the Ronald Reagan Bldg. that evening. This group has been performing political satire for more than 30 years and was mostly funny, if at moments I found it hard to laugh.

Day Six:  RAINING AGAIN!  We had hoped to take the water taxi to Georgetown today but because of the quantity of rain (someone said 15”) the river level was high and the taxi/boat couldn’t get under the bridges.  Thus, we headed back to the Mall and toured the Hirshorn Museum of Modern Art.

and the Museum of the American Indian, neither of which we had seen before and neither disappointed.  We rounded out the day saying good-by to folks and planning our exit from DC, heading back down the Potomac to Deltaville.

Sammy Sayz:  Hi everyone, having a great time here.  I specially like the calm days when I can wander the boat and help Captain Jim on the helm.

Even though we have each been to DC more than a dozen times and it is a side-trip on the Loop, we are so glad that we made the effort and took the time!  Imagine, two kids from Livonia sailing their own boat into Washington DC!

Good Boat Name of the Day:  Living Water

Bad Boat Name of the Day:  Wasted Sea-Men (really?)

Quote of the Day:  “Everything will be OK in the end.  If it is not OK, then it is not the end.” – unknown

Happy Belated birthday to: Donna and Theresa

Happy Birthday to: Kathy (on Carisma with whom we are celebrating with dinner tonight in Colonial Beach)

 

April 24-May 9

April 24 – Stay-over in Oriental, River Dunes Marina (storms)

April 25 – Oriental, River Dunes Marina to Pungo River Anchorage (49 miles)

April 26 – Pungo River Anchorage to Alligator River Marina (44 miles)

April 27 – Alligator River Marina to Virginia Beach, Centerville Marina (69 miles)

April 28 – Centerville Marina to Norfolk (13 miles)

April 29-May7 – Waterside Marina, Norfolk

Miles traveled this blog entry: 175 miles

Total miles traveled:  4651

Review of states explored so far (13):  Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and now Virginia.

When we finally cast off the lines in Oriental, NC the Namaste and Melody in Sea headed for an anchorage in the Pungo River where, after Dan got his anchor to hold, we shared dinner and a quiet evening.

Since Melody is faster, we left early the following morning heading up a narrow cut directly into the blinding but beautiful sun.  They eventually passed us in a wide spot but we both ended up waiting for the Alligator River Bridge whose schedule was in disarray due to construction.

Somewhere along the river we saw a small, flat bottom fishing boat with four young men frantically working.  We finally surmised that they were cat-fish fishing.  They had stuck long sticks/branches into the mud along the banks and attached string with some form of bait – a most crude fishing pole punched into the bottom of the river.  What we witnessed was these guys racing up and down a long stretch of river checking their lines, unhooking the fish, throwing them into the bottom of the boat and rebating the hook.  A cat-fish version of crabbing?   Another day we saw a turtle straddling a floating log in the middle of the channel.  No pictures of either the fisherman or the turtle but vivid visual memories remain.

Since it was early, our plan had been to cross the Abemarle Sound that afternoon.  However, as we waited for the Alligator River bridge to open, the wind picked up and clouds rolled in giving us pause about the crossing which can be nasty with the easterly winds we were experiencing.  In fact, Ron and Vicki reported that they had the worst seas of their entire Loop in the Abemarle Sound.  Instead we decided to make a sharp left and enter the Alligator River Marina, basically a Shell gas station and convenience store under new management and delighted to have us.  Eventually about 7 mostly “new to us” Looping boats arrived and the party began.

The following morning the weather looked iffy but the wind was light and from the south so perfect for a smooth crossing.  We buddied with Ann, onboard the Nautical Gypsy who is single handing her Albin 36 on the Loop as a traveling nurse & social worker stopping to practice along the way.  Her next job is in Albany, NY.  She is one amazing woman!!!

During the Abemarle Sound crossing each boat must decide whether to take the Dismal Swamp route (neither dismal nor a swamp) or the Virginia Cut.  Both are different experiences but end up just south of Norfolk.  Due to timing of a lock and bridge we decided to take the Cut resulting in even worse timing.  We waited for almost an hour for the North Landing bridge only to find out that we now had to wait two hours for the Centerville Turnpike Bridge (I sure didn’t see any Turnpike).  Anyway, most bridges open on the hour to keep it simple but some don’t open at all between 6:30-8:30 am or 4-6 pm due to rush hour traffic in their locations. Because we waited for almost an hour for bridge #1 we arrived at bridge #2 around 4:05 and no they won’t wait, no there were no anchorages, no we had no marina reservation and yes, everything around was full!  This may represent one of our worst planning days ever!  Captain Jim eventually convinced the Centerville Marina just the other side of the bridge to let us tie up at their face-dock after they had closed up and gone home.  The lady got a pound of Biggby Coffee the next morning for her hospitality and we got tied up for the night.  It turned out to be a 69 mile day that took us almost 12 hours!  We also didn’t nourish or hydrate properly so irritability was a nasty factor.  You can perhaps imagine but all’s well that ends well!

The following morning with only 13 miles to Norfolk we had yet another bridge and lock to conquer – the Great Bridge bridge and the Great Bridge lock.   Approaching the bridge early we were 6^th of 7 in line jockeying for position with docks on either side of the river at the base of the bridge. Just then two go-fast Sabres (read expensive boats) came roaring up as boats #8 and 9.   Within 30 seconds a guy came on the VHF radio to ask that since he and his friend were the fastest boats, could they just go on ahead and be first under the bridge and into the lock.  After a long silence a southern, slow, male drawl came over the airwaves, “Well, we just may not all fit in that lock this lift so ya’ll had best just stay in position.”  The radio went silent and they stayed put until one tried to pass us before exiting the lock. Captain Jim deliberately edged slowly over to the middle of the channel until all 7 of us were safely on our way.  You have to wonder if some people ever went to kindergarten?

The final 13 miles into Norfolk was full of tall bridges that didn’t need to lift, tugs pushing barges as well as all manner of navy vessels which are huge and intimidating.  The rule is that you cannot come within 100 yards of a docked government ship but then my question is, who would want to?

We were one of the first of fifty or so boats to arrive at the Waterside Marina on Norfolk’s brand new waterfront near the Sheraton where our Looper Rendezvous would be held.  We excitedly and with great relief celebrated meeting our goal of an April 28^th arrival, for which we had made reservations last December.  By Sunday all the boats were shoe-horned into their slips and along the walls with not an inch to spare.  In the end we were all pretty amazed that nobody hit anyone else on their way in or out but with heavy winds and very tight spaces folks came way too close more than once.  We added four more fenders after this picture was taken!

The bow of the Namaste tucked right up to Phanthom

The AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association, lest anyone forget) Spring Rendezvous is the semi-annual event held for Loopers who have completed, are in progress, or who are planning their Loop.  There were more than 300 people attending from all over the world, Australia being the furthest away.  Workshops, seminars, and informational meetings on everything from routes to engine maintenance to staying in shape; good food and drink; boat crawls and pub crawls; treasure hunts and a Loop trade show were all part of what felt somewhat like a professional conference but in casual clothes with fascinating stories and easy laughter.  My favorite was a presentation on reading the NOAA weather.  In my next life I am going to be a meteorologist!

A word about the Looper crawls.  One particular highlight was that each afternoon some captains opened their boats for the rest of us to “crawl” upon.  Getting to see other boats is always interesting but add snacks and wine = perfection.  We decided to open the Namaste to inspection and had perhaps 100 people onboard, 4-6 at a time.  The Albin 36 is a popular Looper boat and there are very few available so we enjoyed lots of interest and compliments.  No, she is not for sale!

The Namaste all prettied up and ready for the Looper Crawl

Jim and I came in second for the longest married couple in attendance which I translated into we were the youngest married couple in attendance.  A shout out to Kim Russo, director of the AGLCA who did a fabulous job of planning, executing and keeping everyone happy – one can only imagine!  We missed the Joe Wheeler Fall Rendezvous 2015 in Tennessee so are happy that we took-in this full Rendezvous experience.

After the last party ended, we created a complex yet workable plan with Dan and Jenny Lynn to retrieve our cars from Savannah and Brunswick Georgia, about 550 miles south.  We obtained an Enterprise rental car and all four of us drove to Savannah, dropped them off at their car, drove to Brunswick and picked up the Tiguan.   Jim drove the rental car and I my car back to Norfolk the following day.  The day after that we traveled to Deltaville to drop off the cars where we will haul out our boats for the summer and then all came back to Norfolk in the rental car.  A total of about 1250 miles!  Thinking we won’t have a car with us next year.

We also took the public transit ferryboat to Portsmouth one evening to see “Avengers” at the Commodore Theater – a mixed experience.  The theater was built in 1945 and is refurbished in art deco /cabaret style – the highlight of the evening.  We sat at tables with old fashioned office phones to place our food and beverage orders.  The food was OK, the service good and the ambiance spectacular!  I shall not comment on the “Avengers” as a movie!  Today we went to the Chrysler Art Museum and then to the Freemason Abbey for a pre-birthday, birthday dinner with Clark and Ev of Sunset Delight.

 

 

Rain

Sammy says:  it was fun to be with Mac but sitting in the car for three days was b-o-r-i-n-g!  I like boat travel better as I can smell the smells, run around on the fly bridge and bark at anything I wish.  They give me lots of treats too!

Now it is time to move on.  We are provisioned, the laundry is done (a story for another time but due to a comedy of errors I got $10 worth of machine use for free), and the boat maintenance is finished. We plan to leave tomorrow.

Good Boat Name of the Day: Nellie May, named after the Captain Tim’s grandmother (love it)

Bad Boat Name of the Day:  Chaos

Quote of the Day:  “You are the books you read, the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the people you spend time with, the conversations you engage in.  Choose wisely what you feed your mind.”  -unknown

Happy Belated birthday to: Georgie, Beverly, Melissa,

Happy Birthday to: Bastian, Missy, Donna and Theresa

Congrats to: Bastian, Christine, and Lisa!!!!