Sunday, May 6, 2018

Coinjock, NC to Hampton, VA.

Today:     67 miles, 11.2 hours, ICW
Total:     2629.4 miles, 410.2 hours

     We cast off at 6:15 am. Two other boats were just ahead of us, heading north and into the rain.  Once again, we are so thankful for the enclosure.  The rains continued on and off for about 4 hours. Once in the canal south of Great Lock, the rains stopped and, slowly, the skies started to clear. With the new growth of spring, the contrast of the wet bark on trees against so many shades of green, and the sweet scent of flowers made it a very enjoyable leg of our trip.

The shoreline along the Virginia Cut
   

Railroad bridge
 decorated by the local kids
      



The Trumphy Yacht, SUMMER LOVE
   

     We were number 4 of 9 boats heading into the lock.  We were able to stay to the west, where the walls are lined with permanent vertical fenders. We didn’t seem to rise very much, I doubt if the difference was more than 3 inches!  For most of our travels today, we were accompanied by a 56-foot Irwin ketch, SV IT’S A LIFE, out of Texas.  They are planning to head to Maine with a stop in Boston this July.  We wish them well on their travels.
Once on the Elizabeth River,
industry takes over the shores
     

No Problem!
145' Bridge Clearance!
   

There was a lot of traffic at the mouth of the Elizabeth River, but we were able to keep moving most of the time. Only once did we need to stop in order to figure out which way the freighter would head.  Of course, he was heading towards for us, but we gave him plenty of room to maneuver.
The shipyards at Newport News, VA
and the ship named after PFC Oberon
    
    Once in the Bay, we noticed haze to the north and east.  As we were approaching the channel markers for Salt Pond, the fog bank rolled in. We had about 20 minutes of limited visibility and it lessened as we entered Salt Pond.  As we passed through the narrow entrance, the well protected Pond was beautiful. Homes surround the pond and marshes. A deep channel goes down the eastern side of the pond with short, multi docks extending from shore, that cover the better part of a half mile. Our marina is down at the end. The fog came and went a few times and was quite stunning.  Since we were approaching the dock just before they closed, we opted  to fuel up another time.
Views inside The Salt Pond
            After securing for the night Pete took care of the bill, the fog dissipated and we were treated to a magnificent sunset.
     We had just finished dinner when a Juneau 46 was attempting to tie up at the fuel dock next to us.  He was single handling and had never tired without dock hands. He only had a stern line on and was on the dock trying to get another line on the boat.  The wind caught it and the bow drifted away from the dock. Pete was able to give him a hand and soon he was secure.
     Once back on board, we got together stuff for the morning. We only plan a one-day visit, but I think we should bring more clothes and dog food just in case.


~ ~ /) ~ ~   K & P

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