Obsession anchored in Hospital Cove waiting for an early morning call from Purdy Suite that the Kady Krogan in front of him was vacating a free dock in Portsmouth. 

When we left Hampton, VA we knew we were going to hunker down in Portsmouth for a day or so to wait for gale force winds and heavy rain to pass

We were at a free (for 24 hours) dock for 48 hours. Free meant just that-no amenities. Just easy access to a small town with a Farmers’ Market, a small movie theater and a Ferry to take us across the river to Norfolk. 

Obsession was docked where the red boat is.  The blue boat is the ferry to Norfolk. 

We enjoyed the movie “A Star is Born” at the renovated Commodore Dinner Theater on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  

The next day we hopped aboard the Ferry to Norfolk, stretched our legs walking around Waterside and enjoyed The Patriots Game on a big screen tv while chowing down on ribs and a beer.

Monday was the perfect day to head down the ICW (Virginia. Through and under many bridges to Coinjock, NC and a prime rib dinner. 

FIrst Bridge-ALL CLEAR!

Second Bridge -ALL CLEAR

Third Bridge (Gilmerton Bridge) -TROUBLED WATERS. We had to wait for 45 minutes for 3 trains.

More Bridges-ALL CLEAR

 LOCKS (Great Bridge and Locks)-ALL CLEAR

It was like a parade. The Boats that had been sitting out the bad weather were moving as fast as they could wanting to get down the Virginia Cut portion of the ICW ASAP.

For me it was a beautiful and exciting trip. 

Coinjock Marina was something to behold with all boats literally parked along side the river, sometimes rafted 3 deep. Excellent and courteous dockhands worked their way down the docks, over the maze of boats to help arriving boats tie up.

Dinner at Coinjock Marina means prime rib and meeting other cruisers headed in the same direction, for same and sometimes different reasons. Trawlers, cruisers, momohulls, catamarans. It is a moving parade of boats. 

When we left the next morning it was foggy and  cold. Mostly ground or what you might call swamp fog. An eerie experience. We were happy to be in the middle of a parade. 

Finally, the fog lifted and the narrow waterway opened up and we skirted across the Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River Marina. 

Sail on silver girl

Sail on by

Docking at the Alligator River Marina was an experience-thankfully the Best Catalina 42s’ Cavalry arrived, armed and ready to help Obsession into the “slip” between poles.

It was a treat to arrive at a destination before the dinner hour and be able to relax a bit. We did just that, and prepared for another bridge opening experience and a motor sail down the Alligator-Pungo River Canal and up to Belhaven.  After an early start we were stalled for 2 hours waiting for the Alligator Swing Bridge to be repaired. 

All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine

We all anchored in  Belhaven for the night and said a temporary good bye to Half-Baked and Purdy Suite before they headed to Oriental. Obsession chose to go to Washington, NC  to sit out the storm and visit with nephew Kenny Tysor. Gale force winds and periods of rain are predicted. And since we arrived at a fairly early hour we took a walk along the beautiful town dock boardwalk and in town. A few nice restaurants, a bakery and lots of antique shops. The harbormaster told us that during Florence the water was over the boardwalk. 

From here we will travel through Goose Creek (to avoid Pamlico Sound) to Oriental and then Beaufort, NC. (Pronounced BO-FORT)

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.