Great Loop: Norfolk & Deltaville, Virginia
Naval Station Norfolk
May 6th-13th, 2022
Norfolk and it's sister city Portsmouth are naval towns. Collectively they are home to Naval Station Norfolk and a major center for ship building and repair. There are numerous warships undergoing repairs and updates as well as new construction. I was impressed with the observed activity level as much work was underway to keep our fleet ready for action. Alfred Thayer Mahan would have been proud.
Even Aircraft Carriers need bottom paint
The naval hospital in Portsmouth has been looking after the health needs of our sailors since the 1830's. It has undergone many expansions and occupies a prominent spot on the waterfront.
Portsmouth Naval Hospital
To facilitate travel across the Elizabeth River from Portsmouth to Norfolk, there is a Ferry, which runs continuously till 10 pm, and for $2/person will whisk you to the other side. As a bonus, you get a, short, but interesting harbor tour!
BB-64, the USS Wisconsin, is a museum ship now on display in Norfolk
Mike is standing on the foredeck of the USS Wisconsin
In the food court at the Waterside on the Norfolk waterfront.
Beth is emulating the Mermaid statue
Nauticus is the waterfront museum which presents the natural history of the area as well as serving as a US Naval Museum. This is also the location of the USS Wisconsin
We berthed at Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth
An old lightship is on display in Portsmouth
We had an excellent Reuben sandwich at this Portsmouth restaurant
We rented a car and visited Colonial Williamsburg.
The town captures the character of a 1760's Colonial Town
Colonel George Washington even came out of retirement to speak with us
An artisan makes colonial products from tin
A blacksmith heats steel for a project
A silversmith describes her trade
The crews of Amy Marie and Hiatus enjoy a break in Williamsburg
The flintlock rifles in the Governor's Palace date from 1762
In the grounds of the Governor's Palace
The gardens of the Governor's Palace
The Fife & Drum Corps
We knew a nor'wester storm was going to keep us in port for a week and were concerned we wouldn't have enough to do to fill our week. Wrong! This area has many historical points of interest, museums, art galleries, and sites to visit. Our favorites were Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, the battleship USS Wisconsin, the Nauticus Museum, and visiting with other Loopers. I also did a day of boat maintenance, including changing the oil. So we made our stay productive.
Amy Marie and Yolo are both waiting patiently for the Nor'Easter to clear
Finally, the weather was scheduled to clear on Friday. The forecast was for light winds. The Loopers, who naturally prefer to be in motion, were restless - time to put some miles under our keels! We woke to solid fog. A couple of diehards left immediately. A foggy departure puts you in the heart of one of the busiest harbors in the U.S. Others tried hard to be patient. Finally the fog lifted around the marina. All it took was for a couple of boats to leave and then an avalanche of departures occurred. We resisted as long as we could, then we too joined the parade of boats headed north and up Chesapeake Bay.
A view of a portion of the north bound Loopers
When we departed our slip, the Elizabeth River was fog free as you can see in the picture looking toward the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
Vintage sailing vessels full of tourists were again on the water. We were indeed ready for a fine day of boating.
As we neared the Chesapeake Bay, the weather picture changed. This container ship was coming right at us and all we could see was its superstructure above the fog layer. Spooky!
Then a nuclear submarine emerge from the fog, accompanied by a tug to carefully guide it into port. What else was hidden in the mist?
Captain Free was up to the task. He already has identified the container vessel with its AIS data displayed on his chartplotter and the radar was scanning the horizons and displaying potential hazards it could detect. We made the decision to proceed at ~ 7 mph. We were also active on the radio talking to harbor traffic. The tug captains aren't shy about telling you were they would like you to be. They can usually be found on VHF channel 13.
Once we got out into the bay and headed north, we would go intermittently into and out of the fog. This was when we discovered a thunderstorm had formed behind us and was travelling our direction at 30 mph. Additionally, the Coast Guard was warning boaters to get off the bay and seek shelter as the storm's conditions were likely to spawn waterspouts, or tornados over the water. We had no nearby ports to duck into, plus the storm seemed to be moving across our track to starboard. So we increased speed to 15mph and eased off to port in hopes the storm would pass down our starboard side.
Berthing Information
- Tidewater Yacht Marina - Portsmouth
- (757) 393-2525
- https://tidewateryachtmarina.com/
- No Pump Out or Fuel - Tanks being replaced
- Clean showers and restrooms
- On site restaurant
- 30 & 50 amp electrical service
- Nearby Enterprise Car Rental Agency
- Close to downtown
- Close to Ferry access Norfolk. $2/person, runs continuously.
- Instacart delivered to the marina
- Regatta Point Marina - Deltaville
- (804) 776-8400
- www.regattapointyc.com
- 30 & 50 amp electrical service
- Floating Docks
- Great showers and restrooms
- Loaner bikes and loaner car (1 hour)
- Grocery store in town
- Boatyards nearby
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