Lorenzo & Delois Johnson

We are docked in Cristfield, Md, in Gary’s Home town.

It was NOT an uneventful trip from Hampton, Va. to Cristfield.  We listened closely at the weather reports for the past few days.  A break in the predominantly strong winds from the Northeast was predicted to occur starting this morning, and it was predicted that wave heights would be around 1 foot by mid day, and would start increasing again tonight and would stay in the small craft advisory range until the weekend.

We left the marina at 0900, and sauntered out into the mighty Chesapeake Bay.  As we traveled out to the deeper waters, the wave heights were steadily increasing.  Imagine our surprise when we realized that the wave heights were increasing as the day wore on, not decreasing.  By this time we were in 8 foot seas, dead on the bow.  Very uncomfortable.  We changed course and headed for a safe anchorage to think this over. 

We headed for Mobjack Bay, and by 12:30 we were at anchor in calm water eating our lunch.  The bay had given us a spanking and taught us a lesson-  You can always turn around and go back if conditions do not meet Your expectations. 

After a 2 hour wait and quick nap, We decided to go to Deltaville, some 15 miles away, and find a marina to dock at while we waited for fair weather.  When We entered the bay, we were surprised to find it very smooth and comfortable.  We quickly changed plans, and decided to continue to our original destination, Cristfield, MD. (approximately 47 miles away)  In order to make it before dark, we would need to push the throttles pretty hard, and not be concerned with fuel usage.  The remainder of the trip was uneventful, and we arrived at 8 PM, just in time to get dinner before the restaurant closed.

We are planning to spend a few days here, and then continue on to Washington, DC.  We don’t expect the winds to decrease until sometime this weekend, and then we can cross the Bay to enter the Potomac River. (Lois ate crab cakes again for Dinner. Pretty soon, She is going to start growing claws.)

This morning at 10:00, we left the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Great Bridge, VA.  We had land transportation while we were there because Daniel loaned us a vehicle.  Had an enjoyable visit with the Grandkids, and really hate to leave them but we must move on.  David, Grandaddy misses his “Best Buddy” already.

We were docked only a few miles from Suffolk, Va. and was able to watch the tornado as it was bearing down on the town.  We of course, were not directly affected except for the heavy rains and and some stiff breezes.

We locked through the first lock for this trip.  There are 185 more locks before the trip is completed.

We traveled from Great Bridge to Hampton, Va, a distance of around 25 miles.  The passage through the naval base was highlighted by meeting a submarine in the channel.  There were lots of armed escort vessels making sure that all boats kept the proper distance away from the submarine.  What a cruel way to be treated after all the Years I spent aboard their Submarines. 

 We are docked at the Hampton downtown Marina, and it is a very nice place to visit.  It is located in downtown Hampton, and You are surrounded by everything.  Would like to spend a few more days here but the weather report indicates that tomorrow may be the only day with weather suitable for transiting the Cheasapeake Bay without having to wait until sometime after the weekend.  We are leaving tomorrow around 9:00 to travel to Crisfield, Maryland, a distance of approximately 70 miles.  Will wait in Crisfield until we get a weather window to allow crossing the Bay into the Potomac River, and heading to Washington, DC.

We took a Taxi to some shopping Mall to let Lois overcome Her illness caused by lack-of-mall.  It worked.  We also had dinner and of course She ordered the crab dishes.

Our short stay in Hampton has been very pleasant, and we plan to return.   It is only a few miles from the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, so that will help in being able to get a feel for weather conditions in the Bay before actually entering it.

We are buddy boating with Gary and Judy Walker from Tabor City, NC.  We have been dockmates and close friends for several years.  About a year ago, Gary became infected with my enthusiasm about this trip, and decided that He woul retire and make the journey also.  Having two boats traveling together gives a sense of security and safety.  Also, Lois now has someone to go to the bathroom with her when She is in a restaurant.  This relationship will make this great trip even better.  Lois and I feel very lucky and blessed to have Judy and Gary to share this experience with. 

We left Oriental on Thursday morning, and enjoyed an uneventful cruise to the intersection of the Pongo Canal-Alligator River junction.  We arrived there rather early, around 2 Pm, and anchored in a very beautiful location in the Alligator River Bay. 

  We really enjoyed our overnight stay in the Alligator River Bay.  This place is so far from civilization that cell phones, and pagers do not have a signal at all.  The boats were rafted together, and we cooked a very good meal of fresh Salmon, Baked sweet potatoes, stir fried vegetables, and hot rolls.  Ice cream and fresh strawberries provided a fitting cap on this wonderful occasion.  The beautiful sunset added to our enjoyment and contentment.   

We weighed anchor around 8:30 on Friday morning, following a very good breakfast.  Our destination for the day was the Coinjock Marina in Coinjock, NC. Their claim to fame is their steaks, including their 32 ounce monster.  The trip was only 40 miles, so we arrived early in the afternoon and relaxed and socialized with other boaters until meal time.

On Saturday morning, we left Coinjock around 09:00, and proceeded towards Norfolk, Va. 40 miles away.  We had a good trip. There  were more tugboats on the water than we normally encounter. 

We are currently docked at Atlantic Yacht Basin at Great Bridge, Va.  We are busy spoiling our Grand Kids (Daniels Children) and generally having a good time.  We will probably leave here on Wednesday after the weather front has passed through, and head for Washington, DC. to visit Donna B.  Gary and Judy have a Son who lives in the Washington, DC area, and they are anxious to visit also.    

We left Holden Beach on Sunday, April 20th.  The boat is in the best mechanical condition ever since we have owned her.  She is also in the worst cosmetic condition ever.  We literally threw everything onboard and left.  We can tidy and clean in our spare time.  Actually, she is getting close to meeting Lois’s standards now.  We still have to clean the fwd stateroom and the flybridge.

A special thanks to my friend Chuck Parks for His unselfish help and support in helping us to get ready to leave.  Chuck, thanks a million, and we will meet You in Florida. 

On Sunday, We travelled to Wrightsville Beach and spent the night at the Wrightsville Marina.  We had a very good dinner at the Dockside restaurant.

Monday, we travelled to Sneads Ferry, and docked at 2 PM.  We had a great meal at a local restaurant.  The marina courtesy car provided transportation to the restaurant, and the restaurant drove us back to the Marina.

Tuesday, we travelled to Oriental NC.  High winds created some rather unsettled conditions in the Neuse River and the Pamlico Sound, but we had a comfortable crossing.  We docked at the Oriental Marina around 1:30, and spent some time cleaning and tidying.  Rode the bycicle to a grocery store for some needed supplies.  Think that I should ship the bicycles back home.  Not nearly as easy and fun to ride as I remember them being.  I will give them one more chance, maybe.  We were expecting to have the BBQ rib dinner at the marina restaurant, but the restaurant is closed on Tuesday.  This is Lois’s all time favorite restaurant meal, so we decided to stay here until today (Wed) so that She could have her  BBQ ribs.  We had them tonight, and they were worth the wait.

We really enjoyed socializing with other traveling boaters.  Met some friends we had not seen for a long time.  Our wine costs are going to exceed our fuel costs if we are not careful.

The boat is running perfectly, and so far our enjoyment has exceeded our expectations.  Lois said that if the trip continues to be as enjoyable as it has been thus far, She will not come back home.   I am just as happy as a dog loose from his chain.

Tomorrow morning, we will head North again. 

Lorenzo and Lois