Once in a Blue Moon: Short Trip to Norfolk

Date: May 4, 2013

Days on the Cruise: 40

From: Ocean Marine Yacht Center, Portsmouth, VA

To: Waterside Marina, Norfolk, VA

Statute Miles: 1.5

Time: 0.75 Hours

Cumulative Miles: 1,232.1

On Board: Chuck, Susan, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Today we crossed the harbor to Norfolk to the marina next to the hotel where the America's Great Loop Cruising Association Rendezvous is being held. The Rendezvous starts on Monday, but we wanted to get in and get settled and have a few days to see some things in Norfolk. Coincidentally, we also reached Mile 0 on the ICW, so we have completed the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Check that one off!

As we pulled out of our slip at Ocean Marine, our bow thruster stopped working, so it was a white knuckle approach and docking at Waterside. They put us in an inside slip that required a 180 degree turn and a back-in to the slip. Not too much fun without the thruster. We were fortunate that we still had our stern thruster to use to maneuver the boat. Just another thing to get fixed in the days ahead.

This is a very nice marina. It is right downtown on the Norfolk Harbor Walk. Norfolk has done a great job of making parks and common areas that are nicely landscaped and inviting to pedestrians here along the River. There are many green spaces and trees. There is a mall right along the river that we will look at further.

Part of the Harbor Walk along the Marina

"Blue Moon"'s bow sticking out of the slip at Waterside

"Blue Moon" Stern to in the Waterside Slip

Just across the river very close to us is yet another shipyard, this one run by General Dynamics. It is just next to the BAE Systems yard that was across from our dock at Ocean Marine Yacht Center. At General Dynamics, there are two big warships being repaired and an empty floating dry dock. One ship is the USS Arleigh Burke that is the name sake for a class of Destroyers in the Navy. This ship is about 25 years old. The other ship is likely the USS Thach, a 30 year old Frigate that is 450 feet long.

The USS Arleigh Burke is on the left. The USS Thach on the right.

Huge floating dry dock without a ship in it!

BAE Systems ship yard across from where we were docked in Portsmouth. This is the USS Iwo Jima in dry dock there.

Close up of the Iwo Jima in dry dock

Waterside is packed with boats that are here for the Rendezvous. We have seen many friends whom we have met both last year at Joe Wheeler and along the ICW so far this year.

We are docked stern to stern with SeaGlide, Jeff and Grace, from Asheville, NC with whom we were docked for three days at Southport, NC.

Jeff and Grace's boat "SeaGlide"

Craig and Barbara on "Blue Herron" are here and they officially crossed their wake at this marina, so they have completed the Loop and are now flying the Gold Looper flag.

We ate dinner with Michael and Leslie on "How Lucky Again". We went to a restaurant named Todd Jurich's Bistro and had an excellent meal. We enjoyed catching up with them, as the last time we saw them was at Jekyll Island, GA.

Rick and Betsy on "Rick and Roll" are here and Rick came and chatted with us as we tied up at Waterside.

Also in this marina is the German sailing vessel that we passed in the rain and high winds coming off of Currituck Sound earlier in the week. This is a very interesting sailing ship that has what looks to be a hand carved transom with her name on it.