Friday, May 10: Back to Portsmouth

Date                            May 10, 2013

Day on the Cruise       46

From:                          Waterside Marina, Norfolk, VA                                                                    

To:                              Ocean Marine Yacht Center, Portsmouth, VA    

Statute Miles               1.0

Time                           0.25 Hrs

Cumulative Miles       1,233.1 SM

On Board                   Chuck, Susan, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

We left Waterside about 9:30 and headed back to Ocean Marine where we will keep the boat for about a month while we return home to see our children and grandchildren. The migration of Looper boats out of the marina at Waterside started before dawn. We said goodbye to many new friends that we have made as they one-by-one guided their boats into the Elizabeth River and headed for points North. We should catch most of them in Michigan later in the Sumner.

Our friend from Richmond met us at Ocean Marine for lunch. Jack and I have known each other and worked together since Auburn back in the early 70's. I am a couple of years older than is he, and while I have already retired from the Company, Jack has a few more years to go. I am trying to convince him to hurry up and get into "the good life".

Jack and Chuck at the stern of "Blue Moon"

Jack and Chuck on the dock

Jack is finishing an assignment in our Cleveland office and will take on a new account out of our Charlotte office. He is excited about the new challenges that he is facing.

We missed seeing Beth, Jack's wife, who is helping her mother in Newnan, GA recover from a knee replacement. Hope to link back up with them both in Auburn this fall for a ball game.

We ate lunch at The Bier Garden in downtown Portsmouth, and we were able to sit outside on a beautiful day. The weather has finally turned warm, unlike earlier in the week, and last week.

After lunch, Jack took us to pick up our rental car for the trip home. We then drove over to Virginia Beach where we toured the Virginia Beach Convention Center that Jack had finished about five years ago. It is a very impressive facility. I had heard a lot about it, but never had seen it.

Traffic in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Portsmouth area is very challenging, especially on a Friday afternoon. We got back to the marina just before 6, and Jack headed back to Richmond. It was a great afternoon, and a great visit.

We ate dinner on the boat and packed up our things for an early morning departure on Saturday.

Thanks for Reading!