Monday September 28. 2020
14 Miles Old Point Comfort Marina - Ocean Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, VA

Hey everyone we moved. Not far because the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge is being repaired and is blocking our path south. It’s supposed to be opening 7PM tonight but I heard an announcement by the bridge that it was opening about 1:30PM today. Not sure if it was going to stay up on not. Not far past the broken railroad bridge is the now broken 80 year old Great Bridge Lock. We need to get through that lock or go down the Dismal Swamp Canal built in 1805. I’m not excited to go down the Dismal Swamp as there has been duck weed clogging engine cooling systems. I always bump something going down the canal. It’s supposed to the 8’ deep but 5 1/2’ is probably more like it. The fun thing about the Dismal Swamp is rafting to other boats at the Welcome Center dock. But with Covid that is less appealing. Pretty much you have to stop there as you can’t make it though the South Mills lock until the next day. So, I’m going to try for the Great Bridge lock Wednesday. Cold front coming through with thunderstorms Tuesday so we will be staying put.

But we did have a very interesting 14 mile trip. As we got out of the Old Point Comfort Marina I notice a ship coming up behind me. He is over two miles away but is going 13 knots and I’m going 5. I know the ship is going to turn and pass me on my port side and I’m staying way out of the Norfolk shipping channel markers. But still it’s a bit unsettling watching a Maersk cargo ship headed right at your stern.

The radio was alive with a submarine moving down the Elizabeth River and patrol boats trying to keep other boats away, tugs talking to each other, a man overboard reporting ( a relief captain fell overboard try to board a tug. He was wearing a life jacket and was fished out quickly )

The weather was SUNNY. Imagine that, Sunny and a nice mid 70s temperature. We got a nice slip in one of our favorite Portsmouth Marinas, Ocean Yacht Marina. We visited with a boat we had met in 2012 in Hollywood Fl. It’s owned by someone else now but the guy stays in touch with the former owner and he is on the other side of the Great Bridge Lock. We might catch up with him Wednesday. That will be fun for sure.

We walked to get take out from one of the restaurants, Lobscouser’s (Crab stuffed flounder, collards, baked potato, Scallops wrapped in Smithfield ham ) we usually eat in. Portsmouth has had a lot of protests as of late and we did not feel comfortable walking the 2 blocks to that restaurant. You know that feeling that something isn’t right but you are not sure what. Not sure we will stop here on the way back.

Today’s picture is a large sailing yacht in the slip next to us. I believe the owner said it was built in Norway. He sailed it here from St. Thomas a few weeks ago. He is Australian and said because of the pandemic if he travels back to Australia he would have to quarantine for 3 weeks in a government facility at his own expense and further he would not be allowed to leave the country. He didn’t mention the US making him leave… But international travel is tricky right now.