Norfolk

After leaving the town of Great Bridge we made our way north on the Elizabeth River. I was surprised by how little boat traffic there was compared to last fall when we made the trip south. I’m glad because this trip was more relaxing and I could enjoy the sightseeing along the way.

Last fall, on our way down, we stayed at Rebel Marine and fell in love. The owner, David, was one of the greatest boaters I’ve run across. He’s been a professional mariner his entire life. Commercial fishing in Alaska to tug boat captain on the east coast. And, when he’s not working, he’s out cruising in his boat. He’s also a great guy who you could talk to for hours, and we did. He’s also very knowledgeable and doesn’t mind sharing. He taught me a lot the week I was there last fall and also gave me some very good advice… and I was smart enough to listen to him.

The other thing we also enjoyed about Rebel were the other boaters. They were friendly and outgoing and we were welcomed like regulars the moment we pulled in. In fact, last fall we had to run to the store right after docking because it was pot luck night and we had to find something to bring.

The virus affected Rebel too. Not as many folks were on the docks and the parties were smaller, outdoors, and awkward, with no one knowing how to “social distance” at a social event. But, it was still great.

Initially, we were only going to stay 2 nights because we had a nice weather window coming up. We were sad we couldn’t stay longer but we didn’t think we’d have another good window to head north for awhile. Our friend Cley (from S/V Oz) and his wife Jean were going to be in town and wanted to get together for dinner, but they understood weather windows and we agreed to see each other another time.

The day we were supposed to leave I saw David on the dock. He said “you’re not planning on leaving, are you?” I told him we were, and he suggested I check the forecast again. Woo Hoo, the forecast had changed and we ended up having to stay another week while waiting for the next weather window.

The weather had turned so bad that a group who left Rebel the day earlier for a two week cruise of the Chesapeake, ended up turning around and coming back.

So, we were able to have a nice dinner with Cley and Jean at Captain Groovy’s after all. And, I got more great stories and advice from David. All in all, Norfolk was a great 10 days. I wish I was back there now.