Cape Charles

 Today was the day when the wind was supposed to die down and we could travel the 32 miles from Norfolk to Cape Charles.  I had no idea what a smorgasbord of "Oh S*#@ts" it would be....

We left the marina at 7 am with perfectly calm winds and smooth seas and threaded our way out of the busy harbor dotted with barges, tug boats and an assortment of navy vessels.  The first inkling I had that something big was happening was seeing a Navy escort boat, complete with 2 armed gentlemen approaching us at a 45 degree angle and nudging us out of the channel.  Turns out that a submarine was coming back into port and no boaters are allowed anywhere near.  I've never seen a sub in the water and up close, so it was exciting!



I was just starting to relax and enjoy the ride when I spotted my first crab pot directly in front of us.  Are you kidding me?!?!  I hate those things! Fortunately, we only had a few stringers of them and with me spotting them, Tom threaded us through perfectly.  I even felt comfortable enough to drive the boat for a short while with Tom supervising.


As we approached the channel into Cape Charles and our marina we saw several pods of dolphins playing in the bay.  They are so cute! I called the marina, alerted them that we were arriving soon and then heard on the radio - "M/V Orion this is the Coast Guard - please acknowledge." Long story short, they announced their intention to board us for a safety inspection and said they would follow us into the marina and board us there.  I don't know why that made my mouth dry - we have the proper equipment - but it is like being called to the Principal's office and not knowing why....  Turns out the 2 guys were delightful and after 20 minutes of checking out our boat, we were given a "pass"!


After a pump-out we tied up at our slip - also a small adventure - but all's well that ends well.... Once the engine was shut down and we were ready to walk into town for lunch we heard a rhythmic thumping that we had never heard before. We isolated the noise to the guest cabin and the washing machine had started a wash cycle all by itself! Mind you, I have never used the washer/dryer and we could not figure out how it turned on.  I managed to find a stop button, but not until the tub had partially filled with water and completely filled the plastic jug of Tide Pods I had stored inside the washer! 😲 Yup - every one of my pods was soaped up and ruined... We did figure out later that sometime during the boat survey prior to purchase someone had pushed the "on" button but we never had flipped the breaker to run it.  Well, today was the day and the breaker got flipped by accident.  Now I need to buy more Tide and actually run a cycle since one has been started. Ugh....

We did walk the 5 minutes into town and it is lovely and charming.  Look it up if you have time and see for yourself!  We had a delicious lunch at Kelly's (and a much-needed beverage!) and then have just relaxed.  More exploring tomorrow.








Comments

Jennifer Holsen said…
What an adventure!!! Enjoy your stay in Cape Charles!!
May 9, 2021 at 2:11 PM
ArizonaAuntie said…
It does look lovely and charming! A great place to spend a few days!
May 9, 2021 at 6:36 PM
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