Cups' New Digs - Atlantic Yacht Basin

We had lots of questions and the folks at Atlantic Yacht Basin (AYB) had all the right answers.

Yes, they had room for Nine of Cups now until early September and they would make accommodation for her to stay a few months in late autumn till after Christmas as well. Their rates? About half of what we had anticipated paying in the lower Chesapeake or Baltimore area. Because this is a boatyard and not a marina, we wouldn't be paying for all those classy amenities we didn't need and wouldn't be using. This would be so much better for the budget.

What about getting the transmission repaired? We spoke to James, Vice President of AYB and a 40-year veteran at the yard. He has a mechanical background and stopped by the boat the very day we arrived to confirm David's suspicions of a rear seal leak. David removed the gear reduction case and it's currently in the hands of a mechanic for rebuild. Couldn't have been easier.

We were concerned that Cups would be safe on the off-chance that a hurricane came through. In fact, AYB is considered a hurricane hole. Being inland and before the Great Bridge Locks, this area is well-protected from tides, surge and wind. Boats come here when a hurricane threatens. We were feeling better and better about leaving Cups here. The decision was easy … we're staying.

So what's it like here? It's a boatyard and it's pretty rural actually. The area is heavily treed and we feel like we're docked in the middle of the woods. We are on a linear dock right on the Abermarle to Great Bridge Canal. There are mostly big motor yachts on the dock and Cups is definitely feeling a bit under-dressed. This is definitely not the usual crowd she hangs out with.

During the day, we hear the hourly horn sound for the opening of the Great Bridge bascule bridge. There's a lot of boat traffic that goes by, but it's very, very slow because they're all waiting to transit the bridge and are nearly at a standstill. Hence, very little wake or wave action. We hear the low rumble and sometimes feel the vibration of the tugs as they pass by pushing massive barges and equipment along the river.

AYB is quite large and pretty much surrounded by water. In fact, though it's really a peninsula, the employees call it “the island”. There are huge sheds with high, high ceilings for covered boat storage ... not masted sailboats though, mostly power boats. There's one outside linear dock in the back of the boatyard called “sailboat alley” where most of our kindred spirit boats are parked for long term stays.

Other sheds are dedicated to carpentry, painting, refinishing and a variety of other trades and services offered here. It's a busy place, but on the docks, it's very quiet and peaceful. We can easily walk to the grocery, a hardware store and several restaurants. I even spotted a thrift shop not too far away, but I haven't checked it out yet.

As for the rural nature of the boatyard, Queen Anne's lace and other wildflowers (weeds) have sprouted up in lots of places and attract butterflies and dragonflies.

There are groves of Virginia pine and native shrubs surrounding us. We spotted a big fat water snake sunning himself on the rocks.

I noticed a couple of blackberry bushes during my amblings that looked loaded with ripe blackberries. Blackberry crumble in our future!

In general, we think Cups will be safe and happy here for a couple of months until we return in September. Before we leave, there's lots to do, but at the moment, we're content to have found a place to stay for awhile.

Along the ICW - A Change in Plans?

Day 14 – 8 nm to go It rained during the night and we woke to a grey morning. We slept with our aft hatch open and knew it was raining when our feet got wet. We were up by 0530, but it was a lazy, dreary morning. I wrote and edited photos while David made a run to the local Taylor Do-It Center to find a new hose nozzle and connector.

I watched Canada geese with their goslings only a few feet away from the dock. A mallard duck couple mingled with the geese, but were given the snub by the geese and cautionary honks when they waddled too close to the goslings. Squirrels raced around and we saw several brown bunnies enjoying the rich green grass a la morning dew.

We had every intention of making the 0900 Great Bridge opening, but the VHF wailed a violent weather alert for our area about 0830 and we decided to stick around till the weather passed. At first the thunder was distant and half-hearted, but the squall approached quickly and in no time, the lightning bolted through the sky, thunder cracked and the heavens opened up and gave us a good dousing. With only 8nm to Norfolk, the end of the ICW (and 8 bridges and a set of locks), there was no rush.

Around 10:00, there was a lull in the rain. We sprung off the dock, made a U-turn in the channel and tied up at the Atlantic Yacht Basin (AYB) fuel dock on the opposite shore for a diesel top-up. The rain began in earnest again and since we were alone at the fuel dock, the dockmaster had no problems delaying the fuel fill till the rain stopped. We decided we'd take a look around. AYB is a working boatyard, not a marina. There were still basic amenities like hot showers, laundry, free wifi, water and electric on the docks, but there was also a 60-ton Travelift, an on-site chandlery, several boats on the hard and lots of workers busy at their trade. This place had potential.

So time for consultation and consideration … we had lots of questions.

1. Did they have room for Nine of Cups if we decided to leave her here till our return in early September? Were the rates reasonable?
2. Did they have a marine mechanic on staff for the transmission repair? And what would the repair costs be?
3. Would Cups be safe here during hurricane season?
4. Could we rent a one-way car here in Chesapeake, VA to drive up to Boston and how would we get to the rental car place?
5. We intend to drive back from Las Vegas in September, leave the car and sail for a month or so. Could we leave our car here safely and without cost?

For the answers to these questions and many more and the results of our decision, check back tomorrow.

Intracoastal Waterway - Day 13

Day 13 - 54 nm to go It was a boisterous, no-sleep night. The wind howled to 30+ knot winds from the southwest. The anchor alarm sounded about 12:30 am; we were dragging. We were up on deck in a flash. The anchor had evidently broken free and we were traveling at about .5 knot towards the channel. We had plenty of room and water all around us, but still it was disconcerting to know that our big, hefty 80# Manson Boss anchor and 100' of chain couldn't keep us in place in 12' of water. We re-anchored and set the hook once again, but what little sleep we got the rest of the night was fitful at best.

The morning dawned sunny, but it was still blustery with 25 knot winds whipping up white caps. We wended our way through the Abermarle Sound-Great Bridge Canal. It was a circuitous route, but deep (15-20') in most parts. Some areas shoaled and we kept one eye on the chart plotter, one on the depth meter, one on the hazard notes and one concentrating on the actual channel and markers. Thank goodness we have four eyes aboard.

We crossed into Virginia and after a hefty dose of bridge transits, we tied up to the free docks in Chesapeake, Virginia. What a delightful place to stop. The wharf is new and accommodates about 5-6 boats, but we were the only ones there. Not for long though … three more boats showed up within an hour and the dock was full to capacity when another boat showed up later. We chatted with the other cruisers … two Canadian boats, another from Washington state and a big traditional ketch from New Orleans. That's Cups on the far end.

Adjacent to the docks is a lovely little park with a short loop walk along the canal and several historical markers touting Chesapeake, VA as the first land battle of the American Revolution in Virginia. We whupped the Brits in the Battle of Great Bridge.

There was a short path to the main road. We crossed the Great Bridge bascule bridge ... on land for a change ... and got a good look at the bridge and canal from a different perspective when it opened at 3pm.

A huge, wide barge was making a transit. We marveled at the expertise required by the tug captain to negotiate such a huge barge around the river bends and through the bridges. We were quite happy that we hadn't been in the canal when he came through because there would have been no room left for Nine of Cups.

A fine, big grocery store, Farm Fresh, was only a ¼ mile away. We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner and a cold beer en route. We figured shopping on empty stomachs was a bad idea. We stocked up on freshies and a few other basics and hauled it all back to the boat. We were all set for another few days at anchor.

It was a pleasure to be tied up at the dock ... all snug and secure … and free. We slept like rocks till morning.