Chesapeake Chase Days 19-22: James, Judy and York

Judy Joins the Crew at Hampton Safe Harbor Bluewater

We were so glad when Judy was able to arrange to join us for 5 nights and four days.  The plan was two nights at Safe Harbor Bluewater Marina in Hampton, Virginia with its wonderful amenities: laundry (most necessary and no quarters required!!!), a decent pool, a restaurant on site, a grocery store within walking distance, and most desired, showers (privilege and pleasure).  When we are at anchor several days in a row, we use our water on board frugally.  We have a very nice shower on board, and we probably could have showered, but we opted for the cautious choice.

June 30, 2022: Day 19

Thursday was both leisurely and a chore day.  Fred had to wash the outside of Betty Lou (lots of salt from Albemarle Sound).  There was more laundry, and we needed groceries.  Judy and I opted for laundry and groceries.  She had brought a rolling backpack.  I also had a backpack, and these would be adequate for groceries.  We could have used bikes, but neither of us felt comfortable with riding and balancing a load of groceries, and walking was doable.

I enjoyed the walk on the back streets to the Food Lion.  Judy and I had a chance to visit and catch up some.  It was hot but not brutal.  There was a Dollar Tree right next to Food Lion and I needed some cards, so we stopped there first.  We made a good shopping team once we got into Food Lion.  We added a few items not on our list, but with Judy’s expert packing abilities, we got everything into the backpacks and a few lighter things in a canvas bag.  Judy managed the heavier things in her rolling backpack.  When we were in Dollar Tree, Judy had spotted some small one serving ice cream containers and wanted to treat us.  We were quite disappointed when we realized there were no spoons.

We were happy to make it back to Betty Lou where we found Fred cleaning strainers for the AC which had shut itself off.  All three strainers were full of grass.  He has cleaned these strainers so often now that it takes hardly anytime, and the AC was soon back hard at work.  We are so spoiled!

For the remainder of the afternoon, we worked on the laundry, visiting, and Fred finally was able to wash the outside. 

The work completed, we treated ourselves to a dip in the pool and dinner at the restaurant. 

Dinner was good.  The sunset viewed from the restaurant deck was awesome! 

It was a lovely day.

Note of interest:  Hampton University is located on the river in Hampton, Virginia.  It is a historically Black, research University, with 25 master’s and nine doctoral degree programs.  It is the only HBCU with a competitive sailing team. Some of the buildings were across the river from the marina; it’s a beautiful campus.  It was established in 1868 by Black and White leaders after the Civil War to provide education for freedmen.  Booker T. Washington was an early graduate. Congregational and Presbyterian churches were major financial supporters. Originally it was the Hampton Normal and Agricultural School. 

July 1-2: Days 20-21

The next two nights we anchored.  The first anchorage was Cobham Bay off the James River in Surry, Virginia.  The highlight along the way was the collection of retired Navy ships anchored in the river.  These ships are used for training purposes and are also for backup uses if ever needed.

It was Judy’s first experience anchoring.  Our first try felt too exposed so we moved carefully closer to the shoreline and ended in a perfectly wonderful spot.  We are very aware now that we need to keep on the lookout for crab pot buoys.  The other thing we had to watch for were something called fish stakes which were poles sticking out of the water.  One definition I found stated that they are poles or stakes placed in shallow water to outline fishing areas.  I came across different descriptions, so I am not sure what they are.  What I do know is you didn’t want to hit them with your boat.  I also don’t remember if we saw these on our first- or second-night anchoring.

After supper Judy and I decided to try playing Quirkle.  There are similarities to playing Scrabble, but the tiles have six different shapes in four different colors and there are three sets of each.  There are combinations of tiles you try to get, and each combination builds on something already laid down.  We were having fun playing until Fred turned off the AC and opened the windows.  Before screens were in place, we were inundated by small flying insects attracted to the light.  That was the end of the activities for the night.

The next morning, we needed an early start, so we postponed our Saturday morning ritual of pancakes to Sunday.  Rushing pancakes takes away the time to savor and enjoy!  Once underway, we took a side excursion to pass by the location of the old Jamestown settlement.  Another interesting site was the two car ferries which cross back and forth all day on the York River.  One of the landings was right by Jamestown.  We went in as close as we dared to see the replicas of the ships used by the early settlers to cross the ocean.  It was difficult to get good pictures from that angle.  The ships didn’t look much bigger than Betty Lou.  So glad I wasn’t an early settler!  

We then retraced our travel route from yesterday, passing by the retired naval ships again and eventually crossed to the route that would take us to our anchor site at the Poquoson Shores.  The interesting sites along this part were passing a large cargo ship (same one as yesterday) and a lighthouse in the bay.

When we arrived at the anchorage, Judy immediately noticed that the other boat anchored was “Dessert First”, the same boat that had been docked next to us in Blue Harbor Marina.  Fred really knows how to pick good anchorages.  There was activity but not too much, and the surroundings were pleasant.  Once secured we prepared dinner which was restaurant quality.  Our menu was grilled salmon, rice, green beans, and brownies with whipped cream for dessert.

While we were cleaning up, Fred noticed a fairly large fire on shore.  We could not tell whether it was a building fire or a bonfire, but it was large enough to be concerning.  He called 911 and of course the person asked for an address.  Fred had to give a guestimate for the location and explained several times that we were on a boat and could not give a specific address.  Not long after we heard the sirens, but they stopped short of where we could see the fire.  I am guessing that it was a bonfire, but it was windy, and it seemed to us the fire could easily get out of control.  It did eventually die back.

Entertainment for the evening was sitting on the bow watching fireworks, oohing and aahing, and then seeing the stars.

Another fine day.

July 3: Day 22

Today’s destination is York River Yacht Haven.  We didn’t have that far to go so we took our time to have our blueberry pancakes.  We got underway late morning and arrived midafternoon.  Just before arriving we were caught in a thunderstorm, but it wasn’t bad.  There were dock hands to greet us at our slip and Captain Fred did an admiral job of backing into it!  Once we were secure and hooked up to electricity, Judy and Fred went to check out the facility and amenities.  I stayed behind and neatened the lines on the dock.  We have learned a new trick for tidying up the lines.  We have always coiled them, but we have seen others do a kind of looping chain.  It turns out to be the same thing as a crocheted chain.  It’s fun to do and easier than coiling.

Judy and Fred returned with their report.  Judy’s comment was that the showers were “the Cadillac of showers”.  The marina also offered a descent laundry (not free this time), a good-sized swimming pool, a nice ship store, and there was a restaurant on site.  Anything else was driving distance only.  We had no plans for the afternoon but to relax, take showers and eat at the restaurant.  Judy and I played Quirkle again and Fred did his own thing.  The pool offered no shade, so we decided against taking a swim.  This was Judy’s last night with us so visiting and relaxing was what we wanted most.

The showers refreshed us, and dinner on the restaurant deck was delicious and we never felt rushed.

Sunset over the river was gorgeous.  We did finally leave when the bugs began to bite, and returning to the boat meant being in the comfort of AC.    

Judy was being picked up at 10:00 AM in the morning by a friend, so she organized her things, and it wasn’t long before we called it a night.  She had a long day ahead of her to return home to New York City. These few days passed so quickly!  It took a lot of planning and coordinating for the three of us and we are glad we put in the effort.

Captain’s Comments:

Hampton, VA, is on the James River, across from Norfolk. A tunnel connecting the two is marked, from our perspective on Betty Lou, by the highway traffic appearing to drive down into the water. Construction was in progress on the seawall surrounding the tunnel entrance.

Our marina for the next two nights, Safe Harbor Bluewater, was the first time this trip that we were able to use our Safe Harbor free night credits. A blackout period was in effect for all of NC for June to support transient season as people moved north for the summer. The marina was well maintained, with nice showers, laundry and pool. Betty Lou’s galley staff walked to the grocery for provisions, while the engineering staff washed the boat, completed maintenance tasks and conferred with the marina service department.

Scott (Helmsman) had recommended using a borescope to inspect the inside of conduit with the blue hose. A marina technician came by to evaluate, but their camera was too big to fit in the conduit, and too short to reach the area of interest, so the inspection will have to wait. He did complement Betty Lou’s chain locker, though.

After a soak in the pool and showers, we dressed for dinner. We put our name in at the on-site restaurant for an outside table–about an hour wait, so we headed back to the boat for cocktails on the flybridge.

The restaurant receptionist assured us the pager would work at our dock; it didn’t (it was a long dock walk to our boat).

Dinner was good, though, when we finally got around to it, and sitting on the outside deck overlooking the marina was a treat.

July 1: James River

We headed out early (for us), up the James River. As we were leaving Hampton, several small sailboats went by–all youth. There is a large emphasis on sailing for kids here.

A submarine was entering Norfolk–with military police keeping a careful watch to ensure boaters kept the required distance away.

The trip took us by Newport News Shipyards, and more aircraft carriers, and we went by the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF).

The JRRF is a part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). The JRRF was established in 1919; at the start of WWII all 300 ships then in the fleet were reactivated for service in the war. The JRRF was reopened in 1946, after the war; however, some ships were again reactivated for the Korean and Vietnam wars. Today the JRRF holds 5 or 6 ships.

We watched the ferries depart opposite shores of the river to pass midway,

We also passed Surry Nuclear Power Plant–but it wasn’t visible from the water.

I had originally planned to arrive and anchor in Cobham Bay much earlier than we did. Maybe I’m still getting used to a little slower pace on the new Betty Lou. It was hot and calm, so we picked a spot out in the middle to anchor. Shortly afterward, I saw that we were in the path of a thunderstorm, so we picked up the anchor and moved closer to shore. Should have seen that coming earlier…

July 2: Jamestown

The next morning, we motored further up the river to see the site of the Jamestown settlement. Founded in 1607 by 104 English men and boys, it is the oldest permanent English settlement in America. The site, chosen in accordance with funder Virginia Company’s criteria, was far enough inland to be defensible from possible Spanish attacks, it had deep water close to shore to facilitate shipping, and it wasn’t occupied by natives.

It didn’t have good drinking water, though, leading to a variety of disease and a high death toll. A shortage of food and inconsistent relations with natives also complicated their survival. By 1610, even after having been reinforced by shipwreck survivors of a second settlement mission, the settlers had made the decision to abandon the settlement just as another resupply fleet was arriving; the settlers returned to Jamestown along with new governor for life Lord Delaware.

By 1612, a new strain of tobacco was showing promise to make the venture profitable, and in 1619 the first African slaves were brought to Virginia to work the tobacco fields. Also in 1619, the first English women were recruited and shipped to Jamestown to become wives and start families.

Infighting among the English and fighting with the natives continued. In 1624 the Virginia Company’s charter was revoked, due to overwhelming financial problems, and Virginia became a royal colony.

After getting as close as possible to view the replicas of the original Jamestown settlement ships, we headed back down the James River.

Poquoson River

While leaving the mouth of the James River to enter Chesapeake Bay proper, we again passed the cargo ship Stavanger Pride. We had seen it docked in Norfolk several days earlier, but now it was anchored in the river, transferring cargo with its own crane to/from (we couldn’t tell which) a barge tied alongside. Curious about the name, we found the Stavanger Pride is a Norwegian registered tanker (Stavanger is the fourth largest city in Norway), but, interestingly, was built in Vietnam in 2020.

We also passed by the Thimble Shoal Light. It is still in service but is now automated and solar powered.

Moving up the Poquoson River to our anchorage introduced us to duck blinds on stilts. We shared a quiet evening with one other boat in the anchorage (we had actually been neighbors at Hampton). Observing the beautiful evening, I noticed what at first looked like a bonfire on shore. Through the binoculars, it looked more like a two-story house fire. As the Admiral reported, we had an interesting conversation with the 911 operator.

July 3: York River Yacht Haven

The next morning on our way out, we couldn’t see any sign of fire on shore. It was a short 15 mile run to the York River Yacht Haven. We received a complementary freshwater rinse along the way.

We had made reservations 4 weeks earlier because of the holiday weekend. They were packed but efficient.

After showers and organizing, we shared a final cruise dinner with Judy at the on-site restaurant. She headed home the next morning.