AYB, officially Atlantic Yacht Basin, is a new marina stop for us. Ideally located just south of the Great Bridge Bascule Bridge in the Great Bridge section of Chesapeake, VA. Got that? 🙂

Observant readers may recognize the area as we’ve stopped at the free docks before- one you can see below, south of the bridge and the one just north of the bridge that sits between the bridge and the Great Bridge Lock.

The 20+ miles south of the lock is non-tidal, affected by wind direction and strength. Another plus is the stretch from the lock to AYB is a no-wake zone, making for comfy alongside docking and the opportunity for safe and calm rowing and paddling in your small water craft or board. See photo below. 🙂 Recognize anyone?

Are you surprised to read that we also found a new donut place that opened since we last walked “that far” five years ago? Didn’t think so. Maybe a 20 minute walk from boat to shop, on sidewalks mostly; easy Sunday stroll.

The place seems like a mini chain, everything just so and boy they can churn out plenty of custom topped doughnuts. I’d doubted that ability but when we saw the operation, it made sense.

A printed menu is available; Chinese menu style. Pick a batter, this time pumpkin was the second choice in addition to regular. Select a frosting from a short list. Then select from a long list of toppings, and finally a drizzle of which there’s roughly six choices. There’s also a board with large photos and descriptions in case you need decision-making help. Yes please!

Decorated while you wait, shown to you for your approval as you pay, and off you go! People and organizations call in large orders too.

Have you seen this? (below) Not that I’m promoting wasteful extra plastic but the idea is clever and the wine was actually a better price than we typically pay for it. The bottom of the ice bucket is overlapped in an attempt to stop water leakage. We bought three, kept one bucket- you know, just in case.

We spent several nights here waiting for decent conditions to cross the Albemarle Sound; day two after the marina. The boat parades got interesting at times, although with the crappy weather not as many passed by as typically would. Still ahead of “the pack” we are. 🙂

The bascule bridge opens on the hour. Northbound boats  proceed under the bridge, then into the lock. At the same time, southbound boats are exiting the lock and they proceed through the bridge on the hour too. At times the lock is full, but not usually. Sometimes things get interesting when a  tug and barge commands an entire side of the lock, leaving just one side for the rest of us.

The noon bridge opening on Monday, Oct 9 was shaping up to be worth watching as two northbound tugs lay in wait.

The boats you see on the left edge of the above and below photos are those docked at AYB along with Twins and many others. In the above photo the tug & barge looks huge doesn’t it? I think the barge is 50+ feet wide. But below, not so intimidating from that angle.

The second tug had been waiting further south, just past where the Yacht Basin ended. Had to wonder what the two southbound boats were thinking, but the tug operator never yelled at them.

As the dynamic duo passed by us we got a good look at the barge.  Yep, easily amused today.

You realize don’t you that every time the bridge opens, traffic stops. Battlefield Blvd is a busy road and traffic gets majorly backed up when the wait is this long.

The trawler had hailed the bridge wondering if he had time to get through, but the bridge tender isn’t going to be responsible for that call.

Any southbound boats are still waiting their turn to pass under the bridge after the barge gets through.  Oh the traffic backup. Times like these make us glad we travel the waterways.

 

 

This past May was our first stop at Hampton Public Piers; the name makes it sound not very inviting, but the reality is that it’s quite the opposite. Floating docks with good power/water pedestals, good communications and help with lines, and no extra charge for the fact we take up two spaces.  We knew from our long Matthew stay last October that the dining and donuts would bring us in again and again. The Preferred Boater Program was a no-brainer for us even though it’s geared toward local boats.

But first, two new stops after departing Solomons, MD.

Stop #1:Heard about Deltaville forever from fellow cruisers, never had reason to stop. With two to three decent days to get into Hampton, we decided to swing by Deltaville,VA which like most stops is several miles in from the Bay.

Oh Look! A Maine Cat 30 at the dock.   We could have been at the end of the row of boats already anchored, but decided to turn back and anchor part way up the next creek. Very pleasant.

Ok, check that one off the bucket list.

Stop two was one we’d been hoping to make happen for well over a year- well not the place but the boat/owners who are full-timers like us from our neck of the woods in Connecticut.  Connections are made for many reasons; boat type, location, chance, etc. Heading up the Cape Fear River spring 2016 the lovely Kadey-Krogen, m/v Tapestry passed us and we both saw very familiar home ports on our sterns. Thus began a FB friendship but one that had yet to be, shall I say, consummated?

Finally we made it happen while they were enjoying an extended stay at York River Yacht Haven; family nearby is always nice. Even though Tapestry is 58ft we saw many similarities to the 42ft Krogen, Viking, we were married on in 1990. Just a gorgeous yacht and Lisa is an accomplished seamstress with beautiful cushions, window treatments and more to prove it!  A long, leisurely lunch at the on site restaurant for that “getting to know you” stuff.

Another bucket list item completed.

While in Hampton we had another item to check off and since it’s a fort, it would add one more to our fort list that’s grown stale lately.

Here’s the fort history overview:

Built from 1819-34 and named for US President James Monroe, the fort occupied a strategic location for maritime defense and commerce. It remained a Union stronghold throughout the Civil War, earning the name, “Gibraltar of the Chesapeake.”

Even before this time, English explorer Capt John Smith and the Virginia Company recognized the same strategic locale for the Bay and in 1609 Fort Algernourne was built here on what is known as Point Comfort.

In 1619 a Dutch man-of-war arrived at Point Comfort with the first “20 and odd” Africans brought to the English colonies.

The fort has remained a national symbol for freedom and protection. It continued as a base of defense and training until being deactivated in Sept 2011- I think we anchored nearby a month later. Fort Monroe National Monument was established on November 1, 2011.

Robert E Lee, a 24 year-old West Point-trained engineer, was stationed here 1831-34 to oversee construction. Lee and his new wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, occupied quarters similar to the one several photos below. Their first child was born here in 1932.

 

 

Entrance to the fort and casemate museum is free and you can tour and walk around at your leisure.

The view from the Flagstaff Bastion Overlook was expansive and afforded us a look from an entirely different perspective than what we usually see from water level in a “small craft.”

 

In addition to President Lincoln, the above Quarters No 1 was occupied by Major General Benjamin Butler when he made the 1861 pivotal contraband decision.”

 

Fort Monroe is the largest stone fort ever built in the United States. It has been home to thousands of military families throughout the centuries.

After an exhausting fort tour, lunch at the Deadrise was in order. A great spot with a view overlooking Old Point Comfort marina, the Deadrise was very busy but our food was worth the wait. Among the best fried calamari ever.

The anchorage area is the empty  area outside of the marina.

We enjoyed another delicious meal and artfully crafted cocktails at Venture, which is at most a six- minute walk from the docks. Dessert tempted us this time.

I think the fenders ruin the authentic look.

And yes, donuts were a fresh daily event for a few mornings.

We also discovered a favorite place for fantastic burgers at Brown Chicken Brown Cow, almost next to Venture. Grass fed, pastured with the “right” official rating, they weren’t huge, so you could actually eat them without dislocating your jaw. Served on a lightly toasted brioche bun you could pick from named combos on the menu or create your own by selecting three toppings. Ground beef often disagrees with Russ, but these he found to be very agreeable in many ways!  Totally yum. And his choice of a local brew- wow. Ok then, we will return.

Weather (what else?) was dictating when and where we’d move to. Plus we had leave here so the Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous boats could arrive on the 12th… or not, given what the conditions ended up being as that day drew near.