Passage to Coinjock (continued) #35

Alas, we did not make the11 a.m. opening and we settle in for an hour long wait.

We took pictures of Canadian geese families. Mom and Dad watch over the young ones together. Very sweet.

The ukeleles came out and we had live music. You can catch the audio on one of the posted videos.

Finally we made it through the bridge and stopped at the Atlantic Yacht Basin for fuel.

They gave us this cool screwdriver with a magnet on the other end as well as a couple of pens.

At 12:35 we arrived at the Centerville Turnpike Bridge. We expected a 25 minute wait but the man said,”Come on down to the bridge.” He opened the bridge.

This one is called a swing bridge.

We are no longer on the Elizabeth River. This is called the Chesapeake Canal but it is still the ICW.

At 1:30 we came to the North Landing Bridge. We contacted the bridge master and he said come ahead. This would be our last bridge and our last hang up.

Franci enjoyed her time at the helm. The canal is narrow with trees and bad stuff on either side so it is important to stay right in middle. Driving with sharp attention to the depth gauge helps as does looking back at the wake occasionally.

At 2 p.m. it began to rain. Stephen and Arlene put down the eisenglass. We had things open before. It is no longer cold, I don't think we'll need our long underwear anymore.

At 2:30 Arlene brought up the snacks……ham, cheese, apples, crackers, chips, humus, blue cheese dip, bean dip and mixed nuts. She took over the helm so Franci could take a break.

Stephen and Franci worked on a couple if new knots…..a sheet bend used to connect two ropes of dissimilar sizes and the rolling hitch used with the anchor harness.

3:15 Capt. Ralph is back at the helm. We finally passed La Rosa Marie, a boat we had been following since the lock. Later we would have the opportunity to help them navigate the channel into Coinjock Marina. The canal opened up into some sort of bay although they call it the North Landing River.

Here's Stephen down below for a little blog time.

There were no ships in the ICW although we did see a couple of barges. We understand the barges like to run at night after yachties have docked. The canals and locks are narrow. Most the ships go outside into the Atlantic

The lock by the way served mainly to keep salt water out of fresh water. There was very little level change..

At 3:30 we had pecan sandies and tea, another refreshing snack. We were also able to roll the eisenglass back up. The sun was out again.

We arrived at Coinjock Marina around 5:30 p.m. Before arriving we took down the screecher and rolled in the bowsprit because boats at Coinjock are tied close together.

It was also at that point that we turned around to help the guys on La Rosa Marie navigate the narrow entrance into the harbor.

Franci helps get the fenders and dock lines ready.

The Marina was great. The boats were tied close together. We got a nice spot at the end of the dock.

We were able to get rid of trash, clean the boat, top off the water, take showers and buy ice.

The Dock Master, Louis, lives in this charming house with his wife and two children. The landscaping was impeccable. Ralph and Arlene recall when they lived in only the small cottage in the front. The waitress, Colleen, recalls when Louis lived in an apartment above the restaurant. It's truly a little community. Very charming.