Alright. Call the bridge at 6:30 a.m., no idea when it might open and the tender was unhelpful but not quite rude...not quite. Okay, back to sleep. 8:30 call the bridge. "We'll open at 9:00 a.am Can you get here?" NO, we're 3 hours away. But off we went anyway, thinking if it opens once it might open twice. We got out of the sweet Rebel Marina in less than 1/2 hour. Amazing speed. Waved goodbye with nary a tear. Loved the people but no regrets about leaving.
However - shit, shit, shit!!! Rough seas and spray was freezing as it hit the windshield.
And I've only been underway for one half of a sunny, if violently vibrating, day in the last 3+ months. So, the splashing, the rocking, the weaving....phew, ANXIOUS...maybe even SCARED. Luckily, the rough seas only lasted about 45 minutes, then we were around the point and into the Elizabeth River, And by then I'd gain confidence in Grace and David so was mostly just uncomfortable with the pitch and toss of the boat. BIG Navy vessels on each side of us. Amazing war machines. Mostly aircraft carriers pictured.
David kept suggesting I take photos and I was still too rattled to be agreeable. "No, taking photos is not in my job description and is above my pay grade." But then I'd take a photo of what looked from a distance like a Dr Seuss Christmas tree. From a distance the two arms were closer together.
We made our way as fast as possible, about 7 mph, against the current. I identified for myself "Hospital Point" which identity has evaded me for two passages and which has a couple of free docks and is really close to the Gilmerton bridge. However, no electric power available.
We called the bridge about 1/2 hour out wondering if we could request passage.
Nope. Next opening will be 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Okay. Since no electricity = no heat in our boat we'll make our way an hour back to Norfolk and the Waterside Marina. The irony here is that we'd just last week walked along the Waterside Marina "boardwalk" which is a waterside park, one block from the hotel Laura Faure and I always stayed in during our recruiting visits to the High School Dance Festivals here in Norfolk. And, of course, I'd come down to see the boats in the marina. Just like 2 years ago when I visited, by boat, the79th Street Boat Basin. Living my dreams!
The postcard welcome mural alongside the water (water on the right out of view). This is one end of The Market building which fronts the boardwalk park and contains about seven restaurants and/or bars, and the marina showers.
Another irony is that we drove here a couple days ago to go visit the Nauticus Museum and me to a dance class. Both a 5 minute walk from where we are docked.
Mermaids are the symbol for Norfolk and are all over the place, sort of like Portland, ME's, lighthouses. Made or commissioned by businesses or civic organizations and displayed throughout the city.
This mermaid is less "decorated" that others in the city but is at the head of the marina docks. Our boat is just beyond her tail fins.
Docked we are. Heater running. Dinner eaten. Bluegrass music in the background. Comfortable. Really glad to be gone from Rebel, as much as we appreciate and enjoy the folks there. I think the dock master was glad to see us go, too. I wonder if we were using too many resources. Then I remember that we paid for a month of resources...and left two days before our month. As if I care about that! [shoulder shrug]
We'll check bridge schedule/info tonight and plan to leave at least two hours before any scheduled opening. Definitely want to be there and not miss it. Tomorrow's goal is Coinjock, NC which will be our jumping off place to cross the Albermarle Sound on Tuesday when the wind is soft. It's a long trip and we will be through the bridge later than is optimal if the opening is only 10:00. And we have a lock and a couple other bridges to negotiate.
Fingers crossed. Remembering Martin Luther King Jr and how important a civil rights leader he was/is. Traveling on his memorial day!
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