Coronado35trip1

Trip up from Roanoke/Wanchese, NC to Colonial Beach, VA

    Immediately after buying this boat, I had to move her to VA. It was a five day trip, in an unknown boat...a HUGE undertaking full of pentential pitfalls!
     That said, I owe my friend Steve Snow a HUGE debt for his help; thanks Steve! Steve and I sailed before to Bald Head Island (BHI) and around coastal Carolina, great guy!

     Day One: We drove from Jacksonville, NC to Wanchese in order to prep the boat. There was a lot of work!!

     Day Two: We got underway, bound for Currituck Sound. I scraped the moss off the deck. That's right, there was moss growing. Then, when we raised the sails and heeled over, we found a leak in the thru-hull under the galley sink...FUN!

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Day Three: after a night on the hook (fighting mosquitos) near a restricted area, we got moving again. We passed some sailboats rafted up near the Pungo River marina. Throughout the trip, we passed very few sailboats.
     The trip went well as we pushed north under engine. The wind would be opposed to us for almost the entire trip.
     When not taking a turn on the wheel, Steve was nice enough to scrub along the port side rail and do other work.
     As we approached the Albemarle-Chesapeake canal, we found that the VHF only received. We couldn't talk to the bridges. They were nice enough to open for us on our approach.
     We had a nice stop before the Great Bridge lock opened. There's a small dock to tie up to and plenty of geese, begging for bread crumbs.
     The rest of day three was nice! We motored up through Norfolk. It was neat to see the Navy shipyard and some of the ships I'd served on while on active duty. Then, we shot out of Hampton Roads! We crossed over the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge, doing 7 knots on a port tack...NICE! That was the best sailing of the trip.
     We anchored close off a beach in the Chesapeake. The shoal draft proved its worth that night.

Day Four: It was a restless night, so close to the beach. Woke up early and started north again, this time bound for the mouth of the Potomac River.
     A couple hours out, we started looking for a place to get dockside. We were lucky enough to tie up at a fuel dock in Lewisetta, VA that night for no cost. The marina had already closed for the night, but the owner's father told us to stay there. There was a hose on the dock that quickly turned into a makeshift shower (it felt great!)
     At first appearances, the Lewisetta marina didn't look like much. But, I have to tell you: YOU CAN'T BEAT THE FRIENDLY SERVICE! Contact them at: 410 Church Lane, Lottsburg, VA or (804)529-7299.

Day Five: The Lewisetta marina opened. I topped off on diesel and bought some charts. Steve bought me a used VHF. Did I mention he's a great guy?
     Then it was off to Colonial Beach.
     Again, beating to windward. We hoisted the main and tried to motorsail, but it was slow going.
     When we got to Colonial Beach, we tried to enter the marina but briefly touched bottom. Look out, it's only 3 1/2 feet at low tide. So, we tied up at the transient doc until conditions were better.
     The boat finally got moved over to my slip later that evening.

Summary: All in all, dispite the lack of wind, bugs and heat, it was a GREAT trip! I had a blast! Steve was good company! I learned a lot about the boat and her capabilities/problems! I can't wait to make the trip back south...someday!

Thanks for all the help Steve!

Info on Colonial Beach Yacht Center: