Belhaven, Alligator River Anchorage and Coinjock, North Carolina to Portsmouth/Norfolk, Virginia

On Tuesday, May 12 we left Oriental for Belhaven, North Carolina. It was a little rough crossing the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound. We arrived at River Forest Manor and Marina around 12:30. It was a fantastic marina with a  Bistro located in the River Forest Manor hotel/event venue. The Bistro offered a free drink to new marina guests. They also had a few golf carts we could use to go into town. The town was small but had many shops, bars and restaurants. There were many loopers here and at the nearby downtown Belhaven marina so we gathered with many the next few days. We stayed three nights due to the rain and winds. We visited El Mariachi, Farm Boys, Spoon River Artworks and Market, The Backroom Wine Shop, and ICW Brewery.  Belhaven, North Carolina was a memorable spot!

On Friday, May 15, we left for an anchorage on the Alligator River with boats First Light, Afternoon Cruise, and Dawn Watch. The anchorage we ended up at was great but we traversed many crab pots to get there. Tim took a dinghy ride when we got there to explore the area. First Light was behind us so got a great shot of our boat at sunset.

On Saturday, we parted ways for the route to Norfolk as our buddy boats chose the Dismal Swamp route. We didn't want to take a chance dinging props on that narrow passage where there are a lot of logs too. Plus, my theory was why would I go to a place call Dismal? However those that went enjoyed the history, beauty and wildlife. Maybe we will visit by land someday. The other option on the way to Norfolk is Coinjock, North Carolina. We enjoyed out time there. On the way,  the ride was a little bumpy on the Currituck Sound so we took the boat up on plane to get through it quicker and it made it a bit smoother. The Coinjock stop is at a marina and restaurant that has docks on both sides of the ICW. We opted for the opposite dock so took the dinghy over and enjoyed a thick New York Strip steak and grilled scallops. We did have a boat issue with our shore power so needed to use the generator there.

On Sunday, May 17 we headed to Norfolk.  There were a few timed bridges and one that has a lock just after it so we waited with other boats in Chesapeake, VA. The odd thing was they got us all set in the lock, and then said it was slack tide so we didn't even move down in the lock at all. The worst part of this trip was a train bridge that stalled us for an hour waiting for 3 different trains that were at least 20 minutes apart. We didn't understand why they didn't open it in between trains. It was also 95 degrees that day which made waiting even worse. However all went well after that and we arrived at Ocean Yacht Marina, which is in Portsmouth, directly across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk.  Still dealing with the shore power not working, we ran the generator to stay cool in the heat. We walked around later in the evening to check out the area. It's a nice area with a river walk, museums, Old Towne district, and near another marina called Tidewater where we walked to see if we knew anyone there. We didn't but had a drink at their restaurant called Fish and Slips. There is a ferry that takes you across to Norfolk Waterside District and Marina so we took that on Monday to visit Belita,and Herb, Mike and Pam when they arrived from the Dismal Swamp route. 

Monday, May 18, Tim was able to find a great shop to come and fix our shore power issue, Prudent Marine. I did laundry early in the morning at the marina since it was another plus 90 degree day. Later we took the short ferry ride to Norfolk's Waterside Marina to see friends who were docked there. After that Tim and I walked around the Portsmouth area and visited Baron's Pub and Restaurant and also a bar along the river walk called  The Crawford at the Renaissance Hotel. Tuesday, May 19 we ordered groceries from Kroger through Uber. That was a new and great experience. I will be going home tomorrow to help care for 4-month old granddaughter, Claire , who received a cast to correct developmental hip dysplasia, so Tim will be doing boat projects while I am gone. Stay tuned for later in May when we head up the Chesapeake!