Day 348 -353: 5/6 – 5/11; Monday, 5/6 we left the quiet Alligator River Anchorage around 8:30 am and weaved our way back out through the crab pots on our way to Coinjock, NC. It was a bit of a spitty, rainy, overcast day, but the Albermarle Sound was relatively calm and an easy run. Carol had a 30 minute call that went an hour (again) so we had to hover a bit before we were ready to dock. We arrived around 1:00 and were one of just a few boats on the very long dock, but they tucked us up to the boat in front of us so tight we were afraid our anchor was going to go through their cockpit isinglass. Well it didn’t and boats filed in all afternoon filling the dock including Mack (Kevin (former AYC commodore) and Amanda who we met day -1 of our loop in Eagle Cove), Marydale who we met in Belhaven), a large green cabin cruiser we met in Sea Island but never got a boat card) and then the huge 110’ Freedom arrived with a crew of 6 women and the male captain. Freedom winters in Fort Lauderdale and summers in Newport. For a mere $100k PLUS expenses (fuel, food, booze, etc) you can charter her for a week! Those ladies worked hard scrubbing that boat for over an hour. Made me tired just watching them!
We were quickly reminded by some of the other boaters that this was the famous prime rib restaurant (one of the reasons they come here), but you have to reserve your piece in advance and there weren’t many servings left. Gary ran down to the restaurant and secured us one 32 ounce cut to share. 32 ounce you might say – that’s crazy!… well it was, but we were angling for leftovers for sandwiches to follow. 32 ounce amazingly tender prime rib plus 4 side dishes for the two of us to share for $59.00! You can’t beat that! Highly recommend and they serve it every night!
We stayed just one night in Coinjock – not much else there. The homes on the ICW were tired and most looked to be in disrepair. Coinjock got its name from its Native American heritage meaning “the place of the blueberry swamps” and has a population of about 500. We were told there is a picturesque little downtown, but we didn’t venture there. We did hear the roosters in the morning before we left for Norfolk.
Tuesday, 5/7 took us to Norfolk, VA and marked our crossing into our 20th state on the trip. We left around 8:30 am, surprised to be one of the last boats off the dock. It was an about a 7 hour run where we enjoyed the open water of the Currituck Sound but then slowed our pace as we navigated the Chesapeake and Albermarle Canal including several bridges that only open on the hour or half hour. If you are coming up hard but just a few minutes too late, that bridge tender could care less! You will have to wait until the next opening! We also passed through our final lock of the trip (only a 2 foot drop) at the Great Bridge Lock in VA.
We arrived at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club which is a very large facility offering indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, pickleball, huge gym, sailing program and multiple dining rooms. We were greeted by the harbor master with our temporary membership cards in hand! Our plan was to tour Norfolk on Wednesday, so we decided to eat in on the boat on Tuesday and get up and out early on Wednesday.
There is so much to do in Norfolk, but we had heard such great things about touring the Battleship Wisconsin, we set our sights on that. We grabbed an Uber that dropped us at the Post Office very close to the Wisconsin so we could…… drum roll….cancel our mail forwarding orders! Yes we are getting close to home so it was time. We also needed to buy a stamp….. wow! 68 cents each! Chatting with the postmaster, back in 1978 when Carol graduated from High School, stamps were 15 cents and that was after the outlandish increases from 8 cents in 1971 to 10 cents in 1974 to 13 cents in 1975!
We then walked over to the Wisconsin and enjoyed touring her almost all day! We left for lunch and found another local hole in the wall with its walls covered in dollar bills…. This is the 4th on the trip! It was called Jack Browns Beer and Burger Joint, and that’s all they serve – Burgers and Beer. You have some options on what you want on your burger but don’t ask for lettuce and tomato, they don’t have that but you can order it as a double. Funny place, great burgers, we skipped the beer.
I asked ChatGPT to write a few paragraphs for us re: the history of the Battleship Wisconsin. What was provided wasn’t too bad but it was neither complete nor fully accurate, so I had to fix some of it. Goes to show the danger of using AI without human check for accuracy or what AI calls “hallucinations” with the software. BTW – if you aren’t playing with ChatGPT (it’s free), you should be. Your kids and grand kids are!
“The USS Wisconsin (BB-64), one of the famous Iowa-class battleships, holds a storied history entrenched in the annals of American naval warfare. Commissioned in April 1944, during the height of World War II, the Wisconsin swiftly joined the Pacific Theater, participating in numerous pivotal engagements. Its massive firepower and formidable presence made it a linchpin in the United States Navy’s strategy.
During World War II, the Wisconsin proved its mettle in battles like the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where it played a crucial role in defending the American fleet against Japanese kamikaze attacks. Its 16-inch guns pounded enemy positions during shore bombardments in the Pacific campaigns, providing vital support to ground forces. The ship’s resilience was evident when it survived a kamikaze strike during the Battle of Okinawa with minimal damage, a testament to its robust construction.
After World War II, the Wisconsin was briefly decommissioned before being reactivated for the Korean War in the early 1950s. Once again, it demonstrated its firepower and versatility, bombarding enemy targets along the Korean coastline. Its presence served as a deterrent to North Korean and Chinese forces, projecting American naval power in the region.
Despite technological advancements and shifts in naval doctrine, the Wisconsin remained relevant through the latter half of the 20th century. It underwent modernization programs to adapt to evolving threats, including the installation of missile systems and radar upgrades. She was reactivated in 1986 and participated in Operation Desert Storm in January and February of 1991. With the Cold War concluded and naval priorities changing, the venerable battleship was decommissioned for the final time in September of 1991, marking the end of an illustrious era.
Today, the USS Wisconsin stands as a proud symbol of American naval heritage. She now serves as a museum ship, allowing visitors to walk its decks and experience firsthand the legacy of one of the most iconic battleships in history. From the tumultuous waters of World War II to the tense standoff of the Korean War and Wisconsin firing the first cruise missions of the Gulf War, the Wisconsin’s service is infamous. One of the most remembered moments of the Gulf war was when hundreds of Iraqi soldiers surrendered by waving white flags to a Wisconsin controlled unmanned drone. Not quite sure how to handle it, the Captain of the Wisconsin asked for assistance from the army who had troops on the ground. You can’t exactly take prisoners with a drone commanded by a ship miles away!
We were back to the boat in time for Carol to attend a Board Meeting then it was off to dinner at NYCC. A lovely club with beautiful facilities and friendly service.
Thursday, 5/9 took us from Norfolk, VA to Kilmarnock, VA and another Yacht Club where we had reciprocity- Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club. We left Norfolk around 8:40 am and arrived around 2:30. It was a lovely open water uneventful run where we chatted with our daughter and Carol took a couple more calls/meetings. ICYCC was also a very large club mostly centered on golf with the green of its first hole right on the water by the marina. ICYCC also offered tennis and pickleball as well as an outdoor pool (not yet open). We weren’t there in time for Gary to get a few holes in, so we pretty much caught up on email and BOD work and had dinner and a movie on board. The marina was small compared to the large size of the club grounds and we didn’t see anyone else on the boats there, although there was another Fleming there.
Friday, 5/10 we were up and out around 8:45 am on our way Solomans Island. Today would be the day we cross back into Maryland waters and cross the 6500 mile mark! It was about a 5 hour run with overcast weather and cool temperatures. Waves were 1-2’ which is not issue for us, but it was definitely sweatshirt weather. We arrived at Solomans Island Yacht Club around 2:00 just in time to get settled and allow Carol to take 2 meetings – one at 3:00 and one at 4:00. The latter was supposed to end at 5:00 but went til 6:00 so we caught the very end of docktails with Alan and Cheryl on Gypsy Girl. Food at SIYC was a little unusual. On this night, there were 2 crockpots – one with chili and one with chicken tortilla soup. For $10 you could get a bowl from either one and piece of cornbread, and there was no other menu to choose from. We decided to pass and go to the local Tiki Bar and Grill up the street other loopers had raved about. Food was okay. The next night at the SIYC was to be leg of lamb, but they were already oversubscribed…. You had to sign up a few days ago. So we knew we needed to make other plans for Saturday as well.
Saturday, 5/11 we planned to tour the Calvert Marine Museum that was only about a mile away, so we were off on our bikes just before 10:00 am to get there when they opened. This was a well done and interesting museum with something for everyone – Fossils and dinosaurs with specimens from the local Calvert Cliffs; maritime history from carved out canoes to sailing vessels to steamships and pleasure boating and the history of floating theater; live otters, skates and rays, fish and other creatures; the Drum Point light house which was moved to the museum grounds; and history of the area including its oystering, fishing and slavery past.
We spent almost all morning there, leaving for lunch at Anglers nearby (never heard of a buffalo shrimp wrap before – very good!), and returning for the afternoon. Once we toured the entire area, we rode the additional mile to the grocery store to pick up a few things then returned to the boat around 4:00. 5 more looper boats arrived (Water Colors, Blue Odyssey, Cool Beans, Now or Never and Live the Dash), so we all chatted on the dock a bit and of course decided on docktails up at the club at 5:00. The local harbor hosts (Doug and Susan aboard Suz Inn) also joined us rounding out our party of 14.
It was back to the boat for dinner and plotting our final course into familiar waters. Sunday, 5/12 (Mothers Day) we made a slight change of plans. We decided we’d skip Herrington Harbor and head to Edgewater, MD and the Fleming dealership where we bought the boat – about a 4 hour run.
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