Four Days on the Boat, James River, Cape Charles and York River

The weather has changed for us. It’s raining on our trip now just like it has rained on everyone else’s trip. It’s not bad, however, and we’re enjoying a quiet ride up the York River to see what we can see. It’s not a very long river, so later we’re just planning to turn around and return to the historic Yorktown park to tie up at their dock. 

Pearl on the York River

It’s been only four days since we both returned to the boat and got underway again, but it seems longer. On Friday we did a dozen errands while we still had the rental car, then we returned it and headed out around noon. We went up the James River to Kingsmill, a marina at a resort near Williamsburg. On the way we passed the “ghost fleet” of old WWII ships that are kept in mothballs until they might be needed again. The dockhand at Kingsmill told us that when he was a boy, there were 150 ships, and just after WWI, there were more than a thousand, but now there are only about 10, maybe a dozen. Also on the James River is the Newport News ship building center, where a mega-long aircraft carrier is under construction, and under cover from prying eyes and satellites. 

Ghost Fleet on the James River

Another view of the ghost fleet

Saturday we got an early start to get to the Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach. We pulled in to Chesapeake Beach (which is not the same as Chesapeake where we exited the ICW) to pick up Lauren and her friend Parker at a marina. This was the first time anyone in the family had met Parker, and so far, so good. From there we traveled out to the Bay, going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel again as we headed north to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore. It was a scorching hot and sunny day, like baking in an oven, but it was a beautiful ride. We saw dolphins and pelicans and rescued a mylar balloon from the Bay. It was obviously meant for my sister Mary, whose birthday was yesterday, so we sent her a photo.

Happy Birthday Mary

Cape Charles is a charming colorful little town, but very isolated. We had a wonderful dinner at the marina restaurant with cream-of-crab soup with a dab of sherry, crab cakes, scallops, fish tacos, and fried oysters. Afterwards we walked into the little town, which is about 6 blocks by 7 blocks total, but is well-maintained, not at all run-down like so many other small towns we’ve seen. It has a beautiful white sandy beach and we saw a gorgeous sunset over the Bay. We had ice cream. The marina was shooting off fireworks as we walked back to the boat.

Sunset over Cape Charles

Sunday was another very early start so that Parker could get back to Chesapeake Beach by 10 to go to work. He is a SEAL in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii, but working in Virginia Beach for several weeks. Brian and I dropped them off, turned around and headed back to the Bay, crossing over the Bridge-Tunnel for the 4th and final time. Black clouds followed us from the southeast as we headed northwest to the York River. It was tropical storm “Bonnie” making her way along the coast, but only giving us some drizzle. It was a nice quiet cruise, a very quiet marina, and a quiet night - except when Charlie escaped out the door and Brian chased after him. Brian didn’t catch him, but he came back anyway after an hour or so of exploration, meowing at the screen door to get in. What a relief that he found his way back, and that he came back at all. We have heard stories of other family-cats that were lost along the way.

Brian’s jet-lag from Europe finally caught up with him this morning, so he slept late and we started out around noon. Now we’re having a gentle ride up the York, just looking.

Brian with George Washington  at Yorktown.

This monument marks the surrender of the British at Yorktown,
paving the way for American independence.