Great Loop Cruise Video

Every menu on the Chesapeake is crab this and crab that. I just want a good hamberger or steak. Color me board with seafood. Give me meat and potatoes, and at a decent price. The only place I've found with a decent NY strip was in Baltimore, and that was $49. I like Tidewater and its people, but their restaurant has changed. The bar is too loud (impossible to hold a conversation) and the fancier part of the restaurant isn't fancy at all anymore.

The Pleasure of cruising gentleman style

Well, the weather turned on us when we got to Norfolk. Rain and winds up to 38 mph. Normally, when doing transports, we'd push right on but this is a pleasure cruise. So we spent one day doing maintenance, and today we played tourist. Tonight's forecast for the rest of the week is pretty much the same. So it's homeward bound. We'll be back in about a week to continue. After 25 years of pushing this feels a little strange. Fun.

I missed your post yesterday. Nice picture. Thanks. Unless they worked at the marina or were the one boat I saw come in for fuel they did a bit of walking. That dock is a long way out from land. If that's a friend of yours tell them thanks. They take good pictures. The subject matter helps though. These old Hatteras are good looking boats.

After a week's lay up in Norfolk due to weather, we'll be casting off lines a little after 0800 this morning and heading down to Coinjock. I think many will find this the most interesting part of the journey to watch as we go down the ICW. Watch for nature. We'll be cruising along the eastern border of the Great Dismal Swamp. In past trips I've had bald eagles flying over head and deer swiming across to canal ahead of me, and of course dolphin. Anything else is possible to spot along the banks from bear to fox to Navy ships and who knows what. Enjoy.

Virginia cut will be it. Only thing in our way here are sailboats.

There were a couple of beauties at AYB. That's always the sign of a good yard.

We met the pack at Gilmerton. Great Bridge was like the Long Island Expressway at rush hour. Next we have Centerville, then North Landing. After that it's like someone let's the horse lose to run.

I've only done the outside here one time...In a gale. That cured me of any desire to go around Hatteras on the outside, plus it doesn't really save any time unless you've got a very fast boat. Just not worth the risk IMHO.

The one time I did Hatteras seas were about 15', and we heard calls for 5 boats that were missing. Fortunately though we were running with the seas. We passed a CG cutter heading the other way and were feeling real sorry for those guys.

There's also no place to go if you realize that you shouldn't be there. They don't call it the graveyard of the North Atlantic for nothing. Beaufort to Norfolk is about 12 hours on the inside (200 sm), so i find it hardly worth the risk unless the boat is just too big for the ICW (and I've seen 160'ers in here). It's cool to be able to say you've done Hatteras though, but once gets you those bragging rights. I feel kind of the same way about Oregon Inlet. Just don't see the reason for doing it. Besides, you miss the steaks at Coinjock.

Just finished a really good NY Strip, but the Prime Rib is their signature meal. That and packing boats in as tight as possible although tonight they gave me a ton of space (2').

Sorry Dave, It may be the time difference. We're live from 0800 to 1900 EST. Just in case though I'll PM you my web site. The links for the bow cam & AIS tracking are on each of the Great Loop pages. You'll also be able to catch up through the pics and writings.

Belhaven

Back in 1991 we stopped in Belhaven on my 2nd transport. There's a big old manor house that was run by a couple of grandmothers. They served dinner family style and it was just oh so good. For about the next 20 years I kept trying to find this place, but couldn't until about 3 years ago.
The kids had the place then. I ordered a Coke before dinner. 45 minutes later, the Coke hadn't arrived so I just went back to the boat with no dinner.

Tonight we stopped back. The manor house is now completely closed. My wife, who was watching on the bow cam texted me as we docked "The dock looks like a wreck". We asked about a place to get dinner and were told "This is the bible belt, and it's Sunday". They'd lend us a car. '5 miles away there's a Chinese take out, a burger joint that's over-priced and not worth it, and a Hardee's'

My boss always stays on shore, and he found a very nice little B & B just down the road. The town is cute with some nice old southern homes on Water St., and the people here are very nice. This however is no longer a destination worth choosing. Real shame. Absolutely a beautiful location.

Tomorrow we head for New Bern.