Tuesday May 31: Cape Charles

     We left Rebel Marina around ten this morning, and got about a mile away when we remembered we’d placed all our leftovers in their refrigerator.  David thought this was very funny when we showed back up at his dock.  We might have just left them, but I wanted my containers, and the leftovers - crab cakes, risotto with broccoli, potato salad, and remoulade - made for a great lunch.  

     Our friends Gretchen and Michael let us know they were going to be in Cape Charles, which is on the Virginia part of the Delmarva peninsula.  I sent her a quick message - are you still there?  Cape Charles was about three hours from Norfolk.  Yes!  She responded.  Come over, we’ll have dinner.  Dan set the course and we headed that way.

     Until we crossed the inlet that led to Norfolk, we were doing over 8 knots - what a ride!  Then we hit the cross current, which was flowing toward that inlet, not the same direction we were headed, and we slowed down to about 5 knots.  Our chart plotter informed us for the better part of an hour that it would take us three hours and fifteen minutes to get to our destination.  All in all, it took us about five and a half hours to get to Cape Charles.

Cape Charles town marina.  That's actually a water tower in the background, not a lighthouse.

     We missed the whole of the Delmarva peninsula on the way down last fall.  What a charming little town.  This was a railroad hub for the Eastern shore.   Railroad cars were carried over on barges and offloaded in town (and vice versa) ferrying freight and people back and forth across the bottom of the Chesapeake.  The rails, buildings, and barges are still in place.  The town must have purchased a good part of the rail yard and recently built a very nice marina with floating docks.  There’s a very new building with showers and large restrooms.  We hadn’t intended to stay at a dock another night but there is no place to anchor here, and this was cheap as marinas go.  So far Tommie is taking it in stride.  Perhaps the smells here aren’t that interesting, or maybe she is biding her time.  

     Dan and I took a walk into town and window shopped along the main street.  There is an ornate bank with large pillars that now houses the town library.  They did a good job utilizing the space while retaining the charm of the old-fashioned bank.  Even the vault is still in place, housing the local history section.  Nearby is an old-fashioned general store/hardware store.  Dan thought he’d died and gone to heaven.  I thought it was messy, and dirty, not to mention cluttered.  They have everything in there, but there is no rhyme or reason for the layout.  Fortunately the two guys working know exactly where to find whatever you might be looking for.  

An important part of the railway commerce was moving produce and grain from the Delmarva "breadbasket of the Chesapeake" to the Western shore.  

This is a view of the railway line that ran right down the pier to the barge.  The rails are all still in place on both.

     Our friends Gretchen and Michael came to get us around 5:45 pm.  They took us to their friends’ place nearby, a gorgeous place overlooking a horse pasture in front of the water.  Gigi and Roger cruised with Gretchen and Michael many years ago in Culebra and have remained close ever since.  They were fantastic hosts, serving up a huge feast of crabs, chicken, and corn which we shared on their beautiful screened porch.  The four of them were planning to attend a Bluegrass Music Festival several hours’ drive away, so Roger and Gigi retired early to prepare for that, while the rest of us cleaned up and caught up with each others’ adventures.  Gretchen and Michael have been cruising for many years, and were an inspiration to us as we prepared for our journey.  It was good to see them, and fun to meet their friends.

Dan, Kathy, Michael, and Gretchen