September 6                          North Beach, Maryland

We had to find a suitable marina for storing the boat during the month that we would be in Texas.  Referring to the Waterway Guide, we started making telephone calls.  We soon learned that the size of our boat considerably limited our choices.  Many area marinas could not accommodate our electrical needs (two 50 amps connections), draft (five feet) and/or size (58’ with an 18’4” beam).  Herrington Harbor Marina South in North Shore, Maryland had a slip that was suitable but short.   It was only 55’ in length.  We decided it would have to do.  Herrington Harbor South was a marina we had visited on our trip in 2009. We had been impressed with its size, accommodations, and location.  It was in a sheltered area and was near Washington, D.C. and National Airport, where we would catch our return flight to DFW.

Shortly after leaving Solomons, the wind increased considerably and we were buffeted by high waves.  We looked forward to reaching a marina and having time to rest, eat dinner, and prepare the boat for our departure.  Although the facilities at Herrington Harbor South were acceptable, the dockhand was untrained.  We were fortunate to have the help of other boaters who expertly caught our lines and helped us to tie securely to the pilings.  David was livid and heartsick when he discovered he had brought the bow in too far and had scarred the paint.  This easily could have been avoided if the dockhand had been observant and warned David in time to stop forward motion. 

Ironically, after securing the boat, we noticed that the boat we had looked at last year was in a slip just opposite our own.  We had remembered it as being a beautiful 54’ Hatteras in excellent condition.  It was and is today, but we immediately concurred that we had made the right decision in choosing our beautiful The Bottom Line.  With considerable forethought and tender loving care, we secured our “baby” for our absence.  As we walked down the dock on September 7, we looked back many times at our orphaned boat and acknowledged that we were already eager to return.

September 5                                Solomons, Maryland

On our earlier trip in 2008 to this area, we had docked at a lovely marina in Solomons, just a short distance north of the mouth of the Potomac River. We decided we would make a return visit but would choose a different marina.  That proved to be a good decision and a bad decision.  The marina was well located and we were pleased that we could easily ride our bikes into the town.  The marina also had a very good seafood restaurant.  The negative part of our choice was that the marina was inadequate to care for a boat our size and the dock help was untrained.  Fortunately, the weather remained calm and the boat was secure though the old dock was not very strong.

Solomons is a charming small town with an impressive waterside area and lovely little churches. Our bike ride was almost finished when I unwisely decided to make a reverse turn by stopping with my foot on a curb.  This threw me off-balance and with the wheel turned to the side and no longer in motion, the bike slowly fell onto the pavement of the street.  I abruptly made contact with the rough asphalt, cutting my chin, bruising my knee, and scraping both hands.  Traffic behind me came to an abrupt halt and a motorcyclist quickly came to my aid.  He apparently had watched many ER shows on television because he kept giving me instructions to “lie still, say my name, etc.”  Blood was streaming from the small cut on my hand and I appeared to be more injured than I was.  David helped me to my feet and we slowly walked the short distance to the boat.  I was grateful to have escaped with so little physical damage.

After cleaning my face and hands, examining the bike for damage (there was none), and overcoming my embarrassment, we went to dinner.  David decided to have steamed clams and was given a large bucket filled with them, all covered in Old Bay Seasoning. Using a mallet to crack the shells, he began the tedious task of separating the meat from the body and claws of each clam.  An hour and twenty minutes later, he finally finished his last one.  It was a lot of work but he deemed it a worthy effort!

September 4                  Deltaville, Virginia

We were excited to leave Norfolk and once again be cruising northward toward the Chesapeake Bay area.  Our exit from the downtown area led through a wide channel bordered by huge naval vessels and facilities.  It was an impressive display of military might.  Although the sky was clear and blue, the waves were choppy and we were soon planning an early call to port.

We visited Deltaville in 2009 when we came by automobile to the Virginia-Maryland area on one of our boat shopping trips. The boat we came to see was not in great condition and we quickly decided that we did not care for the interior plan.  This time, we came by boat after finally finding the one that we felt was “just right for us.”

We decided to dock at Dozier’s Regatta Point Marina, a pristine, picture-perfect place owned by Jack Dozier and his wife, the publishers of the Waterway Guide, which has been our Bible throughout this trip.  We were delighted to meet them the next morning, a Sunday, at the weekly breakfast prepared on the spacious veranda of the Marina office building.  Over pancakes, muffins, fruit, juices, and coffee, we met other boaters, some who were residents of Deltaville, and were recipients of some helpful information about the Bay and possible marinas we would enjoy.

August 28-September 3                                  Norfolk, Virginia

Without further incidence, we continued to Norfolk. The reason this area hosts the largest navel facility in America is evident as one traverses the south entrance into the harbor.  Huge blue construction cranes, looking like a group of dinosaurs, border the waterside.  Naval vessels, undergoing repair are berthed in huge facilities with mammoth lifts. 

We chose to dock at Waterside Marina because of its excellent location and reasonable charge.  We were docked directly across from a Hooter’s Restaurant.  David insisted that we could have curb service but I resisted. 

We planned to stay for a few days and then continue our trip northward.  We had ordered carpet for the salon but the installer could not work for us until Tuesday, August 1.  Since we were not on a definite schedule, we agreed that we could wait until the installation was completed. That evening we cooked steaks on the bridge, had a delicious dinner, and watched the dock activity and harbor action from our bridge. It was a great evening.

On Sunday morning, David suggested we have brunch at one of the local favorites, L’Eggs, located only a block from the marina.  We had a ten minute wait for a table in this café-like restaurant with no frills or fusses.  The food was good but not exceptional. It was evident, however, that the locals, who   followed us through the doors in droves, dearly favored it.

We continued our bike ride to the Douglas McArthur Museum and then on through the historical areas near High Street.  I left David at that point and headed to the Chrysler Museum of Art while David returned to the marina.

The Chrysler was even more opulent and beautiful than I remembered from my previous visit approximately ten years earlier.  The gallery walls were painted in rich jewel colors and the floors were beautiful oak, pristinely maintained.  I was fortunate to arrive during the exhibition of a small but excellent private collection of Dutch and Flemish artist from the 17^th century.  The wonderful Vermeer painting of “A Lady at the Virginal,” was displayed quietly in a side gallery.  I was thrilled to see it, one of only 36 known existing paintings by that artist and rarely seen.

During our stay in Norfolk, we had taken advantage of the extra time to purchase more vinyl flooring to correct the horrible ruin to the helm flooring.  As anticipated, the new flooring arrived and David promptly went to work covering the disaster.  It was immediately apparent that we had made the correct decision.  Although David was slow and meticulous, I was thrilled to see our helm flooring area was being transformed into something beautiful. 

In addition to the flooring, I had ordered a Berber carpet that we had both agreed looked “boaty” from Lowe’s.  We were able to have it delivered to Norfolk, picked up, and installed by a delightful man who did a professional job at a very reasonable price (we paid him more than he asked because we were so impressed by his service).

A severe hurricane warning changed our plans to leave Norfolk.  We decided that the best plan was to stay where we were, with additional security precautions, and see what transpired. On Thursday, we secured the boat, moved to the nearby hotel, and then decided to have our own “hurricane party.”  David had seen a day earlier, when we were riding bicycles, a small restaurant that he thought would be great.  He had only a vague idea of its location and name. Not to be deterred, we began our search.  After walking about ten blocks, we started stopping people and asking questions.  Soon we were led to The Carriage House, an establishment that has been in business for more than fifty years.  It is located in a real carriage house that once held horse, hay, and tack.  Once a tea room for society ladies, it has evolved into a Norfolk tradition with delightful ambiance and wonderful food. Our waiter had worked there for many years and told us great stories of the history of the place.  When he learned we had walked a considerable distance, he insisted on driving us to our hotel.

The weather reports at midnight began to indicate that the hurricane was less threatening than indicated and when we awakened in the morning, the winds and rain were very moderate.  We dressed and returned to the boat to find that only the dinghy cover partially had been blown away.  The day remained windy and the waters were choppy until about three o’clock when the sun came out bright and shining.

We took our bike, boarded the ferry, and crossed the bay to Portsmouth.  We rode our bikes through the streets until we found a wonderful nautical shop, Skipjacks, where we purchased a great lamp for the bow stateroom.  Leaving the lamp for a later pickup, we proceeded to explore the historical district of Norfolk.  It was small, without the wealth of Norfolk, and definitely struggling, but certainly to be applauded for effort.  Portsmouth has challenges dealt to it by the economy and other effects of change but it is making a valiant effort to overcome them.

Depending on the “incredible vibes of gourmand genius” frequently demonstrated by my husband, we began our search for a place to have a glass of wine and an appetizer before returning to Norfolk. With his amazing “bird dog instinct,” David began searching for the perfect place.  We made several bypasses before he finally stopped at Bistro Europa.  When we entered, we saw dark wood, lovely white tablecloths, and a delightful interior that resembled an established bistro in Paris.  Despite the early hour and our request for a glass of wine and appetizers, we received a gracious welcome and settled in for a wonderful “post-hurricane” celebration that eventually extended to several glasses of wine and four delicious appetizers.

We returned to Skipjack’s, a waterside nautical antique and specialty shop, to purchase a lamp that was deemed perfect for the bow stateroom.  On the ferry trip back to Norfolk, we noted that the sky had continued to clear and the waterfront was once again teeming with people.