Day 31
Saturday, June 13
0 nm 0 hours underway
Today was a day for play.
We started the morning wandering through historic downtown Portsmouth, weaving our way between the Farmer’s Market and a surprisingly large car show. Heather had been looking forward to the market—but as we near the end of this leg, we’ve reached that rare cruising milestone: we actually don’t need provisions.
With that sensible decision made, Kevin immediately suggested the Biergarten—which, frankly, was the better call.
It was charming, relaxed, and exactly the kind of place that makes you forget what time it is. We leaned into the theme: Kevin went with the pork schnitzel sandwich and German potato salad, while Heather opted for the bockwurst with fried potatoes. When in Germany… or at least Portsmouth’s version of it.
From there, we hopped the ferry over to Norfolk. It’s a quick 10-minute ride and runs almost in a constant loop. Easy, convenient, and a fun way to see the harbor from a different angle.
After strolling through town and an artisan market, we found our way to our usual stop – a wine bar – Mermaid Winery. The setting, an old bank, is absolutely stunning. The presentation? Beautiful. The wine? Unfortunately… not our favorite. When neither of us finishes a glass, you know something’s off.
No need to panic—we recovered nicely.
We stumbled into Todd Jurich’s Bistro, where the gin and tonic pour more than made up for the earlier disappointment. Dinner was a win across the board: Heather had a filet with mashed potatoes that was spot on, and Kevin’s ribeye earned high praise as well.
On the ferry ride back to Portsmouth, the night took an unexpected turn. We walked straight into the Cock Island Regatta party happening right at the harbor. We’d been surrounded by the racers on the docks and seen some of the racing earlier in the day, but didn’t realize we’d end up (loosely) invited to the afterparty. Surrounded by sailors, we got a bit of history behind the regatta.
Safe to say—a good time was had by all.
Day 32
Sunday, June 14
0 nm – 0 hours underway
Today was supposed to be about learning… after, of course, the usual round of “quick” boat projects that never are.
With temperatures forecast to hit 100 degrees, we planned what felt like a brilliant strategy: spend the day indoors at the Nauticus Discovery Center and the USS Wisconsin. What we failed to fully think through… is that a lot of the USS Wisconsin is very much outside. And very much not air conditioned.
Lesson learned.
We made our way through, did our best to take it all in, and even added a little unexpected excitement—Heather got some new ink—but truthfully, we would have lingered longer if the heat hadn’t been so relentless.
With an Amazon delivery incoming (backup impellers from the recent generator adventure), we made a strategic retreat back to the marina before the office closed. We settled in at Fish & Slips for a low-key evening, keeping an eye out just in case (it never arrived).
The night turned into prep mode for the Chesapeake crossing ahead. Even Wimbi got in on it—making sure her “hair” was in proper cruising condition.
Day 33
Monday, June 15
0 nm – 0 hours underway
Today was supposed to be our first day on the Chesapeake.
The Chesapeake had other ideas.
We woke up ready for a 7:00 departure and went through our normal routine—lines, systems, coffee, mental checklist. But as we got closer to go-time, it became clear the wind wasn’t in on our plan.
Blowing stronger than forecast out of the north, it wasn’t just going to make our tight-quarters undocking tricky—it would mean heading straight into it once we cleared the harbor. On the Chesapeake, that quickly turns from “uncomfortable” to “why are we doing this to ourselves?”
Decision made: weather day. It is hard to believe that we’ve managed to go this long without a weather day – but the Chesapeake has a way of doing just that.
Heather shifted into work mode, Kevin tackled a few boat projects, and with a bonus day in Norfolk/Portsmouth, we decided to make the most of it.
A little more exploring, a stop at Portsmouth Public House, and finally checking out Grain—the rooftop biergarten we skipped yesterday thanks to the heat.
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