Started: The free dock near the Great Bridge bridge, 36°43.25′N 076°14.26′W, ICW mile 12.

Anchored: Hospital Point, Norfolk, 36º50.61'N 076º17.93'W, ICW mile 0.

Log: 12 mi. Time: 5 hr. Engine: 5 hr.

Norfolk. Our home port. And for good reason.

The scenery is a nautical delight.

Also, this is a vast military seaport. The waterways are crowded with tugs, barges, container ships, warships, the ferries, and pleasure craft.

It's a great trip up the Elizabeth river. A wonder of American technology and business.

Taking Notes

The downside of clever electronic charts is the inability to make pencil notations in the margins.

The Great Bridge to Norfolk run needs a set of notes on the edge of chart.

• Allow a full hour for fuel and water.

• Great Bridge (ICW 12) opens on the hour.

• Don't tie too firmly to the lock, allow some slack. Pull up all fenders before moving.

• Steel Bridge (ICW 8.7) opens on the hour: keep speed down to about 3 mph = 2.6 kt.

• Gilmerton Bridge (ICW 5.7) opens on the half-hour: keep speed up to 6 mph = 5.2 kt.

We have a similar need for notes from Coinjock to Great Bridge.

• North Landing Bridge (ICW 20.2) opens on the hour and half-hour. It's 29.3 miles from Coinjock, 25.5 nm. At 6.3 knots it's a 4-hour run.

• Centerville Turnpike appears to be on demand except morning and afternoon restrictions. It's 5 miles, 4.4 nm. (City of Cheasapeake web page says both "hour and half-hour" as well as "on demand"; hard to understand.)

Some Boat Chores

CA has to finish our sunshades. She also has to finish covers for our on-deck jerry jugs. But, she also has Floating Leaf Tiny Quilts to make. We got through the Florida springtime without a sunshade. We can get through a Chesapeake summer without a shade to keep direct sun off the aft deck.

I have to change the oil. This is potentially messy, but I've been getting better and better at it. I'm working at reducing the mess and the number of paper towels required to remove that mess. I generally keep an entire oil change kit on Red Ranger, so changing oil means replacing the 2 gallons of oil and the filter that was used.

I need to replace the fuel tank sender.

I want to add a Racor Life Guard Fuel/Air Separator to the fuel vent line.

I really want a new tachometer, too. But. First things first. The sender is critical safety gear, the fuel/air separator is environmental health and safety.

Travel