Norfolk Area Recommendations

[Wayfarer]

Greetings Earthlings!

Sylphide and I will be reunited after the first of the year, and I'm keen to make some more miles to southward. I'm planning to anchor my way down the western shore of Chesapeake at a fairly brisk pace, it being January and all. I'm thinking I'd like to stop in the Norfolk area for a couple of days to reintegrate with civilization before heading back out into the wild blue yonder again.

I'm new to the area, so I'd love to hear whatever recommendations you might have for places to stay, things to see, foods to eat, etc... I'd like to tie up somewhere reasonably close to town, since my dinghy situation isn't yet optimized, and it gon' be cold AF anyway. So easy access to transportation, or a relatively short walk into town would be lovely. I'm happy to pay for a slip with power and water somewhere for a couple of nights, but if I could do so without donating a kidney, so much the better.

I seem to remember there being a free wall somewhere around there, but I can't seem to find it. Is that no longer a thing, or was I just hallucinating it?

I have been rummaging around on active Captain, and will continue to do so until I get there most likely. I also do have a couple of guide books for the area, but my dumb ass left them on the boat...

Thanks Gang!

 

[fryedaze]

Portsmouth free dock. Down side is no power. January down the Chesapeake will be an adventure. You won't have to worry about traffic LOL. https://oldetowneportsmouth.com/boating-maritime/

Greetings Earthlings!

Sylphide and I will be reunited after the first of the year, and I'm keen to make some more miles to southward. I'm planning to anchor my way down the western shore of Chesapeake at a fairly brisk pace, it being January and all. I'm thinking I'd like to stop in the Norfolk area for a couple of days to reintegrate with civilization before heading back out into the wild blue yonder again.

I'm new to the area, so I'd love to hear whatever recommendations you might have for places to stay, things to see, foods to eat, etc... I'd like to tie up somewhere reasonably close to town, since my dinghy situation isn't yet optimized, and it gon' be cold AF anyway. So easy access to transportation, or a relatively short walk into town would be lovely. I'm happy to pay for a slip with power and water somewhere for a couple of nights, but if I could do so without donating a kidney, so much the better.

I seem to remember there being a free wall somewhere around there, but I can't seem to find it. Is that no longer a thing, or was I just hallucinating it?

I have been rummaging around on active Captain, and will continue to do so until I get there most likely. I also do have a couple of guide books for the area, but my dumb ass left them on the boat...

Thanks Gang!

 

[caltexflanc]

Nor water, or showers etc and a 36 hour time limit; maybe this time of year they will relax that. Plenty of good marinas nearby however with all the amenities. Not sure what a kidney is valued at these days, but Waterside Marina is a nice facility in downtown Norfolk with plenty to do within a short walking distance. But check out the other Hampton and Portsmouth options, I have heard good things but no direct experience other than visiting both nice areas by car.

 

[O C Diver]

January in Norfolk? Think I would keep pushing on and take advantage of cruising weather. If you need to replenish there's a free dock within walking distance of a Food Lion just after the Deep Creek lock if going through the Dismal Swamp. If going Albemarle Chesapeake canal, there's a very nice free dock across from Atlantic Yacht Basin. Probably a reasonable Uber ride to town from there if you want to sight see.

Ted

 

[boomerang]

If it were us, we would definitely bypass Norfolk this time of year & stop in Great Bridge for supplies. Free docks and everything within a couple of blocks...Kroger, Ace Hardware etc. Remember, the fresh water of the VA Cut (and Dismal Swamp route) freezes faster so you need to be aware of that potential hazzard when the temperature drops overnight. Plus I've was once delayed at the Centerville (or North Landing ,I can't remember which one) Bridge because it froze in the closed position & they couldn't open it until it defrosted.

 

[ssobol]

Kind of depends on which town you are talking about. There are 3 towns right next to each other, although separated by water.

Waterside Marina is about as close to town in Norfolk as you can get. It is a nice facility and right downtown. The nautical museum is a couple of blocks away as is a large mall. You can take the tram to other parts of town or the ferry across to Portsmouth.

Hampton also has a town dock that is right in the middle of town. There are shops and the Virginia Air and Space Center within blocks.

Waterside and Hampton have the usual amenities (showers, restrooms, floating docks, etc.), but you do have to pay for them.

Portsmouth has free mooring against the wall in what were the original dry docks (now small harbors). There are two of them. While they might be free, there are no services. There is a tourist info center near the northern harbor that has restrooms available during business hours, but no showers. There are a couple of museums related to the maritime history of Portsmouth nearby.

Be aware that the cross river ferries are for commuters and start at about 6 am. The ferry docks are right next to Waterside Marina and in the same place as the free moorings in Portsmouth. The ferries sound their horns when departing the docks (this gets old fast).

Tidewater Marina is on the Portsmouth side across from Waterside. Stopped there for gas on a windy day, don't know much else about it except this Marina is the only one with gas that close to Norfolk.

You may be able to anchor out in Holiday Harbor

FWIW, the Mariner's Museum in Newport News is very nice. They have a big exhibit on the USS Monitor including recovered bits, plus a lot of other stuff. There are a number of marinas in Deep Creek on the north side of the James, NW of Newport News.

Be aware that a lot of marinas in the VA area turn the water off for the winter from November till about April. You might want to check before you go somewhere if you need a water hookup.

 

[bnoft]

Bluewater, on the Hampton River, runs hoses down the docks so water is available most of the time.

 

[Willo B]

If you were planning to go the Dismal Swamp. The Dismal Swamp Canal, Route 2 of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, will be closed temporarily to through vessel traffic at that time, Jan 6. The rehabilitation is expected to take 90 days. See USACE

 

[Wayfarer]

Thanks for the tips gang! Yeah, I definitely got off to a later start than I'd have liked. Between the extra long buying process, and stopping early for repairs and upgrades in Annapolis, I'm definitely bringing up the rear of the parade south. I bet I start passing people going north before I turn around... lol.

The weather may very well end up making decisions for me. I see the Dismal swamp route will be shut for maintenance anyway, so that makes that decision easier. Boy, I just can't seem to escape from winter sailing... lol. I may end up breaking more ice in Virginia than I have on the Great Lakes this year, lol.

I'm not 100% certain I'll stop in Norfolk, but I figure after three nights at anchor, I'll probably be ready for some dock time around then. Based on my last leg, that seems to be about as long as I'll want to go between human interactions.

Looks like Waterside is the leading contender at the moment. While the Portsmouth free dock is free (I think that's the one I remember reading about), I think this time of year it would be nice to have shore power. I can run the space heater if I need it, and It'd be nice to top up the water by then too, assuming I can find some in liquid form. Also, I'd quite like to take a walk around that USS Wisconsin right next door.

If it works out that I end up trucking past Norfolk, then Great Bridge looks like a good bet.

 

[ranger58sb]

I think Waterside on the Norfolk side and Tidewater on the Portsmouth side are both about the same cost. There's another, Ocean, I think businessly related to Tidewater, a bit further south on the Portsmouth side, probably same cost structure. We've only stayed at Tidewater so far; decent marina, fuel, small ship's store, on-site restaurant, floating docks, etc. Easy ferry from Norfolk to Portsmouth or vice versa.

The free docks in Portsmouth look viable if your genset runs, but there's a 40' (I think) limit so we couldn't try those. (Luckily, as it turns out, since we found out slightly later that our genset wasn't gonna start for a while.)

To do, Norfolk side: Nautilus, Wisconsin, a bazillion places to eat in the Waterside building, narrated Naval ship cruise (assuming they run in January).

To do, Portsmouth side: Legend Brewery (!!), a good German bier garten (I forget the name), Lightship Museum, Shipyard museum.

Much better fuel prices at Top Rack Marina, just a bit further down the ICW at approx MM8.5, and much less expensive slip fees... but not many slips with power and those are first come first served Might not be much competition). An Italian restaurant on site, not open on Mondays I think. Slips exposed to ICW traffic, but then there might not be much of that in Jan.

Some have recommended Atlantic Yacht Basin, just past the lock. Looks like a loooooonnnngg face dock, to me, no other insight.

The free docks at Great Bridge look viable if your genset runs; no further insight.

Check out marina/docking options in the Waterway Guide and ActiveCaptain for more details, etc.

If you decide to do more marinas as you go, we can add current and semi-current comments about Coinjock, Alligator River, Belhaven (a couple), Oriental (a couple), Beaufort (NC), Swansboro, Wrightsville Beach (a couple), Southport (a couple), Myrtle Beach (Socastee), McClellanville, Charleston (a few), Beaufort (NC), Savannah, St. Simons Island, Amelia Island... and now JAX if you abandon the ICW for a short bit around here.

-Chris

 

[ssobol]

The Great Bridge wall tie is free. The docks are fixed. You can tie up on either side of the bridge. There are no services and you'll be exposed to the channel traffic. Some fairly large boats and tows use the canal. Not all of them think the No Wake signs apply to them.

At the NE corner of the bridge there is a small park with historical markers describing the Battle of Great Bridge.

You can also tie up for free at Atlantic Yacht basin in Great Bridge on the outer wall if there is space. However, you have to be gone by 8 am (at least in the summer).

 

[Wayfarer]

I think Waterside on the Norfolk side and Tidewater on the Portsmouth side are both about the same cost. There's another, Ocean, I think businessly related to Tidewater, a bit further south on the Portsmouth side, probably same cost structure. We've only stayed at Tidewater so far; decent marina, fuel, small ship's store, on-site restaurant, floating docks, etc. Easy ferry from Norfolk to Portsmouth or vice versa.

The free docks in Portsmouth look viable if your genset runs, but there's a 40' (I think) limit so we couldn't try those. (Luckily, as it turns out, since we found out slightly later that our genset wasn't gonna start for a while.)

To do, Norfolk side: Nautilus, Wisconsin, a bazillion places to eat in the Waterside building, narrated Naval ship cruise (assuming they run in January).

To do, Portsmouth side: Legend Brewery (!!), a good German bier garten (I forget the name), Lightship Museum, Shipyard museum.

Much better fuel prices at Top Rack Marina, just a bit further down the ICW at approx MM8.5, and much less expensive slip fees... but not many slips with power and those are first come first served Might not be much competition). An Italian restaurant on site, not open on Mondays I think. Slips exposed to ICW traffic, but then there might not be much of that in Jan.

Some have recommended Atlantic Yacht Basin, just past the lock. Looks like a loooooonnnngg face dock, to me, no other insight.

The free docks at Great Bridge look viable if your genset runs; no further insight.

Check out marina/docking options in the Waterway Guide and ActiveCaptain for more details, etc.

If you decide to do more marinas as you go, we can add current and semi-current comments about Coinjock, Alligator River, Belhaven (a couple), Oriental (a couple), Beaufort (NC), Swansboro, Wrightsville Beach (a couple), Southport (a couple), Myrtle Beach (Socastee), McClellanville, Charleston (a few), Beaufort (NC), Savannah, St. Simons Island, Amelia Island... and now JAX if you abandon the ICW for a short bit around here.

-Chris

Thanks Chris!

I started this new thread to expand the conversation.