Daily Archives: May 13, 2019

Poquoson, VA (Wednesday, 5/8 through Sunday, 5/12)
We spent the last few days of our time in Poquoson enjoying the home of Denise’s brother John, and his wife Cathy.  We also got to see the families of their twin daughters Shannon and Christen.  Here are some of the highlights of the week:

 Wednesday (5/8):
We took John and Cathy out on the boat for a few hours on Poquoson River and a little into the Chesapeake Bay. John recently got a center console fishing boat and they have explored some of this waterway, but it is always fun to be on the water regardless of whose boat it is. There are some very lovely homes in this area and it is always nice to see them from the boating perspective.

 

That evening we went back to their house where we had a pizza and salad dinner with Christen and her two boys Colton and Cooper.

Thursday (5/9):
We went to an afternoon baseball game of the Norfolk Tides vs. the Pawtucket Red Sox.

This is AAA ball and both teams feed respective franchises of the Major League; the Pawtucket team feeds into the Boston Red Sox. Today’s opening pitcher Mark Shawaryn, is a relative of a kid John used to coach when son Justin played ball. Through Facebook, Cathy made the connection to his relatives in the audience and we all had a chance to meet when the hot sun forced up from our great seats to the concession level.

It was a lot of fun experiencing great baseball, knowing that some of these young guys could be playing in the Majors at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, the Sox lost in the 10^th inning, but we had already left to get a jump on the awful traffic in this area.

Once back on the other side of the Chesapeake, we began the start of our boat restocking with trips to Walmart and CVS. John & Cathy went to watch their grandsons’ baseball game and we relaxed in the comfort of their beautiful home.  There is nothing like real showers and a bathroom when you have spent 5 weeks on a boat!

Friday (5/10):
This was a day of errands including trips to Costco, Kroger (for groceries) and a hardware store. We even managed to get in a Chick-Fil-A lunch, and John & Mark got haircuts.  After all this hard work, we hung out around the house, just enjoying each other’s company and getting in some rest and relaxation.  Denise had come down with a head cold and was a bit under the weather, so this allowed some recuperation time.

During the evening, Mark had to work. He had contracted to do some database file maintenance for a client but it had to be done after hours (and on the weekend). It was a big project, but it pays the cruising bills and we wanted to accommodate. We also wanted to take advantage of the better Wifi than available at the marina (non-existent).  So Mark worked while the rest of us talked and watched the movie “Bottle Shock” to finish out the evening.

Saturday (5/11):
Bad weather was threatening to move in, but it looked like it was going to hold off until the afternoon.  In the morning there were softball/baseball games for the kids. Acting Coach John had to leave early for the girl’s game, so Denise went with Cathy first to watch the girls play. Coach Shannon was back from her cruise with Harper & Macie, and it was great to see them play.

Then on to catch Christen and the boys; Colton and Cooper, whose game was already under way. It ended victoriously for the boys and they were so proud of their play.

Meanwhile Mark was back at home continuing to work on the database project for our client.  Truthfully, we think he enjoyed the peace and quiet!

Later in the afternoon we returned to St. Joan of Arc church for evening mass. The priest here is blind and with the assistance of the deacons, altar servers and a braille book, he flawlessly celebrates the mass. In the meantime, it started to rain and of course was pouring when we tried to leave.

After church we returned for a family night of having Mexican food and drink. John made specialty cocktails and Cathy had gone to down on Enchiladas (two different kinds), tacos, rice and Mexican slaw.  Of course there was chips, several kinds of salsa, and guacamole.  No restaurant could compete with this!

But the company was the best with nieces Christen and the boys (Colton & Cooper); Shannon with the girls (Harper & Macie), and Cathy’s mom, Joan.  We had lots of delicious food and fun times with family, telling stories and laughing a lot.  It was a great way to end a week and we were so glad we decided to stay as long as we did.

Sunday (5/12):
Happy Mother’s Day! Cathy, the twins, and her mom all went to a brunch to celebrate their 3-generations of motherhood together. Meanwhile, John drove us back to the marina and we prepped the boat for leaving. We were headed to Mobjack Bay for a few days of anchoring out, exploration, and on Wednesday go to Zimmerman Marine to have some Preventative Maintenance done on our the engine.  The weather was not great as there was rain around and the wind was going to intensify as the day wore on. But, it was a short run to this part of the western shore of the Chesapeake that have never explored, so we knew we could make it before it got too bad.

We left shortly after 9:30 a.m., but started to get erratic and high engine temperature as we left the channel out to the Poquoson River. Not wanting to risk issues when in rougher water, we returned back to Whitehouse Cove Marina to troubleshoot.  Mark worked with Jeff (“YOLO”) who was very supportive, and then he did some assessments and testing.  He checked on the engine impeller, but did not go through the long task of removing or replacing it as it did not appear to be the problem. We ate a quick lunch and then turned the engine on for more troubleshooting, and it immediately sounded better.  So, we left the marina with the idea that we could come back if it heats up again. But we didn’t have to, and we cruised the nearly 20 miles into Mobjack Bay. It was a bit bouncy crossing the York River, but once well inside the Bay it was calmer.

Then we moved into the protective waters of the East River, going as far north into “Put In Creek” as we dared before it got really shallow. Here we anchored for the night among trees and houses on both shores, and just in time as the rain started.  There was no one around except the birds and a few crab pots, and it continued to rain off and on all night long.

Once the rain started, the temperature cooled down and we closed the back door, just about the time the bugs were coming out. We turned on the generator to charge all our devices and run the microwave and cooktop to prepare dinner.  We called family and finished out the evening with Mark watching Game of Thrones and Denise cataloging pictures and working on this blog.

We really like the Whitehouse Cove Marina and the houses around it, including the mobile homes. We will most likely stay here again when we return on the way home in the fall. Here are some pictures of the area:

Stay tuned for more of our adventures on Island Office.