As
we departed Atlantic Yacht Basin this Saturday morning, we found the SaSea
Sally among a bevy of boats bound for the 11 a.m. bridge opening and the lock
beyond. Woohoo, we're in good company, but it might be a tight fit! I prefer a
lot of space in the lock for any eventuality that might occur. Successful
lock-through, we set our sights on Top Rack Marina to stock up for a week in
port at Norfolk. Stock-up included refueling, taking on water, and emptying our
holding tanks.
Our
next port of call was Waterside Marina in downtown Norfolk, a place to call
home for the next week while we attended the America Great Loop Cruisers
Association (AGLCA) Rendezvous. We found ourselves in pleasant company
following our arrival when we were greeted by soon-to-become friends also
partaking of this great adventure called the Great Loop. The Sheraton Norfolk
was host to the convention, and over the next days we would find ourselves
traversing the 11.5-minute roundtrip route between our boat and the Sheraton
entrance numerous times. We were to be blessed with good weather and warming
temperatures for the week. Hooray!
Having
visited Norfolk the previous September, Clay and I were familiar with the
layout of the downtown and the available amenities. Once tied to dock cleats
with fenders appropriately placed, I set out for the MacArthur Center (mall) to
get a replacement wallflower nightlight from Bath and Body Works. I was pleased
to have a destination and a purpose to my stride.
Clay
and I chose to dine out following my return because we had so enjoyed the Big
Easy at the Norfolk Seafood Company. With a speakeasy atmosphere complete with
a solo saxophonist, the Big Easy was nested in the downstairs of the
restaurant. What fun we had dining in this unique environment this Saturday
night.
Sunday
was a day designed to meet and greet boaters as they arrived for the
Rendezvous. Busy place! Dockmaster John and his sidekick Chad had not a
moment's rest with twenty-one boats due in. Clay and I accomplished a morning
grocery 'run' to Harris Teeter which was quite a lengthy process in itself! The
taxi cab wait and ride, the shopping with fellow boaters and dockmates Bill and
Donna, another cab wait and ride, loading and unloading the dock carts, and
finally stowing our goods amounted to some three hours of our day. Wow! But so
happy to have had the opportunity because the grocery store notated on my
downtown Norfolk map was no longer operational...and we'd saved our shopping
just for it. Kudos to Waterside Marina for providing this courtesy!
Monday
through Thursday earmarked the Rendezvous conference days with informational
sessions; lunch and dinner buffet events; a mini trade show with resource reps
from various boating organizations and services; and plenty of time for boaters
to share tips, techniques, and ideas. Clay took these opportunities quite
seriously and maximized the time he spent with fellow Loopers. I, conversely,
picked and chose among the various events and maximized my 'me' time. I found
myself in good company with other first mates! We women are opportunists! Why
waste perfectly good weather, casual companionship with other females, and
freedom?
The
Monday registration hours featured a BINGO game where boaters filled the BINGO
card with signatures of fellow boaters who met the criteria such as
non-swimmer, gets seasick, military man/woman, has run aground, has seen
dolphins, etc. I happily signed card after card in the space designated
"Reluctant Spouse." Following registration we attended the opening
session where current Loopers were introduced to say a few words. Clay gave me
the speaking responsibility for which I wanted to choose words which were few
and relevant. I guess my mini speech must have been appropriate because, not
only did I garner laugher repeatedly, but I was asked frequently over the next
days one-on-one to expound on some of what I said (especially about the
reluctancy).
We
opted to off-load our bicycles early in the week so as to have access to them.
Unfortunately, having sat unused for numerous months, the bike chains were
paralyzed with rust and required major attention. While testing my bicycle on
Tuesday afternoon at Clay's insistence, I merrily rode along explaining the
intermittent clunking noise to inquisitive onlookers as my version of rap
music. Atrocious sound!
The
Looper Rendezvous' traditionally host "Looper Crawls" which are open
houses at those boats choosing to participate. This gives especially the Looper
Wannabees a chance to explore boat attributes before purchasing a boat of their
own. We opened SaSea Sally to curious eyes and ears on Tuesday, and I gave
explanation of the interior while Clay hosted on the fly bridge. We had a
constant stream of folks who gained a wealth of info about our Mainship 430,
about our preparation for the trip, and about our experiences aboard since
departure in August of 2013.
Wednesday's
schedule itemized dinner on your own which gave us opportunity to buddy up with
our friends Floyd and Linda (Tumbleweed) for docktails followed by dinner at
Vineyard Trattoria, a short walk from the harbor. Popular spot we found it to
be where we encountered several other Loopers having chosen the same Italian
restaurant. Clay selected his favorite veal preparation from the menu; I opted
for my usual pasta primavera. Yum!
Having always wondered how boaters live comfortably on the
configuration of a catamaran, I visited and toured a boat-for-sale cat during
Thursday's Looper Crawl. Fascinating use of space! Earlier in the afternoon, I had attended the women's
session while Clay attended the men's. Not sure how the men's proceeded, but we
women made the most of our time together. Ideas were shared; jokes were told;
tips of the trade, phrases, jokes and buzz words were passed along. The Looping
experience was described by friend Linda as "Long hours of pleasant
boredom followed by brief moments of sheer panic!" One particular tip
elicited hearty agreement, "Panic slowly!"
Thursday's dinner and closing program ended a successful
Norfolk Spring 2015 Rendezvous. We will encounter many of these new friends as
we journey north from Norfolk, MM 0, across the Chesapeake Bay toward
Annapolis, Baltimore and Philadelphia in the near future. All in all, time spent was
invaluable. We met some wonderful folks, learned much, laughed a lot, and
didn't have to cook or clean up lunch and dinner meals for three full
days!
Friday
is a day of preparation for our Saturday departure. As such, I bid you farewell
as I compile a grocery list, start a load of laundry, and go about various
housekeeping chores which will fill this day.
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