Portsmouth, Virginia to Coinjock, North Carolina

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Another Ocean Alexander on the Water

Island Hopper traveling with the pack to the locks.

Island Hopper departed the dock at 7:45 AM. An early departure was necessary due to the number of bridges on today's journey. Temperatures were in the upper 70's , winds SW 10 - 15, and smooth water on the ICW. There were 10 bridges and the Great Bridge Locks.

19 Boats in the Great Bridge Locks

Island Hopper traveled 50 miles and arrived at Coinjock Marina at 1:00 PM. (http://www.coinjockmarina.com/)

A Local and His Standard Poodle Playing On The Water

A few hours after docking Island Hopper, a voice calls out, "Where in the Hell is Coinjock?" (The marina store actually sells shirts with this saying.) The crew looks out the door and sees Becky and Ron Evans, friends from Cincinnati. Becky and Ron are originally from the area and stopped by the marina on the way to their home in North Carolina. They heard Debbie & Kevin would be coming to Coinjock and decided to stop by and see if Island Hopper was at the dock. Small world!

Becky & Ron Evans

The marina is in a remote area, so Debbie & Kevin went on a 4 mile bike ride in the neighborhood around the marina. The marina has the world famous "Dockside Restaurant", home of the 32 oz. Prime Rib. Kevin and Debbie ate at the restaurant bringing the boat north, so they opted to eat dinner aboard the boat.

A Beautiful Sunset Over Island Hopper