Lady V - Great Loop Voyage: DAY 91 - COINJOCK TO PORTSMOUTH (51.9 Mi.)

DAY 91 - COINJOCK TO PORTSMOUTH (51.9 Mi.) (Mi. 50 to Mi. 0)

Thursday, August 3, 2017 ~ What an exciting day to get up early! To-day we will get to mile zero - Norfolk on the Atlantic ICW. In essence this is considered the beginning of the AICW from Norfolk to Florida. We left Coinjock Marina at 6:45 am. cruising in the northern portion of the North Carolina Cut towards the North Landing River which runs for 18 miles. The river is wide but shallow so we have to stay in the channel which is very well marked. It is overcast this morning and 70 F. After the North Landing River our journey today consists of many low clearance bridges and one lock in the Southern Branch Elizabeth River. As we approach Norfolk and Portsmouth who share a common river we see an active seaport with a hub of activity. The old town of Portsmouth on the south side of the river is one of America’s historic seaports. We are docked at the Tidewater Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, F18 at 11:00 am. We need fuel and are feeling quite spoiled because for the last three fill ups the marinas bring the fuel to our dock. The visitors guide advertised a theatre with lunch or dinner while watching a movie. So we went to the Commodore Theatre for the 2:00 pm matinee. We picked up a phone to order and then sat back in our plush seats to watch Dunkirk, a movie about the 1940 evacuation of 300,000 Allied soldiers. After the movie our walk through the town allowed us feel the ambiance of the old city.

A tug passing by us this morning in Coinjock.

Entering the Great Bridge Lock (Mi.11.5) with the
Great Bridge Bridge open. These two coordinate together.
The lock is only a 2.7' drop. This is a Tidal Guard Lock to prevent significant tides
from here to just above Moorhead City, nearly 200 miles south.