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Cape Charles Hosts An Elizabethan Faire

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Lord Robert Dudley, High Chancellor of England, and his Court

The citizens of the Eastern Shore of Virginia woke up the week-end of June 4-5, 2011 with not only the tall masts of Kalmar Nyckel dominating the skyline of the Cape Charles harbor but also with the tents of an authentic Elizabethan Faire set up in the Town’s beautiful and spacious Central Park. What a perfect setting for a historic reenactment camp right out of the sixteenth century! To celebrate and compliment the visit of Delaware’s official tall ship ambassador, Kalmar Nyckel, the historic coastal Town of Cape Charles hosted the visit of “Historic Interpretations” from Raleigh, North Carolina. They are a group of actors, historians, craftsmen, and educators who demonstrate in incredible detail what life was like 500 years ago in an Elizabethan village.

Sir Brandon being knighted by the Lord High Chancellor of England

The day dawned bright and sunny with tangy, refreshing breezes blowing off the Chesapeake Bay. And as the day progressed, visitors from far and near made their way to the Faire and quickly found themselves involved in playing games, dancing, trying on armour, hefting weapons, and admiring the great detail of reproduction of the time period of 1585, or thereabouts, the height of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in England. I brought to the Faire my grown children and grandsons. When I visited the tent of Lord Robert Dudley, the High Chancellor of England, he was so impressed with my son and grandsons that he knighted them all! Now, I have to call them Sir John, Sir Brandon, Sir Charlie, and Sir Ryan, and do their bidding whenever it pleases them – big mistake!

My “Sir” Knights then lead me by the collar around the Park’s field to another tent that sheltered the Armoury. There, to my huge surprise, were racks of weapons from the 16th century – long bows and arrows, 10′ long pikes, and other implements you cannot imagine, all of which could do serious damage to an opponent on the battlefield or the jousting

Sir Brandon ready for battle!

arena! Suited up for battle there stood a soldier straight out of antiquity! Helmet, breastplate, chain mail … I tapped on his chest and rapped on his head much to the detriment of my poor knuckles! That armour sure is good stuff! My little knight needed some shining armour, so I asked the good soldier in attendance to fix him up. And with Sir Brandon being now officially knighted and all, the soldier had no choice but do his bidding.

Then on to the Tavern tent, stocked with good victuals and brew, and furnished with collapsible wooden tables and chairs from the Elizabethan period. Gathered around the tables were the prettiest Ladies- in- Waiting, beckoning me to play a game of chess or checkers. It didn’t take long at all for Sir John, Sir Charlie, and Sir Brandon to get into the spirit of things and we all broke out in rollicking songs, timeless sea chanteys and Irish tavern tunes. Next thing I knew, the ladies had pulled us out of the Tavern and we were dancing on the Green, stepping lively around in a circle with our hands on our hips, twirling and swinging our partners here and there and everywhere!

Captivating Ladies- in Waiting

Catching my breath finally, I broke free and followed my knights further around the Green for some refreshment and relaxation. What a wonderful opportunity to learn about the habits and dress and language of the Elizabethans at the time that Sir Walter Raleigh sent his ships across the Atlantic to establish the first English settlements in America, including the historic settlements on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, home to the oldest continuous court records in the US. I heard talk that this troupe loves Cape Charles so much that next year they plan on bringing Queen Elizabeth and her whole court ! Really looking forward to that !

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Cape Charles Virginia Central Park, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Elizabethan Fair, Events in Cape Charles, Historic re-inactments, Sir Walter Raleigh, Tall sailing ship Kalmar Nyckel
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A Waterfront Gem– This Like-New Virginia Waterfront Home For Sale Is A Very Special Retreat

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Beautiful Water Views From Back Deck

View Of Inlet Out To Chesapeake Bay

Nestled along the shoreline of a Northampton County, VA deep water inlet is this gem of a Chesapeake Bay waterfront home, tucked in gracefully among the tall oaks and hickories, awaiting a new owner. Being listed for sale by the estate, this gracious traditional style home was built in 2008 and is like brand spanking new inside and out. Located in a tiny intimate Eastern Shore waterfront neighborhood of upscale homes, privacy is assured by its mature landscaping and spacious 4 acre parcel size. A very special retreat, relaxing, inspiring, the floor plan and spacious rooms in this home offer a perfect balance between possibilities for activity and entertaining or relaxation and a quiet place to just unwind, catch one’s breath.

Front View Of Home

The approach is down a winding private road, through groves of tall oaks and pines, glimpses of the water flashing between the trees, past horse barns and lovely homes. Lined with evergreens and crepe myrtle trees, the driveway curves through the wide, velvety green lawn and down a gentle slope towards the house. In the background, a wide ribbon of bright blue catches the eye. A low murmur of a boat, passing by on its way out to the Chesapeake Bay for a day of fun and fishing, competes with the noisy krank, krank of a blue heron, already fishing, with breakfast on its mind. A serene coastal scene, part of daily waterfront life here in this fine waterfront home.

Relax On The Front Porch

One of my favorite aspects of this home is its wide, welcoming front porch, graced on the south end by a gazebo, a wonderful place to sit in the shade, relaxing with a book, some iced tea, surrounded by flowers and songbirds flitting between the branches of the crepe myrtle trees, enjoying the kind of relaxing stillness for which the Eastern Shore of Virginia is famous. Once inside one is charmed by the open floor plan. The high cathedral ceiling in the great room features two skylights which make the room come alive, sunlight pouring in, illuminating everything with a golden cast, the corner fireplace ready to strike a cheery fire on a cool winter’s day. The openness of the floor plan continues into the breakfast room and the spacious kitchen, both with very pleasant water views. Kitchen counters are granite, with custom cabinets, appliances are top of the line GE Profile, all in all a very pleasant yet practical workspace, ready for the challenges a fine cook may place upon it. This home also features a large first floor master bedroom with tons and tons of closet space and scrumptious master bath with handmade tile decoration. Best of all, it’s move-right-in ready for you to begin to enjoy sweet Eastern Shore waterfront lifestyle.

Tags: Chesapeake Bay real estate, coastal properties, Eastern Shore Virginia real estate, Northampton County VA, va waterfront properties, Virginia homes for sale, waterfront home for sale
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Sailing On A 17th Century Tall Ship- A Video Of The Kalmar Nyckel Day Sail From The Cape Charles Harbor

Monday, June 20th, 2011

The Kalmar Nyckel is a reproduction of a 17th century Dutch tall ship with three very tall masts and eight miles of rigging which make her a most impressive sight as she cuts through the water. Kalmar Nyckel’s total sail area is over 7000 sq.ft. – to get an idea of what really means, consider that the average US house is about 2200 sq.ft so she sports three houses worth of sails ! Wow ! At any rate, as an element of her visit to the Eastern Shore of Virginia and her 6 day stay in Cape Charles’ new marina, sponsored in part by Blue Heron Realty Co. , my husband and I as well as several other family members took a day sail from the Cape Charles harbour well out into the Chesapeake Bay, a real experience indeed and memorialized in this video. Passengers had an opportunity to see the crew climbing high up into the rigging and to experience for themselves the crew numbers and physical strength and effort it takes to operate such a ship as they participated in hoisting the sails, pulling to the rhythm of the seaman’s chantey, ”Bully In The Alley” . An impromptu “Man Overboard” drill was ordered by Captain Lauren Morgens when a crew member’s big straw hat was blown overboard. So a ”Hat Overboard” rescue was attempted with the aid of a little motorized Zodiak but it was clear to everyone that in the 1600′s when someone went overboard, rescue was pretty much hopeless because a ship under sail would be so far away from the critical area before a lifeboat could be manned and rowed to the spot. Our crew was great and everyone had time to answer questions. I think I peppered Helmswoman Ellen Carter with a million queries about daily life aboard such a ship for the crew of about 20, mostly volunteers, with a paid crew of 4. From cast-off to tie-up, everyone had a great time, learned a lot about trans-ocean travel 17th century style and stored some good memories.

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Day Sail on Kalmar Nyckel tall sailing ship, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Events in Cape Charles, Kalmar Nyckel tall ship
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Kalmar Nyckel– Part 2, The Day Sail. She Sails The Ocean Blue, This Saucy Ship Of Beauty.

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Waiting To Board Kalmar Nyckel

As part of her 5 day stay in the Cape Charles harbor, the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel offered several opportunites for the public to board the ship for deck tours as well as four different day sail trips for up to 49 passengers per trip out into the Chesapeake Bay. We had selected the Sunday 10:30 am time slot for our sail but Sunday dawned dark andovercast, skies threatening a serious downpour at any time. The Eastern Shore definitely needs some rain so I didn’t feel but so bad but hoped it would clear up in time for the trip which included my husband, daughter, son-in-law and youngest granddaughter as well as myself. But when we arrived at the dock the crew informed everyone in line on the pier that the Captain was still monitoring the weather to decide if it would be a go or no-go. Fortunately it began to clear and the crew allowed us to board, everyone excited to sail on a ship which is a faithful reproduction of an early 1600′s Dutch pinnace. Boasting about 8 miles of rigging, three enormous masts and nearly 7,000 sq.ft. of sail, the Kalmar Nyckel is a most impressive ambassador of goodwill for the state of Delaware. It is near what is now Wilmington that her namesake first landed, on behalf of the Swedish Crown naming the area “New Sweden”, the first of four round trips she would make from Sweden to “New Sweden” before she was refitted as a warship in 1638.

Heave, Ho ! Hoisting The Top Sails

It didn’t take long to get underway. Her big diesel engines fired up, ( no, they didn’t have engines in the 1600′s but hey, some things are too important to do without, even in a faithful reproduction), many orders issued from the bridge to the crew, mooring lines were cast off and away we went for our 2 1/2 hour adventure. As we left the Cape Charles harbor, 5 or 6 yachts leaving the Bay Creek Marina waved as they passed, surprised I’m sure to see this ornate beauty in their home waters. As the ship got further out into the Bay the winds started picking up and the crew made ready to hoist the sails, enlisting the help of passenger volunteers to do so. First came the instructions, terms like “avast”, “ease” and “haul” were demonstrated and practiced. Then it was time to hoist the topsails, the main top and the fore top, and this was done just as in the days of yore, pulling to the rhythm of an old sea chantey, in this case a tune called “Bully On The Deck” which has a rather captivating beat. ( I found out later that the term “bully” in sailor parlance means inebriated. ) The winds were with us and the sails filled nicely, speeding us along.

Impromptu "Man Overboard" Drill

It was the wind, blowing pretty well by then, which initiated an inpromptu little training drill much to the surprise of both the crew andpassengers. I was on the upper deck, standing just behind the Captain, taking some photos when a gust swept a wide-brimmed straw hat right off a crew member’s head and sailed it smack into the water. When the Captain saw that she decided right then and there to conduct an unscheduled ”man overboard” drill. In a matter of seconds alarms sounded, crew moved into various positions, on the upper deck “spotters’” grabbed binoculars and trained them on the hat, job one being to keep the “man” in sight at all times, especially difficult to do as the ship begins its turn back towards the overboard area. On the lower deck, crew threw out life preservers which in the event of a real problem are an effort to send a number of flotation devices out towards the victim in hopes that one will be grabbed. All passengers on the lower deck were asked to move towards the bow. The rubber Zodiak , which is secured to the stern, was lowered into the water, engine started and the 2nd mate and another crew member set out for the rescue. Meantime, designated crew members were busy counting passengers, counting crew and talleying numbers to make sure everyone was accounted for, that only one “man” had gone overboard. All of this was done quickly and efficiently, the Captain issuing rapid orders, crew quickly carrying them out. Unfortunately, the hat drowned. But the drill came off very well, the Captain being quite pleased with the opportunity to carry off a surprise drill and the passengers excited to participate and see how well it all worked. The Zodiak was resecured at the stern and the journey continued on.

Helmswoman Ellen Carter At The Whipstaff

On the homeward leg I had the opportunity to talk a bit to Ellen Carter who is in her fourth season of volunteering on the Kalmar Nyckel. She was at the helm, steering a course back to the Cape Charles harbor, keeping one eye on the whipstaff, another on the modern electronic depthfinder and course charter, ears perked for the Captain to issue orders but still able to tell me a bit about the ship and life on-board. The helm on the Kalmar Nyckelis not the big round wheel that one traditionally thinks of– rather, it is a 6-7 ft. long pole, about 4-5 inches in diameter, called a “whipstaff”. Connecting through a yoke into the tiller, which in turn moves the ship’s rudder, it’s called a whipstaff because a sudden, unexpected movement of the rudder will cause it to whip to one side or the other with great momentum– definitely don’t want to daydream on helms watch ! Ellen told me that the rudder weighes about 3200 pounds but that even though a lot of force may be needed to push the whipstaff in one direction or another, because of its length, the helmsperson has about 40 to 1 mechanical leverage. Otherwise it would take Godzilla to steer the ship ! And to think that they had all of that all figured out in the early 1600′s !

Aye, Aye Captain

I was interested in the day-to-day aspects of life on board. Ellen indicated that topside Kalmar Nyckel is a faithful reproduction of her namesake but that below decks the crew has pretty comfortable modern quarters. The Captain, 1st and 2nd Mates and Steward are paid crew, on board for about 8 months of the year and have their own quarters. 10 bunks off the galley and 10 more off the saloon provide spaces for the rest of the approximately 12-20 person crew ( depending on the venue) which is all- volunteer. According to Ellen the food is very good and the cook tries to cater to special diets-i.e., vegan, Kosher, etc., plus there is plenty of good strong coffee and even bundt cake for dessert sometimes. The days of hard tack with a dram of rum are apparently long gone ! Too, too soon we were dousing the sails and heading into the channel, the journey was about over but the memories will linger on.

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Chesapeake Bay sailing, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Events in Cape Charles, Tall sailing ship Kalmar Nyckel
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Kalmar Nyckel- She Sails The Ocean Blue, This Saucy Ship Of Beauty- Part 1, The Reception

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Kalmar Nyckel Arrives In Cape Charles

Anyone who loves Gilbert and Sullivan and sees this beautiful tall sailing ship will immediately think of the song “She Sails The Ocean Blue” from “H.M.S. Pinafore” because this saucy ship’s definitely a beauty and as a reproduction of a grand Dutch pinnace which made four round trips from Sweden to ”New Sweden” (Delaware) in the mid-1600′s, she sails the oceans blue. Sponsored in part by Blue Heron Realty Co. and as part of the Tall Ships Initiative of Cape Charles and Northampton County (which was the brainchild of David Kabler, broker for Blue Heron’s Cape Charles office ) the Kalmar Nyckel arrived in the deep water Cape Charles harbor on June 2nd and settled right in for a 5 day celebration of her eagerly awaited trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including a Friday evening on-board reception to be given by Blue Heron Realty Co. (Click to enlarge the small photos.)

Even the weather co-operated beautifully- early in the week it had been quite warm, high temps about 90 but thankfully the wee hours of Friday morning brought a cold front and the day dawned in the low 60′s with refreshing breezes all day long. I was so relieved because in my role as Chief Cook & Bottle Washer for Blue Heron’s on-board reception from 6:30 to 8:30 that evening , my biggest worry all along had been how to keep cold hors d’oeuvres cold on a warm evening, on deck , with no real refrigeration and precious little shade. We were, of course, already prepared with lots of big coolers and special serving trays with ice reservoirs underneath but still, I was really delighted that the high would be only in the mid-70′s !

The evening kicked off about 6pm with an official Welcoming Ceremony which included the Northampton County High School Band, presentation of the colors by the Coast Guard, remarks by Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan and presentation of a huge gift basket for Captain Lauren Morgan and her crew. Then it was on-board for Blue Heron’s reception which proved to be a merry time indeed. The invitations had gone out with Colonial or pirate attire as an optional dress code, just to spice things up a bit. Period attire was another of Dave’s ideas ( well, truth be told, Dave had hoped for mandatory but settled for optional ) and it added a lot of entertainment to the evening. The Kalmar Nyckel crew also wore their Colonial garb adding to the over-all ambience but I must say that the top prize for guys for the evening ( had there been one ) would have gone to local Eastville attorney Bert Turner, usually seen in a sharp suit and crisp dress shirt, whose flowing wig, rakish hat and fancy garb transformed him so completely into a fashionable Colonial pirate it seemed as if he had truly just stepped out of a time machine. A number of the the ladies had really wonderful costumes as well, including Irene Henderson, Sandy Mayer, Susan Kovacs, Dianne Appell, Ann Walker and Carol Russ. Even Cape Charles Town Council members Bruce Evans and Joan Natali as well as County Supervisor Spenser Murray got into the Colonial garb spirit, wearing period vests, blouses and breeches.

And if I do say so myself, the food turned out quite well too. Planned and executed by Blue Heron’s “Reception Committee” headed up by Gerry Forbes and rounded out by Lisa Anderson and Kay Lewis, these ladies planned and put together an attractive and tasty array of cold appetizers including a beautiful centerpiece fruit tray of 3 different types of melons, 3 different types of grapes, some lusciously ripe Hawaiian pineapple and picture-perfect strawberries, then garnished with kiwi, cherries and blackberries. Flanking the fruit tray on either side were trays of assorted cheeses plus bread bowls filled with a most tasty humus as well as chopped spiced tomatoes for bruchetta complimented by a large relish tray of mixed olives with marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts. But the most popular item seemed to be the mini sweet potato biscuits stuffed with country ham, the contrast of the sweetness of the biscuits and the saltiness of the ham was absolutely perfect and a great accompaniment to the fruit and cheeses. Early on in the planning stages we did an office wine tasting lunch to decide on the wines, ( yup, everyone somehow managed to just “happen” to be at the office at lunchtime that day ! ) A unanimous vote chose a fruity rose’ sparking wine as the favorite, with a dry white sparking wine a close second. These were served along with Samuel Adams light summer ale on draft which proved quite popular as well.

Entertainment was provided by the very, very talented duo of Carol Russ on accordian and Malcolm Russ on violin, whose wide ranging repertoire included many popular songs like Red Sails In The Sunset to about 15 robust choruses of What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor vocalized by Dave Kabler together with the Kalmar Nyckel’s Captains Lauren Morgan and Sharon Litcofsky. I personally think that the right music can help make or break an evening and the Russ’ performance was great, it added so much to the over-all ambience. A pleasant summer’s eve, a light breeze blowing, laughter here and there, pleasant conversation all around, good food and wine, all on-board such a unique venue, a beautiful tall sailing ship. But because the Kalmar Nyckel has no real lights on deck, by previous agreement, the Captain needed guests to depart before 9pm, so too soon it was over. Malcolm and Carol played that very beautiful song made famous by Sarah Brightman some years back, Time To Say Goodbye and with that we all said our good night’s and goodbye’s but those of us at Blue Heron won’t soon forget this special evening.

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Blue Heron Realty Hosts Reception On Kalmar Nyckel, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Kalmar Nyckel visits Cape Charles, Tall sailing ship Kalmar Nyckel, VA, Virginia Eastern Shore
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A Quick Trip To Lewes, Delaware To Check Out The Tall Sailing Ship “KALMAR NYCKEL”

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Kalmar Nyckel Tall Sailing Ship At Her Berth In Lews Delaware

The Tall Ship "Kalmar Nyckel" At Her Lewes, Delaware Berth

Saturday before last was a very pleasant day, spent with my husband driving round trip to Lewes, Delaware to check out the on-board facilities of the tall sailing ship, the Kalmar Nyckel which is currently moored at the Lewes Ferry Terminal. In June she is making a 5 day stay at the deep water harbor in Cape Charles, VA. Lots of great activities have been planned around her arrival including a private on-board reception given by Blue Heron Realty Co., which is one of the principal sponsors of her trip to Cape Charles. Having been advised that space is very tight, on the “better safe than sorry” theory, I decided that in preparation for the reception I should see the physical set-up and measure the spaces the ship has to offer well in advance. And I am sooooo glad I did ! Communication is an amazing thing, involving bringing one’s own frame of reference into the equation. So what I had envisioned as “tight” didn’t compare to the reality at all. When translated to space on a sailboat, of course I already knew that “tight” actually means almost no room whatsoever. But I had envisioned that it would be quite different on the 143 foot Kalmar Nyckel – not at all ! There is no room to set up tables for food or beverages so it was clear that we will have to make do with the ship’s various built-ins– the Captain suggested serving beverages from a small chart box in the stern, food from a flat surfaced 6 ft. by 4 ft. low cabinet near the bow ( which the crew has nicknamed “the doghouse” ), a real challenge which would have been even more so on the day had I not previewed it in advance. So, really glad we made that 5 hour round trip drive to Lewes. Plus we had time to stop and tour the Lewes Lifesaving Station which was very interesting and then had one of the best brick oven pizzas ever at a little Italian restaurant in Fenwick Island called Mancini’s, so not all work and no play.

A word or two on the history of the Kalmar Nyckel. According to a very informative little book entitled “Mallets, Chisels & Planes” written by Charles Ireland, Jr., the original Kalmar Nyckel was used as a merchant ship, an exploration vessel and finally as a warship. Built by the Dutch in the late 1620′s, in 1637 she was selected for a special voyage by the Swedish Crown, the purpose of which was to explore and colonize the New World, i.e., North America. She arrived in “New Sweden” ( now the state of Delaware) in 1629 and there her passengers established a colony and built a fort. In 1645 she was re-commissioned as a warship after having made three more voyages to “New Sweden”. 350 years later a group formed with the express purpose of creating a foundation to replicate the Kalmar Nyckel using basically the same shipbuilding methods and tools that were used to construct her namesake. One of the biggest challenges by far was to pull together an architect and the skilled craftsmen with the dedication and capability to successfully undertake such an arduous and complicated endeavor.

Poster of the events in Cape Charles, VA

Cape Charles Events Schedule

Starting with locating an old shipyard on the banks of the Christina River near Wilmington, Delaware, close to the 1638 landing site of the original vessel, then converting it to become what a 17th century shipyard would have been, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation gathered together volunteers and financial backers plus an enthusiastic team of shipwrights and blacksmiths, sail makers and riggers from all over the globe who were interested in becoming part of this faithful reproduction including her 8 miles of rigging and very ornate decorations and figurehead. The rest, as they say, is history. And so the first week of June, this amazing ship, considered to be the queen of modern day tall ship reproductions, will for the first time sail proudly into the Cape Charles harbor where she will be most heartily welcomed by Dora Sullivan, Mayor of Cape Charles and other dignataries prior to Blue Heron’s private reception. Over that week-end, the Foundation is offering tickets for 4 different sailing trips into the Chesapeake Bay of about 2 1/2 hours each , which should be lots of fun, as well as offering public tours on the following Monday. So if you’re nearby, come on down and see what a tall sailing ship from the early 1600′s looks like, she is a pretty dramatic and interesting sight, well worth coming to take a tour.

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co., Cape Charles Virginia, Cape Charles Virginia Central Park, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Events in Cape Charles VA, Tall sailing ship Kalmar Nyckel
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Looking To Buy Boating Property In Virginia ? Then You Need A Home For Your Boat !

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Bayside Marina On King's Creek In The Town Of Cape Charles

For many of our customers looking to buy boating real estate on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, finding a home for their boat is as important as finding a home for themselves. Well….nearly. Being a peninsula , with the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Eastern Shore of Virginia features mile upon mile of saltwater coastline. It’s a boater’s dream location !! From the normally calm waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the deep swells of the Ocean, there is a type and depth of water to suit every boater’s requirements. Our customer’s watercraft range from deep keeled sailboats to kayaks and everything in between including yachts, smaller power boats, flat bottom scows, pontoon boats and canoes. And every boater wants to find a nice, comfy home for their boat.

The three obvious abodes include: 1) A marina 2) Your own backyard dock or 3) On a trailer in your yard . Fortunately, the Eastern Shore is well equipped for any and all of those options. Which option one selects usually depends on boat size and your real estate budget.

Seaside Marina In The Town Of Willis Wharf

Marinas are an easy choice for any boat owner because they are so convenient and because they can normally accommodate any size boat. In Northampton County, two excellent Bayside marinas are located in Cape Charles and the tiny town of Willis Wharf on the Seaside features a Seaside marina. Plus an 86 slip private neighborhood Bayside marina for residents and guests only is offered in a tiny community near Cape Charles. (On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, the main north-south highway is Lankford Highway, U.S. Rt. 13. Everything on the east side of the highway is referred to as “Seaside” and everything on the west side is referred to as “Bayside”. ) The Bay Creek marina, located at the mouth of King’s Creek as it meets the Chesapeake Bay, is a new, full-service, state of the art facility. Named by Southern Boating Magazine as one of its “Top Ten To Visit”, it features floating docks and can accommodate boats up to 150 feet, with water, electricity, fuel and the Complete Angler, a well-stocked marine store on-site. Perfect for any boat and within an easy 15-20 minute drive from almost any property in Northampton County. A great home for boats !

Berthing Her At Your Backyard Dock

Next place to consider is keeping your boat at your own backyard dock. This is where the keel meets the water, so to speak, because unless your boat’s home is more important than your own home, it is critical to match your boat to your property and not vice versa. Many a customer has come down looking to buy a lot or house on the Eastern Shore of Virginia thinking they must have at least 3 feet at MLW to accommodate their current boat. But then they fell in love with a home that offered only 2 feet at MLW and was not suitable for that particular boat ! Ah, well … so my advice in these instances is that unless one is going to be on the boat more than in the house then it’s better to go the marina route or get a different boat, one better suited to the backyard home you can provide for it. Tough advice but someone has to offer it !

A Trailered Boat Goes Everywhere, Fast

Another very popular option here is to house your boat on a trailer which can be kept in the yard or garage and pulled to whichever spot is hot that day. In Virginia, a boat up to 28 feet can legally be trailered on the highway and a great many very nice boats fit into that category. This option is especially popular for those ardent fishermen ( or fisherpersons) who often times want to launch on the Seaside rather than Bayside or the other way round. Trailering to the preferred boat ramp can save a lot of time and distance. Fortunately, we have at least eight different boat launch ramps in Northampton County ranging from the excellent Bayside ramp at Kiptopeake State Park which puts you right where the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean merge all the way up to the Seaside ramp at the Willis Wharf marina at the northern end of the county. Obviously, home, home on its trailer is often a good solution too.

So rest assured, if you’re considering buying property on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and having it as your home port, there are a lot of good options here for berthing your boat. And with hundreds upon hundreds of miles of Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean and saltwater inlets to cruise, we are a boater’s dream come true. Come on ashore, matey, and we’ll show you some great homes for sale for both you and your boat !

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Sailing on the Schooner DELIGHT In The 2010 “Parade of Sail”

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

The little tall ship schooner DELIGHT, which has been a fixture for 20 years on the Chesapeake’s horizon off the town beach in Cape Charles, will be the lead vessel in Norfolk’s annual Harborfest Parade of Sail for 2010. For a front and center grandstand seat to view this spectacular annual parade, visit Norfolk’s Town Point Park on Friday, June 11. The parade starts at noon as the fleet of harbor tugs blasts their steam whistles and sweep the sky with their powerful plumes of sea spray from their fire hoses. If you love sailboats, Harborfest is an event not to be missed.

Harborfest’s Parade of Sail this year was particularly poignant for her Captain and owner, Dave Kabler, and her regular crew which carried her through the parade waters into her slip at Waterside Marina. This was her last year under Capt. Dave’s command as she has been sold to a new owner from Baltimore, MD. The DELIGHT has sailed in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race since 1995, winning her class twice. Known all over the Bay for her sweet, traditional lines, DELIGHT was built 40 years ago in the East River of Mobjack Bay in North Carolina by Thomas E. Colvin who also designed her.

Schooner DELIGHT leads the Parade of Sail for Harborfest 2010

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Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia