Tis the Season...Boaters Traveling South on the ICW

Yachts fill up High Street Landing, Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.

It is the season and the boating traffic on the Elizabeth river at mile marker "O" heading south for the winter months is now in full swing.  Each year the number of boaters discovering our quaint historic seaport is rapidly growing.  Boaters visiting for the first time are joining the ranks of the returning boaters who visit with us each season.  According to local sources, the marinas were booked solid this last weekend and so were Olde Towne Portsmouth Virginia's two public basins, with elbow-room only space available as many friendly boaters traveling in groups rafted together.  So were the number of boaters that had anchored out at Swimming Point, and the growing numbers are for the most not by chance.  According to Karen & Jeffrey Siegel of ActiveCaptain most boaters do not just happen up to a location.  They plan their cruising agenda months in advance and book their marina reservations then as well.  And marinas as well as other anchoring locations located north of Hatteras, North Carolina are full waiting for the November 1st date that hinders boaters from continuing farther south due to their insurance restrictions.  Also, the fuel costs here in Virginia are cheaper than in North Carolina, sometimes as much as .50 cents per gallon due to North Carolina added gas tax.

Betsy Cartier of Starboards Coffee Kiosk, our High Street Landing concierge who has been meeting and greeting the incoming boating traffic now going on 9 years stated "it's nice to welcome new boaters and also to see old friends from years past stopping in as they pass through Olde Towne".  Visiting boaters from nearby marinas amble over to the Kiosk for muffins and local maps and don't leave until this dynamic welcoming committee of one has inspired them to explore the area on foot. Make sure that you ask Betsy or David for a copy of the "Unofficial Boaters Guide To Old Towne Portsmouth" or you can download it here at "Welcome to Mile Marker "O" Blogspot by clicking on the picture of the guide located on the left column of this page.

A new addition to the High Street Landing is Mile Marker "O" Marine Supply. Make sure that you go in and meet owner Bob McBride and staff for your needed boating supplies and other necessaries or call him in advance and have your parts ready when you arrive.  His number is (757) 673-4816 or you can write him at milemarker0@cox.net.

Yachts raft together due to limited space at the High Street Landing.

Besides the numerous restaurants, taverns and pubs that boaters frequent that are located along the 7 block High Street corridor and of course the famous Commodore theater that everyone comes from all destinations to dine and watch a first run movie, this week boasts Olde Towne's famous Halloween events weekend.  First, is the 31st Annual Olde Towne Ghost Walk, Friday, October 28, 2011.  Based on the Jack-the-Ripper Walks in London, participants in the 31st annual Olde Towne GhostWalk will be treated to some of the most haunting stories of Portsmouthç—´ past.  Guides take spectators on a walk past haunted houses and mansions of Olde Towne, a 20-square block, 500 building area on the National Register of Historic Places.  At each house on the tour, actors in appropriate costume will retell the legends of ghostly visitations and things that go bump in the night. Click on the link above for details.

On Saturday, October 29, the City of Portsmouth features Portsmouth Museum Madness Noon-6:00 p.m. Enjoy a haunting day of Halloween fun at the Portsmouth Museums, including frightfully fun Arts and Crafts, Face Painting, and Wizardry!  Do it all with a $12.00 “Museum Madness” pass. Street Closure Notice: Both sides of High Street will be closed between Green Street and Crawford Street from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Museum Madness and Safe Trick-Or-Treat activities.

Annual Safe Trick or Treat in Olde Towne Portsmouth

 Also on Saturday is the Olde Towne Business Association's Annual Safe Trick or Treat in Olde Towne Portsmouth. For children up to age 12. Held along the seven historic blocks of High Street corridor between Effingham Street and Water Street.  It's a great evening to walk around Portsmouth's downtown and see the thousands of little ghosts and gremlins all decked out in Halloween attire.

Beyond Halloween, you may also want to walk up High Street Saturday morning to the corner of Court Street, just outside the Courthouse Galleries where they hold the weekly Olde Towne Farmers Market.  Held from 9 am to 1 pm, find a great assortment of fruit, veggies, eggs, poultry, meat, bread, herbs and more.

That's it for this post.  Hope you are having a wonderful journey south and please stop in and say hi! We're a friendly bunch here in Olde Towne Portsmouth.

Cheers,
Joe Elder
Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery
http://milemarker0icw.blogspot.com/

Backyard Bliss. Cruising the Southern Chesapeake Bay

October 2011 issue of Yachting Magazine

In a recent article written by George Sass, Sr., the Cruising Yachtsman for Yachting Magazine (October 2011 issue), George reviews some of his favorite destinations of the southern section of the Chesapeake Bay. No wonder that Portsmouth, Virginia was included in the mix. 

The article covers a wide range of favorite boating destinations, from Washington D.C. and Old Towne Alexandria on the Potomac River to Crisfield and Smith Island in Maryland. The author continues his adventure into Virginia where he visits Deltaville on the Rappahannock River and then on to Norfolk and Portsmouth on the Elizabeth, mile marker "0",  the gateway to the 1000-mile journey south down the AICW. 

Portsmouth, Virginia is a good stop for museums, shops and fine dining. Photo by George Sass, Jr.

Portsmouth, Virginia -- mentioned with its waterfront revival and two large marinas, Tidewater Yacht  and Ocean Marine Yacht Center -- is considered by the author as a good place to stay because of the short walking distance (along High Street) to our restaurants, shops and museums.

Though it's a short article and even smaller mention about Portsmouth in this Yachting Magazine article, it is still worth visiting the idea behind the inclusion. Portsmouth, Virginia's prime location on the Intra-Coastal Waterway is certainly a growing attraction and stop-over for the traveling yachtsman headed south in the fall and again north in the spring. 

The waterfront does boast two exceptional marinas with Tidewater and Ocean Marine. Boaters can also take advantage of short stays at both the North basin and the High Street basin, both with ferry stops and a short ferry ride to Norfolk's waterside and its big city offerings. 

Boaters arrive at the High Street basin at the foot of High Street, Downtown Portsmouth.

Portsmouth is known as one of Virginia's earliest and most historic seaports with the Gosport Navy Yard, now known as the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and its very long and distinguished history of maritime "firsts". Portsmouth's maritime history dates back to 1620, when the land that is now Portsmouth was recognized as a suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James for the land grant. Portsmouth's shipyards have played a major role in every war since the settlement of our country and in 2012 celebrates its role during the 200th anniversary of  the War of 1812.  Portsmouth and the Navy Yard were attacked by the British under Adm. Sir John B. Warren and Brigadier Gen. Sir Sydney Beckwith, who were defeated at the Battle of Craney Island.  2012 is also the 150th anniversary of the "Battle of Hampton Roads," the first ironclad battle in naval warfare between the USS MONITOR and the CSS VIRGINIA. The VIRGINIA was built in 1862 on the burned out hull of the USS MERRIMAC at the Gosport Navy Yard.

The CSS VIRGINIA being constructed in 1862 at the Gosport Navy Yard.

Today, Portmouth's downtown boasts some of the finest restaurants, sports bars and pubs along the seven block High Street corridor, mostly chef and family owned and managed eateries with fast food selections around the London-Effingham Streets crossing. Portsmouth also has five interesting museums all within a short walking distance of the waterfront, including the newly renovated and expanded Children's Museum. The Olde  Towne historic district is filled with period homes and is one of the largest collections of early properties in the Mid-Atlantic.

Portsmouth offers a fine selection of antique shops and unique specialty stores.

You will also find a selection of antique shops and unique boutiques along the 12 historic squares of High Street and at the High Street basin on the riverfront. Though the downtown selection of stores have certainly dropped since the 2007 and beyond recessionary years, the small, privately owned stores are starting to slowly return and hopefully will again fill the empty voids that now line our downtown streets.

As an added note, Portsmouth has certainly seen a big increase in the number of visiting yachtsmen that have now discovered our quaint historic seaport and the wonderful offerings that are available to them. Find out for yourself why Olde Towne/downtown Portsmouth is considered "the best kept secret" of Hampton Roads. Not many cities can boast such a prime location on such a busy boating highway!