Marina Review for Onancock Wharf and Marina

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on May 31, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Great tucked away place up the river. We fled here from heavy weather on the Bay and will visit again. Nice scenery on the river, kayaking, restaurants and a few shops. Not a problem in our powerboat, but they are fixed docks with limited draft - we visited a few years ago in our 37' sailboat and moved some mud to get into the first slip. Still a great visit, very friendly.

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Marina Review for The Docks at Downtown Hampton

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Great stop with lots of shops and restuarants (2 adjacent and many 2 blocks away) as well as the air/space museum. As of summer 2022 you can use the hotel pool again. Staff is great. Slips closer to the marina office are better with less bridge noise and closer to the bathrooms which are clean/nice.

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Anchorage Review for Lafayette River

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Can be busy with boats that look like they've been on the hook for a while. If you can squeeze a spot its a great place.

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Marina Review for Waterside Marina

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Can be tight maneuvering when the basin is full of larger boats. Staff/dockhands are awesome. Always a pleasure to stop in here. Only downsides are poor wifi and restrooms are on the far end of main waterside building.

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Bridge comment on Belt Line Railroad Bridge

Comment by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'

Beginning/ending of the no wake zone heading north/south through Norfolk. Always a Navy patrol boat on north/west side.

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Bridge comment on Norfolk Southern #V6.8 (Norfolk & Western) Railroad Bridge

Comment by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'

This bridge seldom ever closes during daylight hours

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Marina Review for Top Rack Marina

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Good stop for fuel and clean restrooms. Dockhands are great but if they don't answer 16 call the marina and they'll send someone down immediately. Docking is perpendicular to the river so take care at full ebb/flow tide. People like to ignore the no wake zone here as well.

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Bridge comment on Veterans Bridge

Comment by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'

Usually plenty of room here in the channel and under the bridge, beware of shallows to the north opposite TopRack Marina as well as barges moored on the east bank - north side of the bridge.

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Marina Review for Nantucket Boat Basin

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 29, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 14'
Draft: 1.0'

Rating: 4

We were only going to be here for 1 night and there's a 2 night min charge for the moorings so we just paid the extra $20 to be in the marina. Good choice to have private hot showers and bathrooms. Great place and nice staff. We were a small boat in a 40' catamaran here Lol.

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Marina Review for Edgartown Harbor

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 29, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 14'
Draft: 1.0'

Rating: 4

Moorings are easy to get to however pretty close. We were around several 44+ ft catamarans, no worries just much closer together than the Caribbean. Nice dinghy dock but our tender was out of commission so we used the launch service which was good but can add up per person.

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Marina Review for Oak Bluffs Marina

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 29, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 14'
Draft: 1.0'

Rating: 5

Stopped here for diesel on our way to Vineyard Haven to wait out Fiona. Check times around MV as the fuel docks are all on different schedules on the shoulders of the main season. Staff was great in high winds and prices were fair - super easy access to the floating fuel dock on your port as you enter basin - lots of ferry traffic to watch for though.

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Marina Review for The Black Dog Wharf

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 29, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 14'
Draft: 1.0'

Rating: 4

Hunkered down here for a couple nights while Fiona caused high winds and seas in the area. The dock boards have all been replaced, staff was great and let us borrow some larger/extra fenders for the storm. WiFi is fast. Great HOT showers. Only down sides are the price and fixed docks which seem to be normal for the area though.

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Marina Review for Waterside Marina

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Jun 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Right in the heart of downtown Norfolk, great access to restaurants, museums, etc. Easy entrance with good floating docks, but it can get tight when larger boats are docked along the north bulkhead. Excellent staff, Cell coverage great, wifi slow when it occasionally works. It's a few hundred yard walk to the marina bathrooms but they are clean and code-locked.

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Free Dock Review for High Street Landing

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Jun 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Good place to dock free if there's room. Safe but not 'private' since ferry landing is at the same basin so lots of foot traffic.

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Marina Review for Riverwalk Landing Piers

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Jun 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Great overnight stop, super-friendly and helpful staff, extremely robust/sturdy concrete floating docks, small beaches right there at riverwalk landing (can be crowded in summertime), great bar/restaurants and historical opportunities galore. Frequent events on weekends. (4/5 star) private marina bathrooms plus public ones along boardwalk. Current can be strong so slack tide, or docking into current is recommended to keep off the very robust floating docks. Mooring balls are also available for rent a few hundred yards downriver of the landing.

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Bridge comment on I-64 Bridge

Comment by: Christopher Carmody on Mar 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'

Power boaters regularly ignore this no-wake zone and it is especially dangerous now during construction of the 2nd I64 span as workers are on floating skiffs, barges and small craft within feet of passing power boats. Channels 13/16 are awash with warnings and yelling from the construction crews at the speeding boats who mostly seem to ignore VHF as well. SLOW DOWN, you are responsible for your wake and in this case very probably serious injury or death.

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Marina Review for Cape Charles Town Harbor

Reviewed by: Christopher Carmody on Oct 29, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 43'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Rates are up to $3/ft now that CC Yacht Center is managing the town docks. Staff is excellent, especially all those at the fuel docks. A western swell can come through, as well as early morning crab boats. Docks are lit well enough if you need to arrive after dark. Short walk to town/restaurants/beach. Frequent festivals and music check local calendars, spinsheet/proptalk. Decent Wifi, good ATT & Verizon coverage. Sadly Watson's hardware has closed, if you need ships chandlery items, there is a decent marine store at nearby oyster farm/kings creek marina as well as numerous slips if the the town harbor is full - it is best to rent a golf cart if you stay there to get back to town.

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