Need Advice - Williamsburg/Newport News

[ssullivan]

I am trapped in VA between Williamsburg and Newport News due to a small craft advisory and gale warning set to go up in about 12 hours. Today was pretty nasty out there as well.

I have to find a way to return a Hertz rental car that my wife is driving down at the moment. Does anyone know of a way to get from Williamsburg or Newport News to Port Haywood, VA without breaking the bank on a 1 hour cab ride??

The timing of the gale is bad. My wife is enroute and I am stuck 1 hour from the closest Hertz (in any direction). Any ideas?

[DeepFrz]

Find another marina with a courtesy car?

[Hud3]

Sean,

You'd be better off going in to Sarah's Creek at Gloucester Point on the York River, as far as highway access is concerned. Port Haywood is in the back of nowhere! And there's a great restaurant in Sarah's Creek, The River's Inn.

Unfortunately, it takes a bit of sailing west to get anywhere safe to anchor in that part of the Bay.

p.s. Paul Blais is the local expert around there.

[ssullivan]

Thanks, Hud.

I think I'm in for the storm - tomorrow's and Monday's storm. I am past teh York river and going backwards on a delivery well... it can make you loose your marbles.

I guess we'll have to fork over the $80 for the cab from Willimsburg to the back of nowhere. ha ha

Thanks for the input.

You know... after Georgia, this creek seems like a bustling metropolis!

Originally Posted by Hud3

Sean,

You'd be better off going in to Sarah's Creek at Gloucester Point on the York River, as far as highway access is concerned. Port Haywood is in the back of nowhere! And there's a great restaurant in Sarah's Creek, The River's Inn.

Unfortunately, it takes a bit of sailing west to get anywhere safe to anchor in that part of the Bay.

p.s. Paul Blais is the local expert around there.

[ssullivan]

PS: Anyone know where I can pick up the Maptech/BBS paper Chartkits in/near Williamsburg, VA? My laptop took a bad spill in today's slop. Dropped 6 ft onto stairs, then fell a couple more feet to the floor. Ouch.

Still works, but not well and I can't rely on it for navigation.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

PS: Anyone know where I can pick up the Maptech/BBS paper Chartkits in/near Williamsburg, VA? My laptop took a bad spill in today's slop. Dropped 6 ft onto stairs, then fell a couple more feet to the floor. Ouch.

Still works, but not well and I can't rely on it for navigation.

Alright, I'll throw out a few ideas but most hinge on the fact that Williamsburg is a pretty small berg and I don't know if you are there or nearby like Jamestown, Yorktown or Hampton. Hopefully one might help.

Order Maps and have them sent priority mail
Try the marinas in the area
There is a NOAA office in downtown Norfolk, VA (~ 1 hr by car)

NOAA Navigation Services Division Office
1 Waterside Dr
Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 627-7072‎

There are a couple of Coast Guard stations nearby.

Well, I guess that answers my question about which side of the bay you are going up

[ssullivan]

Thank you, Maren. I'm about an hour outside Norfolk. Was *in* Norfolk yesterday, should have just stayed.

My wife will be here today or tomorrow with a rental car, which we have to somehow return as well, so we will have transportation to find charts. I didn't know if there was a "Bluewater Books" type place in Norfolk, since it's such a huge boating/shipping type place.

I'll try your suggestions, except that we don't have anywhere to have priority mail sent to. That one isn't going to work.

PS: Yes, I'm on the Western side, trying to meet up with my wife.

[Pblais]

Thank you, Maren. I'm about an hour outside Norfolk. Was *in* Norfolk yesterday, should have just stayed.

Sorry Sean it's more like 2 hours depending the the traffic at the tunnel. Richmond is closer by drive time. Newport news has about anything you might need but the West marine is in Hampton off Hwy 64 before the tunnel. As noted by HUD there is no place you can get to easily. You might make it to Deltaville if you left NOW! By this afternoon You'll have 25 knots. On the Bay that could mean 4 - 6 ft chop and you'll be on the long end of the fetch. You really have no place close to sail. We live on Sarah Cr up the York. I brought Bright Eyes down the Bay in a gale and when you get to the Potomac it gets to be a handful with that much fetch. When the chop gets to be 8 ft you get beat up. The latest news looks like it will start in about 5 hours then break on Wednesday.

There is a West Marine express in Gloucester Point a mile before the bridge and a regular one in Deltaville for charts. Out on the tip of Mathews county about all there is is the New Point Comfort light house and that was abandoned years ago. The North, East, and Severn Rivers in the Mobjack all would have put you much closer to some place even if not really any place. On the Severn I could have been there by car in 10 minutes.

[ssullivan]

Ugh.

I looked at Deltaville and the Hertz car rental places are even farther from there - the closest are still in Norfolk and Newport News even from Deltaville, according to the Hertz website.

I'm stuck out here, I guess... until that weather passes.

We have to find those paper charts. I guess I'll try West Marine in Hampton.

I don't know jack about VA.

Originally Posted by Pblais

Sorry Sean it's more like 2 hours depending the the traffic at the tunnel. Richmond is closer by drive time. Newport news has about anything you might need but the West marine is in Hampton off Hwy 64 before the tunnel. As noted by HUD there is no place you can get to easily. You might make it to Deltaville if you left NOW! By this afternoon You'll have 25 knots. On the Bay that could mean 4 - 6 ft chop and you'll be on the long end of the fetch. You really have no place close to sail. We live on Sarah Cr up the York. I brought Bright Eyes down the Bay in a gale and when you get to the Potomac it gets to be a handful with that much fetch. When the chop gets to be 8 ft you get beat up. The latest news looks like it will start in about 5 hours then break on Wednesday.

There is a West Marine express in Gloucester Point a mile before the bridge and a regular one in Deltaville for charts. Out on the tip of Mathews county about all there is is the New Point Comfort light house and that was abandoned years ago. The North, East, and Severn Rivers in the Mobjack all would have put you much closer to some place even if not really any place. On the Severn I could have been there by car in 10 minutes.

[Hud3]

Sean,

Under the circumstances, I think Hampton is your best bet. Williamsburg is an option for Hertz, but no place to buy charts that I know of.

Addresses and phone numbers listed below. I can email you a roadmap if you like. Let me know.

Hud

p.s. the East River is a beautiful place to anchor, but the beauty of it is that it's "away from it all"!


West Marine
Store #48
2121 W Mercury Blvd
Hampton, VA
23666-3110
PHONE: 757-825-4900

HERTZ LOCATIONS
Todd Shopping Center HLE
Address: 2308 West Mercury Boulevard
Hampton, Virginia,
Phone: 757-838-2389
Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0730-1800, Sa 0900-1200, Su Closed

Holiday Chevrolet Cadillac HLE
Address: 543 Second Street
Williamsburg, Virginia,
Phone: 757-258-3069
Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0730-1730, Sa-Su Closed

Annas Shoppes HLE
Address: 2021 Richmond Road
Williamsburg, Virginia,
Phone: 757-220-3497
Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0730-1800, Sa 0900-1200, Su Closed

[Hud3]

Sean,

Exactly where are you?

You mentioned Port Haywood, which is on the East River, off Mobjack Bay. But in another thread you mentioned being at Wolf Trap Light, which is north of Mobjack.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Pblais

Sorry Sean it's more like 2 hours depending the the traffic at the tunnel.

From Norfolk? I used to go from Virginia Beach to William & Mary in 1:23 to 1:30 flat. I only found the tunnel traffic to be really bad during the summer months. But, either way, that won't help Sean now.

Sean, here's another thought but you'll need a thumbdrive and a place to print out architectural sized sheets. Download the full sized NOAA charts and have them printed locally

Office of Coast Survey - NOAA Raster Navigational Charts - raster

Office of Coast Survey - NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts - ENC

It looks like the closest printshop for this size would be:
A & E Supply Co‎
709 Middle Ground Blvd # A110, Newport News, VA
(757) 873-2442‎
a-esupply.com‎



A second print and ship option:

NOAA Nautical Charts - OceanGrafix - Index

[Pblais]

He is in Horn Harbor.

[Hud3]

Horn Harbor! I didn't know there was enough water to be able to get in there. I've been on the East River side of Port Haywood. Hope he's got a bit of protection from the East winds that are in the forecast.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Horn Harbor! I didn't know there was enough water to be able to get in there. I've been on the East River side of Port Haywood. Hope he's got a bit of protection from the East winds that are in the forecast.

That's one of those advantages to having a cat.

I'm sitting in a nice, circular harbor with room for maybe me and another boat. (Horn Harbor) The longest fetch in sight is maybe 1/3 mile? Great spot to sit out the gale.

It's damn near close to a hurricane hole. Very happy with the spot from the boat's perspective... not so much from the driving/meeting wife/returning Hertz car/getting paper charts perspective.