Just did the sunset harbor tour over the weekend. I booked it kind of last minute, so didn't know…read morewhat to expect, but here's what we experienced. The boat is beautiful and super clean and feels like a transport in time or like going on a boat ride in the 1920's. There are plenty of places to chose from to sit, whether you're on a date or in a group. As the boat took off, the crew invited anyone who wanted to help raise the sails to help & learn. It was fun to watch this and experience it up close. The Captain narrated the first part of the trip pointing out a bunch of history and current military ships & projects. You're able to get up and walk around the boat, so we checked things out from all sides, plus under the main deck there is a kind of snack shop with a bar. We got lemonade and it was refreshing & reasonably priced. At the turnaround, there was a live musician who went around the boat playing guitar & singing. This liven up the ride & again felt old fashioned in a good way. Sunset was beautiful & it was peaceful to be on the boat. A very pleasant experience. Now that said, if you want a party boat or high energy experience, this is not for you. The ship is slow. It was a very quiet ride and the 2 hours did feel long (but I'm an adventurous person). My husband and I both agreed that it was nice to almost force ourselves to slow down and just be :) The crew was great, it's easy to book, easy to find at the Marina & a fun activity for the right crowd!

Me and my husband missed the boat due to the large crowd and the amount of boats on the pier during…read morea busy festival. Over 25 boats on the pier. Poor directions on email for loading area. it literally said we will be in our "usual spot". For a person who has never boarded your boat the "usual spot" is not helpful. The company was unwilling to refund or allow us to board the next night and pay the $40 difference. The point of the cruise was to watch the fireworks that weekend so all weekend those cruises had fireworks. Offered to snail me two tickets to board in the future minus the fireworks which was the whole point of us booking. Wasn't helpful over the phone. Rushed me off the phone. Very impolite.

I've been Sail Nauticus member since moving to the area 5 years ago. This is the best kept secret…read morein Norfolk. A GREAT, very active community and a very affordable way to learn to sail and get out on the beautiful Elizabeth River. There are orgaized events several times every week and many trained skippers who LOVE to introduce new members to sailling. Reach out to them (they have an active facebook page) and get out on the water today - you will not regret it

Awesome experience sailing in the harbor. What a great way to experience the area and support a…read moregreat organization. Have a friend who's a member/instructor and she took my family out on an tour/lesson of the area. My kids crewed the larger sailboat which was much bigger and more stable than the one's I had tried as a college student back in California. Beautiful location in marina and great charity organization to teach kids to sail targeting middle schoolers of which my kids happen to be.

What a beautiful club that is so much nicer than many clubs around the country. They let me in but…read morethey did vet me first. Had a couple beers and met the Cherry family. They were super charming. Ran into Mr Johnstone of J boats fame. Great conversation. Good beer. Good service. Beautiful views with the giant windows. And it appears that they support some major sailing events which is a huge plus in my book.

Well maintained private member club off of Hampton Blvd in Norfolk. Indoor and outdoor amenities…read moreinclude multiple pools, tennis courts, corn hole boards, workout facility, boating docks, adult beverage bar, counter service cafe with HDTV and seating, foosball table plus more. There's an entire building that's the perfect private event venue - weddings, reunions, galas and graduation parties. Crowds are common at the beginning of Summer and seasonal events, creating a domino effect on your overall experience - less available parking, less poolside space/seating, longer lines for bar and food service. The Niçoise salad I had yesterday was ok but nowhere near as good as the fresh ahi tuna steak in sesame glaze I had last August.

A group of eight of us enjoyed a fun and relaxing lunch cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. The buffet…read morelunch was good and plentiful. It included three types of salads, rolls with butter, chicken, pulled pork, and salmon entrees, potatoes, Mac and Cheese, plantains, squash, and street corn. Plus a large selection of desserts. Iced tea and water came with the meal too. They also have a full bar and reasonable prices for beer and wine. Service is cheerful and efficient. The entire crew was accommodating and helpful. After lunch, you can go out on their decks and enjoy the view or stay inside to dance to tunes played by a DJ. Tip and tax is included on the cruise fee, though not on the separate drinks you order on board. They'll serve you drinks at your table or on the outside decks. We boarded at 11:30 am, and the buffet opened around that time too. We then sail shortly after 12 pm. We disembarked at 2 pm. Parking is available a block away in the Town Point Garage. I believe they usually have handicap parking close to the ship, but that area was occupied by a festival when we were there. They give a military discount. Sometimes you'll see a discount on their website too.

Enjoyable cruise to see ships and the harbor and river…read more On the boat you can grab snacks and hot dogs and beverages. The staff are friendly.

The Nancy Anne is a premier fishing experience. Captain Chris and Deckhand Ava did a great job and…read moremade a beautiful day even better

As a new tourist to Virginia Beach, I scanned the Internet for some great, fresh, informal local…read moreseafood, simply prepared and reasonably priced. I ended up at Dockside, and man, was I glad I did! First, they offer waterside outside seating, lots of free parking, and $18 specials if you get here before 5pm. The offer some spectacular shrimp, super fresh flounder, and better-than- average crab cakes. Coleslaw was very good. Service is prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. I found out that Chowhound recently rated the best restaurants for fried seafood in each state, and Dockside earned the best in Virginia, and well deserved IMHO.

Huge thank you to Lauren with our Norfolk harbor cruise team today!…read more We left over TWO HOURS early and still got caught in unbelievable traffic, construction, and a completely full parking lot. By the time we called, we truly thought we had missed the boat (literally and figuratively). Lauren went above and beyond to contact the crew and help us. She also helped us find a second parking lot when the designated lot was full. Because of her kindness and professionalism, they waited for us and we were able to experience an absolutely incredible cruise today. Customer service like that matters. Thank you for turning a stressful morning into wonderful family memories. . All this before we met the crew who patiently waited for us at the dock. They were gracious as they welcomed us aboard. The two hours were filled with so much detail on not only the ships we were looking at, but the buildings we were looking at and their history. The captain filled in with interesting bits of trivia about the harbor, the rivers that run into the Chesapeake Bay and facts of some piers and docks that had historical significance. The boat has an upper deck if you want to sit in the open. For those who prefer a little less adventure, you can sit inside the lower area that is fully enclosed. There is a small drink and snack bar where you can purchase drinks and packaged snacks. They have souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other small items for purchase. Highly recommend this cruise. You will not be disappointed in the cruise or the customer service.

Huge thank you to Lauren with our Norfolk harbor cruise team today! We left over TWO HOURS early…read moreand still got caught in unbelievable traffic, construction, and a completely full parking lot. By the time we called, we truly thought we had missed the boat (literally and figuratively). Lauren went above and beyond to contact the crew and help us. She also helped us find a second parking lot when the designated lot was full. Because of her kindness and professionalism, they waited for us and we were able to experience an absolutely incredible cruise today. Customer service like that matters. Thank you for turning a stressful morning into wonderful family memories. . All this before we met the crew who patiently waited for us at the dock. They were gracious as they welcomed us aboard. The two hours were filled with so much detail on not only the ships we were looking at, but the buildings we were looking at and their history. The captain filled in with interesting bits of trivia about the harbor, the rivers that run into the Chesapeake Bay and facts of some piers and docks that had historical significance. The boat has an upper deck if you want to sit in the open. For those who prefer a little less adventure, you can sit inside the lower area that is fully enclosed. There is a small drink and snack bar where you can purchase drinks and packaged snacks. They have souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other small items for purchase. Highly recommend this cruise. You will not be disappointed in the cruise or the customer service.

Stopped at a Bluewater while delivering a 42' Yellowfin from Edgartown, MA to West Palm, Beach FL…read more This particular Bluewater Yacht Yard, is an absolutely gorgeous facility; with plenty of helpful staff standing by & ready to assist with tying up, topping of our fuel tanks and grabbing a quick bite to eat. The fuel dock is massive with plenty of gas & diesel fuel pumps to accommodate (more then a few of) even the biggest of motor yachts. The slips were all floating docks w/ 2, to 4 fixed (composite) pilings with appropriately sized (working) power & water hookups at each. The entire property was pristine, as were the majority of the boats occupying each of the slips onsite. In short, I would highly recommend Bluewater Yacht Yards to any visiting yachtsmen, or transient boater seeking an upscale marina to call home for a night or two!!

UPDATE: June 2018…read more After a string of positive experiences (including several I have not written about) this visit was a crushing disappointment. Support on the docks and management both fell through. Perhaps they need more adult supervision on the weekend. For context I am a delivery skipper who often sails owner-aboard, training, and insurance check-off trips. I'm on and off a lot of docks. My expectations of dock hands are pretty low. We came in from offshore with a general reservation confirmed and specified a day ahead when we got back in range of cell service. Bluewater decided to put us at the West end of their fuel dock overnight and then move us in the morning when another boat left. Fine. On arrival the dockhands were inept. Not just one of them. Three. They had absolutely no clue whatsoever about springing onto a dock. While being blown off we (owner being trained) got a breast line to the dock hand and asked for a couple of turns around a cleat so we could pull against the line and snug in. The young lady stood on the dock looking at us and said "I've got it." Nope. You don't, not unless you want 1. to let go, 2. rope burns, or 3. to go swimming. It took forever to convince her to put a turn around the cleat. Even then she left a LOT of slack in the line. Note the whole time the owner is juggling his new-to-him boat while being blown off the dock. Finally the line was cleated (which is NOT the same as a turn around the cleat with no slack and stand by). *sigh* We ended up 50 feet from where we wanted to be. Simply not okay. As usual with dockhands the focus on the bow line meant the bow pulled in and a lot of adjustment on our part after struggling to put competent crew on the dock. We ASKED if they wanted us to move the boat back to the far western end of the dock so we wouldn't be in the way overnight. We were told we were fine. Minutes later they told us to move to the face dock inside between D2 and D3 (see http://www.bluewateryachtcenter.com/marina). Once again the issues with poor line handling by dock hands and no--absolutely no--concept of springing. We had perhaps 15 feet of margin, combined, between the front and back of the boat. The owner could not possibly have done it alone. With the inept dock support *I* would have had trouble. We get in and settled and they refuse to move shore power cords from other boats so we can plug in. Only one available 50A extension so we get to choose between A/C and power for batteries, fridge, etc. Lovely. Welcome to Hampton. Then we are told we'll be moving again. In the morning. By which time we expect to be in (four crew) NOVA, FL, and MD. Thanks just tons. Oh - to add insult to injury the slip they want to move us to is the one they were going to move us to from the fuel dock. Just leave us on the fuel dock where the owner can get off and move to the final slip where the owner can get in . This was not a simple mistake. It was a cascade of poor performance and bad management. One (1) star, rounded up to three (3) only because of past experience. Very disappointed. Without some assurance of training for dockhands and better planning for slips Bluewater goes in the category of dropping competent crew on the dock and shooing the dock hands away as hazards to navigation as they are in so many places. Facilities: A+ On-site restaurant: A Overall condition: A Total Experience: D- GM Dave: If you want a positive curriculum for dock hand training let me know. I'll write one up for you. Free. I like you guys and want you to succeed. UPDATE: March 2017 On another delivery this time entering the Chesapeake we limped in under tow after a cascade of failures. The team at Bluewater Yachting Center were great. The details are complicated but we were cold--really cold--on a boat with little to no maneuverability of its own. Advance phone calls and coordination when the tow picked us up had Bluewater ready for us and boy were they ready. There were at least four people on the dock waiting for us. Everyone was very solicitous. I usually tie up myself but under the circumstances I was grateful for the help. The warm shower, the nice meal at Surf Rider, and the response to every request with either "yes" or "let's see what we can do" where a great relief. All of my inbound and outbound deliveries will include a stop at Bluewater Yachting Center. We have to press up fuel and water - why not do it somewhere that so greatly values our presence? Tell 'em I sent you. ORIGINAL: We were here in January 2017 waiting for a weather window to head offshore. Service was exemplary. Cheerful staff run hundreds of feet of hose to let us fill water, took care of fuel needs, and were generally helpful in every possible way. The onsite restaurant is very pleasant although the menu is heavily tilted to fried foods. I used to head offshore from Little Creek but with the decline in the Vinings marinas there Bluewater Sailing Center is an easy choice. Recommended.

Highly recommend! We had an amazing private sunset cruise with Native Island Sailing. Our family…read moregroup of 7 loved every minute--beautiful views, a smooth, quiet solar powered electric boat, and a great price (less than individually pay for a public boat tour!). Captain Brian was the perfect guide: relaxed, friendly, and full of local knowledge when asked. The coastline is stunning and full of stories--just ask. An unforgettable experience!

From the owner: **For booking and questions contact us directly via website nativeislandsailing.com, email…read moreinfo@nativeislandsailing.com, or by calling us at 757-751-0730. Now booking for Summer 2023! For more information about our charters and for frequently asked questions, please visit nativeislandsailing.com Native Island Sailing offers sailing charters on the Chesapeake Bay for special occasions and small groups. Our charters are on Ellen Ripley, a 38-ft sailing catamaran, the first zero-emissions, all-electric, powered by 100% renewable energy charter in Hampton Roads. Powered by nature. Departs daily out of Hampton, Virginia.