HEADIN' SOUTH!
Solomon's Island
A day late and more than a few dollars later, Bill, Jane, and two unhappy dogs (cats neutral) get underway. Weather is pleasant, seas relatively calm and we mosey on down the west shore at 6 knots (1.2 knots to the mile) an hour. With our late departure and slow speed (conserving gas, folks) it looks likely that we will drop hook in Solomon's Island, MD, home of the amphibious boats of WWII. We find a lovely, sheltered cove by the tug boats and anchor for the night. First night using the generator, which forunately is noisiest on our boat and not as annoying as one would think to the neighbors.
I take the boys to shore in the dinghy, a trip of only a few hundred yards, but with tiny oars and a dog under my armpit, it becomes the voyage of the Kon Tiki.
Later, with the cabins heated and dinner consumed, we head for the berth, generator shut down.
Birthday day for me - greeted with a steady rain and fog. Ain't too warm either, without the electricity. I poke my head out the window to see a beautiful lone swan swimming up to the boat - my birthday greeting from ma nature!! I reward my feathered friend with sour cream and onion potato chips (health food) and tell him (her) to beat it. I figure we'll hunker down with the weather, but Capt .Ahab has decided we can venture out!
After fueling up, we head out into the bay to be greated by chill rain and following seas. Oh yippee. Bucky, having been hoisted up to the flybridge and given a dramamine, was semi-zonked. Then we had to cross the mouth of the Potomac - OMG, the rollers!
Can't tell you how grateful we were to head into Deltaville, VA!
Birthday swan
Neighbors (no one dumb enough to be there)
A working neighborhood
Deltaville
After wandering around aimlessly in the backwaters, we finally found our marina in Deltaville. It was wet and chilly and the electric was terrific. Cooked my striped bass for dinner, with rice and broccoli hollandaise - sounds great, doesn't it? 'well it was okay, but the wine made it good. Weather forcast is for cold weather, gusty winds and high seas. Guess we'll be here for a while.
Not. Ahab says we're heading out - actually, it's not that cold, and the wind isn't that bad. By the time we get out into the bay, it looks pretty good - sun is shining, seas are gentle and following, wind is breezy, but not gusting.
Meanwhile, in the aft deck, I'm holding a yowling Callie Ann, comforting Baylor, who is wrapped around my feet, and petting Bucky, who has wedged himself between me and the corner bulkhead (his squeeze chute.)
Bill puts the boat in neutral, we haul Bucky up, and I make my way one-handed up the ladder, holding a calico cat.
We are joined in our journey to Hampton Roads by 3 sailboats.
Callie Ann navigates.
Bucky, not having fun yet.
Chuck and Sandra, later our neighbors, on their Beneteau 423.
Hampton Roads
When you head into Hampton, keep an eye out for traffic. The largest shipbuilding area in the US, Hampton Roads consists of Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk - heavily populated by army, air force, navy and marines!
We are staying at the Hampton Public Docks, once again under a bridge - only this time we had a parade in the morning - Hampton University homecoming and it was a kick!
Bill says, "Don't worry, honey, we have right of way." (shadfs of the Buffalo?)
View coming in ..
More architecture ..
Homecoming parade!