October 22 to October 31, 2004

October 22 - 23
Location: Anchored at Solomons Island, Solomons, MD
Destination: Staying put

Cool, blustery, and partly sunny pretty much sums up the weather for the three days we spent at Solomons. This location is the best provisioning stop we've found to date. After tying up the dinghy at a dock at the Holiday Inn/Hospitality Harbor, it is a short walk to the grocery where Sandy finds a great butcher shop. They also have a laundry, West Marine, Post Office, and liquor store close by. Across the highway is a sign we take that we've arrived in the South. In large letters it says "God Bless Y'all Real Good!"

I take advantage of our stay to catch up on some maintenance tasks including: check and top off generator oil, drain fuel filter, adjust alternator belt, replace watermaker filter, and seal the deck fitting around the staysail boom. Sandy cleans the dodger's Strataglass windows and makes some alterations to the purple sweater she knit for Tula. We take a look at the Shutterfly web site and do some preliminary tests for posting our digital pictures. It looks like it will work fine once we optimize (reduce file size) for our images. We'll explore this further when we get a chance.

We get updates from family members including my dad, Zach and Nicole. All is well. The Red Sox are forging ahead. Nicole has received our absentee ballots that we've been anticipating.
The politics seem to have reached a feverish pitch of attack and counterattack. I resist turning on the news channel as it now sounds like so much insanity.

Sunday, October 24
Location: Anchored at Solomons Island, Solomons, MD
Destination: Deltaville, VA

We awake before dawn to take the dogs ashore and prepare for the long day ahead. Our destination is an anchorage about 60 nm away in Deltaville, VA. We get underway precisely at 7:00AM just as the sun is rising. Upon our departure, Sandy spots a huge rainbow off of our stern. The weather is mild with light winds out of the East. As we round the bend of the Solomons, it begins to drizzle and we notice a second spectacular rainbow right behind the first; a good luck sign, or omen, perhaps.

Not long after we start down the Chesapeake, the weather degrades. It's now raining and the temperature hovers around 50 degrees. I'm bundled up in my foul weather gear, but Sandy resists donning her's, due to the complexity she claims it adds when using the head.

We pass into Virginia at noon under cloudy, grey skies. As we review our course for anchoring in Jackson Creek, our anxiety levels increase as we see how tricky the approach is with lots of narrow turns and shallow water, and of course dead, low tide. A few hours later, after we enter the Piankatank river in Deltaville and get about half way into the creek, our fears are realized as we suddenly go aground not more than 25 feet away from green daymark 9. After a few panic-stricken moments, I manage to power off in reverse, and we decide to turn around to find our second anchorage spot. Sandy is a little upset, but I reassure her with the knowledge that we have now joined the illustrious group of sailors that have gone aground. As they say, "There are those who have gone aground and those who have yet to go aground." However, she is little consoled until we round the bend at Stove Point and drop anchor in 20 feet at Fishing Bay. After a quick trip to shore, we eat and drop exhausted into our bunk.

We enjoy a second day at anchor in quiet Fishing Bay. The day is overcast, but mild, and we make a quick trip to the fuel dock to top off our tank. We talk with Nicole and decide to have her overnight our ballots to Waterside Marina in Norfolk, VA, our next destination.

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Tuesday, October 26
Location: Anchored at Fishing Bay, Deltaville, VA
Destination: Norfolk, VA

We haul anchor and leave Fishing Bay at 7:40 under cloudy skies. The trip today will take us another 50 nm south. It's another drizzly day, but a little warmer than before. Sandy has a sore throat and cough. I feel like I'm fighting something as well.

The trip to Norfolk is memorable. We see large commercial and Navy vessels. One vessel in particular was noteworthy. It looked like a giant, 200-foot, grey pontoon boat that accelerated by two huge rotating fans and sped along at what appeared to be at least 50 mph.

Finally, we enter our turn that will take us to Hampton Roads and into the Elizabeth River, where hundreds of naval ships are berthed. Even though we slowed our progress to miss the maximum ebb, we still had to struggle against a 2 plus knot opposing current. We punch through the chop at a maximum speed of just 4.5 knots. Suddenly, I notice that the chartplotter is oriented 90 degrees off of our intended course. This causes some intense moments of confusion until we decide to just use our paper charts to complete our course. (Later, I think that we may have got some radar jamming blast from a navy ship that caused the problem. After I rebooted the system, all was well. Who knows?)

The traffic entering the Elizabeth River was pretty intense, but the navy vessels were clear and courteous in giving direction. We finally round the bend to enter the Waterside marina at Town Point in the heart of downtown Norfolk. It was a very welcome sight after a trying day at sea. Even though they told Sandy over the phone that we could tie up on either side, upon establishing radio contact, we learn that we needed to switch the lines and fenders to prepare for a starboard docking. Sandy grumbles, but breathes a great, big, sigh of relief as we glide slowly into our well-protected berth and secure our lines with the help of the dock assistant.

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October 27 - 29
Location: Waterside Marina, Norfolk, VA

After a relatively sleepless night due to the uncommon sound of the late-night dance clubs on shore, we awaken to sunny skies and mild temperatures. Sandy's cold has worsened and we decide to stay here in Norfolk for a few days of rest. We head to the bank to have our voting ballots notarized and deliver them to the post office. Norfolk is indeed a treat as there are countless shops, theater, bars, and maritime museum exhibits. Sandy takes advantage of our stay to make a restorative trip to a beauty salon. She returns with a bounce in her step and a new dazzling doo. I decide to do some maintenance tasks and genuflect on the amazing efficiency and talent shown by our waitress and hostess who served us lunch at a place called Hooter's. Unfortunately, their cuisine did not quite match the same level as the service.

Later in the day, we met a nice couple, Bob and Sandy Schaeffer of S/V Gold Rush from Hilton Head, SC. After listening to our concerns for getting through the next leg of our trip (inconsistent sources on bridge schedules, locks, and shallow anchorages) they insisted on us stopping by, and gave us great info to help us figure out our trip plan. It was particularly reassuring, since they had just come up north through the route we needed to take, and could give us the present conditions to watch out for.

Friday, we both feel more rested. We go over to Gold Rush to give the Shaeffer's a bottle of wine, and see them off on the trip that we will be making the next day. We then decide to head to a camera shop so that I can get a tripod. While having a terrific lunch at Kincaid's Chop and Steak house, Sandy Schaeffer calls to give us an update on bridge heights and shoaling areas that they encountered on their trip down the waterway that morning. What great folks! We return to the boat to do our final preparations for leaving in the morning. We then walk over to the Nauticus museum and tour the battleship Wisconsin and a Naval research vessel. I could easily spend a week here!

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Saturday, October 30
Location: Waterside Marina,Norfolk, VA
Destination: Coinjock, NC

We awake at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for a long day. We cast off our lines at 7:25 a.m. I, Sandy, am a little anxious about the many bridges we must pass through today to get to our destination, many of which require you to request an opening and wait. Fortunately, since today is a weekend day, there are no time restrictions. Dave, on the other hand, is only concerned about whether there will be enough water in the ICW to keep us afloat. Hmmm, why do you suppose he would be worried about that.

We pass through the first three bridges easily. As we approach the 4th bridge (Gilmerton Highway Bridge), the bridgetender hails us and the trawler just ahead of us to say that a giant tug and barge is making its way northbound through the bridge (and it don't have any brakes) and we are directly in its path. Dave turns the boat around and we stand off until the tug and barge passes by. The trawler ahead has to kick its engine into high gear to avoid a near collision.

We then have to pass under a bridge with 65 feet of overhead clearance. Since the tides have been running a little high and we figure our mast height to be about 62 feet with the antenna, we are a little nervous. We slowly approach the bridge and Dave refuses to look but just pushes the throttle forward and hopes for the best. I, Sandy, say a quiet prayer. Aaahh, success is ours! We pass through unscathed.

The next bridge is the Steel Bridge where we have to call the bridgetender to request an opening. The bridgetender is a very nice woman who wishes us a great day and safe voyage as we pass through.

We continue on for a few more miles and join the line up of boats waiting for the Great Bridge Lock to open. We enter the lock and tie up to starboard along the rubber wall. A dockhand takes our lines, passes them around a cleat, and passes them back to us. As the water level in the lock changes, you must adjust your lines accordingly. There are about 10 other boats in the lock with us.

We exit the lock at 5 minutes before the hour and have to wait in line for the Great Bridge Swing bridge to open. After this, we pass through the remaining 5 bridges like butter.

We crossed into North Carolina a 1:20 p.m. under bright, sunny skies and temp of 78 degrees. We arrived at the Midway Marina in Coinjock, N.C. and tied up to the dock at 3:30 p.m. The temp has now reached 82 degrees. We haven't felt such warmth for a month or better.

The dogs are thrilled when they realize there is a nice park full of grass only steps from the dock. Tommorrow, we'll stay put to celebrate Dave's 50th birthday.

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Total accumulated miles traveled : 738.1 statute miles
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Sunday, October 31, 2004
Location: Midway Marina, Coinjock, NC

Happy Halloween!
We sleep in. At 8:00AM, I go up into the cockpit to a warm and sunny day unfolding. Just like a scene out of Hank Parker's Great Outdoors, there are bass boats trolling up and down the river. Joop, Tula ,and I happily wander about the fields and wooded paths.

Sandy cooks a great big breakfast of steak, potatoes, and eggs. I watch some fisherman reeling in his catch. It is "Real Good!"

I ask the marina manager what's catching. He says rock fish and Stripers in the 21 to 25-inch range. With some dismay, I learn that a fishing license is required. He then indicates that the warden heads home around 5:00PM. After thinking about the leg irons in West Bath Maine, I decide to skip the fishing. All in all, it's a great day to turn fifty.