Working our way south

We were finally able to get off about 1115 on September 23 after waiting for the completion of our companionway security door. It is unique but a very simple design. It has a 1/2" stainless steel mesh woven 12 gauge metal cloth welded into a 3/4" angle iron frame that slides into the companionway. On the inside is a bug screen and on the front is a hasp that can be used to padlock to our companionway hatch. This coupled with our hatch bars will hopefully provide a deterrent to boardings by local criminals in places we visit.

 
A view of the door inserted into our companionway.

But we got underway and of course we missed any wind. Motoring down the Bay the water was mostly glassy the entire way. We were lucky enough to have current with us so we made good progress for most of the day. We had thought about stopping in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico River near Reedville, VA but it became apparent we would be getting there after dark. Since the creek channel is narrow and not well marked we looked at other options and chose to anchor behind Sandy Point in the Great Wicomico. As darkness fell I turned on the radar as I usually do and it was very

View of the shoreline

helpful in picking our way through the many fish traps around the entrance channel as well as the many unlit marks. When we got to the anchorage we saw 2 anchor lights but I had 3 returns on the radar and after searching with a light we found a 3rd boat and dropped anchor far away from all of them. Coming in the Wicomico we were treated to a brilliant array of phosphorescence in the wake of the boat and the prop wash looked like a jet vapor trail in the water.

View across the anchorage

After a peaceful and quiet night we motored out about 8 with relative ease and again picked up an outgoing current. Forecast was for some wind to come up mid-morning and could be sailable.  After motoring for 3 hours with some teases of wind it did come up mildly behind us so we popped the spinnaker and took off with the wind building.  Wind was coming from a very spinnaker friendly

A little traveler along for the ride

direction 15-20 and we were running at 8-9 kts.  Unfortunately the wind continued to clock around and we had to either jibe or drop the chute.  I was able to use the main to push wind into the spinnaker for probably 10-15 miles but eventually even that became a struggle. With not many miles

Working our spinnaker run

to go and knowing how long and hard it was to jibe we opted to just go on main only. But getting down the chute proved to be difficult with the wind back-winding it and blowing it over the genoa. Finally we got it down and sailed the rest of the way to the channel into Hampton where we brought in the main and motored to our slip.

We had made a slip reservation at the Hampton Public Piers on the recommendation of one of our friends who also happened to have a coupon for a free night they weren't going to use. So we checked in there for 2 nights and made plans to meet with another college friend Bob Kukich and his wife

Hampton downtown

Sam. We walked about and had a beer and appetizer at the Venture Restaurant and Bar before heading back for a nice dinner aboard.

After a day of boat chores and catching up we had the good fortune to have Bob and Sam come by the boat for drinks and then went to the Deadrise Restaurant at the former Ft Monroe. We had a great visit and hopefully will lead to more opportunities for getting together.

Our dinner with Bob and Sam.

View from the Deadrise Restaurant.

So after our great evening with Bob and Sam we prepared and left Hampton heading for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We left the slip about 0700 with little wind to help us and we worked our way

The views at Mile 0 of the ICW.

through the wickets getting down the waterway. Our first disappointment was a delay at the Gilmerton Bridge as the bridge tender took exceptionally long to raise the bridge. That delay then caused us to miss the 1030 opening of the Great Bridge Lock which set our trip back an hour. Going on we got through the other bridges and on down to Coinjock, NC. Last week the ICW was closed due to high water. The Dismal Swamp Canal is still closed. But coming down from the Norfolk area the water in the channels was deeper than usual. Most of the channels had water at least 10' in places where in the past we were nearly bumping.

From Coinjock on skinny water is less an issue so we hopefully have come through the hard parts and the rest of the trip on the ICW will be as uneventful.

Now that we're underway our next stop is Cherry Point to visit my son's family.