One of the things on my list when Randy got here, was for him to help me fix the issue with the loss of power in the helm area. We got it fixed.
On Saturday we took the day to visit Washington, DC. This is the Capital building...where the Presidents are sworn in.
We also toured the Air & Space Museum
And walked the entire area
This is the back of the White House...where they land the helicopter
This is the WWII Memorial
A shot of the Refelecting Pool, and the Washington Monument
One of my favorites...the Lincoln Memorial
One of Deb's favorites...the Vietnam Memorial Statue
...And the Vietnam Memorial Wall
Nancy is such a fan (check out her fingers above Obama's head)
A final shot of HQ sitting at Inner Harbor...with Deb and me on the deck
This was our view as we left Cambridge, MD on Tuesday morning
Red sky in the morning...sailor take warning?
The NOAA forecast called for windy and high waves...but we found calm seas all the way to Norfolk.
We had a great suprise when we got to the Norfolk channel...a submarine was heading out to sea
It came right beside us...quite a thrill
This ship is Warship 71 (The USS Theodore Rosevelt)...as it is coming into Norfolk Harbor, and passes the Submarine
This is our first view of downtown Norfolk
This is our official welcome...we're glad to be here
Log 177
Day 511
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
4:30 AM EDT
Location: Waterside Marina; Norfolk, VA.
Weather: 58 degrees and windy...this is the way it will be for several days
I woke up a little before 4 this morning, and could not go back to sleep (I went to bed at 8 last night), so I got up, made some coffee, and got the day started. We’re sitting in Norfolk this morning, and glad to be here. Here’s what’s been going on the last few days.
Our time with Randy and Nancy...was great. I’ve said it many times. Having a friend for all these years (40) and being able to just pick up where we left off the last time (sometimes years in between getting together) is special. Randy is one of those friends. They arrived the marina about lunch time on Friday, after Nancy had flown from California, and arrived about midnight, the night before. After having lunch at the marina, we spent the afternoon getting groceries, and just catching up. On Saturday, we drove to Washington, DC. to take in the sights. We visited the Smithsonian Museums of Air & Space, and also the one on American History. Even for a guy who is not a huge museum person...these places are cool. We walked; and walked; and walked. Seeing the WWII Memorial; the Lincoln Memorial; the Vietnam Memorial; and the White House. We also found a great Mexican restaurant for dinner. In all we walked over 7 miles (according to Deb’s little step counter she wears on her belt) and at dinner Nancy asked each of us what was the best thing we saw all day. My answer was “the car”. On Sunday, we drove to Annapolis to the boat show. It was a beautiful day, and Deb and I enjoyed touring all of the tents with the boating supplies (it was also great to see a very nice crowd...could the recession be over?) We were back at the boat by 4...just in time for margaritas; watching the NASCAR race; and catching up on all the football scores. Randy and Nancy left the boat about 5:30 am on Monday, so Nancy could catch a 7 am flight. It was great to be with them.
Monday...Baltimore to Cambridge, MD. After Randy and Nancy left, we had to wait for about an hour for the skies to get light enough to leave our slip and head out of Baltimore. The weather looked ok, but NOAA said, the winds on the bay were blowing at 18 knots out of the NE. Not the best of conditions, but we needed to go (the long range forecasts did not look good for traveling on the bay). So, at first light (6:45) we untied the lines, and left Baltimore for the final time (at least this season). As we motored out of the harbor, we both commented what a great time we had during our stay in Baltimore. We saw a lot, and really got to know the city, which was very enjoyable. The ride on the Patapsco River was nice, and no issues at all, but when we reached the bay, it was a different story. Where the river met the bay, between the current, and the winds, the water was pretty messed up. We were tossed around a fair amount, and had to put the boat up on plane to get any decent ride. Even doing that we were taking spray all over the boat, and it took about an hour, at cruising speed, for us to reach a point where we could slow down again, and still get a reasonable ride. The good news was, the further south we went, the better the conditions got. It took us till about noon to reach the tip of Tilghman’s Island, and then make our turn NE up the Choptank River to Cambridge, MD (about 15 miles further up)...on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This is a stop Deb has wanted to make for some time. This area is where the novel Chesapeake was centered, and is well known for many small quaint communities (they say many have not changed in 100 years) where the bay fisherman live and work. We docked the boat at the municipal harbor, and took a long walk around the town. On our way back, we stopped at a restaurant on the water (recommended by the dock master) and ended up having a great conversation with a guy who had come here many years ago...loved it...and bought a home here. He told story after story (which Deb could have listened to for hours) but finally we headed back to the boat for some relaxing...and some dinner. It had been a long day, and we both went to be early.
Tuesday...up about 5; I was anxious to check the weather, and see what the latest reports were. I was very concerned about a cold front that was dropping down and forecasted to bring strong north winds for the next several days. This would mean we would be held up on the bay and not be able to make it to Norfolk by the weekend, where we were going to meet Les and Annie. As feared, the forecast was holding true, and in fact, was getting stronger. Stronger winds, for a longer period of time (not forecasted to let up until next Monday). The good news was, it was dead calm at the marina, and the winds were not supposed to pick up until the afternoon. So, at very first light (6:40) we fired up the boat, and left Cambridge. You can see from the picture, it was a beautiful sunrise, and a pretty morning, as we slowly motored down the Choptank River, making our way out to the bay. We only had about 40 miles to go to Solomon Island...where we would spend the night, and wait to see what the wind and waves were going to do. But, about an hour into our trip, and 3/4 of the way to the Bay, I was telling Deb about the weather forecast, and already starting to complain about being stuck at Solomon’s Island, and not being able to make to Norfolk on time. I was also saying how perfect the weather was now, and wondering how long it would last. NOAA said the weather was due to change in the afternoon, and already had small craft warnings out on the Bay...starting at noon. It was about this time (8 am) that I said “do you want to go for it, and see if we can make it 130 miles to Norfolk today”? “All the way” she said, “that’s a long ways”. To which I said “we used to run that many miles all the time, when we traveled the Great Loop the first time”. She looked at me and said...”let’s go for it”. So we did...and had one of the best travel days you could ever ask for on the Chesapeake. We only had two spots where it was even a little “bumpy”, and that was where the Potomac comes into the Bay, and where the Rappahonnock River joins the Bay. Beside that...the Bay was calm, and in many cases, dead calm. The only (slight) negative is we burned a lot of fuel (198 gallons) in the 145 miles getting here, because I was traveling at cruising speed (25 mph), to be sure we got here before the winds picked up...which they never did. But that is more than made up for the fact we are here; safe; and we can get a weekly rate for the slip, which will make up a lot (if not all) of what the extra fuel cost. It was the right thing to do. We made it to Norfolk about 3:30, and will be here while all the weather happens out on the Bay.
Today...as I listened to NOAA this morning, I was “extra glad” (probably not grammatically correct...but Andy Griffith said it all the time) to be tied up in Norfolk. All the reporting stations around the Bay were reporting winds of 15 to 30 knots; waves of 3 to 5 (in the Bay) to 10 (on the Ocean); and a forecast for this to continue until Sunday. Yesterday it was 72 and sunny (we had to put our shorts on along the way) and today it will be mid 50’s, windy, and cloudy. (I love it when a plan comes together). Because we are here so early, and all chores (except laundry) are complete, we really don’t have a plan today...or for the next few days (so why did I get up so early?). There is a big annual wine festival here on the docks this weekend, so we may check that out. And, Annie and Les plan to arrive on Sunday morning, so we will be preparing for their arrival.
Side notes;
· We (Randy and I) fixed the problem with the 110 outlets in the helm area. After tearing it apart, and doing some continuity tests, we found a wire connection that had gone bad. So, after putting on a new connection...problem solved. This supports my theory of fixing things (on a boat) that go bad. ALWAYS look for something simple.
· When we got to the end of the Chesapeake, and joined the channel to Norfolk, we were greeted by a submarine going out of the channel, and a warship coming in the channel. It was awesome.
· When we were in Fort Lauderdale last March, we met a family on a boat called Three@Sea. They (David; Kathryn; and their 13 year old daughter, Ayla) were in the beginning stages of a 4 to 5 year journey around the world. I talked to David for a while, and was intrigued by their story, and have been following their logs (threeatsea.com) since then, and a couple of times we have exchanged emails. A couple of days ago I read they were making an overnight run from Rhode Island to Cape May, NJ...but changed their mind in the middle of the night, and decided to run all the way to Norfolk, to beat the same weather system that we did yesterday. This morning I got an email from him saying they were in the same marina we are in (he walked the docks last night and saw our boat) and he looked forward to hooking up today. Cool.
· At this point the plan (you always need to have a plan) is to leave Norfolk (Mile 0 on the ICW ) next Tuesday, and then be in Beaufort, NC (MM 203) by the end of the month. Our boat insurance does not allow us to be south of there until the 1st of November (the end of hurricane season). Also...there is a problem with a bridge at MM 462, and it will be closed for 10 days, so we need to be south of there before November 12th. And...we plan to arrive in Fort Myers (our winter destination) on or before December 6th. So...we have about 1100 miles to go in 55 days from today.
Well, it’s now 9:15...and I can finally send this log. It’s still VERY cloudy, and 59 degrees. Another great day living on a boat.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
Day 511
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
4:30 AM EDT
Location: Waterside Marina; Norfolk, VA.
Weather: 58 degrees and windy...this is the way it will be for several days
I woke up a little before 4 this morning, and could not go back to sleep (I went to bed at 8 last night), so I got up, made some coffee, and got the day started. We’re sitting in Norfolk this morning, and glad to be here. Here’s what’s been going on the last few days.
Our time with Randy and Nancy...was great. I’ve said it many times. Having a friend for all these years (40) and being able to just pick up where we left off the last time (sometimes years in between getting together) is special. Randy is one of those friends. They arrived the marina about lunch time on Friday, after Nancy had flown from California, and arrived about midnight, the night before. After having lunch at the marina, we spent the afternoon getting groceries, and just catching up. On Saturday, we drove to Washington, DC. to take in the sights. We visited the Smithsonian Museums of Air & Space, and also the one on American History. Even for a guy who is not a huge museum person...these places are cool. We walked; and walked; and walked. Seeing the WWII Memorial; the Lincoln Memorial; the Vietnam Memorial; and the White House. We also found a great Mexican restaurant for dinner. In all we walked over 7 miles (according to Deb’s little step counter she wears on her belt) and at dinner Nancy asked each of us what was the best thing we saw all day. My answer was “the car”. On Sunday, we drove to Annapolis to the boat show. It was a beautiful day, and Deb and I enjoyed touring all of the tents with the boating supplies (it was also great to see a very nice crowd...could the recession be over?) We were back at the boat by 4...just in time for margaritas; watching the NASCAR race; and catching up on all the football scores. Randy and Nancy left the boat about 5:30 am on Monday, so Nancy could catch a 7 am flight. It was great to be with them.
Monday...Baltimore to Cambridge, MD. After Randy and Nancy left, we had to wait for about an hour for the skies to get light enough to leave our slip and head out of Baltimore. The weather looked ok, but NOAA said, the winds on the bay were blowing at 18 knots out of the NE. Not the best of conditions, but we needed to go (the long range forecasts did not look good for traveling on the bay). So, at first light (6:45) we untied the lines, and left Baltimore for the final time (at least this season). As we motored out of the harbor, we both commented what a great time we had during our stay in Baltimore. We saw a lot, and really got to know the city, which was very enjoyable. The ride on the Patapsco River was nice, and no issues at all, but when we reached the bay, it was a different story. Where the river met the bay, between the current, and the winds, the water was pretty messed up. We were tossed around a fair amount, and had to put the boat up on plane to get any decent ride. Even doing that we were taking spray all over the boat, and it took about an hour, at cruising speed, for us to reach a point where we could slow down again, and still get a reasonable ride. The good news was, the further south we went, the better the conditions got. It took us till about noon to reach the tip of Tilghman’s Island, and then make our turn NE up the Choptank River to Cambridge, MD (about 15 miles further up)...on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This is a stop Deb has wanted to make for some time. This area is where the novel Chesapeake was centered, and is well known for many small quaint communities (they say many have not changed in 100 years) where the bay fisherman live and work. We docked the boat at the municipal harbor, and took a long walk around the town. On our way back, we stopped at a restaurant on the water (recommended by the dock master) and ended up having a great conversation with a guy who had come here many years ago...loved it...and bought a home here. He told story after story (which Deb could have listened to for hours) but finally we headed back to the boat for some relaxing...and some dinner. It had been a long day, and we both went to be early.
Tuesday...up about 5; I was anxious to check the weather, and see what the latest reports were. I was very concerned about a cold front that was dropping down and forecasted to bring strong north winds for the next several days. This would mean we would be held up on the bay and not be able to make it to Norfolk by the weekend, where we were going to meet Les and Annie. As feared, the forecast was holding true, and in fact, was getting stronger. Stronger winds, for a longer period of time (not forecasted to let up until next Monday). The good news was, it was dead calm at the marina, and the winds were not supposed to pick up until the afternoon. So, at very first light (6:40) we fired up the boat, and left Cambridge. You can see from the picture, it was a beautiful sunrise, and a pretty morning, as we slowly motored down the Choptank River, making our way out to the bay. We only had about 40 miles to go to Solomon Island...where we would spend the night, and wait to see what the wind and waves were going to do. But, about an hour into our trip, and 3/4 of the way to the Bay, I was telling Deb about the weather forecast, and already starting to complain about being stuck at Solomon’s Island, and not being able to make to Norfolk on time. I was also saying how perfect the weather was now, and wondering how long it would last. NOAA said the weather was due to change in the afternoon, and already had small craft warnings out on the Bay...starting at noon. It was about this time (8 am) that I said “do you want to go for it, and see if we can make it 130 miles to Norfolk today”? “All the way” she said, “that’s a long ways”. To which I said “we used to run that many miles all the time, when we traveled the Great Loop the first time”. She looked at me and said...”let’s go for it”. So we did...and had one of the best travel days you could ever ask for on the Chesapeake. We only had two spots where it was even a little “bumpy”, and that was where the Potomac comes into the Bay, and where the Rappahonnock River joins the Bay. Beside that...the Bay was calm, and in many cases, dead calm. The only (slight) negative is we burned a lot of fuel (198 gallons) in the 145 miles getting here, because I was traveling at cruising speed (25 mph), to be sure we got here before the winds picked up...which they never did. But that is more than made up for the fact we are here; safe; and we can get a weekly rate for the slip, which will make up a lot (if not all) of what the extra fuel cost. It was the right thing to do. We made it to Norfolk about 3:30, and will be here while all the weather happens out on the Bay.
Today...as I listened to NOAA this morning, I was “extra glad” (probably not grammatically correct...but Andy Griffith said it all the time) to be tied up in Norfolk. All the reporting stations around the Bay were reporting winds of 15 to 30 knots; waves of 3 to 5 (in the Bay) to 10 (on the Ocean); and a forecast for this to continue until Sunday. Yesterday it was 72 and sunny (we had to put our shorts on along the way) and today it will be mid 50’s, windy, and cloudy. (I love it when a plan comes together). Because we are here so early, and all chores (except laundry) are complete, we really don’t have a plan today...or for the next few days (so why did I get up so early?). There is a big annual wine festival here on the docks this weekend, so we may check that out. And, Annie and Les plan to arrive on Sunday morning, so we will be preparing for their arrival.
Side notes;
· We (Randy and I) fixed the problem with the 110 outlets in the helm area. After tearing it apart, and doing some continuity tests, we found a wire connection that had gone bad. So, after putting on a new connection...problem solved. This supports my theory of fixing things (on a boat) that go bad. ALWAYS look for something simple.
· When we got to the end of the Chesapeake, and joined the channel to Norfolk, we were greeted by a submarine going out of the channel, and a warship coming in the channel. It was awesome.
· When we were in Fort Lauderdale last March, we met a family on a boat called Three@Sea. They (David; Kathryn; and their 13 year old daughter, Ayla) were in the beginning stages of a 4 to 5 year journey around the world. I talked to David for a while, and was intrigued by their story, and have been following their logs (threeatsea.com) since then, and a couple of times we have exchanged emails. A couple of days ago I read they were making an overnight run from Rhode Island to Cape May, NJ...but changed their mind in the middle of the night, and decided to run all the way to Norfolk, to beat the same weather system that we did yesterday. This morning I got an email from him saying they were in the same marina we are in (he walked the docks last night and saw our boat) and he looked forward to hooking up today. Cool.
· At this point the plan (you always need to have a plan) is to leave Norfolk (Mile 0 on the ICW ) next Tuesday, and then be in Beaufort, NC (MM 203) by the end of the month. Our boat insurance does not allow us to be south of there until the 1st of November (the end of hurricane season). Also...there is a problem with a bridge at MM 462, and it will be closed for 10 days, so we need to be south of there before November 12th. And...we plan to arrive in Fort Myers (our winter destination) on or before December 6th. So...we have about 1100 miles to go in 55 days from today.
Well, it’s now 9:15...and I can finally send this log. It’s still VERY cloudy, and 59 degrees. Another great day living on a boat.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
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