OUR TRIP NORTH HAS COME TO AN END

August 29, 2012 - Today we will turn south in the Chesapeake Bay.  We would have liked to move north for another month, but that cannot be.  With a fresh breeze we sailed off the anchor in Fisherman's Bay & headed to Mob Jack Bay.  We will spend one night & move on to Norfolk, Va. to pick up our mail before the holiday weekend.  We sailed most of the day & motored into the same anchorage we used last in the East River.  The small villages & towns of the Chesapeake Bay are well worth the trip.  Maybe we will pass this way again.


SUNSET IN FISHERMAN'S BAY

HEADING OUT

At 8AM we pulled the anchor & headed back into the bay.  There was little wind so we motored most of the way into the Norfolk shipping lanes.  As we turned west into the shipping traffic we noticed a sail boat anchored very close to the shipping lane.  We hailed Springbok on the VHF to see if he needed assistance.  Turns out he has been anchored for 2 days waiting on the tide & a west wind to sail into the Norfolk harbor, he has a too small an engine to be comfortable not sailing.  He asked for info on tide times, Rod pulled it up on the computer & gave him the time for the tide for the next two days.  Tomorrow the wind should be good & we will look for him to join us at anchor off Portsmouth.


THE SHIPPING CHANNEL
CRANES READY TO LOAD

We anchored at 4:30 PM.  We will stay until Monday or Tuesday before heading through the Virginia Cut south.  Everyone we have talked to says it is beautiful with good anchorages.  While here we have a list a mile long.  Changing light bulbs on the navigation lights, install the new wind generator controller, finish the front enclosure at the windshield, check the deck light, make plane reservations for our trip to NM in November & much, much, more.  We expect lots of company in the anchorage for the holiday weekend. 
We did not see Norfolk last time we were here, so a little sight seeing is also in order.  We need to be in Charleston the 1st of October for Rod's doctor appt., we have plenty of time to see more of the country as we move south.



Coast Guard Cutter Bear asked permission on the VHF to pass in the shipping lane