December 8, 2008
Departed Solomons at 8:15 p.m., winds NW10 mph, temp. 31°, sunny. Destination, Deltaville, VA. Tied up at Dozier's Regatta Point Marina. Distance sailed, about 45 miles.
Sure enough, had to reanchor the boat yesterday, it dragged. I put the Danforth down as well for backup, but in actuality, a Danforth is really the only anchor one should use in the Chesapeake. The anchorages in most places are too mushy to work well with a plow like my CQR.
Was able to motorsail for a good part of the day, came past Cove Point doing 6.2 knots under genoa alone. That new genoa is a really well cut sail, I'm quite impressed. Picked it up on eBay, brand new, for under a $1000. and the loft even put the boat's name on it - it even looks great! No photo as yet...no one around to take one while the boat is under sail.
Came into the Rappahannock River after sunset and headed up to Deltaville and once more the Garmin chartplotter proved its worth. The channel into the marina here is narrow and shallow, with only one lighted buoy at the end. With the Garmin, it was entirely simple to pick my way up the channel and then! I hadn't realized it but the electronic charts have the marinas located on them. How much easier can it get? Slid into a slip without a breath of wind to make it difficult, plugged in the boat and.....this is almost naughty, it felt so good....I TURNED ON THE HEATER! YES!!!
I then went up to have a much needed shower, I'll spare you the details, but man, there is something about limitless hot running water....
December 9, 2008
Departed Deltaville at 0930, winds SW10 mph, temp. 38°, sunny. Destination, Hampton Roads, about 37 nm.
Today's forecast is for winds out of the south, with a small craft warning (winds above 15 k) from 1 p.m to noon tomorrow. Hmmm...my course to Hampton Roads at the end of the bay is....191°m. I decided I would try to make it, leaving at 10 a.m. for the 37 nm trip. Winds were about 10k when I started, but after 8 or 9 miles, they were starting to pick up. I tacked 35 degrees off my course, was able to make about 4 knots towards my destination. That meant I would arrive well after dark, in a channel through which pass large aircraft carriers, destroyers, all kinds of merchant shipping - even submarines!
Being an honest sort of coward, I decided this wasn't a great plan. I checked the charts for a marina or anchorage on the Eastern Shore, far enough south that I could sail across tomorrow's strong southerlies - 15 - 20 again - into Hampton Roads.
Nothing available. The Eastern Shore is very shallow, with very few bays and fewer marinas for larger boats. So, remembering that hot shower - the weather tonight is a low of 55°, so the heater will be superfluous, I headed back to Deltaville.
December 10, 2008
0710 hours. Yup. Winds 15 - 20 SSW. Roll over, back to sleep.
Departed Solomons at 8:15 p.m., winds NW10 mph, temp. 31°, sunny. Destination, Deltaville, VA. Tied up at Dozier's Regatta Point Marina. Distance sailed, about 45 miles.
Sure enough, had to reanchor the boat yesterday, it dragged. I put the Danforth down as well for backup, but in actuality, a Danforth is really the only anchor one should use in the Chesapeake. The anchorages in most places are too mushy to work well with a plow like my CQR.
Was able to motorsail for a good part of the day, came past Cove Point doing 6.2 knots under genoa alone. That new genoa is a really well cut sail, I'm quite impressed. Picked it up on eBay, brand new, for under a $1000. and the loft even put the boat's name on it - it even looks great! No photo as yet...no one around to take one while the boat is under sail.
Came into the Rappahannock River after sunset and headed up to Deltaville and once more the Garmin chartplotter proved its worth. The channel into the marina here is narrow and shallow, with only one lighted buoy at the end. With the Garmin, it was entirely simple to pick my way up the channel and then! I hadn't realized it but the electronic charts have the marinas located on them. How much easier can it get? Slid into a slip without a breath of wind to make it difficult, plugged in the boat and.....this is almost naughty, it felt so good....I TURNED ON THE HEATER! YES!!!
I then went up to have a much needed shower, I'll spare you the details, but man, there is something about limitless hot running water....
December 9, 2008
Departed Deltaville at 0930, winds SW10 mph, temp. 38°, sunny. Destination, Hampton Roads, about 37 nm.
Today's forecast is for winds out of the south, with a small craft warning (winds above 15 k) from 1 p.m to noon tomorrow. Hmmm...my course to Hampton Roads at the end of the bay is....191°m. I decided I would try to make it, leaving at 10 a.m. for the 37 nm trip. Winds were about 10k when I started, but after 8 or 9 miles, they were starting to pick up. I tacked 35 degrees off my course, was able to make about 4 knots towards my destination. That meant I would arrive well after dark, in a channel through which pass large aircraft carriers, destroyers, all kinds of merchant shipping - even submarines!
Being an honest sort of coward, I decided this wasn't a great plan. I checked the charts for a marina or anchorage on the Eastern Shore, far enough south that I could sail across tomorrow's strong southerlies - 15 - 20 again - into Hampton Roads.
Nothing available. The Eastern Shore is very shallow, with very few bays and fewer marinas for larger boats. So, remembering that hot shower - the weather tonight is a low of 55°, so the heater will be superfluous, I headed back to Deltaville.
December 10, 2008
0710 hours. Yup. Winds 15 - 20 SSW. Roll over, back to sleep.