A Good Beginning

Monday October 11, 2010 after the Annapolis Boat Show, we cast off to begin our second trip to the Bahamas. The feeling was not nearly the same as the that day in December 2007 when we cast off from the condo on Padre Island. This time it had more of the feel of a nice day sail. In fact it was hard to imagine that we could embark on a planned voyage of 10 months by just saying a few good byes and casting off the usual lines. The only thing different about the morning was a trip to the garage to drop off the car for winter storage. We walked back.

On the 2007 departure there was much unknown, and as it turned out, a bit of danger in the Gulf of Mexico. This time we will be travelling over known territory and trying to appreciate the finer points of cruising since, hopefully. most for the rough edges have been sanded down with experience.

Day one was a good example. We can usually make the York River in a day. Sarah's Creek on the York River is the preferred anchorage. But we had tried to sail too long in the light air rather than motor and were late. The day was magnificent, still part of the weather window that made the boat show so enjoyable. However, the sun was going down so we stopped at a lesser known spot--Perrin's Creek. It is only suitable in settled weather, but we had it in spades that night. The evening was clear and calm with a lovely new moon setting over the historic Yorktown battlefield. I roasted lamb on the grill, and Jan sauteed some vegetables with sun dried tomatoes. I doubt if there were anymore self satisfied cruisers on the Chesapeake than the crew of the White Pepper that night.

On Tuesday we made a long motor sail in light air to the famous 'hospital anchorage' in Portsmith VA. I always thrill to the trip down Norfolk Reach with the overwhelming display of naval might that goes on for miles. The anchorage faces the Portsmith Naval Hospital and is at mile marker 0 of the ICW. Key West is mile marker 1000. In 2008 we stayed at the Tidewater Marina which is about 100 yards further south. We had a wonderful stay in Norfolk in 2008, but this is a different trip. (See post of 8-9-08 for details of Norfolk). After some left over lamb it is off to bed early. The weather window is closing Thursday, and we want to be as far south as possible by then.

The pic is a cool pattern made by debris in the Dismal Swamp and reflections of boats rafted up at the Dismal Swamp visitors center