Excuses, excuses... and grandkids

Have been in stealth mode for the last couple of weeks - partially self-imposed and partially enforced by circumstance. Since my last post was uploaded from the Apple Store in Norfolk, Follyfin and her crew have been very active: sight-seeing, meeting people, making passage either with no wind or contrary wind and … spending a week with son no. 1 Warren, daughter-in-law Lara and their family, who took an AirB&B house on the Chesapeake Bay coast at the pre-arranged rendezvous of Reedville, Virginia. Of  course I had assumed that (a) I would have plenty of time to compose and post about our happenings from the previous week, and (b) these switched-on, always-connected millennials would have good strong wifi in their rented house. Both wrong!! So even if I had had time to write the text, I would not have been able to post it.

Never mind. We had a great time with grandchildren Noah (3.5) and Bella (2), who are a full-time occupation, both on the beach and on the boat, so no time for creative writing anyway.

 

 

Though conditions were not right for taking the family out for a sail aboard Follyfin, they loved the dinghy ride out and back when they came for tea on a sunny Sunday evening.

 

Three generations of Bennett Boys

Our departure from Norfolk a couple of weeks back was delayed partly by the weather - we had a cold spell and northerly winds which are not good when one wants to sail north - and partly because we wanted to enjoy the annual ‘Harborfest’ weekend in Norfolk. Tall ships, little ships, war ships dress overall and congregate in the harbour. We had a prime location to view some of them on their way there, as well as the fantastic firework display on Saturday night which alone was worth the delay. A Bahamian steel band complete with colourful dancers processed through the park area to kick the celebrations off.

 

   

 

Finally on Sunday 9 June we bid farewell to Greta and Gary, the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) port officers in Norfolk on whose dock we had been berthed, and headed north up the Chesapeake Bay, past the large US Navy establishment with its many menacing fighting vessels berthed in readiness for anything. 

 

Our destination was Yorktown, scene of General Cornwallis’ and the British surrender to George Washington and the Americans in the war of Independence. Mind you, it did take them 100 years to erect a fitting monument to the event! We can recommend the almost brand-new Museum of American Independence in Yorktown. We could have spent a couple of days there and still not ‘done’ it all.

 

 

That same evening we met up with a fellow CA (Cruising Association) member in the same anchorage as us so celebrated in the time-honoured way. We had been tracking each other since in the southern Bahamas. But next day we turned north again to Fishing Bay, Deltaville on the Northern Neck peninsula, and witnessed yet another splendid sunset.

 

The rivers and land features in the parts have some curious names, mainly derived from when the native Indians were the most numerous inhabitants, e.g. Rappahannock, Corrotoman, Potomac, Patuxent, Piankatank, Wicomico, and Point No Point, Stingray Point and many more. On a small creek off the Corrotoman River, Follyfin was honoured to be the first visiting boat to berth on a brand new private dock belonging to Lydia and Bill, OCC stalwarts who had recently hosted an OCC rally to which 25 boats had joined. Follyfin was supposed to be one of them but her crew’s gale experience further south had prevented her arriving on time. 

 

Follyfin (port) and Dragon Run (starboard; our hosts’ yacht). 

Nevertheless we were made very welcome at their beautiful home, which has waterfront on two sides,

 

 

and were helped a good deal as we caught a lift into town for some essential provisioning. Lydia and Bill also introduced us to soft shell crabs at a local restaurant. Amazingly you eat the whole thing, claws and all! The local oysters were also excellent.

 

 

From there we headed north again to Reedville to meet up with the family...which brings me right back to the beginning. Annapolis will be our next major stop and we are on our way there now.

Moving on North

Thursday 8 June 2017

Nearly 2 weeks since the last post but we have been busy. We stayed in Georgetown SC for Memorial Day weekend, savouring more wonderful culinary treats, Carolina Grouper - a fish - being one of them. Memorial Day falls on the same Monday as UK Whit Monday so we felt right at home. Took a walking tour of the town with Debbie who grew up there and has a fund of anecdotes and historical knowledge. She introduced us to joggling boards.

 

They are very springy 

 

and designed to bring people together. 

Apparently they were introduced from England but this was the first time we had heard of them and were rather taken with the idea. Debbie also showed us some very old trees

 

 

And many historic and palatial houses, many of which had palmettos growing in their gardens, giving a clue to the climate here, very mild in winter, hot and humid in summer.

 

 

By Tuesday 30 May it was time to leave, our ‘wounds’ having healed sufficiently to weather the next 170nm ocean passage north to Beaufort, North Carolina. We saw several Pelican Parties on the way out to sea from the long Georgetown river.

 

The passage was slow for most of the way with Follyfoot having  to motor-sail until Wednesday afternoon when the wind strength suddenly increased from force 2 to force 7, gusting 8 in the space of 10 minutes. Luckily it was in the right direction for us and accelerated our passage. But we were still later than anticipated and had to anchor at 21:30 in the dark inside the shelter of the coastline. Dianne, the very helpful Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) port officer for Beaufort had previously advised of a suitable spot. Thursday morning we moved on into Beaufort Docks marina and enjoyed a full American breakfast.

 

View from the breakfast balcony, Follyfin just visible in the distance.

Dianne came to meet us and helped us sort out all our needs - US Customs and Border Agency, US phone, US VHF and provisions. You need a car for just about everything here in the US! We also enjoyed cocktails and a couple of meals out with her, including some of her home frozen shrimp (more the size of prawns as we know them in UK). Well beyond the call of duty for her I am sure!

 

Saturday 3 June saw us preparing for the next stage of our adventure - a 200 (statute) mile cruise up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), through North Carolina and into Virginia. This required Skipper to climb the mast - three times - to remove the aerials and lights at the top of the mast, reducing its height by about 3ft. This meant Follyfoot should pass unscathed under several 65ft fixed bridges en route on the ICW. By 11:00 we were on our way.

Of necessity, we mainly motored, with occasional help from the foresail, along parts of at least five rivers, four or five ‘land cuts’ or canals, crossed two wide and shallow ‘sounds’, and cruised through swampland and forest on either side. Most of the time the landscape was completely deserted.

 

 

But occasionally some very upmarket homes were spotted,

 

as well as some very large (and frightening) commercial vessels.

 

 

The one passed just after we had dropped anchor in pouring rain.

We spent three nights at anchor alongside the waterway in blissful peace and solitude except for the frogs….and biting bugs!

 

 

This is just one example; there were bigger ones and smaller ones and very small ‘no-see-ums'. Skipper became expert at swotting the wretched things.

Then there were the bridges.

 

 

Just squeezed under that one at 63.5ft. Phew!

 

Approaching the city of Norfolk

And many ospreys and eagles were seen on the way, the former nesting on top of the ICW channel markers. Regrettably I didn't manage to get a good osprey photo but it was such a treat to see so many of them after they had almost disappeared from the UK.

On Tuesday midday we arrived in Norfolk to a warm reception from Greta and Gary, the OCC port officers for this area. Not only did they assist with our first-ever experience of mooring between four posts, but they have since made us so welcome and comfortable with use of wifi, lifts to supermarket and in search of gas bottle refills. Although the weather has turned distinctly chilly since our arrival, the change in wind direction to the north, where we are headed, made it easy for us to delay our progress from here. Added to this, Norfolk is holding its annual “Harborfest” this weekend, so there is plenty to see on the water near where we are berthed.

 

 

Expecting to slip out of here tomorrow or Sunday but it is very tempting to stay and enjoy the city and the comfort of being berthed on a dock for a change!

NOTE: I have just acquired a new iPad and the blogging app I have been using on my old one is not functional on this new one. So you may notice some significant changes in presentation whilst I get used to the new app. Fingers crossed it works OK!