November 24, 2008 |
| Underway at Last |
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s/v Lastdance getting underway...oh dark-thirty
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OCT 26 - Well, I'm finally underway! After a brief Bon Voyage gathering with my good dock friends who woke before dawn to see me off, I departed this morning at 0710 and made the 0730 bridge opening. It was chilly until about mid morning and but the wind was light from the SW so I motored most of the way until it increased to 13 knots in the late afternoon and I got a few hours of sailing in. My depth sounder was erratic all day but it was only cause for concern as I approached my destination. It will be problematic the next few days when I anchor in creeks and small rivers. Right now I'm sitting at a dock at Patuxent Naval Air Station Marina (one of the many perks of being retired military!). Another cold front is coming through so I may stay here a day so I can be plugged in to run my heater rather than freeze my buns off at anchor. I also want to see the dockmaster about a slip for next year.
Oct 27 - I woke this morning to 22 knots of wind and gust to 28. A gale warning is forecasted for tomorrow with temps in the 30's and wind gust to 35 knots so I'm going to sit it out here with my electric heater for another day or two. Remembering a harrowing night Carol and I spent here in similar conditions, (read about it in Chapter 28 of Sailing with Carol ), I moved Lastdance from the T-head to a regular slip so I could tie her off on both sides in case the wind shifts during the night.
Oct 28 - Still blowing like snot today; winds are 25 knots, gusting to 40+ so I'm here again today, possibly until Thursday. I had happy hour/dinner with Pete and Stephanie aboard s/v Brilliant, a Moody 42. They sailed over from the Mederteranian via Maine and the east coast and are on their way to Floridita. It was good to share their company!
Oct 30 - Finally got underway again! The forecast was for 10 - 15 with gust to 20 but I had an exhilarating downwind sail in 20 -25 knots of wind with gust to 30 at times. Lastdance rarely went below 7 knots as she ran along in 6 ft waves, oftentimes surfing almost 8 knots. I tried to enter Jackson Creek but this north wind that has been blowing the last 4 days blew the water out of the bay and with tides 2 feet below normal, two boats ran aground in the channel, so I opted to anchor around Stove Pt in Fishing Bay. I didn't get anchored until 6:30 but it's a nice snug anchorage with 23 boats anchored for the night. Talked to Capt Bill http://sv-galena.livejournal.com he made Solomon's Island today so we may hook up before too long. Right now I need some Dinty Moore or SPAM. Tomorrow I'll make Norfolk, where I'll install my new depth transducer before going any further. Sail on, Carol. Sail on!
Oct 31 - I got underway during a beautiful sunrise among 36 boats, departing from the various anchorages on the Piankatank and Rapahhannock Rivers. Wind was a pleasant 11 knots from the NW and soon, everyone was sailing south in yet another day of the great winter migration of snowbirds. By early afternoon, the wind backed to the SW and I motored from York Spit on, arriving at the Naval Station marina on Willoughby Bay, not far from carrier row where a huge aircraft carrier blocked out the afternoon sun. My old business associate and friend Kevin Gilbert, came by an hour later with my new depth transducer, then took me home for pizza and wine with his wife Laura. Now I'm back aboard Lastdance reminising about the last time I was here in 1997 with Carol, when we sailed to Florida. Sail on, Carol. Sail on!
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2009
September Cruise
2008