Day 1- We are away
The hardest part of voyaging is getting off the dock. After months of anticipation and preparation we pulled off the dock at 11:52 this morning. The dock lines are now stowed and we are officially underway. Our house is fading into our wake and our boat home is moving us on an adventure.
We are working on putting our heads in cruising mode. Switching gears from "getting ready!" to "here we go!" takes some effort. The preparation stage is now past and it's time to relax into being one with the boat and the wind. If something was left at home, oh well, we will cope. How far we go each day doesn't matter as long as we are enjoying the time. Here is the joy of cruising.
Our first course is to head east on the Rappahannock River to Chesapeake Bay. At the Chesapeake we choose either to head to Onanock, Va then north up Chesapeake Bay or head south to Cape Charles, Va and the Atlantic Ocean. Either choice takes us closer to our destination and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our selection will depend on weather and whim.
After studying the weather forecast and tide tables it sounded like going north up the bay was going to be a hot trip (95deg) with little wind (3-5 kts), plus the timing of the tides wasn't going to help us get through the C&D Canal and down the Delaware River efficiently. We would want a rising tide to transit the canal and a falling tide to go down the Delaware Bay to the Atlantic. Waiting for the tide to turn would mean an overnight at Reedy Island, which is a muddy, buggy mess. Not good for dog walking or sleeping!
It didn't take much deliberation to decide on the southern route where it was forecast to be in the 80's and lovely winds. So we headed for Cape Charles, Va. It's a charming little seaside town with a nice city marina, great restaurants, and many fun little shops to browse.
What a perfect day of sailing! Blue skies, white fluffy clouds, just the right amount of wind and not many boats out. We travelled from our dock across the bay in only 6 hours with nothing but peaceful sailing to report.
We decided to eat at the marina restaurant that we enjoyed when we were here a couple years ago with friends, and it didn't disappoint. We ate on the patio so we could keep Shelby with us, and the staff brought her a big bowl of ice water. She was miffed to only get her usual bowl of kibble & veggies while the humans got nice seafood.
After dinner there was a stroll through town. Although the shops are now closed for the evening they are a little inviting for a return tomorrow. Hmm, sail up the Atlantic coast in perfect weather or a day of shopping. Which will it be? (Lois's editorial note: does anybody *really* think we will be sailing tomorrow? HAHAHA!)
We are working on putting our heads in cruising mode. Switching gears from "getting ready!" to "here we go!" takes some effort. The preparation stage is now past and it's time to relax into being one with the boat and the wind. If something was left at home, oh well, we will cope. How far we go each day doesn't matter as long as we are enjoying the time. Here is the joy of cruising.
Our first course is to head east on the Rappahannock River to Chesapeake Bay. At the Chesapeake we choose either to head to Onanock, Va then north up Chesapeake Bay or head south to Cape Charles, Va and the Atlantic Ocean. Either choice takes us closer to our destination and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our selection will depend on weather and whim.
After studying the weather forecast and tide tables it sounded like going north up the bay was going to be a hot trip (95deg) with little wind (3-5 kts), plus the timing of the tides wasn't going to help us get through the C&D Canal and down the Delaware River efficiently. We would want a rising tide to transit the canal and a falling tide to go down the Delaware Bay to the Atlantic. Waiting for the tide to turn would mean an overnight at Reedy Island, which is a muddy, buggy mess. Not good for dog walking or sleeping!
It didn't take much deliberation to decide on the southern route where it was forecast to be in the 80's and lovely winds. So we headed for Cape Charles, Va. It's a charming little seaside town with a nice city marina, great restaurants, and many fun little shops to browse.
What a perfect day of sailing! Blue skies, white fluffy clouds, just the right amount of wind and not many boats out. We travelled from our dock across the bay in only 6 hours with nothing but peaceful sailing to report.
We decided to eat at the marina restaurant that we enjoyed when we were here a couple years ago with friends, and it didn't disappoint. We ate on the patio so we could keep Shelby with us, and the staff brought her a big bowl of ice water. She was miffed to only get her usual bowl of kibble & veggies while the humans got nice seafood.
After dinner there was a stroll through town. Although the shops are now closed for the evening they are a little inviting for a return tomorrow. Hmm, sail up the Atlantic coast in perfect weather or a day of shopping. Which will it be? (Lois's editorial note: does anybody *really* think we will be sailing tomorrow? HAHAHA!)
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