On the Road Again...

We've just completed our first 24 hours away from the slip. Aside from a brief run out the Severn River earlier this week to test the systems on the boat, This is our first real outing since we returned in June and put the boat up in the boatyard for the summer. We left the slip last night and anchored close to the marina. The tide was to be pretty low when we'd want to leave today, so we moved early to avoid any stress over the possibility of running aground at the very beginning of our travels.

A beautiful sunset provided a good omen for the beginning of the trip.

Perhaps it's at least partly an age thing, but I'm amazed at how much of the normal routine tasks related to cruising that I'd forgotten. I had to sit and think about all such tasks to be sure that little things like the anchor light and anchor alarm are turned on. I also had to spend a few minutes with the GPS to remember how its various functions are performed.

The cruise ship at dock prior to its impressive departure.

But in spite of my forgetfulness, it seems that our first day of travel went smoothly. We are now anchored securely at Hospital Point on the Elizabeth River across from downtown Norfolk. A cruise ship was docked across the river from us and provided us with some music while we relaxed after securing the boat. A bit later the ship left its berth. What an impressive demonstration of control! I complain at times about controlling our 35 foot boat in tight areas. This ship, perhaps 900 feet long, did a 180 degree turn in the river where there was probably not more than 1200 feet available, and this was done without the assistance of a tug – just bow and stern thrusters.

In some ways, it seems that the run into the Elizabeth River from the Chesapeake Bay is as impressive and more challenging than NY Harbor. As I've probably reported in the past, rather than tall buildings and the Statue of Liberty, we get up close and personal with ships from the Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The area is full of pleasure craft as well as an occasional cargo ship or tug pushing a barge. Once in the river, one must be alert for ships or tugs that pull out from a dock and are suddenly in the channel. Our AIS system provides us with a bit of early warning for such encounters. Ships, tugs and some pleasure craft send out an AIS signal that I can pick up. This signal tells me among other things the craft's course and speed and how close it will come to our boat if neither changes course. AIS doesn't help us locate Navel vessels.  They don't send such signals as you might expect, since they are not interested in broadcasting their position or course.

Since this is our fifth trip south, it has become a part of our lifestyle. When September rolls into October, I begin looking at the boats arriving at the marina. Are they heading south? As the weather cools, we begin to get more focused at preparing for travel. We've spent the past week getting all the details taken care of. Sandra does the provisioning and does a VERY thorough job. I never am concerned about having food to eat. I'm responsible for the mechanical aspects of the boat and the acquiring of spare parts that might be needed. Then we go to our storage unit and pull out anything we think we'll need and try to eliminate all that isn't really necessary. This year, for example, we've decided not to take the kayaks with us. We just don't seem to use them much during the winter, and they take up a lot of space on the bow of the boat. As we relax after one day of travel, it would seem that we did a good job. So far nothing appears to be missing that we really need.

This fifth trip will take us over familiar territory. Prior to leaving, we had some fun sharing thoughts and stories with Bill and Ruth who will be making the trip for the first time on their trawler Ware Two. We spent so long quizzing others about cruising south, it actually felt good to now be sharing a bit of information with others after many shared their experiences to help us.

Of course, this is only after Day #1. We may feel a bit less confident after we've been traveling for a while. But I'll report on it all in future blogs covering our travels.

Captain Bob

Carpe Diem