A Good Run On Our First Day

Deltaville to Great Bridge  |  9.3 Hours  |  61 Miles  

As we prepared to turn off the lights last night and get some sleep, neither Barry nor I could think of anything else that we needed to do. We were more than prepared for our morning departure. We awoke to the sound of rain on the cabin top, but the shower had moved through by the time Barry went out to disconnect the power cord at dawn's first light. I brought the docklines onboard and we were out of our slip right at 7:00. We left the festively decorated sailboat, symbolic of winter, in our wake and enjoyed one final look at the Stingray Point Lighthouse as we exited the marina. The temperature was pleasant with no need for multiple layers. The wind was calm and so was the water. These conditions were perfect for one thing ...

Fog! Pea soup fog had settled over the area. Channel markers remained hidden until we were nearly upon them. A barely-visible fishing boat followed us out of Broad Creek and into the Rappahannock River. A short time later, we made the turn south into the Chesapeake Bay. Again, the water was disturbed by nary a ripple. All things being equal, I'd choose warm and calm over visibility. 

On a few occasions the sun teased us with its veiled appearance before ultimately fading back into the haze. The neutral gray combination of sea and sky provided a perfect background for photos. The bright colors of my sweatshirt and flag really popped. The first four hours of our trip were comparable to a run on a treadmill. I knew we were making miles, but the scenery never changed. Shortly after crossing the Hampton Roads Tunnel, we were contacted over the radio by the cargo ship Seaspan Loncomilla which had left port and was headed to sea. We watched on our chart plotter as we passed each other on the beam.

Only a couple hundred yards away, all we saw was gray fog. What we should have seen was a bit more impressive. As we continued south on the Elizabeth River, the fog finally began to lift. (The water in the river was warmer than that in the Bay making for less favorable fog conditions.) Boats and cranes began to emerge from their gray cloak. 

As we approached Norfolk, the familiar sight of Navy ships returned. The Portsmouth Christmas tree stood over by the waterfront. The vibrant colors of the Welcome to Norfolk mural glowed at Waterside. We made quick passage through the commercial district and bridges. As we neared the Great Bridge Lock, a small, dreamy patch of fog hovered just above the water.

We timed the lock perfectly and pulled directly into the chamber for the 3:30 passage. The eight inch drop was drama-free and we exited with only a short wait for the 4:00 bridge opening. A newly-erected sign welcomed us to Chesapeake. We pulled into Atlantic Yacht Basin and filled Crossroads with diesel. At $3.65 a gallon, their price is the best in the area. (I'll let you do the math.) Interesting how the pump does not show your running dollar total. What you don't see doesn't hurt as much? Even with their high-speed pump, it took half an hour to fill our two tanks. Across the way, the still water displayed a perfect reflection of the Battlefield & Waterways History Foundation building where we elected to tie up at their free dock for the night. There is no electrical service, but it is warm enough that we'll be comfortable onboard while saving a few dollars.

A heavy rain began to fall as I prepared a comforting dinner of chili and cornbread to celebrate both the end of a good first day and New Year's Eve. I doubt we make it to midnight for the official celebration. Our plan is to get underway tomorrow at first light and knock out another big chunk of miles. Mother Nature will cast the deciding vote in the morning. We're hoping for no more fog. 

In response to my Mom's request, below are a few interior pictures of Crossroads while clean and ready to go. She is a very comfortable home away from home for the two of us.  

Time To Head South

Deltaville    

It seems like summer and fall were gone in a flash. The arrival of winter's chill, however, has reminded us that it is indeed time to head south in search of warmer temperatures and the natural beauty of The Bahamas. A few highlights of our time on land follow to catch you up from where I left off.

My much-needed haircut was Priority #1. After that, I spent the next week working in my yard. I missed the azalea and rhododendron blooms, but enjoyed the full flowering cascade of the rose bushes. Soon thereafter, I headed to Winston-Salem for a visit that included a family outing to Greensboro's Lake Brandt for some kayaking and paddle boarding. Rebekah returned to Virginia with me and stayed for a week. A highlight during that time was hiking to the top of Humpback Rock along the Blue Ridge Parkway ... 

... followed by a visit to Crabtree Falls. Deidre, Aunt B, and Uncle Bennett came up for a day cruise aboard Crossroads before taking Rebekah home. We had perfect weather and partook of a couple imported Bahamian refreshments along the way. My stargazer crop produced a very nice harvest by the end of June.

Barry and I traveled to New Jersey to celebrate a special birthday with Chris and Gina. A FUNN night was had by all when we met Michelle and Tom (and Nutzy) for a Flying Squirrels game. In between outside activities I painted Barry's office and the kitchen, giving our house a fresh and updated look. 

Barry continued with his marine electronics business, but made time to get his '65 Corvette on the road. He took it around the block a couple of times and I joined him for one lap. It is not to the point of being a daily driver just yet ... maybe next summer. Crossroads received an upgrade of two new chartplotters. Barry spent much time under the helm and in the engine room rewiring our freezer (to run off the inverter) and installing a charge controller for our new solar panels. We discovered we had a leaky muffler (its always something) and had to get that repaired. Crossroads was relegated to a dock queen and could not be moved for two months. I dropped the paddle board in the water and explored the creek at a slower pace. 

My two favorite canines made several visits to Camp Newland and we had tons of fun together. Many evenings were spent just watching the sun set from the flybridge. The Humpback Rock hike had made my bothersome knee even more painful. I did my research and visited Dr. Michael Wind on September 1. With no other option left, a total knee replacement was scheduled for October 7. I had one month to get my affairs in order. The biggest task was giving Crossroads a bath and a fresh waxing. Her mirror-like reflection was evidence of a job well done.

I also hit the gym trying to strengthen my legs before October 7. Barry and Glenda joined me on surgery day. I reported at 6:45 am and walked out of the outpatient facility by 1:00, already feeling better than when I hobbled into the building six hours earlier. Once home, I had the best rehab team I could dream of. Cooper cheered me on while I did leg extensions and Glenda made sure I did all of my exercises three times a day. I had goals and was determined to put in the work required to reach them. Barry departed on what turned into a  24-day delivery (thanks to Hurricane Nicole) of a trawler from Bradenton, FL, to Deltaville. I was cleared for normal activity less than two weeks post-surgery. In my absence from Crossroads, Sharon at Salt Canvas was busy recovering the cushions for the bench on the Portuguese bridge. It looks so good. My first solo outing was to UVA to watch a women's basketball game and get a current photo with CavMan.

I was fortunate to attend Seussical the Musical and see Elinor command the stage with an amazing singing and acting performance. I crushed my rehab goal and was stronger than ever to help Glenda load provisions onto Paradigm Shift. She, Greg, Jaxon and Cooper departed on Thanksgiving Day and we hope to meet up with them soon in The Bahamas. Barry finally returned home the day after Thanksgiving. Crossroads visited Zimmerman's Spa for a quick haul, power-washing, zinc replacement, and stabilizer adjustment. Back in the water, she was deemed ready to head south.

I returned to Winston-Salem for my family's traditional Christmas kick-off weekend. We all attended Candle Tea in Old Salem and were thankful that Aunt Wrenn was able to join us this year. It was all smiles at my final PT session with Caroline and Sarah. I am so grateful for their guidance and efforts in getting me back better than ever. Since late October, I had been purchasing canned goods and other nonperishable items for our trip south. Twenty-eight race bags later, I had everything moved onboard and out of our basement. Stowing everything took a few days, but I was pleased at how much I packed away out of sight. A little planning and investment upfront makes for a much more enjoyable and cost efficient trip.  

It was a privilege to photograph two of Tessa's ball games and capture some "real" basketball photos. She played tenacious defense in both games, but its her coast-to-coast driving layup that I'll remember most. After the games, Ian gave me a private trumpet performance. He's been playing for less than a year, but loves it and has already claimed first-chair. December was passing quickly and my To-Do list was still long. Several rounds of leaf gathering sandwiched my day of pruning the crape myrtles. Two pans of lasagna were prepared and frozen for quick ready-to-eat meals on our trip south. The commissary is full, but organized and inventoried. 

A fitting bookend to our land time was a final haircut with Anh Dai. She has taken care of me for 30 years and I'll try not to make too big a mess of things with my onboard trims. The weekend before Christmas was extra special as I got to meet up with Matt and Kirstin at Oscar's high school all star football game. Lunch with Rich was such a treat. I will always consider him my mentor and so much of my success has been built upon principles I learned while working with him for five years. Everything was coming together nicely and then Mother Nature decided to throw us a curveball. I made a quick run to Crossroads to adjust docklines, move fenders, and secure any loose items. The Bomb Cyclone roared through Deltaville with 100mph gusts and the temperature plummeted to single digits. We found ice on our heat pump exhaust and neighbor's docklines on our Christmas Eve return trip, but Crossroads was in good shape. We returned home to await Santa's arrival. On Christmas morning, we managed to finally take our holiday photo before heading to Mom's for Christmas #1.

During the change to frigid weather, Barry had come down with a nasty cough. He masked at mom's house, but opted to not travel to Winston-Salem that evening for Christmas #2. I spent three days with the family, and we all gathered and visited on multiple occasions. Two days ago I drove home and immediately took down all our Christmas decorations. Yesterday, we packed up the last round of necessities then visited with my mom for the final time to drop off my cacti at her house for safe keeping. From there we headed to The Rivah and met Fernando and Judy for dinner on the way to Crossroads. They will be departing in a couple of weeks and following in our wake to The Bahamas. This morning, I transferred all of my frozen food from storage in Glenda's freezer to our onboard freezer then made a run to Food Lion for final fruits, veggies, and deli meat. It was a beautiful day with weather defying the calendar. By noon the temperature soared to 63 -- 55 degrees warmer than my previous trip -- and I changed into summer attire. I reset our docklines to easy-exit travel position before enjoying some time on Fiberglass Beach with one of my new books. By 3:00 my car was parked and covered for winter storage. On our walk back to our slip, we shook our heads as we observed the buds in the Bradford pears that line the marina driveway. Today's weather may be wonderful and have all God's creatures thinking spring, but I know that harsh bite of winter will soon return. Barry and I are fortunate to have the opportunity to escape the "90 Days of February." I fear the Bradford pears will soon have their growth nipped in the bud.

So that's a not-so-brief update on the past seven months. We plan to castoff tomorrow morning at first light (6:30-ish) and start making our way south. My intent is to continue with this blog (which dates back to May 2018) on a daily basis, sharing the photos I take along the way with a few words to connect them all together. Please feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions. Thanks for following along.