Friday, October 18
South Lake, North Carolina

We did leave Annapolis on Monday, wake up call 6:45 a.m., and Bill didn’t like our Greece trip because he had to have suitcases out the door sometimes by 6:30. It is still very cool but we comfortably make the 7 a.m. bridge at spa creek. Gorgeous sunrise, very red and beautiful but usually doesn’t mean “red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning sailor take warning” here since we have had so many beautiful sunrises with lovely days to follow. We make a right turn in the Chesapeake and travel on calm seas, light winds and warming temps. We anchor off Solomon’s Island in Back Creek still in Maryland, and have a late lunch. Worked on my computer to navigate and was able to establish a route on my computer and transfer it to Bill’s GPS in the cockpit. Of course, he rarely followed the route but admitted that the GPS was a fine, fine, tool. Amazing.

Next morning, alarm rings at 6:30!!! A somewhat grey day with small waves. Out of sorts a little since we travel all day and don’t anchor in Jackson Creek, Deltaville, Virginia, on the West shore of the Piankatank River til 3:30. Oh, the names of the places we are starting to visit seem right out of Tennessee Williams.
I am truly grateful for the ear plugs I got before we left, it helps reduce the engine noise and right now it seems difficult for me, but not for Bill, to read or do needlework while under way. I hope that will change.

Great sleeping weather but once again the alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m.- are we having fun yet? But the trip today was
quite interesting since we are heading toward Newport News and Norfolk, Va. First we were entranced by a pod of dolphins taking a little stroll near us. Of course I got so excited that I couldn’t get the camera out in time.

Then while listening on the radio we heard ships with names like “Warship 97” instead of “Coal Burns” “Frog Prince”, “Asylum” or “Dream Catcher”, etc. We saw about 8 aircraft carriers being worked on or possibly in mothballs and many other ships of the navy. Constant surveillance by navy personnel in little, very fast, boats going around the harbor. Also, very interesting to note how many women were communicating on the radio while entering and leaving port. We even heard women being referred to as “captain”. We found a small harbor for the night to make an easy run to the “Virginia Cut”, mile 0 of the ICW (the cut is part of the waterway highway from Norfolk to Miami).

I guess I don’t have to mention the alarm wakeup call, you all get the picture and today we have to go through several bridges and a lock so Bill, of course, wants to be in the first group and so we were. There were 8 sailboats of various sizes and 7 power boats jockeying around the first bridge that opens at 8:30. We got close enough to pass the mustard but nobody even touched (of course several of the bigger boats had bow thrusters to help them - this means being able to shoot out water from either side of the boat instead of just relying on the motor for increased maneuverability , don’t worry no tests are involved). We traveled with this group through all the bridges and the lock and even tied up at a dock, in Coinjock, North Carolina, with some of them.

I’m writing this now anchored in South Lake, North Carolina waiting for some “interesting” weather to pass us by. We thought we would be all alone for the night but another sailboat has sought shelter here as well. The strange thing is that with our dinghy tied up on the boat and their’s as well we will spend the stormy night together but without communication. Of course, it is still a comfort to have someone nearby since we are without cell phone or computer connection in this somewhat isolated spot. I’ve challenged Bill to a game of Scrabble. No side bets please.