We left Great Bridge, VA on Monday morning - the forecast was a little gloomy, so our goal was to get to Norfolk (12 miles) and hunker down. The 12 miles we cruised included 3 bridges and a lock - so it took almost 2 1/2 hours as everything had to be timed. We caught the 10am opening at Great Bridge and then tied up in Portsmouth, VA (right across the river from Norfolk) at about 12:30 p.m.
 |
| The "Great Bridge" - we docked Sunday night in view of this bridge. |
 |
| Right after Great Bridge, we went into the Great Bridge lock - we lowered about 3 feet before we continued on our way. |
So Monday was basically me working away at the dock - and Paul and I did have a nice walk around historic Portsmouth, VA - an interesting place!
On Tuesday morning, we untied at 6:50 AM and headed toward the Chesapeake Bay . . .
 |
| Sunrise over Norfolk from Master Plan's stern |
 |
| Big ship coming into Norfolk |
 | |
| From the Captain's perch - the large ship passing by. |
We headed up the Chesapeake without incident until about 2:30 p.m. - we were making good time and all was smooth . . . then a storm blew across and after that, the seas kicked up and it became a bit "snotty" as they say.
 |
| We could see the storm North of us blowing across. |
 |
| The purple on the radar is the pouring rain north of us - in the middle of the picture is a black dot - which represents Master Plan - we did get some rain, but we missed most of the hard stuff. What really affected us were the rougher seas caused after the storm blew through . . . |
 |
| In the distance is a large ship heading into the weather . . . |
So - our tiny ship was a little tossed around, but fortunately, we were heading into it, so it was rough, but not too crazy. Our plan had been to stop at Solomon's Island - but in order to do that, we would have had to turn the boat and then be in a beam sea (which basically means rocking side to side - not good) - so we looked at the charts and started heading Northeast into the wind and made a plan to get into a protected place. We found the Hunga River - near Hoopersville, MD (near Salisbury - quite remote) - and found a place pretty much surrounded by land where we could anchor and be protected. By 6:30pm, we were anchored in much calmer seas and were pretty wiped out. It felt good to not be rocked around and be relatively stable. All good - we cooked dinner, watched TV, and went to bed.
This morning, we saw a weather window and picked up the anchor (which was quite settled into some thick clay) and headed across the Chesapeake to our original destination - Solomon's Island. What a different day - the seas were quite calm - but we knew we had to use our time wisely, as a small craft advisory was in affect as of 1pm. So - off we went and we pulled into the marina at about 10:30 AM and settled in here. The marina is fantastic - great facilities, great wifi (good for RLC Events) and the people here were super friendly. Just what we needed! I spent most of the day at the computer and on the phone, and Paul hit West Marine and the grocery store. He also enjoyed a much deserved nap after yesterday . . .
Tonight - we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and had a wonderful dinner at the marina restaurant. We would definitely come back here - a great spot.
 |
| Sunset on Solomon's Island from Master Plan's Bow |
 |
| A mallard duck works his way across the channel - beautiful. |
 |
| Another shot of sunset - so pretty . . . |
The weather looks good for tomorrow, so we'll head out in the morning and take it from there - as always, we promise to keep you posted!
Cheers from Master Plan - with love, Jen & Paul
Today's Quote:
What the heart gives away is never gone. It is kept in the hearts of others. -Robin St. John
No comments:
Post a Comment