Jan 2nd and we are off and heading south. Yesterday there was no wind so we decided to better store all the provisions on the boat, make a couple last trips to the house, get a good night's rest onboard and head out this morning. A good decision as the sun was out most of the day heating our enclosed cockpit and the wind was 15-20kts from the north blowing us down the bay to Norfolk.
It was still a chilly morning, 36 degrees, but comfortable in the cockpit.
It was a quick trip down the bay with 20kts of tailwind and we were soon passing Old Point Comfort lighthouse at Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA.
For awhile we had 3-4ft seas rolling us back and forth as we sailed downwind, but once in the lee of the Hampton peninsula the wind and waves eased and it was a pleasant passage. Rivah finally left her secure bed down below and joined us in the cockpit once the rolling was down.
We've got plenty of photos of Navy ships, but it's always an impressive sight to pass by the aircraft carrier piers. Pier 14L, the far left spot, is where the USS Theodore Roosevelt, my ship, used to normally park.
Not very much action around the Navy piers on 2 Jan, didn't even see the security patrol boats.
An amphib carrier with a Harrier jet on the bow. Sitting next to the main carrier piers.
There's lots of maritime sights in Norfolk, the main East Coast Navy base. Down the Elizabeth River we pass by the Nauticus Maritime Museum where the battleship Wisconsin is moored. Between the pier and the Wisconsin sits the schooner Virginia.
Passing the downtown Norfolk waterfront with its marina and restaurants.
This is the official mile 0 of the Intra Coastal Waterway, which extends from here to Key West, FL, over 1000miles. We'll take the ICW at least to South Carolina, avoiding passing offshore around Cape Hatteras, the 3rd most dangerous waters on the planet (after Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope).
Two sailboats sank off Cape Hatteras this November in different storms. I'll pass on that option.
We had to wait about 10 mins at the Gilmerton Bridge for a train to pass, a very long coal train heading back to West Virginia - but, that was a lot shorter than some of the waits we've had before.
With the quick trip down, we were at the Great Bridge Lock for the 3pm opening. Blue skies and sun were preferable to the rain yesterday afternoon. Still it was brisk in the breeze.
Through the lock and on to the Great Bridge bridge. We'll stop for the night just after the bridge at Atlantic Yacht Basin. Top off the diesel fuel tank with fuel to take us to South Carolina.
We plug into shore power at the marina so we can run the onboard heater (runs off 110v power) and plug in the electric blanket. Will be a comfortable night with little wind. Tomorrow its on to Coinjock.
