You Can Never Have Enough Light Houses: Up the Bay to Rock Hall, June 21, 2013

Our trip home was sped up, blown along if you will, by a change in the weather and a string of strong storm threats. Sadly, we abandoned our plan to explore the Outer Banks and headed for home- one tropical storm brought us to our senses. Besides, we missed our families.

Sailing Pamlico, Albemarle and behind Curritick sounds were classic: choppy, shallow water, strong winds and grey skies. We chose the Virgina Cut, complete with a Prime Rib dinner with sailing friends at Coinjock. Then it was a long day to Norfolk but weather improved and we looked forward to a few days of rest and great restaurants, provisioning and more exploring of this area. Mile zero was behinds us!

But, an eye on all of our weather apps warned us winds were picking up in time for docking in Norfolk, not exactly our best experience as winds howled inside the marina. By the time we settled in for the night it was apparent the best day in the next week was the next one, so with regrets we cancelled our slip commitment, left the dock at seven in the morning and made way to Deltaville. We made great time, riding the tide, and we were able to sail, our goal for the Chesapeake leg of this trip. However, making Deltaville meant hunkering down for three rough days of strong winds and rain. Once the initial storm blew out we still had two more days to wait for favorable tides and winds for the leg to Solomons Island which includes the mouth of the Potomac River, notorious for a mind of its own. One night in Solomon's and we were off for home port. Seas on the Bay ran three to five feet which simply meant we were tired when we reached home but we did manage to sail most of the Bay. June 21, 2013, seems like ages ago.

It didn't take long for us to need a road trip (or three.) We have visited grandkids and spent a few days in Lewes, DE. Sadly, the winds here have only been sailable on days we have made other commitments. The dog days of summer have set in but I'm sure we will find ways to take Promise out, especially with her new coat of wax and her Intercoastal mustache gone!  In the meantime, enjoy these scenes that welcomed us home to the Chesapeake and Rock Hall, Maryland.

Our Baltimre Light just north of the Bay Bridge.

Green Seven, we are getting close.



The infamous mustache from traveling the Intercoastal Waterway



Captains Log Recap: The great trip to home port, Miami to Rock Hall June 21, 2013

We know of several people following our blog  who are planning their own trip south in the near future, so I kept better notes on our trip home this spring to share. We left Dinner Key Marina at Coconut Grove, Miami, FL on May 8^th, and arrived back at our “home port” of Rock Hall, MD on June 21.  We’d waited several days after our land trip up to Washington, DC for a good weather window, and when it finally came we headed up the coast with plans to stop in Ft. Lauderdale or continue to Lake Worth Inlet if the weather allowed. As it was we picked up the Gulf Stream and even though there was not enough wind to fill our sails, we passed Lauderdale by lunch and were through Lake Worth in time to head to North Lake Worth for an anchorage, our only night on the hook for the trip. 

Most of you know that we are creatures of comfort; we’ve become marina hoppers so that we can plug in the AC and rest assured that if it blows or storms we’re safe and sound.

Well, here’s some details that some of you may be interested in:

Travel days total:                    44

Days we moved the boat        24

Statute miles covered (approx)          1245

Speed (avg.)                           7 mph/6.4 knots

Engine hours                           177

Diesel fuel (Gal)                                  227

Fuel Costs                               $870

Fuel consumption (gal/hr)       1.3

Marina fees ($1.50-2.50)        $4,000

Was it a great trip? Yes! But it’s good to be “home” too.