Home in Hock Hall: May 30, 2012

Sometimes goals are good, or goals can be just something you get done. So it was with our trip home. While in Beaufort, news of the development of Tropical Storm Alberto coupled with the forecast for winds and persist ant rains forced us to make a conscious decision to "get home." If we could avoid the holiday traffic that would erupt on the Bay by Saturday, we would be happier.

This was the view from our dock in Norfolk
as the Navy brought a ship into dry dock.
They spun the ship 260 right in front of us using two tugs.

Bow thruster repaired, we left Beaufort on Sunday, May 20, and we attempted five very long sailing days. Mission accomplished: we spent one  night each in Dowry Creek, Coinjock; two nights in Norfolk, VA,; a single night to sleep at Deltaville. Our final day on the water was Friday, May 25, when we sailed up the rest of the bay into our slip at Osprey Point. Docking, 8:30 at night. Ours on the water, 14. Goal met, we were home before the summer invasion on the bay. Total distance traveled this year, almost 3,000 miles.



The Staten Island Ferry, John F. Kennedy
on it's way to drydock in Norfolk on the Elizabeth River.
A sight for sore eyes in the wrong place!

How does it feel? Bitter sweet. If we couldn't spend more leisure time sightseeing right now, it was time to return to Maryland. We missed our children and their families so the summer break will be good for us. It is time to pull the boat out of the water, shed our ICW mustache and have the bottom painted. We will travel, by land this month, and catch up with friends for the next few weeks.

This is not good-bye to the blog. Rick has reflections to share and information for other cruisers still on the water. So please visit us again this summer as we plan for our fall chapter!