After being holed up in Solomons waiting for the gale to blow through and the high water to recede, we were ready to move out and move on. Getting to the bottom of the Chesapeake, and entering the ICW proper, was our agenda.
October 31 – November 1, 2021
Location
Days 20 – 21
We had stayed one “extra” day in Solomons. The gale had pulled away the day before and a lot of folks had headed out, thinking conditions would be OK. We had scratched our heads, assessed the finer points in the forecast, and concluded that with breeze still fresh out of the south, the bay could use another 24 hours to lie down. This decision proved correct, as the boats that had left the day before all scurried for cover in whatever creek was available not long after getting under way. The bay was, as we suspected, still rather gnarly.
Continue reading On The Move Again: The Southern Chesapeake Bay →
An exercise in patience and humility.
Day 24, November 7, 2018
In reality, “it” is a seven-to-eight month adventure cruise down the eastern seaboard to Key West, and back up again, maybe including a side-trip to the Bahamas. But in many ways “it” is defined as a trip down (and up) the “AICW”, or Atlantic IntraCoastal Waterway. The official start of the “ICW” (for short) is mile zero at “R36” just near the Tidewater Yacht Marina we stayed in. Continue reading This Is “It”: The ICW, Day One →
The end of Cruise Phase I, the beginning of Cruise Phase II
Days 22 – 23, November 5-6
The clear skies from our run yesterday from Solomons Island, MD to Portsmouth, VA had blown offshore, and we woke to a rainy and blustery day in Portsmouth, across the river from Norfolk. Thanks to the weather, with winds forecast yet again to hit 30 knots, it was likely we were going to be here for a couple of days.
We were at Tidewater Yacht Marina. This would be the first place on our cruise where there was a real critical mass of boats headed into the ICW on the trip south. Some of them we had run into and/or communicated with in previous days and weeks as we all meandered our way down Long Island Sound, the Jersey Shore and the Chesapeake, fighting our own personal battles with the Weather Devil. It was a fun, diverse conglomerate of folks and boats and we took good advantage of the opportunity to get to know each other and compare notes and plans. Continue reading Portsmouth, VA: Norfolk’s Second Cousin →
With plans to spend more time on the Bay in the spring.
Day 20, November 4
We enjoyed our time in the Chesapeake, and leaving as we did, without spending more time and visiting more destinations, left us both feeling a bit let down. How did this happen?
In a word: weather.
This has been a tough first three weeks of our cruise. First, we were bashed to death by westerly gales in Long Island Sound. New Jersey gave us a surprise break with a fair window to get down the coast and up the Delaware, but the Weather Devil assaulted us again in the Chesapeake. The pattern of Small Craft Advisories and Gales called the shots with respect to where we went, and even if we went anywhere at all. It also kept us in protected marinas instead of remote coves. We couldn’t find any rhythm to our trip, and our expectations were tossed in the trash bin. Continue reading Leaving The Chesapeake – Prematurely →
All things fun (and tasty) in the life of the Beards
BruceBeard.com 