Hampton Inn Norfolk-Naval Base

... to departure but the existing unit was still marginally functional and would perform essentially what was critical for our passage.

We departed the next morning, November 4, at 0703 hours. For Dave, the departure represented years of emotional longing to fulfill a dream. For Donna, it was finally the end of months of practical preparations to make sure we would be comfortable and not starve over the coming six months ...

... lost both rounds, boy were the other skaters really good. We watched the winners, and saw the prizes being handed out. There was 300 dollars first place, 150 second, and 50 dollars in third place. Everyone got something. The Volcom Marketer gave us a big Volcom sticker to put on our RV, which we neglectfully should have brought to the competition to hype up Josh. Next one, we're ...

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On October 5 we left this Mill Creek and headed for another Mill Creek near Solomons MD. Wind was NW 10-15. We tacked several times to get there, but it was a pleasant sail. Upwind work can be tiresome!

We left the Solomons area on October 6 to head for the Rhode River near Annapolis. It was a fantastic sail in 5-12 E . The code zero performed well, giving us 80% of true wind speed reaching, sometimes up to 100% in the lightest winds! The ...

... He loaned us money when we were tight, and fed us when we were broke, he did more for us in many ways that just a skateboard was not enough to say thank you Brandon Slater, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Amazing guy, and beyond mature for his age of just turning 22 years old. His twin brother, Aaron also celebrated his birthday with Brandon, and trying to keep him from being too reclusive in his computer world, which I ...

... We headed over the south tunnel then back via the north tunnel, flying the spinnaker for the run toward the Hampton Bay Bridge tunnel in winds up to 20 kts. Good thing we had Pete along to help douse the spinnaker which can be challenging in high winds!

During the remainder of the month, Dave replaced the suction and discharge filter housings on the watermaker. Apparently some air leakage prevented the watermaker from developing full pressure and ...

... visited a nearby marina and toured a custom boat named Chanty. A gorgeous piece of work. On September 11 we motored to the North River on Mobjack for a change of scenery, admiring the homes on the river bank including that of Chanty’s owner. The following day we returned to Willoughby Harbor Marina in light NW wind and flew our new secondary spinnaker. The color combination is quite wild but the sail flies well!

... By getting up at 5:30, I assumed that we would be “ahead” of the morning rush hour. Nope, it only put us in the middle of it. After clearing the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the small white spear of the Washington Monument disappeared in the rear view mirror. A mere 10 miles or so through Fairfax, Virginia took us the better part of an hour. Believe me to those Houstonians reading this….we ain’t got nuttin’ on DC’s ...

... Rappahannock Bridge. It was a relief to finally spot them as we always want to take a bridge at its center due to our mast height of over 70 feet. We had a nice long, slow sail south after exiting the Rappahannock, with the wind dying in the middle of the day then picking back up. We stopped at Bluewater Yacht Haven to take on 50 gallons of diesel fuel. This vacation week was just a prelude to the following days we would spend with Dave's family aboard.

... of-the-art, including chart plotters, portable remote autopilot controls (to steer the boat from anywhere on board), a new DSC VHF radio, and integrate it all with a computer. Galley: Stainless propane 4-burner range and oven/broiler, 110VAC microwave, and small appliances allow us to cook pretty much just like in a real home. A gas grill mounts to a fishing rod holder in the cockpit. We have two 12V refrigerator/freezers with ...

... had to motor all day and night long with temperatures dropping back below 45 degrees. At 1700 hours we started a 3-hour watch schedule. Since the boat is very happy with the operation of a single engine, we alternated engines with the watch schedule so that while people were bunking in the port aft cabin they weren't bothered by any port engine noise. Donna made sure that the crew was well fed and the guys even made ...