On the move.

We're sailing!
We’re sailing!

After a long couple of weeks of waiting for weather, our boat is finally back on the move south.

We spent a lot more time than anticipated in the Chesapeake. First, we were waiting for some regular old wet-and-stormy weather to pass; then we were waiting for Hurricane Matthew to make up it’s mind; finally, we had to wait for the after-effects of the hurricane (combined with a wicked cold front) to pass through. It’s getting cold. We’re ready to go south.

Movie night, waiting for weather to pass.
Movie night, waiting for weather to pass.
Your tax dollars at work; passing the navy shipyards at Norfolk
Your tax dollars at work; passing the navy shipyards at Norfolk

Unfortunately, the south might not be ready for us. We’re not the only boat that was waiting on Matthew; lots of folks stayed north longer than expected, and the ones that were already south of us parked and waited. Now traffic following the Annapolis Boat Show is piling on, and on top of everything, the Dismal Swamp is closed due to flooding. That means everyone is headed for the Virginia Cut, and traffic is nuts.

Foggy morning in Back River
Foggy morning in Back River

We’re trying to slow down, to let things clear out a bit. We hear the Alligator Creek is jammed with debris, and we’d like to let it recover. We also hear Madison got some frost last night, and it makes the sunshine and sand we’ve come across feel that much sweeter.dscf0716

We absolutely do feel like we’ve entered a different landscape. We are approaching the Carolina lowlands–away from the Bay that felt more like the southern Great Lakes. We’re sad to say good-bye to the crabs (although we hear they’ll range a bit further south!) but are ready to find some shrimp.

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 These guys turned into nori rolls…

Mostly, we feel like we are once again turning a corner.

This is Shelly, T's hermit crab. It was his pet for about six hours; T decided he was too worried about her quality of life (and possible death), so he released her back into the bay
This is Shelly, T’s hermit crab. It was his pet for about six hours; T decided he was too worried about her quality of life (and possible death), so he released her back into the bay

This trip has naturally divided itself: first, Lake Michigan; next, the North Channel; Erie and the Erie Canal; The Hudson and New York City; Delaware and Chesapeake Bay. Each segment means applying skills to new conditions–tides, bridges, anchoring. While our current skills seem to involve Dealing with Crowds, we hope things will ease up in the Albermarle Sound. We’re looking forward to what the Carolinas will bring.dscf0719

 

6 Comments on “On the move.

  1. Glad to read that you’re all safe and secure after the storms rolled through.

    We were at the Boat Show last Sunday and had a lovely chat with Liza Copeland (and bought her books). We told her about the First 38 Meetup. 😀

  2. This is such a fantastic experience for you and the kids . They will never forget such a treat. Glad to know things are getting back to normal and you are fine. HUGS Hector

  3. We are SO ready to move with you. We’ve been in Hampton VA now for nearly two weeks, waiting for my eye to recover from detached retina surgury! (See http://www.sionnablog.wordpress.com if you missed that excitement!)
    But the delay allowed us to attend the Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous last weekend, and we’ve met a huge number of cruisers that we’ll no doubt see again as we continue south. Hope we meet up with you!

    • We may end up sitting in Beaufort, NC for a bit, dealing with an engine issue…so maybe we’ll see you there!

  4. Hi Seabirds!
    I love the way you document what you are up to. The pictures evoke a piece of how it feels to be you!
    Spoke to Rebeca yesterday for a time. Ashland, Oregon has turned cold and rainy, with snow above 5,000 feet.
    The Fall colors here are gorgeous.
    I know the Wi-Fi is hard to get at times for you.
    Please let me know you are receiving this if possible.
    You are in my thoughts so often! I have some of the Christmas pictures T and F in my room and office.
    Sending you all being hugs!!
    Aunt Bee

    • Thanks, Bee! We’re at a marina tonight, indulging in dock space for the first time in a month and a half, and it’s a wifi fiesta for the whole family, so we read you loud and clear–even as we hog the bandwidth with four updating Kindles.

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