Day 1

November 7, 2014, 7:00AM. Fishing Bay, Piankatank River: Winds west 5-10 knots. 38 degrees. No rain. (That was yesterday - rained all day - decided to wait that one out.) We left Fishing Bay at 7:39 AM as the sun created a brilliant stage for our day. The full moon had just set in the west and common loons were calling near our slip. We left the bay, rounded Stove Point and motor-sailed southward past Gwynn Island to make our offing into the Chesapeake Bay. Winds picked up to 15-20 gusting to 30 out of the west. Perfect beam reach with mizzen and furled headsail. For you poor landlubbers, the mizzen is a sail flown from a mast stepped in the stern of the boat – one of two masts on our boat - the other being the main mast stepped at mid-ships (middle). That makes Flicka a ketch rigged boat – actually because the mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post – otherwise she would be a yawl – the mast would be stepped aft (behind) the rudder post. (I know that you are thinking – why is he telling us all this stuff – but suck it up and learn something.)

The headsail is flown from the forestay – on the bow of the boat. There are different kinds of headsails. Ours is a genoa. More on that later. A beam reach, the fastest point of sail, is when the wind is hitting the boat at a perpendicular angle. That would be 90 degrees. Today we sailed south on a starboard tack. That means the wind was hitting Flicka on the right side – starboard side – the left side being port.

So we sailed south – actually motor sailed because winds were variable and we wanted to make Norfolk before dark. We have never done this stuff and we were reticent to sail into downtown Norfolk in the dark. We have guide books telling us where to anchor, etc. – but that’s just words on a page. Norfolk is home to a very large naval base and lots on commercial boating - very big - I repeat - very big boats – tankers, container ships, barges, tug boats, etc.

We had a fast trip down the Bay, past the entrance to Mobjack Bay and the York River – both potential bailing out places with safe anchorages (refuges for the night). But undaunted (substitute stupidly) on we pressed. It was unsettling not to know what we would encounter ahead – but isn’t life like that generally?

We sailed south past Hampton and turned west toward the entrance to Hampton Roads. The wind on our nose slowed Flicka down considerably and we begin to seriously doubt whether it was a good idea to make Norfolk before dark, but we were running out of bail out options. To make matters more frightening (and awe inspiring) a submarine escorted by two Navy gun boats exited Hampton Roads at the same time we were trying to occupy that space. After going below to clean my pants and have a drink (or two) I decided that we had just as much goddamn right to that real estate as the goddamn United States Navy. Emily had other ideas and prevailed as usual.  We dutifully moved to the side and happily sailed past the sub - and saluted. The gun boat sailors seemed to take no notice. That really pissed me off! The sub kicked up quite a wake and, traveling at probably 20 knots, was gone in a flash.

We sailed through Hampton Roads ( above the Hampton Tunnel you have all traveled through) and turned south into the approaches to Norfolk Harbor – then rounded Sewell’s Point where the Norfolk Naval Station happens to occupy a very large territory with lots of big boats, including air craft carriers, destroyers, etc. Onward we sailed past these impressive boats. Suddenly closing fast on our stern appeared a super big naval vessel – a destroyer I think – bearing down. We pulled an Emily and got out of the way quickly. Three super large tugs came out of nowhere and subsequently we were treated to a remarkable sight as the tugs pushed and pulled the destroyer into a dockage. A remarkable experience indeed. We were probably 200 yards away (a front row seat).

By this time the sun was on the horizon, but on we sailed on, right down through the city of Norfolk (actually Norfolk on the left and Portsmouth on the right) dodging immense barges and tugs and ultimately finding our anchorage right as the sun made its getaway and the Norfolk city lights came to life. We were anchored right off the main channel within a quarter mile of the battleship Wisconsin, now a museum and featured attraction in Norfolk. WHAT A DAY! It pretty much did us in. Straight to bed with visions of sugar plums and the waiting Dismal Swamp Canal portion of the ICW scheduled for tomorrow.

Stay tuned to more exciting adventures. We  have been busy managing Flicka. I'll get some pictures going here soon.

Steve and Emily