Swamp

 Relief! Not sure if Ian is going to amount to anything, but if it does, I am in a super safe spot, the entrance to the Dismal Swamp Canal. There is a lock at either end of the canal, which raises you about 5 feet and removes the tide from the equation. I went thru that first lock and tied up at a free public bulkhead. A supermarket and other stores are a block or two away. Emily is behind me, but close, and might make the last locking in about 15 minutes time. If not, she'll have to anchor for the night and come thru in the morning.

After leaving Deltaville we had some really awesome sailing, but found out that White Seal is much faster than Teal, Emily's boat. Nothing wrong with Teal, but length generally translates into speed. Also, a heavier boat can punch thru the chop more effectively than a lighter one. And when the wind came around from the southwest, Emily suggested we go up the York River for the night. It had become evident that we would be making a nighttime entrance into Hampton Roads and that was a scary thought. So, we spent the night anchored in Poquoson Creek off the York River. Got up early yesterday morning and ran down the York, and then clawed our way against the tide down the Bay. I got within about a mile and watched my speed drop to near zero, along with the wind. Taking the easy way out, I hit the starter button on the diesel and motored into Hampton. A quick run up the creek and I was able to top off the diesel. Unfortunately, the anchorage nearby was full so I went back out to Old Point Comfort to use the anchorage there. Talking to Emily on the phone, I learned that she was about a mile away and unable to make progress against the ebb. We talked about the possibility of my towing her, but given the conditions we decided not to. Not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but Teal has an electric motor with very limited power and range. So I anchored and was able to decompress a bit. After a couple of hours the ebb lessened, and Emily was able to sail right in and anchor. I felt a bit of a fraud, having caved in earlier and starting the diesel.

And then, today! I described in an earlier post, the madness around the Statue of Liberty in NYC. Norfolk is like that, squared. Only instead of annoying jetskiis, you are contending with aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and containerships. Crazy! For about 20 miles! So glad to be where I am now.

Best, Charlie