Not The Longest Jaunt Of The Journey!

SHIP'S LOG:

I didn't move all that far today, just to the other side of the bridge at Great Bridge(0.5 miles) where the free dock is legal and open for business. I went through about 9am with 9 powerboats. The hung up between the bridge and the lock gate and I found myself on the wrong side of the channel. I had to carefully maneuver through them to get the the proper side and lash myself to the pilings. There is actually no "dock"just about 200 feet of pilings in front of a metal retaining wall. But it is a good spot, however it only has a 24 hour mooring rule in effect. Depending on the weather I will either move the ABISHAG off, go through the lock, lock through, turn around and come back for another day, or simply make the 10 mile journey to Mile Marker "O" at Hospital Point in Newport News and anchor there. If the weather is to be crappy, I'll do the ICW shuffle and end up right back here. If the weather for the next few days is OK, I'll head to Hospital Point.

Not much traffic passed by today and what there was was mostly powerboats. It was hot and humid and the storms predicted by you know who for the morning didn't materialize. Though they are getting better, the storm showed up in the afternoon. At helacious downpour that was over in 10 minutes and then the heat and humidity returned.

A couple of boats joined me on the wall and we all got together to shot the breeze - where are you from?; where are you going?; how was your trip, etc. etc. etc. It is always a fun way to spend some time and everyone played can you top this! Men talked about storms and dragging anchors and the like, the women about the more pleasant aspects of cruising.

Along this stretch of the waterway, most of the marks have big osprey nests built on them. Ospreys are very territorial and make a heck of terrible racket when you get to close, which is another reason to stay in the middle of the channel.

One of the local fellas was crabbing along the wall and offered me a dozen or so blue shell crabs. I had to turn him down as crabs and I don't get along well at all.

When I anchor at Hospital Point, I will be officially out of "The Ditch." For the first time in a long time, I will be able to sail and I will no longer have a channel in which I have to stay. Not surprisingly, it causes a bit of unease. I will no longer have the luxury of Mile Markers and closely spaced buoys. Then again, it will be good practice for the trip down the Delaware Bay and up the Jersey Coast. I am hoping that the Chesapeake will show her calmer side, certainly a better weather side than when I came down during October. I have alt least one more stop to make(in Annapolis) perhaps two but that should be it. I may not make it back by Memorial Day Weekend but certainly shortly thereafter. It is all up to the weather. Of course, the thought of depending on NOAA . . . . . . .