An Historic Interlude

Saturday morning, the 24^th of October, we made an early morning departure from Deltaville, VA and sailed the 44 nautical miles down the bay to Hampton, VA.  With light winds, and a following tide, we were able to motor sail down in relative comfort and in good speed.  Temperatures on the water were in the high 50s, and we stayed bundled up in the cockpit, moving around as best we could to snuggle into the sun light. 

We pulled into Hampton Roads at about 3:30, and by 4:00 were tied up at the docks of the Downtown Hampton Public Piers.  We are using this location as a base to tour the region which is deep in American colonial, revolutionary and civil war history.  Keeping with the good fortune we’ve had to date on the cruise, we found that Hampton was using the weekend to re-enact the Revolutionary Battle of Hampton. This historic conflict was fought Oct 26–27, 1775. The Battle marked the beginning of revolutionary warfare outside of Massachusetts. Six months had passed since the battles of Lexington and Concord, but blood was not shed elsewhere until fighting started between Virginia patriots and forces aligned with Britain.  The British withdrew from the Hampton channel after stiff resistance from local militia, minutemen, and patriots on shore.  The loss of life in the battle was minimal, but the symbolism of the battle to Virginia was very significant, and helped solidify the resolve of Virginians for independence from England.

 

 

The re-enactment was performed by volunteer re-enactors that set up a camp in The Mill Point Park, two blocks from our slip.  We spent Sunday following the re-enactment and watching demonstrations of daily revolution camp life. We also caught up with a historic tour of Hampton that was conducted by historian, Michael Cobb, who is on staff with the Hampton History Museum.  We ended the day with a much greater understanding of Hampton’s rich history, and its place in American History.

 

In keeping with our Colonial History theme, on Monday we rented a car and set off for Jamestown and Williamsburg.  Our luck held again, when we arrived in Jamestown just in time to join an archeology tour that walked the current archeological digs and reviewed some of the research’s findings.  An onsite archeologist gave the tour, and it was very interesting.  We found that much of the history that we learned 50 years ago in grade school, is proving wrong.  The research is providing a much better understanding of early Jamestown life, and rewriting the history of early settlement in the Americas. 

                            This is the foundation of the church were Pocahontas married John Rolfe as excavated by the archeological dig.  The house is an example of what an original Jamestown structure would be within the fort, outlined by what looks like a pretty flimsy stick wall.  But I guess the settlers had guns and the natives did not!

We followed up the Jamestown tour with an afternoon in Williamsburg.  A long walk down Duke of Gloucester Street, past the Governor’s House, Courthouse, Capital, and Market Square occupied our afternoon.  The historic area is an interpretation of a colonial American city, with exhibits of dozens of restored or re-created buildings related to its colonial and tangential American Revolutionary War history.  In many ways we recognized the reconstruction was an idealized version of what the town once was.  But the fantasy world of colonial life was fun to immerse ourselves in, and the performance of the parks re-enactors was fun to watch. 

The colonial governors mansion.

 

The Capitol building.

 

 

Boat Yoga

In the cruising lifestyle there are really 3 different types of exercise.  A very common type is the upper body only lifting - glass to mouth, repeated multiple times daily.  Other cruisers are very dedicated to ensure that they get some aerobic activity daily to keep other muscles in shape.  We have tried to get an hour each day of walking or bike riding.  But unless you have a boat staff you cannot escape the boat Yoga.  As an explanation, boat yoga is the practice of core muscle exercises that occur when you are standing on one leg reaching over a hot engine to try to turn a lever that is 4 feet in front of you, climbing over your partner in a confined space just to get to the head, or my personal favorite is having to climb over the dingy lines to get under the dingy as it hangs off the back of the boat, just to  plug in the electric cable into the boats outlet.  We find that boat yoga is a pretty effective way to slowly recondition.  Climbing even the short ladders and up onto the upper areas of the boat, multiple times each day is more exercise then tapping the key board or reaching for the phone repeatedly as in our former life (the phone reach is at least replaced by the beer bottle reach).  So we are really please to say that not only are we finding the lifestyle more relaxing, but also very invigorating. 

We are closing out 2 days in another very rural Virginia community.  We have been in Deltaville, Virginia for the last 2 nights.  It is a lovely farming community rimmed by marina that line the bay and river.  We have spent our time reprovisioning, walking and even did some house cleaning - it took less then 40 minutes to clean 2 bathrooms and vacuum the entire inside of the boat.  Living Tiny!!!  We walked this morning to the local Maritime Museum.  They had 2 lovely gardens, including a wooded one filled with water bird sculptures. 

They also had a great model boat collection and a beautifully restored "Buy Boat" from 1924 which is actually on the National Register of Historic Places because it was one of the last boats where the hull was laid of actual logs rather then the more modern, milled wood planks.  She is a beautiful, graceful boat whose job was to go out to the Oyster boats and buy their harvest so that the Oystermen did not have to come back into port to sell their catch, wasting lots of time in the era prior to 240 horsepower engines.    Now that she is retired she looks like she could be anywhere gliding across the water with happy people on her decks.

Solomon Island

On Thursday we arrived in Solomon Island ahead of a Canadian cold front that moved down from the north. With a small craft advisory and cold nights in the forecast, Cece and I used Zanhiser's Yachting Center as a port of refuge waiting for the weather to clear.  Zanhiser's has been a comfortable port of call for us for a number of years now.  Just 27 months ago we were here on the night that our granddaughter Olivia was born. It is a well run marina, with good staff and wonderful facilities.

Over four days we used our time to walk, ride bikes, visit with family, enjoy sculpture gardens, and attend the National Oyster Shucking Championships held in St Mary's County, Maryland.  Shifting from moorings to the docks, we were able to access electricity that keeps our small space heater pumping out heat to combat the cold nights.  We were also able to attend to some of the small boat chores that serve as the backdrop to this lifestyle.  Time was spent making the obligatory trip to West Marine for more boat parts.

We joined my niece Lauren, nephew Brandon, his wife Hermaine, and two year old daughter Ellen for a day trip to the National Oyster Shucking Championships at the St. Mary's fairground.  The weekend event was a cross between a county fair and oyster roast.  Thousands of Southern Marylanders turn out for the event that includes seafood, crafts, and Oyster Shucking competition.  The highlight of our visit was watching the women's national finals with five women competing for a chance to represent the U.S. In the world championship's in Gallway Ireland (who knew).  Watching these women tear through 24 oysters for the best time was memorable.  There final score is based on a combination of time and quality, with penalties for cut oysters, chipped shells, improperly cut muscles.  

Another highlight of the visit was a bike ride to AnnMarie Sculpture Garden.  An extraordinary landscape filled with outdoor sculpture, many on loan from the National Gallery of Art or the Smithsonian Hirshhorn.  A beautiful forested walk highlights the amazing art.

Cece and I are beginning to settle into a different rhythm of life.  Traffic, stop lights, television are not a part of our daily lives.  Replaced, instead by boat chores, pumping out, filling water tanks, and spending hours over charts and weather maps.  It's looking good so far.

We depart again tomorrow, working our way towards warmer weather.  We hope anyway.

Heading South

With 30 degree nights in the forecast, we finally cast off our dock lines and have set our course south. 

The last three weeks have been consumed with preparation for the cruise.  Thanks to the assistance and support of family and friends, Second Wind and her crew are ready. 

Our departure from the Magothy River was celebrated by two natives in kayaks who paddled out, with the rising sun, to toss native made lei onto the decks of Second Wind for good luck.  John and Bobby, dear friends, blessed the start of the journey with their warm well wishes and gifts.  Cece and I spent the day wearing the lei and enjoying a smile.  Even now they hang from the mast step as good luck charms.

The first days run began in a morning light so bright that we were blinded to the mileage marker buoy that was hidden amongst the sparkle of an early fall sun on the water...Bang !  What was that.  Cece was really glad that Bob was at the helm.   But no apparent harm done and the rest of the day was beautiful, crisp, mild temps and following seas that pushed us into a delightful area south of Annapolis called North Beach.  It is wonderful traveling off season on the bay when you have virtually any place to yourself.  We occupied ourselves by taking a 3 mil walk around the marina looking at all the boats snugged up in their slips, either because of the threat of last weeks hurricane or already winterized for the end of the season.  A few looked tired, a few looked odd, and many of them looked liked somethings only in our dreams.

We left North Beach again to brilliant sunshine creating a glistening path to navigate as we head eastward to get back to the bay.  BANG!  What was that!  This time Cece at the helm hit a crab pot.  Luckily, again no harm done, but I think we'll sleep in tomorrow and let the sun do its dancing while we sit safely in the harbor, not wanting to tempt strike 3!  Happily we have stopped for the night in one of our favorite towns, Solomon Island, Maryland.  Something like a small Maine seatown only with nicer weather and a longer sailing season.