The Adventures of
the
Sterling Lady
6/92011 Continued.
Did I mention this part of the Dismal Swam is Man made and straight as an arrow??
Sometimes you would come to a fork in the road. Thank
God for GPS.
Because of bad planning on the Captains part (that's me) I did not remember the 9,11,1,and 3 openings on the Lock, so we sat here for an hour and a half, tied to the dolphins.
According to the sign in the dam, (lousy pic) we are 1,117 miles from Key Largo, home. and all it took us was one month and a whole pile of money to get this far!!
Another free dock, in the land between the lock and the lift bridge. Free is good.
There will be alot of pictures of today travels, most without comment, a they do speak for themselves. Enjoy.
We took the time to stop at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, which offers free docks with water, a musuem, and walking paths.
In this shot the briges to the museum across the canal is open.
Here it's closed.
Bushes along the canal where droping small pink shaped leaves off their floweres.
You can see the water here is very tanic and very dark, almost black.
After a few hours at the Visitor center, we filled the water tanks and headed out.
We are now in Virginia
Tonite we will stay at the (ya you guessed it) Free Docks, just before the last lock on the Dismal.
The Lady is secured to the dock, the Satilite TV is tuned in, the ice machine is on,and the honda generators are cooling down the aft cabin.
Life is Good.
6/12/2011
After we go thru the east side lock on the Dismal, we will be back in Saltwater and at sea level.
Robert, the Conch blowing lockmaster, has a very unique garden full of conch shells, floats, banana trees, etc, all items given to him from passing boaters.
In front of the Dismal Swamp marker, you will see a piece of coral rock we brought Robert from Key Largo.
Norfolk is a very commercial and large port.
Dry docks for ships. One empty, one full.
Down town Norfolk was having a festival with tall ships.
Lots of Navy ships, all guarded with machine guns.
At a $1.25 a foot, and right downtown, it was a no brainer to stay at the Hampton Public Pier Marina.
The Marina is near shopping, bars, and the Aviation and Space Museum, which is where we learned all about Boogers!
6/12/2011
The Chesapeak is one HUGE body of water!
TONITE we sleep at Deltaville Marina, and will for two nites.
Another Sailor who has surcum to the Dark Side!
A tornato picked this church and about 5 other houses to distroy in Deltaville.
Left Deltaville early on 6/14/2011, only to have seas build to a state we ran into Reedville, and stayed here for 3 days waiting the weather. Good news, it's only $20 a day, with electric and water!
Fishing is the only industry here, that's it.
The Town of Reedville was one street, lined with houses like this, and a museum.
The Museum was interesting, all about the Menhaden Fish, with as it happens, the town has the only Menhaden fish factory on the West Coast.
The docks were fixed and newer. Once we did the town tour,, there was NOTHING left to see or do.
That white fishing boat was in exellent condition, and was a livaboard.
After 3 long, long days in Reedville, we were off to Solomons with predicted 12 knot winds and 2 foot seas. Of course, they lied about that.
The Menhaden fish processing factory was in full swing this am.
6/16/2001
It's apparent Chesapeak Bay does NOT know what 2 foot seas are. It was a rought washboard today, but we made it to Solomons Maryland .
At Calvert Marina, slips are $1 a foot, and protected.
