#46 Norfolk!!

Norfolk! Holy moly, we made it. (We’ll have an update about the area later. We just pulled into the slip a few hours ago and will have a lot to report on. Like, we’re parked next to a 210 foot carbon fiber sailboat that is gorgeous. We are here for the AGLCA rendezvous where we hope to pick up ideas and pointers for the next part of the trip and to meet fellow Loopers.) Significantly for now, this is roughly the halfway point of this journey we are on. What a milestone for us. It is pretty much impossible to describe how it feels. A sense of accomplishment, definitely, but also for me, a sense that the second half is a downhill glide home. I am no longer much worried about breakdowns, shallow water, other boats, finding a slip for the night, getting the anchor to set, crab pots, rain and wind, all that “stuff” that, in the back of my mind, I have been concerned about most of the time. We’ve now been through somewhere around 3500 miles with this boat in every weather and condition and have overcome every damn thing that needed to be overcome. From here on out, there is just not that much to worry about that hasn’t already happened. Oh, sure, stuff can still happen, but it has happened, we dealt with it, and knowing that has taken away most of my concern. That’s a pretty nice feeling. It’s not that we’ll be less cautious or do less planning, but as of now, bring it on. Been there, done that.

Halfway does brings an introspective feeling; thinking about this voyage ending. I look at interstate bridges packed with traffic as we pass underneath them at a calm ten miles per hour and think “do I really want to re-enter that world?” We’ve discovered that coming in by boat and riding around on scooters is a much more personal way to visit an area, and way more enjoyable than by car. I miss part of that world, sure, my greenway, the library, theater, the mountains, the people at home, the things we haven’t been able to do lately. But man, even though I miss some of it, it sure is nice to “drop out” for a while!

Two other thoughts come to mind about reaching this halfway point. People say this is the adventure of a lifetime. Well, going in I was skeptical about that. I’ve already had a couple “adventures of a lifetime”, and unquestionably, they were just that. But this trip is holding up pretty well in comparison. The amount of variety and the new experiences are just amazing, the challenges stimulating, the scenery and sunsets, wow. As adventures of a lifetime go, it’s looking good. Can’t believe how all this somehow managed to happen to me.

The second thought is, the teamwork that has developed between Cheryl and I has been extremely satisfying. We handle this boat like an old shoe, it’s comfortable and we know just how it’s going to fit. Just the other day we slid it into a space between boats, again, with just a few feet to spare on each end. Didn’t even worry about it, just compensated for the current and wind and did it. Together we are one heck of a boat crew. That building of teamwork, when we obviously already got along well, was unforeseen, but is really cool. We’re ready to step up our game, if you have a 100 footer that needs delivered to the islands, give us a call.

Twelve hundred and thirty six miles!

Ok, more about Norfolk soon, but here is an earlier post that would have come earlier but I just never had a chance to get it up. We had a great couple of days in Beaufort, NC and then in Belhaven, and the rivers and sounds in between there and here. Our last stop before Norfolk was Atlantic Yacht Basin Marina, in Chesapeake VA.

Pyrates!

In June 1718, a fleet of four pirate sailing vessels, under the overall command of the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach), attempted to sail into the then named Topsail Inlet (now Beaufort Inlet). One of the vessels was the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge. There were also three sloops, Adventure, Revenge, and a small Spanish sloop previously captured by the pirates near Havana.

The three sloops successfully sailed through the inlet, but the much larger ship Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground on a sandbar, on the shoals outside the inlet. Blackbeard ordered the captain of the sloop Adventure to sail back into the ocean and assist, but it also then ran aground at about a “gun-shot” distance from the ship. Both vessels were abandoned. Blackbeard took the small Spanish sloop, eight guns, forty white and sixty black men, and sailed away. He abandoned some of the other pirates onshore, on what is now Bogue Banks, where they would have perished if they had not been taken on board Revenge, whose captain was the pirate Stede Bonnet.

Blackbeard was killed not long after, in November, in a ferocious fight with troops sent by the Virginia governor when Blackbeard resumed pirating after signing a pardon agreement. Blackbeard’s reputation as a fearsome pirate in history, books and film is prodigious. But in fact, the evidence seems to show that he was the master of intimidation, building up his reputation with stories but never actually using excessive violence or harming any one who surrendered. Along with carrying six pistols on his chest and two swords, he would put burning cannon wicks in his beard to smoke and spit sparks during a raid, scaring his opponents into surrender. It worked; today his reputation and name are the most recognized of the pyrates of old.

In 1996 a research firm found the wreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge. The wreck is only about a mile offshore. While in Beaufort we toured the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which has a roomful of artifacts pulled from the wreck, including the cannon in the photos. As someone who has read every pirate history book I can find, and seen “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Black Sails” (best pirate TV show ever) more than once, I had to visit. It was great.

As I write we are now only 15 miles from Norfolk. Along the way here we had another day of high wind, but by leaving at first light when it’s calm we got to our marina in Belhaven before the seas picked up. However, it was blowing like stink (which you may remember is a technical sailing term that means “way too freaking much”). Belhaven was a great stop, but to get in I had to come into a very narrow lane between wooden docks, spin the boat around with literally two feet to spare on each end, and get it up to the side tie dock right in front of another boat, all while getting blown towards that boat every second. Kinda like sliding into a parallel parking spot with your car, on ice, on a slope, at 30 miles per hour. Belhaven is a one stop-light town, population only about 1800, and very neat to walk around and look at the houses. Then we headed north on the Alligator River and then into the Alligator canal, which is another amazing engineering feat. Completed in 1935 it connects the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. Miles and miles and miles of protected wetlands, where we saw bald eagle after bald eagle. If the top predator is visible in healthy numbers, that means everything down the food chain is also healthy. Good to see. As we got to Albemarle sound we intended to anchor for the night and cross early the next morning before the seas had a chance to build, but another boat (thanks Gemini!) radioed from out in the sound and said it was as flat as he’d ever seen it. So we hit the gas and crossed a flat sound and anchored just on the other side. This is just one example of how the folks we meet pass on information and advice along the way. We try to do the same by passing on what we learn to anyone who might use the information. The next morning we transited the Coinjock Cut, a five mile long canal completed in 1859. Both are still used by commercial and pleasure traffic.

I was using my phone as we crossed the Albemarle Sound, taking that ability for granted, and got to thinking about Bernard Moitessier. Old Bernard was a sailing legend. In 1968 he entered the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a sailing race around the world, singlehanded. He won. But as he put it, “because I am happy at sea and perhaps to save my soul”, he forfeited the win and went 3/4 of the way around the world again, finally landing in Tahiti where he took a wife. His method of communication while sailing 37,455 miles in ten months was to write a note and put it in a film canister and sling-shot it to a passing freighter. Amazing. And here I am, a mere 58 years later, making video calls while underway. Everywhere I look, the world we live in is just freaking amazing.

Cheryl: Butch wrote about pirates from years gone by but failed to share our modern day experience with them. Having a boat named MoonShine is definitely a conversation starter and we frequently receive comments while underway. Sailing down the Alligator River the other day it got a bit out of hand. Miles from absolutely nowhere, the boat Blackened Dolphin pulled up behind us, requested a pass, then got into an in-depth conversation with Butch regarding illegal spirits we may or may not have aboard. Butch engaged with them, describing the contraband that we occasionally share with friends at the end of a long sail day. Not to be left out, these two old salty sailors wanted their share of our bounty so pulled up alongside our boat and attempted to barter with us. Next thing I know, they are 4 feet from our moving boat holding out a big fishing net yelling at us to “Throw it over!“ I’ve watched enough TV and movies to know that this was not going to end well and insisted Butch stop engaging these pirates. So he told them, “Cheryl says we don’t have much left so you can’t have any.” And luckily, they sped away. Feeling the need to nip this in the bud for future encounters, I gave Butch the script- Federal law prohibits the dispensing of any/all unlicensed spirits from this boat. Hopefully he will remember that if a similar situation arises.

The following day, traveling up the serene North Landing River toward Norfolk, we were treated to a parade of F-18’s taking off and executing maneuvers right near us. Although Butch seemed to think our meager 10 mph travel speed was giving them a run for their money, I’m pretty certain they had us by a good 150 mph. The roar of the jet engines and the display of sheer power made me feel like we were extras in a new Top Gun film.

When we’re not being accosted by pirates or bedazzled by fighter jets- sailing through the open waters of massive sounds and into the rivers is both exhilarating and magical. Anchoring out is becoming second nature. Butch has consistently selected beautiful, calm anchorages for us. Pulling into marinas is always a challenge as we never know the weather, water, or dock conditions we will find upon arrival. Butch never ceases to amaze me with his prowess to squeeze MoonShine into the smallest of spaces under any condition. After we settle in, I spend my time documenting our day in our travel log, and in my personal journal. I also keep track of the people we meet along the way. (Four new boats at this marina –Log Cabin, Rame Mist, Darlin’ Lea, and New Waves.) When we hosted the get together with fellow Loopers in Knoxville last summer, the one fact I shared about myself is that I’m terrible with names. By taking copious notes and being very mindful, I am starting to impress myself with my newfound ability to remember boat names and the names (and stories) of the people on them.

We’ve now entered our eighth state – Virginia! And yes, we are indeed halfway around the Loop. I am so proud of us. But for me, the excitement is just beginning. The first half of this trip I’ve experienced by land so knew what to expect regarding the areas we visited. From here to Mackinac Island is mostly new territory for me. I’m so excited to see the Statue of Liberty and to make our way north into beautiful regions of Canada. Every day on this trip is an adventure and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Blackbeard!

Maps of the wreck site, should you desire to go find yourself some pirate artifacts.

Reproduction of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, an actual cannon and a musket/shotgun from the ship.

The main street in Belhaven, in the middle of the afternoon. Love that traffic! Many of the houses had plaques with the date they were built on them. This one is just above the rocking chair, you can’t read it, but it said 1826.

We’ve had many gorgeous sunsets. The water in the Alligator River Canal is almost black from the tannins in the trees. It’s fresh water, not salt, so the engines got a good flush.

Cheryl put together another great docktails in Beaufort, NC, with No Worries, Meant To Be, Maia, Gratitude, and Wine-d Down.

We are at a neat working boatyard where for whatever reason, there are several 1930’s vintage boats. Beautiful. The one on the left would be a good project for me when this Loop is over, I’ll make it look like the one on the right. Which is for sale for only 2.2 million.

As we go around the Loop, I am continually amazed at the engineering we see along the way.

This marina counts as a five star stop because there’s a hotdog deli nearby!

“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the Earth are never alone or weary of life.” R. Carson