Thursday, November 7, 2013

2013-11-5 to 7 Mojack Bay to AYB for Winter 2013 - 2014ga


Up early for a start from Solomons to Atlantic Yacht Basin (AYB) in Chesapeake, VA.  We planned a two day trip with a stopover in Mobjack Bay for one last night on the anchor before calling it a year.

 



 


Beautiful morning with calm seas welcomed us back onto the Chesapeake

Sunrises like this make the O-Dark Thirty get up a lot easier to accept....

 

Welcoming us south in all her glory....


New Port Comfort told us we were getting close to our evening anchorage....

Found an anchorage with the setting sun....

unfortunately, it was reasonably quite putting the hook down... and then the 20 to 30 knot winds came up to rock us thru the rising sun!  Michele even put her sea-bands on to wear to bed...

But the sight of the blimp overhead in the morning gave us assurance that it was going to be a great new day!
 
Several of these little guys with the BIG GUNS welcomed us back into the Hampton Roads area



we weren't really this close..... but it seemed like it...

yes, there real.... and BIG

Cruise ship left shortly after we arrived...

 

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a Norwegian ship built in 1914 arrived shortly after we put into dock in Norfolk.  All the little red figures are actually young seaman/women in training aboard the ship.  They sung Norwegian songs as they climbed up the sails as she came into the dock!!!  It was just starting to rain so they all had on their rain gear!

 

The one Lock we need to clear near our winter storage marina (AYB) was broken so all south and north bound vessels had to hold for a few days.   We waited out the broken lock until conditions were such that they would let a few boats thru at a time. 

Our friends Heather and Bill Caillet, developers and owners of the very successful Virginia Beach Woodcraft store joined us for the trip from Norfolk down to AYB. 

 

 

Bill took Command of Spirit Journey and put the Admiral right to work!

 

Boats were 'stacked up' waiting their turns to get thru the broken locks..

 


Despite the lock situation we all had a great time and some very pretty views.  Heather and Bill it turns out live just off this waterway.

 

Bills confident that we'll make it thru before midnight.... and we did!  But not by a lot..... 

 
Aerial of AYB...  Spirit Journey spent the winter in one of the covered sheds in the upper part of the photo.


AYB dock space on the ICW
 


 
Southbound vessels passing AYB

What a fantastic year we've had!  Thanks to all of those who made all this possible.  It seemed like only a few days ago we were boarding Spirit Journey for the first time in Stuart, Florida....  but the calendar tells us it was over 6 months and 2,500 miles ago.....

we'll be back in the spring......
 

 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

2013-11-03 George Washington Birthplace National Monument (Popes Creek)

Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia, about 40 miles south of Mount Vernon is the birthplace of President George Washington
 
 
We took a drive north to visit this famous birthplace... what a neat area George had to spend his childhood days in....
 
 
 
Much of the grounds are still used for raising livestock



The homestead is reflective of an 18th century tobacco farm - Popes Creek is a tributary off of the Potomac River.


The homestead has been maintained to reflect it's history.

this was Georges bedroom and play area...


original era furniture and dinnerware were evident throughout the home.

cooking areas were often located adjacent to the main quarters....



the workshop included a pedal lathe....


house staff and field hands lived adjacent to the main house ....


I believe the tree that George cut down was originally somewhere in this area... much of the original homestead had been burned down....

 



The grounds were just really enjoyable and well maintained.

Popes Creek....



 
Thanks George for all you did to help launch and protect our great Country!!!!