Colin and Dawn do the Loop: June 2015

Sunday, 28 June 2015

Deltaville Virginia

Our 7 day home

Williamsburg Historic Town

This guy has the right idea

Wigmakers

One Creation

Canon Firing

A scene in keeping with the era

Twin bridges on parkway

Forest walk next to Marina
on way to maritime museum

1913 buyboat on display
fully restored

Memorial Sculpture

Dawn checking hull prior to launch

Before

After, these places do amazing work

It is now Saturday & we have been stuck here for longer than we wanted while the Marina people stuffed about & finally got some of the scheduled work done (not the prop though). After the push to get work completed we are now sitting in a howling gale & unable (& unwilling) to leave. The air conditioning was one of the 'fixes' needed when the temps rose close to 100F for a couple of days. Now that it's repaired we are having much cooler weather. These had been a problem for most of the trip - they operated well but the water wasn't draining & the worker discovered incorrect installation with an unplugged hole & the other had a badly designed hose that blocked that he repaired in a couple of hours. $280 dollars well spent & the cheapest item on our bill.
We rented a motel ( with welcome air con) and a car and drove to nearby Williamsburg. A large part of the town has been closed to vehicular traffic and the original buildings preserved; milliner/tailor, wig maker, shoemaker, book binding, courthouse etc. with people in period costume. An operating "military encampment" was very entertaining - the public were enlisted & trained to fire muskets,(just sticks) help load the canon which was fired & take part in a mock battle. The military were dressed in period costume & were enthusiastic role players.
We visited a local "farmers market" in the Maritime museum grounds next to the marina - selling the usual fruit, veges & baking (got some blackberries, home made bread & baklava). On display were restored boats; a shollop (large rowboat) & a buyboat. A buyboat could be 40 to 100ft long & fashioned from full length logs (the photographed one was 7 logs) with a mast forward and wheel house aft. They were used for going out on the water and buying the fisherman's catches direct from them and then selling these on later at larger towns & cities along the way. Usually they returned with loads of cloth, tools, & goods to sell on return. Many ran 24 hours a day only turning off for church attendance on Sunday.
We hope to head on up the west coast of Chesapeake Bay & possibly reach New York for the 4th July. All depends on the weather.

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Norfolk to Deltaville

Some of the bigger boats waiting
for bridge to open

Self lifting barge

Massive lifting railway bridge

First of the Aircraft Carriers

Truly bloody huge

This barge was unloading Porta Loos
Go Kenny

Add a Yacht race and things got crowded

Wolf Trapp lighthouse

Mini Light house ?
No that's the Loo!!

Lifted out for some work

US Navy-50 knot gale-John Lennons Ghost

Well, Finally with a burst of enthusiasm the workshop rebuilt the Alternator got it fitted and running in time for the 2 pm bridge opening, then message came thru. problem with lock and it will be closed till 5pm,so now too late to leave ,so will go to town so Dawn can have another margarita, and leave Sat morning.
Good move, river very quiet, as this is the largest naval port in U S and also a major trading port, a weekend move early in morning was the way to go. Naval vessels every where, including three Aircraft carriers, in one line up counted 17 ships of various sizes, and that was at just one of the docks, we were shadowed most of the way thru by small patrol boats, took about 2 hrs to clear most of the shipping. The locals also were up and about with a Yacht race getting under way in the same area.
Had an easy run up the coast, against the tide so it was a bit slow, found a great anchorage at East River off Mobjack bay, saw the house that John and Yoko used to live in so took a couple of photos, hard to get close to due to shallow water.
Ok so great day so far, but not the night, just before dark the VHF( radio) alarm went off with a warning for severe thunderstorms, storms travelling at up to 100 mph with winds reaching 60 knots,estimated to hit where we were at 11.20 pm, bang on, from glassy calm to a full gale in about 20 seconds, I had a 45lb Plow anchor with 100ft of chain out in 10 ft of water, with help from the engine we rode it out for about 40 min till it passed.
On checking my photos in the morning found that the 3 photos of John Lennon's house weren't on the camera, so on our way out slowed down and took a couple more before heading North to Deltaville.
We are now in Deltaville, lifted out this morning to clean hull, replace zincs and to work on propeller which is mismatched for the boat, its like driving your car in third gear every where ,also to fix a leaky air con unit.
Have down loaded the photos to go with this spiel, guess what, NO photos of John and Yokos house, everything else was there, So sorry John, I am a fan but will leave you in peace.

Friday, 19 June 2015

Stuck at Great Bridge

Well been stuck at Atlantic Yacht Basin for 3 days while the workshop stuffs around trying to replace a faulty alternator on the Cummins engine. Took a day before the electrician arrived then another day to find out they had got the wrong new alternator, So waiting another day while they find the correct plug for it, If I had been at home we (Geoff) could have done the job in 2 or 3 hours. Never mind having an enforced rest and seeing some of the town. Here are a few photos .

Some history of area

The great Bridge and small barge

Amazing workmanship on 1913 Yacht

Front end, labour of love

inside just one of the massive storage sheds

Local council supplies kayaks and help
every Wed night, food trucks lights and tents

Some more storage sheds some boats 90ft +

Dawn has fallen in love with Margaritas
this one had her working though only $3.99

Thursday, 18 June 2015

Words to go wth the pictures.

We entered the "Dismal Swamp" canal which is 22 miles long and STRAIGHT. It is anything but dismal - locals long ago used to dub any swamp area a "dismal". It was quiet, calm, glassy, jungle-like and really only one boat width wide. We tied up at the Welcome Centre for the night after an extremely hot day - temps in mid 90sF. Colin took the temperature of the wharf decking with his heat sensor (new toy) - it was 135 F. We didn't go for a walk. At dusk we saw huge swarms of large dragon flies and some insects carrying torches. (The biting flies coming to find us).
The next day we completed the Dismal Swamp which is the oldest continuing working canal in USA. The work was originally commissioned by George Washington and investors in 1767 hoping to log the whole area which was only partially done. We passed through another bascule bridge (the lifting ones) & the Great Bridge lock, (we have now done 8 locks) and tied up at the Atlantic Yacht Basin 12 miles south of Norfolk City. We came here to get some work done & to collect a parcel that had been mailed ahead for our collection. Neither eventuated and to add to our disappointment we were hit by a fierce hurricane like gale (forecasted at 40 gusting 60 knots) at about 10.00pm that blew straight onto the stern and water found its way through the stern door and onto my side of the bed. . (No pictures). Fortunately it had all stopped by about 11.30 & so had the drips.
Today the electrician arrived early and checked our batteries/alternator problem. The decision was made to replace the aging alternator. We walked into the town of Great Bridge and found this had some interesting history. The Battle of Great Bridge changed the course of history when the town was captured by the American militia and forced the British to retreat and gave the Americans the naval base of Norfolk from which to work from.