It's our 11th day of the big trip, and so far, so good. I'd like to be a couple of hundred miles further south, but what can you do. Our first 4 days were mostly windless and cold. So we motored all the way to Deltaville, VA. Every morning we awoke to heavy fog, so we got to lounge around and wait for the weather to improve. No big deal, but it cut in to our travel time, and the amount of miles we could cover. Then, two days in Deltaville, waiting for the wind to stop blowing so darn hard. Yikes! From one extreme to the other. Leaving Deltaville, we headed to Norfolk and the Intracoastal Waterway. We had a very nice sail for a while, until we entered the harbor. There was 35 knots of wind right on our nose, and a contrary current. Our speed slowed to 2 knots, and we were taking waves over the bow of the boat. At this point, we decided to aim Foolish Heart towards the Naval base, which was much more protected from the wind. Only problem, it's restricted. Decision time: Better to ask for forgiveness then permission. I figured it would be better to get an escort from the Coast Guard then a rescue. So we skirted the aircraft carriers, destroyers, and other military craft, and no one bothered us at all.
The waves subsided, and our speed increased to about 5 knots. Once in the Elizabeth River, we made a beeline to the Dismal Swamp Canal, the alternate route on the upper ICW. The DSC is not dismal at all. An incredible feeling, piloting a 35 foot boat in a ditch not much wider. The next day, we made it to Elizabeth City NC,
the city that gives boaters a big ol' sloppy kiss. These people here are so friendly, it's just unbelievable. I think it would be a great place to live. We're waiting out the weather now to cross Albamarle Sound, which we hope to do tomorrow. Gotta get south, it's gettin' cold!