Well we didn't make it to Great Bridge as we had planned. It reminds me of the common description of sailing - 90% absolute boredom followed by 10% sheer terror. Well in this case it wasn't absolute boredom or sheer terror, however... The start of the trip was very light to non existent winds so a long motor to Hampton. Near Hampton the current was 1.8 knots against us so our SOG (speed over ground) dropped to about 3 knots. This allowed us to enjoy looking at the Navy ships along the Norfolk Navy piers that were being worked on and also watch the very large container ships passing by in the channel within 100 feet.

Just as we got past the Navy piers and adjacent to the international shipping piers just after a large container ship passed our engine stalled. Just quit flat out. Remember the light winds? Remember the 1.8 knots of current? Is the pucker factor increasing, you bet. So while drifting we dump in a jug of fuel after noting we were at 1/2 tank (long story but we have a history of stalling three times previously at 1/2 tank). We make a radio call to inform approaching vessels that we are drifting and unable to manuever. About this time a passing US Coast Guard small boat passes by and stops to check on us while Lana is calling for Tow Boat US assistance. While the Coasties are calling our position in to their base I decide to set the head sail to cross the channel to shallow water and anchor while there is a gap in the shipping traffic. It takes about 20 minutes to sail across the channel and get anchored while the Coasties divert smaller traffic from our path.

Even though the engine turns over it does not start. Tow Boat states they have a boat enroute for arrival within an hour so we wait. We then get a tow to Tidewater Yacht Marina to begin the process of debugging the motor.

Maybe not sheer terror but definitely gives you a wakeup call and thank our lucky stars that it stalled after the large container ship passed and not before.