Since I am eight months late entering this...it is really hard to remember...so here it goes.

5/4/15: Anchored in Wrightsville Beach, NC after 72 miles.

5/5/2015: Anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, NC after 40 miles

5/6/2015: Anchored in Taylor Creek in Beaufort, NC after 46 miles. Went to dinner with some friends of Carole and Richard's who live nearby and who lived in Solomon's. I vaguely remember them and they were involved in the huge concrete sailboat project at Washburn's Boatyard as some may remember.

5/7/2015: Left in a 20-25 knots Northwester and planned to knock out 30 miles, but when turning the corner at the Neuse River it was a different story. Totally burying the bow and decided to head the four miles to Oriental instead, anchoring just before the bridge. Called my good friends Harry and Finola who live there and they showed me around along with a great dinner at their home. Carole did not leave the boat due to the blow. May Flies layed their gelatinous eggs all over the boat during the night.

5/8/2015: It was still howling in the morning, but dying down some. Got a late start and bounced around going up river with Kilissa following behind. Decided to take the Great Dismal Swamp route, rather than the Virginia Cut as T.S. ANA was still twirling around out there close by. Lots of protective anchorages on the Swamp and hardly any on the Virginia Cut route. We anchored south of the Pungo River canal with a few other boats after doing 61 miles.

5/9/2015: Decided to leave at 6:00 to make up some time and had a great motor sail for 91 miles and 11 hours to Elizabeth City, NC. It was blowing pretty good, broad side to the jetty and I decided to go under the bridge and anchor off the YC with Kilissa taking the jetty arriving later. I dinghied down and had happy hour with them along with another couple from NJ whom Donna and I met on the public bus in Vero Beach. Off to dinner at one of Richard's favorite watering holes.

5/10/2015: It was rainy and still blowing with T.S. Ana approaching. Kilissa decided to stay put and Piper ventured on up the Great Dismal Swamp and anchored behind Goat Island with no other boats around. I slept through the storm without any problems, so I guess it was not too bad.

5/11/2015: Still raining most of the day, made it through both locks and anchored in the channel just after Deep Creek Lock as there would be no more traffic for the day.... 38 miles

5/12/2015: Talked to Joe on Gemini who is a couple of days ahead and said everything was clear with the tunnel building in Hampton and he could not even tell where the construction was. Arrived at the South basin in Portsmouth around noon and walked up to the North basin and found my good friend Philippe on AdventureS with his friend Monique from Montreal. Kilissa arrived in the South basin and tied up behind me. Kent Utley from Portsmouth came over and we went out for dinner. 9 miles.

5/13/2015: Kilissa and Piper headed out mid morning with intentions of going up the bay some. AdventureS had already left the North basin. When entering Hampton Roads it was blowing pretty good out of the East with seas coming in directly from the ocean and we decided to go to Hampton to anchor. I went to the IMAX theater and when I came out to check out the anchorage, noticed a strange boat situation and went out to check it out. A boat came in behind me and must have run aground and then dinghied two anchors out very close to Piper and then went ashore. Piper was barely missing the anchor line as she swung back and forth. Two guys finally came back and spent quite some time getting the anchor up and motored off since the tide came up and never made eye contact or said a word!

5/14/2015: It was still blowing in the morning, but forecast to die down later. Piper left around 11 and buried the bow again going through Hampton Roads with a fair tide and waves coming in from the ocean. It got better after the turn to go up the bay. Called Kilissa and found out they were getting thrown around too much and went into Town Creek to anchor near Langley AFB for the night. My plan was to make it to Carter's Creek on the Rappahanock River to meet up with local Southern Maryland Sailing Association cruisers. The wind finally went flat calm going up the bay and I arrived in Carter's after 6 and just missed happy hour. It was great to be back home (almost), put away the charts and see my good friends on Ruste Nayle, Walkabout, Safina and Patty K Too!!!

5/15&16/2015: Left mid-morning with the group for Urbanna, VA with slips at the Town Center Marina. Lunch in town having fresh soft shells and more for dinner. Happy hour on the brand new Patty K Too (Catalina 445) two days in a row. The annual hydro plane power boat race was scheduled for the day and we all had ring side seats from our cockpits.

5/17/2015: Everyone decided to cut the cruise short by one day and bypass the Great Wicomico River. We departed a little after 6 for the 70 mile trek back to Solomons. After turning into the bay, I got a call on the VHF from a familiar voice..it was Philippe on AdventureS who was coming out of Deltaville and 15 miles behind me. He was going to try and make Solomon's by night fall and trying to figure out how he could get Monique to the train station to go back to Montreal....there is nooo way from So. MD, but we will figure something out. They arrived in the anchorage near the Holiday Inn and got showers ashore. Donna arrived the next morning and we all drove south to figure things out. Upon arrival, the 60 acres of fields were 3' tall as expected, but I did not expect the 5 acre yard to be 2' tall as Donna had fired the lawn service. We worked on getting train reservations and it was believed she would depart the next day at 10 pm. I started cutting the lawn as it was despicable and I had another day to show my friends the area. A couple of hours later, Philippe comes out and informs me that Monique's reservation is for tonight. You see, Monique does not speak any English and there was a communications breakdown. To the shower and the 2.5 hour drive to Union Station with no hitches. Arrived back at Piper at midnight for another night on here as home would be another half hour drive. Left in the morning for more grass cutting for many days and Philippe starting the long sail back to Montreal by himself.