Got here
29 October 2019
• Old Point Comfort, Hampton Roads VA
by Michael and Barbara Turney • Dark
Tuesday (early in the morning) 29 October 2019
After posting yesterday we had a moment of excitement when we heard a loud thump on the hull. No it wasn't some mermaid or sea monster. Rather, it was a small log that we glanced into and brushed aside. I am very glad that Nelleke is a really solidly built boat.
As the evening progressed we had dinner and I was beginning to wonder if the promised wind was ever going to materialize when suddenly bang! It did! In moments we went from dead calm to 10 knots. The only trouble was initially the wind wasn't from the promised direction E. instead it was more SSE so for about an hour we were beating into the dark.
We were luckier than Estelle on Courlevent. Our course had already begun to bear to the west so we were able to beat into the wind. She was still heading almost due south so she had the wind right on the nose. But then for us after about an hour the wind began to back around to more east and we were able to set sail for a reach. Barb and I spent the night on deck watching for our course and for vessel traffic. Earlier in this cruise I pulled a muscle in my back and for a couple of days every move was agony. But after ample doses of painkillers and anti-inflammatories I was back in form. The other day Barb smacked herself in the sternum and has been in her share of pain. I offered to let her off her watches last night but she would hear if it. She was on deck for most of the time I was. Resting when I was watching and watching when I had my head down. (This is Barb - that sternum "smack" was ten days ago - we were in really bouncy conditions trying to snag a mooring ball in Keyport and I was leaning out over the bow rail with said rail right across the sternum, got the $&@;?#% ball with the boat hook but it was all I could to to hang on to it until Mike came forward to help complete the job. I've been paying for it ever since. I should have just let the ball go and hit Mike to come around again for a second attempt)
You know, I've said it before and I'll say it again. At night the temperature always seems colder, the waves seem higher, and the wind stronger. Whereas of last nights wind had come during the day it would have been "Wheeeee!" Whereas last night it was keeping alert and tense to every move of the boat. The one thing that I am really twitchy about at night, especially down here in the US where they use the sea and waterways a lot more than we do at home, is large vessel traffic. We have all ready seen the value of our Class B AIS with commercial vessels hailing us by name to find out our intentions and coordinate passings.
At two thirty AM we were in to Old Point Comfort in Hampton Roads right across the harbour from Norfolk Naval Yards. We will continue to Great Bridge tomorrow after a few winks.
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