Friday, October 31, 2008

In Roanoke

We are enjoying our time back in Roanoke. It's been especially great getting together with family and friends.

We had a wonderful 5 day visit from our friends from Osaka Japan, Ted and Nori.


Luke learned just enough Japanese words to realize how hard the language is :-)

Our plans are to spend Thanksgiving with family. We hope to return to Deltaville on Dec. 2, and then begin heading south within a couple of days. We have discovered that little Wickie needs health certificates and a permit to enter the Bahamas, so we are working on that, too.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Back in Deltaville!!!!

An evening in to relax in Solomons


a visit to Tangier Island and tour via golf cart, plus dinner at Hilda Crockett's

and today, Sunday the 12th, we are back in Deltaville, safely in a slip in Ruarks Marina in Fishing Bay. It's been almost 4 months to the day (June 16th) that we left. It's nice to be back :-)


Matt's sister in Richmond drove down here to pick him up this afternoon. He was a great addition. It would have been a much harder, longer trip without him. We really appreciate his time and expertise, and enjoyed his company.

We will do some general cleaning and maintenance tomorrow, along with figuring out what needs to go home (besides a ton of laundry). We will probably head for the house on Tuesday.

It's been a wonderful adventure, but I'm DEFINITELY looking forward to being home for a month or so, catching up with family and friends.

Around the first of December, our plans are to leave Deltaville again, this time heading south. The tentative goal is the Bahamas for the winter. I'll probably post a couple of times before then, but will certainly begin the regular blog again as our adventure continues.

Bobbie & Luke

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Back in the Chesapeake!

We enjoyed another trip through NYC


A couple of long days down the coast and up the Delaware. We left at dawn this morning and transited the C&D canal into the Chesapeake! I made chocolate chip cookies to celebrate ---- I think Matt liked the batter better than the cookies :-)

Here's a shot of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, just to prove we've made it.


If the weather holds, we'll be in Deltaville on Sunday afternoon, back to Ruarks Marina and our friends there. I'll let you know that we've arrived.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

4 days, 250 miles

We said our goodbyes to all of our friends in Portsmouth, left our home of almost a month, and slipped away in the early morning light of Oct. 2.

We left the Piscataqua River with the help of about 3 kts of current. The next 3 days have been strong winds, chilly. We sailed the first day, motored the next 3.
First to Plymouth, MA. About 80 miles, winds 20 to 25 kts, close reach -- maintained nearly 8 kts boat speed under sail. Matt has taken up the slack immediately, primarily helping Luke with the sailing and sail trim. But I've discovered that he can make lunch :-) Plymouth is very pretty from the water - we'd like to visit it and explore on our next trip north.



Next, through the Cape Cod canal to Onset, a town we really enjoyed on our trip up. On this leg we had 20 to 25 kt winds, gusting 30, nearly on the nose. Pretty boisterous.


From Onset, we went down Buzzards Bay, to spend the night at Block Island, in preparation for the trip through Long Island Sound. It was a perfect sunrise this morning, absolutely calm in Great Salt Pond, cloudy with rain later, back to sun now. We had hoped to catch up with former neighbors, but unfortunately, we got in too late and it didn't work out. Next year!



Tonight we plan to stay in Port Jefferson, along the southern coast of the Sound. Tomorrow, through NYC again :-) Depending on the weather, we may spend Monday night in Sandy Hook, NJ, or we may opt to sail through the night, probably to Cape May.

All is going well, Luke is taking care, and we are enjoying our trip home.