IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WEATHER!!!!

Wallace's Sailing Adventure on "Arbella"
Mike and Vicki Wallace
Sun 2 Nov 2014 10:10
36:55.4N 76:11.2W  We arrived in Little Creek, Virginia at 12 noon, almost exactly as projected.  Little Creek is the main base for the Naval Seals….properly called the "Naval Expeditionary Forces"….all the stealth, cool "boats" are moving in and out!  This is also where I had my Midshipman Marine Training (weapons, tactics, grenades, repelling, beach assault, etc,) in the summer of 1967!  We immediately took on fuel to top off our tanks, and then tied up at Cutty Sark Marina in the Creek.  Finishing last minute Offshore Preparations (life raft rigging, dinghy bracing, etc.) we were quickly ready to "leave at a moments notice", but expecting to be delayed due to the weather.  The forecast came in from Commanders' Weather and confirmed our decision to wait until at least Sunday.  So, off we went for dinner at the "Norfolk Yacht Club", as arranged by our "social director" Dave (actually, one of his "duties" in the passage plan was "entertainment", but I expected that to involve jokes, stories, and movies…BUT, that was his job!)….and then we had a surreal night cap experience at the Cutty Sark Marina bar, which was a full Halloween Party, probably 20 people, right out of one of the Halloween horror movies….a little scary, and very weird!  Saturday we spent the day "on the Beach"…lunch at a fish place, a visit to "The Maritime Museum" (astounding place….must come back…largest privately owned park in the USA, 550 acres), saw the movie "Fury" with Brad Pitt (definitely a guys flick), and dinner at a small Italian place.  Pictures are at the Maritime Museum, which has a large fascinating exhibit about "The Monitor"; this was the second "iron clad" ship which battled "The Virginia" (the first ironclad, originally named "Merrimack", before "The South" stole it from the North…the battle took place here at Hampton Roads, in 1862 early in the Civil War…the "Virginia" obliterated 4 Northern Square Rigger wooden ships…then the Monitor and Merrimack fought to a draw, neither able to pierce the armor of the other….that battle, however, gave rise to all future ships being "steel with turret guns"…and so it is today!) So now it is Sunday, and OUR FOCUS IS ON WEATHER…AGAIN… We get input from about 6 different sources…Commanders update at 0900, Rich's input from friends who run Commanders and websites, Dave's input from friends and websites,  and our MaxSea Weather overlay to the main boat computer navigation program…our objective is "fastest/safe route to BVI's, willing to take 30+ Kts wind and 10+ foot seas across the Gulf Stream"….we will not go in 60 kts and 30 foot seas, which is what the Stream could serve up if we leave earlier!  So OUR NEW PLAN is to leave the pier at 0500 on Monday morning, heading on a course south of east, and crossing the Stream about 2000 on Monday!  So now we need the "social director" to get us organized for ANOTHER "day of liberty"!    Captain Mike

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