Great Bridge Virginia to Annapolis Maryland

Shelduck
Neil Hegarty
Mon 18 May 2015 14:38

Great Bridge Virginia to Annapolis Maryland

 

Monday 18th May 2015      38:58.339 N. 76:29.100 W

 

Distance sailed 256 miles

 

Anne was not able to come to America with me on the 25th April. She was delayed until the 18th May to enable her to attend the First Communion of her granddaughter, Alexandra. I was accompanied by Peter Clarke, Howth Yacht Club, who sailed the passage on Shelduck from Cascais to Gran Canaria in October 2013. Peter and I stayed overnight in a hotel in Dulles Airport on the 25th and next day flew on to Norfolk, Virginia.  Our small plane was delayed in leaving because of faulty lighting and the luggage door which would not close properly. The final delay of one hour was announced so that the glue could set on the new track fitted to the faulty door. Shelduck had overwintered at Atlantic Yacht Basin and when we arrived there we were disappointed to find that she was still in a dirty condition in the shed and not outside with the mast up as promised. Peter and I had to get a taxi to a hotel for the night. The next day the yard floated her out and cleaned her so that we could board. Peter quickly discovered that the sink bowl was leaking. There were pinholes in it caused by the chemical dehumidifier, sold to us by the boatyard. They said that they had never seen this happen before. It was repaired the next day by applying epoxy to the underside of the bowl. Meanwhile the mast was erected and the following day, on the 28th, we put the sails back on. 

 

On Wednesday 29th we moved Shelduck to the outer pontoon where we could get power, water and fuel. Everything went well until we realized that when filling the water tanks we nearly flooded the boat because the tap at the rear to the outside shower had been left on with the showerhead inside. The markings the yard had put on the electrics had worn away so the electrician spent ages putting everything back together again.  The chart plotter had a new card guide fitted which did not work and had to be refitted.  The service batteries were not charging properly and one was overheating, this was replaced on Saturday. Friday and Saturday were spent getting over Thursday and also rigging reefing lines and tidying up.

 

Peter and I were to be joined for the cruise on the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis by my youngest sister, Barbara, and her husband Fergus. The three of them had last sailed with me on Shelduck in Galicia in 2009. They were brought to the boatyard by Fergus’ brother Coilin and his wife, Julie.  As soon as they arrived I took the opportunity of the available car to provision Shelduck. Julie and Coilin returned to their home in Washington after dinner in the cockpit.

 

On Monday 4th May I settled my account with AYB and Shelduck departed for Portsmouth, Virginia.  As the Great Bridge opened we had to give way to a tug towing a large barge which we had to follow to Portsmouth under four high bridges. The barge eased our way at the one remaining opening bridge where as soon as she approached, traffic was stopped and the bridge opened.  On arrival at Portsmouth we entered a marina. Next day we took a ferry across the river to Norfolk where I renewed my US cruising licence at the Custom House. The man who attended me said that one of the most sought after positions in Homeland Security was a posting to Dublin or Shannon airports, which he said gave easy access to mainland Europe. After lunch we visited the Maritime Museum which included the floating battleship Wisconsin. Norfolk is a huge base for the building and repair of naval ships.

 

Wednesday 6th Shelduck departed Portsmouth marina at 08.30 in a light south easterly and motor sailed into Mobjack Bay and up North River to anchor off Bellville Creek at 16.05. Weighed anchor at 08.45 next day after breakfast, a beautiful morning but with no wind. Shelduck headed out from North River back into Mobjack Bay then round New Point Comfort to anchor off Mila Neck in the Great Wicomico River at 17.15. Barbara remembers it as an idyllic, tranquil spot. Logged 48 miles for the day. The 8th dawned another beautiful morning so we delayed over breakfast until 10.00 before weighing anchor. Our passage was up the Chesapeake to the Patuxent River to anchor in St Leonard’s Creek where we had read in our Pilot that we might see Cownose Rays cruising under the surface. Shelduck anchored off Breeders Point at 19.15 but we didn’t see any rays that evening. 51 miles logged for the day. Next morning Shelduck headed back out for a passage across the Bay to Oxford, Maryland. We arrived at the entrance to the Choptank River at 15.45 and sailed on to the Tred Avon River to berth at Brewers marina. We stayed on the fuel dock for the night because staff had left before we arrived at 17.15. We were immediately welcomed by others on the marina, particularly by Maggie, who arranged to drive to a restaurant for dinner. She also told us about and arranged a drive for us to the Firemen’s breakfast next morning. This is a fortnightly event during the summer run in the Fire Station. All you can eat for eight dollars and the chance to watch American families interact.  When we returned to Shelduck we found a second battery was overheating which we arranged with the marina to be replaced next day. Early next morning Brewers Oxford Boatyard rearranged the batteries and replaced one. We have had no trouble since.  I came to Brewers in Oxford on the recommendation of ICC Commodore, Peter Killen who wrote about it in the 2014 Annual.  After the first visit substantial discounts are available at subsequent visits to their other marinas which stretch up to Maine. Early that morning I remembered to phone Homeland Security to check in. We had been instructed only to do so when we move from one State to another and go ashore.  We enjoyed two days of swimming while there and can confirm that the water in Chesapeake Bay is warm at this time of the year. 

 

Next morning, the 12th, we were visited by Barbara’s and my first cousin, David Buckley, son of the late Charlie and Kay Buckley (nee Doyle) who lives nearby.  I had not met him for 60 years but Barbara and Fergus had visited him 22 years ago in Washington DC. We reminisced for four hours over lunch then Shelduck left for Wye East River and anchored in Shaw Bay in darkness at 21.15.  The wind had quickly become strong after dark and was gusting 30 knots as we anchored.  I had had a ten litre container of methanol delivered to the boatyard which fitted neatly adjacent to the fuel cell so we were able to leave the chart plotter and the electronic anchor watch on to warn if we were going to drag.  Crossing the Atlantic we had used five litre containers but in in the United States only ten litre containers are available for sale. After our late night we did not weigh anchor until 11.30 next day and enjoyed a brisk sail down Eastern Bay at over seven knots SOG and anchored at the entrance to West and Rhode Rivers. We had accidentally positioned ourselves alongside the gybe mark for yacht racing which started soon after we arrived so we enjoyed a grand stand view of the classes racing.   The 14th was to be the last night aboard for this crew so we sailed up West River to Hartge Marina and enjoyed dinner at Pirate’s Cove which was recently acquired by an Irish couple.

 

Next morning we departed the marina at 09.00 and enjoyed a good full sail reach over the 16 miles to Annapolis Yacht Club where we arrived at noon.  I had arranged a reciprocal agreement for short term membership of AYC through Fran Burns of RCYC   and Tracie Parkinson of AYC.  I had been recommended to berth there by another cousin, Brendan Donegan, who lives nearby.  He visited Shelduck at 14.00. He is the only surviving son of Young Harry and Bessie Donegan (nee Doyle).  I gave him a copy of the spring 2015 ICC Newsletter which included an article by Winkie Nixon on the first Fastnet Race and his grandfather Skipper Donegan. We four were collected by Coilin at 16.00 and brought to his house to spend 3 action packed days there. Shortly after arriving at Coilin and Julie’s house in Alexandria we attended a convivial evening at nearby Mount Vernon Yacht Club, where we were introduced to many of their friends.  On Saturday at 08.00 Fergus and Coilin ran the UNWRA 5km race in Washington.  Afterwards Fergus, Peter and Barbara went to visit the Air and Space Museum in the Smithsonian while Coilin took Neil to a neighbourhood picnic for families. Among the many people that he met there was a John Hurley, a retired brigadier general whose family hailed from Baltimore, Co. Cork.  Later on Julie and Neil visited the beautiful 1950/60s houses at Hollin Hill, Alexandria.  Yesterday we attended mass at 07.30 in the architecturally high quality local parish church and later spent a really pleasant few hours in the historic town of Alexandria, visiting the Old Torpedo Factory now an Arts’ Centre.

 

As this is being written Anne is in the air, flying to Washington Dulles and shortly Coilin will be taking Barbara, Fergus and Peter  to that  airport where they will fly back to Ireland on the same aircraft on which Anne arrives. Anne and Neil are grateful that Coilin will then deliver them back to Shelduck in Annapolis.

 

 

 

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