Deltaville to Solomons Island
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Sat 19 Jun 2010 22:51
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38:19.92N, 76:27.58W
We were due to stop just the one night at
Deltaville having motored against a light head wind to get there from Hampton.
The evening anchored in Jackson Creek had its moment as a thunderstorm passed
almost overhead. We don't like these storms as we have a 50 foot stick of
metal reaching up into the sky inviting any stray electrical current to use it
in an attempt to find ground. We both jumped out of our skins when a clap of
thunder with almost simultaneous lightening went off like an explosion.
Fortunately it was the closest the storm came and we settled down for the night
in quieter circumstances.
We tried to leave the next morning but with the
passing of the front heralded by the storm the winds had now gone into the north
making progress so slow and painful as to not merit the effort. After and hour
slamming into the short seas we returned to anchor in Fishing Bay, just outside
of Jackson Creek where Phil set about looking at the problematical wind
generator which had become seized after the strong winds in the Neuse River
recently. Despite rigging up a working platform to gain some access to the
generator 8 feet above deck level the blade assembly refused to budge off the
shaft and so access to the bearings became impossible. However, after some
spray lubrication the blades now at least turn, emitting a rumbling sound
which varies in pitch and volume depending on wind strength. Another problem for
the faults log!
The following day we were able to motor the 65
miles to Solomon's Island where the most notable point of the voyage was passing
a dead and bloated turtle with what looked like a cracked shell incurred from a
fast boat. Such a shame as we love seeing these creatures appear on the surface
before dissapearing into the depths again. Guess this one mistimed its surface
manouvre.
In Solomons we looked forward to receiving a
long overdue mail drop from home and a shopping trip to Woodburns, a 'world
class gourmet market' so their literature goes, selling lots of
goodies not usually available in other locations. In particular,
(without wishing to bore anyone on this subject), many different
flavours of sesame sticks available from those serve yourself plastic
silos, complete with the little shovels. There was a slight concern here
that Phil was enjoying a regression moment back to the days when
he played at sweet shops as Nikki left him enthusiastically peeling lots of
empty bags from the roll to shovel in a few ounces of this flavour and a
few ounces of that flavour whilst she staggered round the store with a trolley
load of far more important items. A visit to West Marine was also a must as
Nikki wanted to return some wellies bought last year which had perished despite
little wear. It proved to be a lucky stop as the store was handing out morning
coffee and doughnuts to customers, and on a later solo visit to the store in the
day to buy engine oil Phil succumbed to in-store offerings of potato salad
and buffalo chicken wings which were greedily devoured before joining Nikki
in Woodburns to weigh up the sesame sticks!
Whilst in Solomons we were invited to attend an
evening meal with the Solomons Port Officer of the Ocean Cruising Club who had
only just sailed back from an OCC rally themselves in the Chesapeake
which unfortunately we had been unable to make after our Hampton exploits.
Despite the short notice they welcomed us and two other cruising couples, also
members, to a delicious fish supper making it a memorable return to the area.
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