Day 1 - Portsmouth VA - Cape May NJ
Magic Friday
Phil, Di and Annelise
Wed 16 May 2018 17:54
Tea and breakfast bars (as opposed to "breakfast biscuits") in the first light of day. As the mooring lines were slipped, we crept silently passed the naval superstructures docked along Elizabeth River (18 various warships) - including an Aegis missile frigate with "phased array radar" detection systems (detail information provided by Mark)! Finally, out into the southern Chesapeake Bay and over the Norfolk tunnel entrance. Moving quickly to escape the "Bay biting flies"!!
Out in the open sea as cargo ships and a naval hospital ship (USS Comfort) bound for Norfolk all slip by on port-to-port.
The south westerly wind freshening as we cleared landfall to set full sails and head north at a handsome pace of 8+knots! Mark enjoying the helm and then the auto-pilot doing all the work! Settling into a steady 6-7knots boat speed as the wind veered more southerly and over the stern a chance to goose-wing the genoa.
Then came the rain (on Mark's watch!). Thankfully, not too heavy and not as threatened as some of the storm clouds that had edged by us along the land.
The day finished cold and grey with some prospect of a starlight night sky ahead of us. Lightening striking high up in the clouds to our stern. A small trail of luminescence defining the boats track in the inky black waters of the night enhanced by mark's contribution of "chum" as the boat motion became unsettling in the darkness!
Phil and Mark
