Day 48, Wednesday, October 21th

Wachapreague, VA to Norfolk, VA

Track on ViewRanger

When I left this morning the stranded boat was still there - I didn't dare get close because I could see that their boat had a really shallow keel, if they ran aground I wouldn't even get close with the Caprice. Amazingly Alex texted me that he knew the people who ran aground, and that they got off eventually, after apparently digging some ditch! I even got a photo - and they are truly and fully aground.

I'm glad that they managed to get free, especially since I hadn't been able to help them.

My own journey went very well. I couldn't sail because the wind was straight on my nose, but it wasn't very strong and there weren't really high waves. So it was an easy motor ride.

I saw a number of fishing trawlers, each of them equipped with two smaller boats that they launch and do whatever they have to do to catch the fish, and then retrieve. They even had a spotter plane!

Conditions got so nice that I was able to sit in front of the boat at the mast and look out for dolphins. I didn't see any then (but later), but instead a few pelican came close, probably checking if I was a fishing boat, and departing with a huff when they saw I wasn't.

As I turned around Cape Charles I was able to raise my sails and sheet them in real close, for a few extra fractions of a knot. I couldn't believe my speed over ground - 8.3 knots at times. The incoming tide added a cool 2 knots to my own speed.

For the first time ever I tried the inboard sheeting blocks that one can screw into the deck when needed. They worked really well with my small jib.

I passed under, err, OVER the Chesapeake Bay bridge. Sorry, very confusing. This bridge has an elevated part and two tunnel parts. I passed over the center tunnel since there was no immediate traffic, apart from this abomination:

One of the maxims of engineering is: 'If it doesn't look right, it probably isn't right'. I guess no engineers were involved in the design of this thing.

Right before the Hampton roads there's Thimble shoal with a lighthouse to warn you off

I finally approached the Naval Station, and was amazed to see three carriers docked there

On the left is CVN-75, 'Harry S Truman' and in the middle is CVN-69, 'Dwight D Eisenhower'. The beast at the right is LHD-1, 'Wasp'. 

Look at the beam of those ships, 77 meters! According to Wikipedia, they carry a total crew of 5700 people each. Imagine the galley!

Further down the line of docked ships there were some real oddballs, for example this one:

I have not the slightest idea what that is.

Further down the line, some regular ships again, I think they might be destroyers.

Past the Naval Station is the commercial harbor, with container ships and supertankers.

Finally I'm closing in on downtown Norfolk as the light is fading. But what is this?! An old friend:

Funny to come across the same cruise ship I saw in New York City. I don't think I'll catch up with them again.

Finally as night breaks I reach the anchorage in the center of Norfolk, just in time to drop the anchor and have dinner. Tomorrow I'll move into a marina to resupply and explore Norfolk