Norfolk!

Norfolk, VA

Some days are just hard. This one has been a difficult and successful day...so how bad can that be? A cold last night. Up and moving fast early this morning in order to catch the high tide and get out of the creek we're in.

Sisiphus, with help from Michael, put Grace back in the water this morning.

Michael helped us put the dingy on the davits then waved us off. We headed out into deeper water, to the mooring to secure the decks and have breakfast. I re-learned how to work the radios and immediate action to take in case of captain or cat going overboard.

David is really disappointed in the amount of vibration still in the engine - the boat, due to the engine. We were lead to believe that it would purr, "the only sound you'll hear is the exhaust".  First, we should never have been told that. Second, even though this IS a big engine, David thinks the vibration is barely muted from before this $11k fix. The propeller shaft fix IS excellent and much safer. But the new motor mounts have NOT solved the vibration problem as we were told it would. Not sure how we will ultimately address this. But extreme disappointment, especially since we'd met with management before the engine went back in to say if there is reason to think this isn't right (we'd heard mutterings among the mechanics), now is the time to address concerns and make it right. Perhaps the engine will "settle" onto its new "legs" and vibrate less. Still,  the vibration is not a purr. We have Amelia. We know "purr."

We released ourselves from the mooring and headed down the East River around 11:45. Onward to Norfolk, maybe even further south. There were minor limitations with our new GPS/multi-function B&G gizmo but nothing hazardous. For example, we had to do a split screen to get the chart and the depth rather than having the depth on the chart.

And I was scared. No way around it. David called it after I'd snapped at him a couple of times for no good reason. I've not been on the boat in more than 2 months. And I've not been out of familiar waters in 2+ years. And we were in the Chesapeake Bay which is a very big body of water. And it is cold. And the water is even colder. And we were heading into a MAJOR, LARGE VESSEL traffic area. And, a major military/naval base. I ask you, who wouldn't be scared if they have a brain about them. I have brains.

This big girl (if warships are still female which I'm not so comfortable with) followed us into Norfolk. We'd heard her on the radio...saw her facing us in a distance. From that perspective she was a wide platform with a tower in the middle. An aircraft carrier. Large! We hurried out of her way though there was NO chance she would fit into the little Rebel Marina, our overnight resting place. We were here 2 years ago. Friendly.

My lower back is hurting, has been for half-dozen days. Maybe the new apartment bed? Couldn't figure it out but stretched, breathed. Better. Then I helped David move the deep-cell battery back into the engine room. Oh! there's the culprit. So still tender from those out and in experiences.

So now, David has managed to get the water depth to show up on the chart plotter AND has made the AIS work so we can "see" and identify boats in our area, including the military vessels that give no information beyond speed and direction. Yikes! So our electronics are now doing everything they are supposed to do. We've eaten more of the Chinese take-out from last night. Refrigerator is turned on so the cooler is stowed. The electric heater is running and Amelia has waked for her dinner. Gentle rain outside and the slap of lines on nearby boats. Feeling safe and snug for the first evening on the water.

Our journey continues.