Saturday, June 20, 2015

Portsmouth to Maryland

The continuing push for our home dock was made as we departed the South Ferry Basin of Portsmouth, VA for a 155 nm run to Annapolis, MD.  Due to the high heat and threat of thunderstorms, we took slips at Deltaville Yachting Center in Deltaville, VA, and Calvert Marine in Solomons, MD. We can never pass by Annapolis without going to our favorite spot, Spa Creek, and taking a nice, calm, secure mooring ball just under the bridge. We took mooring ball #50, popped a bottle of Champagne and enjoyed reflecting on our 2,817 nautical mile journey. We departed Annapolis, on Oct 13, 2014, and now 8 months later, we returned "Home." What a great trip year #4 has been! This was a review tour, returning to our favorite places like, Charleston, Biscayne Bay and The Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Harbour Cay Club and the great people there, Abaco, Bahamas with our home base at The Jib Room and the wonderful owners, and of course, Greg and Kate's in Beaufort, NC. These are the special places we have fallen in love with over the past 4 years of cruising and we really enjoyed our times at each of them.

Now, back on our home waters of the Chesapeake Bay and only one day from our home dock in Rock Hall, it seems so surreal. The best part of being home will be seeing the friends and family we have missed! We will soon be back at our dock, and then we will be driving cars 65 mph down I-95, and running around in the crazy, busy pace of the Northeast. All the while, we will be planning and thinking about how soon we will return to these beautiful places south on the ICW and into the Bahamas only 4 months from now! The cruising life is a dream and we are so lucky to be living this dream. Thanks for sailing along with us.

Here are some photos of the last leg.

The best theater in USA, The Commodore in Portsmouth VA
  
Always a required show in Norfolk

The USS George H W Bush aircraft carrier off our bow!


A security boat kept us clear of the aircraft carrier

Look at this sailboat next to a container ship. This is WHY they scare us at night doing 20 knots!

15 containers wide

Radeen off watch and doing what librarians love to do
 
Cove Point Light House

Cove Point LPG ship terminal

Calm clear day, winds were to be 20 knots off our stern....nope

Thomas Point Lighthouse and Woodwind II off our port beam

Thomas Point Lighthouse, a screwpile piling lighthouse

Welcome to Annapolis Yacht Basin with a few large boats

There it is OUR Spa Creek Bridge, our favorite

Pop the champagne, we are home

Our Log with 2,817 nautical miles traveled since leaving here Oct 2014

Breakfast at Chick and Ruth's is required and the Pledge to the flag is at 0830 on weekdays

Annapolis, MD State House Dome

Too beautiful

Radeen, my favorite model, strikes a pose

Hayden and Radeen, walking downtown Annapolis

Tall ship replica of LYNX a Baltimore Clipper Ship built in 1812
Baltimore Clipper complicated rigging

So, it is almost awrap, year #4 Maryland to Florida to Bahamas to Maryland. We feel blessed and very fortunate to be in this cruising life. Our next challenge will be getting home, starting our cars and setting up our home. Thank you for sailing along with us this year once again.

Here is a link and a picture of our 8 months on a map. Interactive MAP link here


4 comments:

GregK said...

Welcome back to Rock Hall. It looks like you are still in the same slip at the end of the docks.

Enjoy the transition to shoreside life... long showers... stationary beds... mowing lawns.

Before you know it - you'll be back at the Jib Room doing the limbo.

Unknown said...

Welcome home! Glad you had a great time.

Mike said...

Yay and congrats. Thanks for letting me tag-along...sorta!

ALPENGLOW said...

Dear Radeen & Hayden, It was so nice to hear from you. Thanks so much for your message, what a nice surprise !

We had a wonderful time in the Caribbean Islands. What a change from the Bahamas ! It would be great if we could hook up in the Islands somewhere. We do plan (as of now), to go north a bit from Trinidad then go to the ABCs, Columbia, San Blas ect ect.... We'll see.

I am ditching Sailblogs. I hate it. I'm going to be using google blogger which just blew my mind compared to sailblogs. So, here's our new sailblog: www.alpenglowsail.blogspot.com It's not completed yet but should be in a couple of weeks or so.

We were wondering if you could use a picture of our boat in the Island Packet calendar for 2016 ? I think I finally got a picture worth of the calendar. It was taken at Salt Whistle Cay in Mayreau. Let me know where I can send you the picture.

Have fun in MD this summer, hope to see you soon.... Susan & Tim s/v Alpenglow