Started: Dymer Creek 37°40.30′N 076°21.20′W

Anchored: Poquoson River 37°09.51′N 076°24.60′W

Distance Run: 48.0 nm. Time 7½ hr.

Today actually became a relatively flat motor-sail down the bay. Unlike yesterday where there were surprises. Today there were no surprises.

The seas were flat but the wind was not zero. The wind meter registered 9kt to about 15 kt wind speed from dead ahead. Deduct the 5kt to 6kt we were motoring and we get 4kt to 9kt of wind from due S, the exact direction we were going.

Winds: Too little, too much or the wrong direction.

Yesterday too little. Today wrong direction.

If we beat down the bay, at 060° off the wind — a wind only blowing in the 5-10 kt range — we'd turn a 7½ hour motoring day into an ordeal. The distance would double (96 nm) our speed would drop to 3-4 kt: a 24 hour sail. And. Bonus the wind would likely build and switch direction during the dark hours of the night, leaving us to change sails and keep under control before bumping into a shore somewhere.

This Poquoson River spot isn't the best: it's open to weather from 050° to 090°: NE to E. We think Chisman Creek is much better for the same amount of driving in from the Bay. But we want to try something new.

Another boat just chugged past us into the shallower waters further down the river and SW of here. Always good to have some validation from other boaters anchoring nearby. Statistically speaking, they generally have more experience than us. That's not always true; once or twice we've talked to newbies who were following us into an anchorage hoping we knew what we were doing.

Tonight it will turn into small craft advisory weather for weather locations ANZ632 and ANZ638.

Small Craft Advisory Hazardous Weather Outlook

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING......

This Afternoon: S winds 10 kt. Waves 1 to 2 ft. A slight chance of showers.

Tonight: S winds 10 to 15 kt...becoming NW 15 to 20 kt after midnight. Waves 1 to 2 ft...building to 2 to 3 ft after midnight. A chance of showers after midnight.

Fri: N winds 15 to 20 kt...diminishing to 10 to 15 kt by mid morning. Waves 2 to 3 ft.

We're protected in the Poquoson if the wind switches to the NW. We can hope it's not too bad here. As it clocks N, however, it may get unpleasant by morning.

For tomorrow's sail down to Hampton, however, that wind direction could be handy. We might get a broad reach out into the bay. We can take a gybe and perhaps get a broad reach down to hampton. That would be sweet.

It's a distance of about 22nm. We can motor it in 3-4 hrs at 5-6 kt. If we can get a fair wind, however, it would be fun to sail it.

Our arrival needs to be before 15:00, however, so we can't play around in the bay all day.

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