Norfolk, VA
To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.
CA spent five days at sea.
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=a82f53bc1aeb01395
Gerry and she brought the boat safely from Marathon Key to Cypress Cove Marina in Louisana.
From 24.79075°N, 81.14516°W to 29.2486°N, 89.3606°W. About 514 nautical miles on a course …
CA's status on the Puffin delivery:
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=a82f53bc1aeb01395
This shows her various noon positions as they move the boat.
Hoping to be weekenders. But. There were problems.
Back in June, we moved one car-load (small sedan car: trunk and back seats) from the boat to an apartment. This included a lot of clothes and some essentially galley and head supplies.
On July 5th, we moved one more little sedan …
Moving from boat to apartment is awfully easy. There's some shame, however, because we we're fully prepared. We spent our first week in Richmond living in a hotel because the apartment wasn't ready. Friday, CA moved us into our new berth in Exchange Place.
The boat requires no furniture …
We took a weekend trip from Deltaville to Cape Charles. Our first weekend jaunt in two years. There was some drama, but none that caused any lasting problems.
Cape Charles is cute, and historic, and a comfy sail from either Deltaville or the Norfolk area. We had never visited the …
Ready About?
After two years of liveaboard cruising, we're changing tack.
Helm's A-Lee!
Red Ranger is switching role from cruising home to weekend getaway.
We'll report on our weekend excursions and destinations in and around the southern Chesapeaked Bay.
"But wait," you say, "Richmond is inland. And has a class IV rapids. Red Ranger can't get that far up the James River."
Yes. That would be true.
This chapter of Red Ranger's cruise is drawing to a close.
Our tenure as full-time liveaboard cruisers is ending. We …
We have a sextant on Red Ranger.
I think it might be adjusted properly. The index error appears to be 6.8′. I fiddled around with the mirrors a little and got a single view of the Sun through the various sunshades.
On the way N from Norfolk to Deltaville …
Started Hospital Point 36°50.61′N 076°17.93′W
Docked Deltaville Marina C Dock 37°32.95′N 076°19.78′W
Log about 42 nm. Time 9 hrs. Engine 6 hrs.
We had a sail that was simply amazing. I credit two things.
We started at …
Wait! There's more!
That's a guy with Rocket Pants. You've heard the Elton John/Bernie Taupin song: "Rocket Pants, burning out his fuse up here all alone."
Raftups. Lots and lots of raftups. This one grew to over a dozen boats.
And the "Tug Busting" wrassling among the …
Viewed From The Water!
Wow! It's a spectacle from shore. But from the water — listening to channel 72 where the safety boats converse — was a riot.
I'm sure that the fireboat crews call it "training" not "playing with the super-high-pressure equipment."
Summertime has officially arrived in Hampton Roads …
We've finally struck our old colors and replaced them with new.
The old flag served us well for several years.
It made Red Ranger easy to find because it was a big flag.
The end of the flag, however, took a beating against the backstays.
You can see where …
Red Ranger snuggled into the North Landing.
We've moved about 700 hundred yards from Hospital Point. Lighthouse Inflatables is working on Scout. Jeremy has a theory that maybe some of the MEK they used to clean up the excess adhesive might have gotten under the patch.
We've said hello …
Scout came back from the dinghy doctor on Friday.
With some difficulty, we pumped out Red Ranger's holding tank. The wind was blowing directly off the pier. The pumpout area is bounded by two gigantic dolphins. Instead of easing up to the dock at a gentle angle, we have to …
We've been enjoying Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck at the Chrysler Museum. It was a Major Social Event™. There were crowds in front of the museum for the duck's entire residence. Hofman created a really fun sculpture, and I'm glad the Chrysler could host it.
Of course, when it's time …
While waiting for Scout, we tackled two jobs.
The aft deck sunscreen.
When we had the dodger and bimini made, CA asked Dan at Wavestopper Dodgers to add some extra zippers in the bomini. She made the starboard-side sunshade which zips onto the bimini and provides ample cooling shade …
Not on Red Ranger.
In The Hague. Yes — for folks not from Norfolk — that body of water is called The Hague or sometimes "The Hague Inlet."
Yes, that's a giant rubber ducky.
No Crabbing or Fishing, but what about Ducking?
CA sent this picture of our "closet" space on Red Ranger.
We have hanging lockers, which are like closets. But we also have bins underneath the various berths and settees.
Here's one of the bins under the aft berth.
Yes, that's three cases of Ranger beer in Red Ranger …
A few weeks ago, we had some Wrath of God rain on the Neuse river. It might have been a waterspout. It left frogs on the deck. It was brief and brutal.
Today, we had rain of larger volume but less wind. The narrowly averted horror part was in the …
We've moved about 700 yards from our anchorage in the Elizabeth River to the dock and Waterside. From 36°50.61′N 076°17.93′W to 36°50.63′N 076°17.49′W.
Why spend money for a dock when anchoring is (largely) free?
Scout. Red Ranger's trusted …