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.
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 …
The Elizabeth River and the Norfolk waterfront.
A cute little yawl that sailed by yesterday.
Today we fixed the fuel tank sender. Instead fo complicated math, the fuel gauge works again.
Also, we saw this, today.
That's some kind of big Navy ship being pushed up the Elizabeth …
Nauticus Sailing in the Elizabeth River.
You can see from the reflections on the water that conditions were super calm.
Yesterday, going ashore, we met four sailors we knew. And waved at some others we'd seen in the ICW heading north. It's amazing to continue to run into folks …
We've lost our fuel tank sender. It doesn't report anything below about ½ tank. It simply drops from ½ to "not working at all" mode. I looked at it with my trusty multimeter. It is dead.
It's a standard Teleflex sender. Nothing special; easy to replace.
But.
Until we replace …
Started: ICW Mile 393 Schooner Creek 33°27.63′N 079°10.34′W
Anchored: ICW Mile 454 Long Creek 32°49.24′N 079°45.12′W
Log: 57.3 nm. Time 9½ hr. Engine 9½ hr.
We're within sight of Charleston's bridges and the loom of the city …
Today's temps are awe-inspiringly cold. Not quite to freezing, but 2°C is close enough. Today's high will be 6°C (42°F).
The forecast is at the edge of the envelope. Three foot seas are more-or-less our limit. If the seas are flattening from 3-5 down to 2-3 …
Running out of verbs. How many ways can we watch/wait/update/examine the weather? Will we make Thanksgiving in Charleston? What's next?
Floating Leaf has been happy with the down time. She's been making Tiny Quilts left, right and center.
She also finished the rain flies.
And we're …
There's only so much hand-wringing you can do. Here's how we started our day.
Looking forward to next week, we see this synopsis for Charleston (AMZ350) [Emphasis mine.]
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE NORTH TODAY...BEFORE WEAKENING AND SHIFTING SOUTH FRIDAY. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT …
How you know you're going nowhere. You make things. Or buy things to keep warm while …
Last week, the arctic blast that arrived last night was expected to be brutal. As time has passed, the weather moderated, and today's cold was just cold. Not quite brutal.
But.
The next few days look like this for the Cape Fear area (AMZ252.)
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH …