We always love the different view, and this, found in the Fabulous Forums, is indeed that.
So I sailed North from VA Beach/Norfolk on Friday. My outboard died (overheated) on the way out Little Creek, but I said the hell with it. I’ll have a problem trying to dock now or in a few days and I knew the wind was suppose to come up. (although it hadn’t at this point early afternoon)
So after I crossed the shipping channel (Thimble Shoal Channel) just ahead of a ship, the wind picked up and I had the tide. My Bristol 27 at one point actually hit 7.8 knots in the deep channel near the anchored tankers close to Cape Charles.
Anyway, I sailed on up to maybe 10 miles or so North of Cape Charles where the land dips way in to the East. (near Smith Beach) North of Cherry Point and maybe even with Eastville.
I sailed here because the wind was heavy SE and I found a nice calm spot west of the Eastern Shore, but with my luck during the night, the wind rotated to the SW so I had bay waves knocking my boat around much of the night and got little sleep
So when I got up I carefully fixed coffee with my propane hot plate while the boat still pounded into the waves, but a least now the waves were head on and not on the beam.
After I got straight, I raised sail and sailed off my anchorage barely missing running aground as the wind was pushing me toward shore. Depth finder showed 1′ under the keel as I made the turn.
So now I’m headed just North of west (270) since my Bristol simply will not point. It’s around 8 am or so.
A mile or so off after I get the autopilot hooked up and things get somewhat normal (decks are slippery etc) I get to look around and spot a sail. (blue hull/ maroon bottom seen when he got closer) His heading is different than most boats I see coming down the bay. (I didn’t know there was a race happening!) He is headed to the spot where I was anchored which was maybe 200-300 yards off the shore
He carries his tack way too long for a cruiser (which is what I’ve been trying to learn to be after racing beach cats for 15 years, Florida Gulf Coast, beach cat racing heaven at least in was back in the day).
I can’t really tell the boat type since he is a ways away so I’m thinking I wonder if I can point with this guy. I have position being west of him with a SE wind. I know he’s going fast but…….hey, I’m a racer guy. Or at least I was…
Jump in if you like.
