Visit Us!

Visit our Sail School and Sail Charters on the Chesapeake Bay!

Sunday, June 3, 2007

A Great Sailing Experience!

The following is a journal that was written by a student aboard our vessel when we traveled from the Chesapeake Bay into the Atlantic Ocean and back. Along the while we had a lot of fun and completed a handful of ASA Courses:

Ships Log: Round Trip from Kent Island to Chesapeake Light
ASA 106 Odyssey

RJ is a retired member of our military and has taken ASA 103, 104, 105, and 106 with Capt. Dave Renoll

July 7, 2007 – I arrived aboard Rising Tide at 0900. After stowing my gear for our voyage to Chesapeake Light located in the Atlantic Ocean off Norfolk, Va., Capt. Dave Renoll and I did a complete safety check of the vessel, inside and out including a trip up the mast to inspect the standing and running rigging. Then we were off to the grocery store to provision for the week. By 1300 we had cast off the dock lines and had set sail for our first anchorage up Mill Creek in Solomon’s Islands.

Our passage down the Eastern Bay to the Patuxant River was an uneventful beam reach to Cove Point, followed by a beat to Drum Point just outside of Solomon’s Islands. As darkness descended, we dropped sails and motored through the channel leading to Solomon’s Islands and Mill Creek. By 2130 we had our anchor set and were ready for our first dinner afloat. While Capt. Dave cleaned the galley, I plotted our course and programmed the way points for our destination on Saturday, Fishing Bay on the Piankatank River.

July 8 – Today we had a total lack of any wind, so we powered up the Yanmar and motored from Mill Creek to our second night’s anchorage. During this leg, I had the opportunity to take lots of bearings in order to check our progress along our rumb line course. As we powered south, we began to encounter more freighter and barge traffic. In addition to plotting our course and taking bears, I had the responsibility to prepare lunch while underway. The lack of wind made my first experience cooking while underway an easy task. Cheeseburgers never tasted better!

Once we cleared the Potomac’s mouth, we picked up a southeast wind, so we hoisted sail and sailed into the Piankatank River, which is located south of the Rappahannock. After passing the shoal inside the river, we decided to drop sail. As Capt. Dave went forward to handle the mainsail, his new St. Petersburg, Fl hat took a swim in the river. A quick MOB maneuver saved his hat from Father Neptune.

July 9 – After topping off the diesel and adding oil, we set our sights for Willoughby Bay just inside the James River off of Norfolk. We had a great starboard close reach down the Bay. Just south of Wolf Trap Light, we suddenly picked up a large pod of dolphins, which swam with us for almost an hour. As we turned toward the James River, we said goodbye to our friendly dolphins. After motoring through the channel leading into the James we turned into Willoughby Bay with the sun setting behind four US aircraft carriers in Norfolk Harbor.

July 10 – This is the big day! We finally sail into the Atlantic Ocean. But first things first! After a quick breakfast, we motored to the fuel dock and topped off our diesel. Then with a favorable wind, we turned the bow of Rising Tide toward the Atlantic. As we passed overtop the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel, numerous navel vessel overtook us as they set out to sea. Once we cleared Cape Henry, we set our course for Chesapeake Light itself. Rising Tide has finally found her true element as our bow cut through the three foot ocean-green wave crests. By 1330 we had reached our goal and passed east of the light. Reluctantly, we turned our back to the open ocean and set course for our anchorage up the Poquoson River south of the York River. By 2230 the hook was down, we had eaten a great dinner of grilled chicken breast and sweet corn, and finally climbed into our berths for a well-deserved sleep.

July 11 – Destination, St. Mary’s City. It seems that the wind is always in our favor! After raising the anchor, we hoisted the sails and had a super close reach up the Bay into the Potomac. During our passage south, we had met the Virginia square-rigged in the Piankatank River. Now as we passed the river, we espied her coming out of the river and heading up the Bay. During the day we had a miniature race between the two of us – not much of a race since the Virginia had so much more sail area, but we had the advantage of a much shallower draft. As we both entered the Potomac though, the Virginia quickly out sailed us. With the sun setting behind the tree line, the Virginia dropped her anchor inside the mouth of St. Mary’s River as we continued up the river to St. Mary’s City and the horse bend where we finally lowered our anchor for the night.

July 12 – Finally, with the wind astern, we had an opportunity to set our spinnaker. With great winds we hit speeds of 8 and 9 knots. In just a few hours we were entering the Choptank River. With a sudden wind shift and thunderstorms approaching from the west, we doused the spinnaker and motored to our final anchorage in Dunn Cove. With the anchor set, dinner cooked and eaten, the storms finally arrived. But we sat safe and sound with very little wind affecting our vessel.

July 13 – The final day. All good things most end. Once again, we had perfect wind for a beam reach up the Eastern Bay and into Prospect Bay. After only a few hours, we were once more in Kent Narrows approaching the drawbridge and Rising Tides home on O-Dock. Seven days, 402 nm, great wind, who would want to leave this behind? I go home with ASA certification for 105 (Coastal Navigation) and 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising). This has been the experience of my life. Thank you Capt. Dave and R&R Charters and Sail School!

No comments: