We left the Hospital Point Anchorage in Portsmouth around 10:00 and entered the Norfolk channel. A tug, pushing a barge, came up behind us. We stayed far over on the red side of the waterway to let him pass. Once we turned at the last corner of downtown we raised our sails and relaxed into a slow gentle cruise of 2-4 mph. We sailed for over three hours while military vessels and power boats blasted past. We kept a close eye on the thunderstorms that were building around us. Eventually, we had to drop our sails and motor across the Chesapeake toward Hampton.
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| Cargo ship passing us on the Chesapeake Bay |
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| Hampton Roads bridge and tunnel entry |
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| Passing Fort Monroe Light |
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| War Ship leaving the Chesapeake |
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| Dave raising the main |
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| Cruising past warships |
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| Beth at the helm |
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| Wing to Wing |
We planned to stop at Southhall Landing in Hampton so we could visit our Looper friends Susan and David. We were aboard
Veritas when they completed their Great Loop adventure last year. The water leading into Salt Ponds is shallow and narrow so we expected to see as low as eight feet. Susan and David were at the dock waiting for us but we passed by with a wave. We needed to fuel up before docking. Southhall Marina does not offer fuel but Salt Pond Marina does. Just before we arrived, Dave noticed our engine was overheating. He had barely enough time to slip us into the dock before our engine quit. When he opened the compartment he found our alternator belt was broken.
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Mystic passing Southhall Landing
Photo by Susan Beebes |
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| Photo by Susan Beebes |
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| Broken alternator belt |
We've been having trouble with alternator belts the entire trip. Our engine is a 3 cylinder Kabota/Nani that requires a belt that has been discontinued. Dave spent countless hours looking for replacements and we've spent quite a few dollars trying different belts in search of a good fit. The belt that snapped had only been installed for a couple weeks. Luckily, we always have a number of spares on board.
The repair was easy so we were on our way back to Southhall Landing quickly. David and Susan caught our lines and helped us tie off just before the rain arrived. We sat under
Mystic's awning and waited for a clearing. After much needed showers, we joined David and Susan for dinner aboard
Veritas.
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Mystic at Southhall Landing
Photo by Susan Beebes |
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Mystic
Photo by Susan Beabes |
It rained all evening and the forecast called for more rain in the morning. We decided to stay an extra day and take care of laundry. We got the folding bikes out and went for a ride around the neighborhood. It was hard to get anywhere directly, due to the salt ponds. Many of the roads do not go through. Instead, they meander around the ponds. It felt great to get some exercise.
Later in the day, the wind built from the north, then switched to the south and then the east while a round of storms literally surrounded us. We joined Susan and David for dock tales and met their neighbors Sarah and Dennis who live on their sailboat at Dock C.
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| Salt Ponds at Southhall Landing |
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| High Tide in the Salt Ponds |
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| Reflections of the docks |
The stormy weather brought cooler temps, which made for great sleeping conditions overnight and a beautiful morning. After breakfast, we rode the bikes to Buckroe Beach to check out the conditions on the Bay. Twenty mph winds from the northeast were creating white caps that would make our journey a difficult head on fight with the wind. It made sense to wait out another day. We would like to get moving again but whenever we are in a hurry we tend to get into trouble. Instead, we embraced the extra day and enjoyed swimming at the marina pool, biking and hitching a ride to the grocery store with Susan and David. It was not a great day to be on the water but it was a beautiful day on land. There are a multitude of birds at the marina. A purple marten flitted from tree to tree in the marina parking lot. I tried to get photos but it was too quick for me.
We said our farewells to Susan and David and returned to Mystic for dinner before retiring early. The temps had cooled so I added a fleece blanket to our bed. We are no longer in the heavy heat of the south. This is the best sleeping weather we've seen in a long time!
We had a wonderful, unplanned three day stay at Southhall. It was good to see Susan and David, and to take a break from travel. This Great Loop experience is all about the journey and sometimes you have to stop to smell the roses.
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Susan, David, Beth & Dave at Rocket Park
Photo by Susan Beabes |
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| Moon over Mystic at Southhall |
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