Norfolk--Back from the Sea

http://www.watersidemarina.com/

Saturday--
Began our trip to Atlantic at Cape Charles at 0830.
Winds from NE at 15-20. Great sailing. Forecast was for five foot swells in Atlantic so we secured everything and those who had it donned foul weather gear. Dorothy's experience shined here.Two hours to the bay-bridge-tunnel. There the oncoming wind and rollers --and a boat coming in on poles convinced us that sailing under this bridge--even with a motor pushing was not a good idea. Dropped sails and Dorothy took Liberty Belle into the fray under the bridges. Two highways mean two sets of bridges but he spans were offset so it added a little challenge. Dorothy was up to it and we were through and then 'hurrah' ,then realized we had come to sail in the ocean and had to put up the sails. This was a grand chance after all and one of the real reasons we came this far. Magnificent bucking seas but we could not stay for long because our destination was Norfolk that night so we headed south to Cape Henry and the lighthouses to get a view from the sea. Feeling like real sailors though the little 25 foot Belle was probably the only one of us designed for that rough weather.
The combination of rolling swells and a broad reach coming back meant the boat pitched and turned sometimes up to 45 degrees. What fun. Passed several tankers and cargo ships that were at anchor coming back and we joked about not T-boning an anchored boat, a reference to past experiences.
Then several tankers and cargo vessels passed us and we yielded the channel to them readily. Lots of traffic coming into Norfolk and no shortage of channel markers. Back and forth between charts and GPS the tell the difference but in the end it was a fairly simple--in a daylight operation and we ended up at downtown Norfolk and the waterfront marina. Pizza and beer and ice cream for the sailors who took on the Atlantic, if only for a few hours that day.
Tomorrow we head north.