It felt wonderful waking up after a good five hours or so of sleep. The sun was peaking above the horizon and I realize that my life while underway is a cycle of sunrises and sunsets. It’s enjoyable to contemplate the start of each day.
Warmer as You Go
It’s almost 9AM now and as I cruise south down the Atlantic, I’m happy that my nights & days are getting warmer.
Flat Ocean is a Happy Ocean
My anchorage was flat water but even now out in the unprotected Atlantic I find it almost as flat.
Italian Yachts
I’m not the only one out here enjoying the flat sea. This sexy Azimut passed me like I was standing still.
Flat like a Bedsheet
As I cruise the sea gets ridiculously flat. I stop to make a video of just how calm it is.
Fisherman’s Island
I’m now rounding Fisherman’s Island on the southern tip of Cape Charles. I glance up at my iPad to see my expected ETA is slipping. I’m fighting the tide which is exiting Chesapeake Channel.
I care about my ETA because I’d like to get on anchor before it’s dark.
I realize that in order to make last light I need to shorten my route or speed up. I decide to “cut the corner” a bit. Cutting the corner can get you in trouble with running aground if you are not careful as depths around inlets are often different than your charts. I cut the corner with a close eye on the trending depths displayed on my instruments.
As I’m rounding the corner, Flipper & friends pay me a visit.
I no sooner round the corner and I’m passing under The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It is a four-lane 20-mile-long vehicular toll crossing that provides direct access from Southeastern Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware plus the Maryland and Virginia Eastern Shore).
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Passing under the bridges you realize how much work went into their construction.
Concrete Ships Anchorage
The sun has set but my cutting the corner has resulting in Simple Life’s arrival at the Concrete Ships Anchorage before dark. I snap a few pictures of the ships before I lose last light.
As I cruise past, a USCG patrol boat is moving slowly alongside the concrete ships and shining their spotlight into the openings of the ships. I think to myself … “Are people living inside the ships?” Why else would they be so interested in looking inside?
Anchored Fast
I quickly chose a good anchor spot by studying the depths and drop anchor.
There is no wind at all so I backdown at a full 830 RPMs to set the anchor.
A check of my GPS SOG (Speed Over Ground) shows the anchor is not budging.
I snap a quick photo of the sunset over the concrete ships and settle in for the night.
W04L005 67NM route looked something like this…
MV Simple Life 