Day 24- Norfolk, VA to Deltaville, VA

 

We are on the move again after the AGLCA Rendezvous. The bay was predicted to get a bit bumpy with winds picking up in the afternoon so an early departure is planned.

A 6 AM departure from Waterside Marina in Norfolk. 
Another early departure, for which I have built a reputation.  Using one of the area-specific wind prediction programs for the Bay, I figured out that the earlier the better, as the winds could be expected to pick up as the day went on.  We had been pretty well boxed in at the event, but when I saw the "boxer-inner boat" light off his engines, I knew we could extricate ourselves and skedaddle. The wakeup call for the crew was the engine and generator starting up.  I unplugged and untied, walked the boat around a little bit and was motoring out of the marina in short order.

One of the first sites we saw was this working ship with a MONSTER crane. 

It dwarfed the other cranes.

It had all these large cylinders on board.

Look at all the lines on that block and tackle. After some research I learned it was called Orion, this link will give you more information. It is a one of a kind. ‘Orion’ will be used for the installation of 176 foundations at the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm in the US, one of the largest offshore wind developments in the world.

The sun was still shining on all the container ships we passed.

In 2017 the U.S. Coast Guard declared that the lighthouse was unsafe for personnel to access and maintain the light, and the light is discontinued.  Lighthouse Digest adds it to the Doomsday List. As of August 2018, the light was for sale with an asking price of $249.000. Richard Cuce’, of Pennsylvania, purchased the lighthouse at a price of $125,000 in March, 2023. His plans are to restore the lighthouse. 

Thanks to Lighthousefriends.com for this information.
Click on the title link for more history of this lighthouse.

The the clouds moved in. This photo is of the Atlantic Ocean entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. If you look closely at this and the next photo you will see 15 container and bulk carriers. They appear to be anchored, probably waiting for the Baltimore harbor to open again after the collapsing of the bridge.

The day progressed as advertised and the last hour and a half saw the wind slowly picking up.  The typical short, choppy Chesapeake waves gave the windshield wipers a workout and the last turn into Deltaville gave us an unpleasant beam sea for a few minutes before we put the waves astern and made port.  It turned cold and blustery.

The forecast for tomorrow is more promising, with the wind diminishing.  We have another 50 mile day tomorrow to Solomon's Island.  Fingers crossed!
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Paul comments in this font 


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 11, 2024 at 7:47 AM

    Hey Paul how are you - great piccies in this post! Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 11, 2024 at 7:28 PM

    Paul, thank you guys so much for keeping us all informed on your travels and the wonderful pictures you are taking along the way. For me it's a trip down memory lane. I recognize every piece of the waterway, the bridges, the sights, the marinas. You have brought back so many wonderful memories of our trips both north and south.

    What surprised me the most was how few changes there were, a paint job here, new dock there, but for the most part many things were the same. This is awesome, and makes me smile every mile you move.

    Safe travels, calm seas. Thanks for the wonderful memories. Butch would have loved to do this trip with you. Love Ellie.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KathyMay 13, 2024 at 10:10 PM

    MONSTER CRANE!!! That crane is an unbelievable piece of equipment. What kind of engineering genius does it take to dream up something like that. And then, who knows how to build it???
    I am enjoying the posts, as well as reading the info on the links. I had no idea there were off-shore windmills. Thanks for the history lesson

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Snow GooseMay 14, 2024 at 2:19 PM

      I know!! It was a brute. Thanks for following us. It makes it easier to stay on top of posting when we know people are reading it.

      Delete

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