Hardy Minnesotan Winter Training Comes in Handy

My first overnight sail south from Baltimore to Norfolk VA
 

Our overnight sail down the Chesapeake Bay provided us an excellent opportunity to re-live our four years of winter weather training in Minnesota. Winter survival lessons learned sure came in handy. We may have set a layering record with Robert achieving a 4 and Trish achieving a 5! Daisie decided not to layer-up, preferring to curl up on a settee in the warmth of the cabin. Comfortable, lucky dog! 

Amid snow flurries in freezing temperatures (the 20’s F) we’re sailing out of the Magothy River in Maryland, south under the Chesapeake Bay Bridges and on to Norfolk, Virginia. It will be 24 hours before we drop anchor at the Mile 0 mark on the Intracoastal Waterway, (ICW). We need to get south before it gets to the point where staying would mean winterizing the boat and waiting a year to make the trip. Bristol Rose and crew are leaving behind snow flurries and frosted docks for Florida. Come New Year 2009, we hope to be sailing the islands of the Bahamas and the Caribbean. 

Although we’ve sailed at night, this is our first overnight sail. We have a weather window that should allow us to get to Norfolk before high winds and snow is expected in the area. We’ve taken Dave’s advice (S/V Starshine), and timed our departure to arrive in Norfolk during daylight. We’re making good speed, up to 8 knots. Sails are set on a beam reach to close haul. It’s dark now, bitterly cold and cloudy but the sailing is good and steady with both of us managing to get in a few hours of sleep in turn. Close to the shipping channel in the Bay, there’s plenty to keep our attention focused and no chance of falling asleep at the helm, even with BR’s autopilot doing the steering. A glance back over the transom and, oh s#@t! Is that a container ship bearing down on us? Get the engine started, quick! better to move a little further away from the channel. 

In the heat of a Maryland summer you don’t have much appreciation for heating aboard a sail boat. You know it’s cold when ice falls out of the flaked sails onto the deck. We are now benefitting from outfitting decisions made during the semi-custom build of Bristol Rose. Walt Shultz, Shannon Boat Company in Rhode Island got it right adding Espar diesel heating to his Shannon boats. BR is very comfortable below decks right now. 

We had a wonderful farewell with our boys and all our friends coming to bid us farewell.  We’ve been very busy with last minute preparations during our short time at Ferry Point Marina. The owner, Al, John who manages the yard, and everyone at FPM have been very helpful to us and we're grateful.