October 7 - October 14

Anchored in the shadow of another highway.  But I'm ahead of the story.

Shivering purple sailors.  Nope, still ahead of the story.

Several days ago, while in D.C., Christopher accused me of squirting water in his ports while I washed the boat.  There didn't seem to be any other way to account for the wet things down in the bottom corner of his cabin.

A restaurant on every corner. That is our impression of Alexandria.  We'll definitely go back again, but by car. Like the beginning of the week we got some water on the sole of Christopher's cabin on the short trip down from D.C.

The morning of our departure from Alexandria was cool and starry. Quite a difference from a week ago.  As we motored southward we could see that the trees lining the shore are just beginning to get the hues of fall.  The wind was from NNW to NNE and ranged between 5 and 19 knots.  There was some good sailing and some motoring.  On the way down to Port Tobacco River I looked in on Christopher's cabin sole and found a puddle of water. In looking through one of the lockers under his bed we found about 100 lbs of soaked toilet paper.  Hmmm, curious.

The cold weather is coming.  We had it with us last night and again today as we left the Port Tobacco River.  The cold and overcast weather kept everyone else below after I finished the story of Peter, the oyster with a wanderlust.  I started the day with a layer of fleece clothes and my foulies so I could keep warm up on deck.  The day started at 42^o F and never got over 58^o F. There were two big events of the trip down the Potomac to The Glebe on the Coan River.  Christopher unsuccessfully tried to clog the aft head and his cabin sole was taking on water at a troubling rate.

After getting the head going again the day warmed up enough for some of the other denizens of the boat to come out on deck. As long as I had some company I unloaded the lazarette, removed the shroud covering the steering quadrant, and climbed down inside to have a look.  Oh, woe is me.  The stuffing box for the rudder was leaking.  Tightening it up didn't cure it.  Indeed, the lower piece could be seen moving in its socket as the rudder moved.  Big trouble.

On Monday, 10/9, we just sat out the day on The Glebe. This is a very pretty little creek.  We recommend it, but not during mosquito season. The forecast for the day was for 20+ knots of wind, waves to four feet, and temperatures in the low fifties.  Even in our snug little anchorage the wind was 18-20 knots at times. And oh yes, it was COLD today.  With a leaky stuffing box it wasn't a day to be out on the Bay.  Instead we used the time to read, exercise up on deck, and call various friends asking for advice on our stuffing box problem. My three crew mates dinghied over to Lewisetta, small village on the Coan.  We have resolved that we will go down to Deltaville on the Rappahonock.  Friends of friends are working in a yard there and we believe that our stuffing box can be repaired there.

Tuesday we got a late start for Deltaville, with good reason.  A day of thought led me to the conclusion that the stuffing box wasn't leaking fast enough to account for all of the water in the aft cabin so I took apart Christopher's bed so that I could look underneath.  Woe is me.  There was a lot of water in the well that carries the fuel tank.  Maria and I pumped out about 2 gallons of water.  Further investigation showed that the limber hole draining the aft sections of the bilge was plugged.  After pumping and unplugging we headed out.  The first couple of hours were a slow sail out the last miles of the Potomac. Once we turned the corner at Smith Point we roared off down the Bay, eventually rolling up part of the genoa and putting the first reef in the main.

10/11, Wednesday, AM, Deltaville Yacht Yard.  The decision is made to haul the boat in order to repair the rudder stuffing box.  The job stretched out over both Wednesday and Thursday.  

It is Friday, 10/13. Now we can say we are pushing south on our journey once again.   The stuffing box problem seems to be solved.  The two bronze pieces are firmly in place.  In Norfolk I'll refill the grease fitting.  We are anchored in a section of the Roads known as Hampton Flats between the Hampton - Norfolk Tunnel and Fort Monroe, in the shadow of the highway.  Diana and I went for a walk on the grounds of the new Fort Monroe.  The old fort was originally begun in 1808, but wasn't finished even at the time of the Civil War.  We walked out on the site of the Engineer's Wharf.  This wharf was important during the 19th century and is the place that Jefferson Davis was brought shore as a prisoner after the Civil War.

We made the ten miles across Hampton Roads and down the Elizabeth River to Norfolk.  The Navy yards come first.  Four aircraft carriers are in port today.  Gosh, they are big.  Next comes the industrial part of the waterfront, and finally the shiny new part of NOrfolk.  After a layover for laundry and grocery shopping we'll be headed down the ICW, probably the Dismal Swamp Canal.