Sailing (?) on Chesapeake Bay

We anchored just north of the last lock of the Dismal Canal two nights ago, right across the channel from this sign.  When we go back south, we'll be going left instead of right.

Next morning we motored through Norfolk.  First we had to make a 9:30 opening of a bridge and railroad bridge, raised just for us.

 Our job, according to all the security boats and police around, was to stay away from all the Navy ships around.  We could look, but not approach (like we were any kind of threat!)


 

 

 

 

Of course there were many other boats there, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norfolk is as big and busy a port as we've passed through.

 

 

 

What really happened that day, what we will remember, is that we got into Chesapeake Bay, saw that the winds were 10 knots and off the beam so we could sail.  We  put the sails up and had a lovely time, for a while.  Then the winds came directly off our bow so we took the sails down and motored, hoping to get about 35 miles to an anchorage we'd found on the inland coast.

But that was not to be.  The winds kicked up to 25 knots and the waves bounced us and we made so little headway that we knew we had to get off the bay.   We found a little anchorage just up an entrance to several rivers.   The wind died down, we ate our navy beans, collards and cornbread that we'd been working on intermittently all day and all was lovely.

But around 4 in the morning, the wind came up again and began tossing the boat around.  We weren't protected enough.   This is how the sunrise looked

 

 

The winds are supposed to be similar the next couple of days so we've motored to a marina, refueled and took on water.   We are now anchored in a more protected spot and plan to be here today at least.  Marina has offered use of their bathrooms and dinghy dock if we want to go ashore and look around.  It's mostly residential and looks very peaceful.