On the move again

We left Salt Ponds Marina in Hampton Va. today and motored up to Zimmerman Marine. It is up the East River in Mobjack Bay on the weatern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It was about a 25 mile trip up from Hampton. It took us 3 hours and 40 minutes. We were not able to sail at all. What wind we had was very light and on the nose. We will be here for a few days having some items done on the boat. Still having auto pilot problems, now a hydraulic leak. Also need an engine maintenance item and we think we will touch up the bottom paint where, as Sandy states it, I (Jeff) ran aground and also replace our Maxprop zinc.

We stored our vehicle in Hampton at an American Classic Storage facility. I think that was the hardest part of leaving. It sure was a luxury to have the SUV to visit places and get supplies. We want to keep the Expedition because that is our link to land. It may be in storage now until next summer but it gives us something to come back for.

It looks like hurricane Earl will get pretty close to the coast and will give us some high winds this Thursday so we are not in a hurry to leave. This place is really protected being back in a nice little cove. We had to have the service manager, whom I know from Cedar Mills on Texoma, come out in a little skiff and lead us in. At one point the channel is no wider than the beam of the boat and that is where a shallow spot is. We arrived right at high tide and had about 6 inches of water under our keel. The tides here run about a foot and a half. I guess we will be leaving at high tide also. Not much choice in the matter.