WASHINGTON D.C.

We left Colonial Beach bound for our nation's capitol, a mere 62 miles further up the Potomac River.  We have both been to Washington DC before, but it had been many years ago.  So many things will not have changed;  the perspectives from which we were to see our nation's capitol, however, have vastly changed.



On the way up, we passed George Washington's house at Mt. Vernon.  The river winds and turns in this upper section and is lined with many trees.  There are even signs of hills and valleys.



Fort Washington stands majestically guarding the Potomac River as it makes the final turn towards the Capitol.

Finally, as you come out of the final turn and go under the Hoover Bridge, the City begins to unveil.  It's quite a site to see the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building in the same vista.

Washington DC can be seen from any number of perspectives. It is rather difficult to describe in any sort of a succinct way. It is a place that was planned and created as the seat of government in a way that evokes strength. It is the treasury of our nation’s heritage. At the same time it is home to hundreds of thousands of people.

The Mall’s formals structures, ceremonial spaces, and carefully planned vistas were designed after earlier European cities designed to showcase autocratic regimes. However, here, these same places are where people come to play on weekends, to attend cultural events, or to petition the government. In a single day, the Mall is where it is easy to see both Frisbees and footballs, picnic baskets and bicycles, protest signs and groups of people chanting statements of change.

In Washington DC, you can see the magnificent buildings that house the three branches of government. It is also where the nation celebrates and commemorates the wars the country has fought and the men and women who served and gave their lives. The nation’s great presidents - those to whom the nation is in debt for their leadership during the time the nation was formed, or those for whom the nation is grateful for their leadership during times of crisis are honored here: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy and Roosevelt. Other of the nation’s greatest leaders deserving of national historic sites are also commemorated.

Washington DC is also the home to the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution and other repositories of the things the nation holds significant. Architecturally, the buildings and monuments of Washington can be powerful, often handsome, and sometimes controversial. However, they are most important in what they say about us as a people. It has been said that we read in each the changing concerns, attitudes and tastes of the culture that built them. As such, way beyond the events and people they commemorate, exist the truths they embody: justice, equality, courage, honor - the tools of a free society. Washington is way more than simply a capitol city. This is a city that gives shape to our common heritage and to the diversity that is the source of its constant renewal. It should be a place that defines us as a people.

 



The tradition of the “conference handshake” began with Chief justice Melville W. Fuller in the late 1800s.

Before they take their seats at the bench, each justice shakes hands with the others.

Chief justice Fuller cited the practice as a way to remind justices that,

although they may have differences of opinion, they share a common purpose.



Of course, Brenda found her hero at the Library of Congress.

A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution

is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed,

whatever may be its theory, must be, in practice, a bad government.

Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, 1788



         "When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

          We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government." Declaration of Independence



"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,

the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The Second Amendment

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,

papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,

shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable

cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the

place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
The 4th Amendment



"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of

speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,

and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "
The First Amendment




"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."  Excerpt of the Gettysburg Address.



I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought, how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, Freedom is not free.

Excerpt of the poem "Freedom is not Free" by Kelly Strong




The nite was cold, I was ten years old
When the Chaplain made his call.
The news was bad, my mother was sad
When she heard of my fathers fall.

An ambush he said, they all were dead
The words were shocking and cold.
Eight other men died, eight other wives cried
For young men who would never grow old.

The years quickly passed, they seemed so fast
With no father to show me the way.
Yet I knew from the start, deep down in my heart
We'd be together, forever, one day.

Excerpt from "The Wall" by Kelly Strong



A monument to the women who served in Viet Nam.



The Sequoia Presidential Yacht is a fully restored, 104-foot, 1925 Trumpy-designed yacht that has served more than nine Presidents. It has been designated by Congress as a National Historic Landmark. The Sequoia was the scene of some of America's most historic events: It was used during the Harding administration to enforce Prohibition; Herbert Hoover promoted his use of the Sequoia during the Depression in a misguided effort to elevate the spirit of a starving public; FDR and Eisenhower planned D-day; Truman decided to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and later conducted the world's first nuclear arms control summit; Eisenhower entertained Korean War veterans; Kennedy celebrated his last (46th) birthday party; LBJ lobbied for civil rights legislation, and planned Vietnam War strategy; Nixon negotiated the first arms control treaty with the Soviet Union, and later decided to resign; Gerald Ford conducted cabinet meetings on board; President Ronald Reagan met all of the nation's 50 Governors at the Sequoia's gangplank in Richmond, Virginia.

Many distinguished foreign visitors have been entertained by Presidents, or conducted serious business with Presidents, on the Sequoia. During World War II, President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower planned European war strategy with Winston Churchill and Field Marshall Montgomery, respectively. Churchill also enjoyed relaxing on deck while FDR fished in the Potomac River. A year after Truman decided, on the Sequoia, to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Truman hosted the first the nuclear arms control treaty conference with Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister, and Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister. Eisenhower allowed Britain's Queen Elizabeth to use the Sequoia during her visit.

The Sequoia may have been America's first handicapped-accessible boat. During the early 1930's, FDR was frustrated that he needed the crews' assistance to move him from the Main Salon to the upper deck of the Sequoia. The public was unaware of his frustration since numerous photos were released to the public showing FDR standing on the Sequoia (with hands on the railing). FDR instructed that an elevator be installed between the upper and lower decks. This allowed FDR to travel between the Presidential Stateroom and the Main Salon without assistance.

Lyndon B. Johnson watched movies on the top deck by using the smokestack as a screen. LBJ complained both that the doorknob was too small in the Presidential Stateroom and the shower was too small for his 6'3" body. So the small doorknob was replaced with a large, Texas-style knob and the shower floor was lowered three inches. When LBJ used the Sequoia, he was inconvenienced by the lack of a bar at which to mix his favorite drink, a Scotch on the rocks. LBJ instructed that FDR's elevator in the main salon be replaced with a bar.

Perhaps the crew's favorite President was John F. Kennedy. He was a young Navy veteran who loved the sea, and he was not too much older than some Navy crew members.

Unfortunately, in 1977, Jimmy Carter sold the Sequoia — "the yacht was a bit too imperial for his down-home presidency," Stamberg reports. In 1999, a collector of presidential memorabilia bought the Sequoia for almost $2 million, restored it, and rents it out now — for $10,000 a night.




"Only the accumulated praise of time will pay proper tribute to our valiant dead. Long after those who lament their immediate loss are themselves dead, these men will be mourned by the Nation. They are the Nation's loss. There is talk of great history, of the greatest fight in our history, of unheard-of sacrifice and unheard-of courage. These phrases are correct, but they are prematurely employed. Victory was never in doubt. Its cost was. The enemy could have displaced every cubic inch on this fortress with concrete pillboxes and blockhouses, which he nearly did, and still victory would not have been in doubt. What was in doubt, in all our minds, was whether there would be any of us left to dedicate this cemetery at the end, or whether the last Marine would die knocking out the last Japanese gun and gunner. Let the world count our crosses! Let them count over and over. Then when they understand the significance of the fighting for Iwo Jima, let them wonder how few they are. We understand and we wonder--we who are separated from our dead by a few feet of earth; from death by inches and fractions of an inch. The cost to us in quality, one who did not fight side by side with those who fell, can never understand."  Maj. Gen. Graves Erskine



The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards,
as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans
have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose,
and that is the path of surrender, or submission.
John F. Kennedy




TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

"HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
KNOWN ONLY TO GOD"




"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence,

promote the general wefare,and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves

and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the

United States of America."

Preamble to the Constitution


Riding down the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue; Finding a DC burgee; the National BBQ Festival; Chinatown; Magna Charta; Declaration of Independence; Bill of Rights; Constitution; Sports Bars; Gem Stones; National Archives; Brenda’s Birthday; Barry’s Birthday; Riding through sprinklers; Fish Market; Big Union Houses; FBI, FDA, FAA, FCA, EPA, USDA, DOL, HUD, ETC.; Helicopters, Steve the Club Manager; Capitol Yacht Club; Anchorage; Sequoia; Snap On Tools; Asian Fusion; Safeway/CVS; Borgers; Washington Monument; Vietnam Women’s Memorial; Korean Veterans; Jefferson; Natural History Museum; Air & Space Museum; Library of Congress; Elvis; Supreme Court; White House; Congress and the Capitol; swimming in the Potomac; Quantico; Mt. Vernon; Fort Washington; floating fish; Arlington; Gettysburg Address; Preamble; rain; Police; bridges.

COLONIAL BEACH, VIRGINIA - WHO'S EVEN HEARD OF COLONIAL BEACH, VIRGINIA?

After nearly three weeks on the hook, it was time to get into a marina and get some things done such as laundry, that is logistically difficult to do while anchored out.  It is also a good opportunity to wash the mud off the foredeck.  The bottoms we have been anchoring in generally consist of this gooey, black-grey, sticky, stinky mud which, in spit of all efforts with a pressurized hose, still gets all over the deck.  So, every once in a while, it has to be washed off with a brush, some Comet, and a little elbow grease.  I cannot recall the last time the chain came up clean.  In fact, the chain appears to be permanently colored black. 

The weather cooperated with us pretty well until we got here, and then it started to rain.  It has been raining on and off for the last two days and this morning, as I write this, it has been a constant downpour.  Our goal was to leave Colonial Beach and make the last approximately 60 miles up the Potomac to our anchorage in Washington DC today.  Well, if this rain continues as I expect it will for the next couple hours, our efforts may be hampered.  So, we have a back up plan.  One of the nice things about the Potomac, is that it is wide and deep and finding a place to anchor is pretty easy.  We will be out of the tidewater basin of the river by later today and so the currents from the tide changes will not be as severe.  So, if we don't make it all the way to DC, we'll just drop a hook and stop for the night, and pick up where we left off in the morning.  Yeah, the wind is blowing pretty hard right now and it sounds like pieces of the covered dock next to us are coming apart. 

We made quite a few miles the last few days, so stopping here in Colonial Beach made sense.  As I said, we had a few chores to accomplish, but also had to do some grocery shopping as certain stores were getting low.  This town is small, but it has what we need.  It's also at about the half way point up the river to DC. 

I had never heard of Colonial Beach before, but this is what I learned.  Colonial Beach started out as a bathing and fishing resort in the nineteenth century and in the latter part of the 19th century, became known as the “Playground on the Potomac.”  At one time, legalized gambling lead to the construction of several impressive casinos, all of which burned to the ground in the 1960's.  Nevertheless, folks continued to come here.  In more recent times, the rapid growth of the Washington Metropolitan area helped this little "beach town" on the Potomac thrive again.  In that regard, because it is located roughtly equidistant (65 miles) from Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. the Town is again very attractive to working families, retirees, and many seeking second homes.

In addition to its allure as a resort town, tourism is still an important factor in the town’s growth and popularity because it is located only minutes (by car) from the heavily traveled Route 3 “Historic Corridor” which links such attractions as Stratford Hall, George Washington’s Birthplace, Westmoreland State Park, Historic Downtown Fredericksburg and many other popular automobile tourist stops.

It's a golf cart friendly town.  You can rent them pretty cheap, or there is a trolly that circles the town and will deliver you just about anywhere you want to go for $.25.  The conductor took us to the front door of the market.  It was pretty funny.  There are a few locals that have nothing better to do than ride the trolly around all day long.  Obviously, the driver is a local and he enjoys seeing all his friends all day long as was evidenced by the fact that he stopped to waive at almost every corner.  There seems to be a contingent of ladies that ride the Trolly as well.  I think they like the driver. 

Folks are very friendly here and this was a good stop as wel got everything done.  Brenda seems to have recovered from the flu bug that bit her and is doing a lot better.  We listened to some really bad local band music, but ate some decent apps at the on site restaurant.  Today, we hope to get another leg on towards DC.  But, mother nature might not think so.

That's all for now.

DELTAVILLE - A SPECIAL KIND OF PLACE

I have never been anywhere near the Chesapeake Bay before so I had absolutely nothing in mind when I came here for the first time.  It's always more interesting to me to show up with a blank slate than to have to strive to overcome preconceived notions of what a place is supposed to be like.  Never did I imagine how pretty it is around here. 

First, let me say that cruising on the C Bay is like nothing we have done so far.  The water is big and deep.  The banks are lined with hills and trees. It is severely affected by winds and tides.  You might even think you were on the Santa Barbara Channel, except the water is not that deep. 

The water is not blue, but it is not coffee colored either.  When I say that the winds and tides severely affect the water, what I mean is that if the wind is opposing the tide, the conditions can go from docile to severe very quickly.  The water will take on a chop like none other, with very steep and closely spaced wind waves beating the heck out of the boat.  I have noticed, however, that the commercial fisherman all have boats of very similar design that seem to do very well in the chop and slop.  I have been referring to them as Chesapeake Bay Runners.  These boats are relatively low to the water for their length.  They have a very high prow, compared to their length, and the house is low as well.  It would appear to me that these boats are designed to cut right through the chop, and have the length to maneuver through the slop without getting caught in the trough.  They look something like this:



Or like this:



Sorry for the crappy photo quality.  I did not take these.  Rather, I found them on the internet and cut and pasted them.  I think you ge the idea, however. I really like these boats as they handle the chop and slop better than any "cruising boat" I have seen. 

Well, after a great time celebrating Jodie's birthday in Norfolk, we waited for the wind to lie down a bit and headed out towards Deltaville, Virginia.  We waited until almost 10:30 to leave.  After we got going, the wind did not lie down.  In fact, it picked up.  By the time we got to the turn off of the Elizabeth River and onto the C Bay, it was smokin' and we were going to get pounded.  So, we headed into the Hampton Roads area and hid out just outside the Hampton River mouth to wait it out a little longer.  The National Whatever Service had forecast dropping winds throughout the day and afternoon, but we were not seeing it just yet.  We were anchored nearly an hour and a half before the flag on the point finally drooped.  That was our signal to boogie.  So, we did.

As we headed out onto the C Bay, the wind was starting to drop, but the waves were coming along a little more slowly.  After a while, the wind dropped and the waves dropped and we were having just a glorious ride north on the Bay.  Our only concern at that point was whether or not we would make it to Deltaville before dark.  The entrance to the Jackson Creek where we planned to anchor can be tricky and it was the last thing I wanted to do in the dark.  So, we had a number of contingency plans.  What we really needed was the effect of the tide shift to kick in so we would get that boost we needed;  nothing like a couple knots to make it seem like things are going by quickly. 

Alas, we got the tide shift we were planning for and we were smokin' along at 7-8 knots.  As we picked up speed, I recalculated and recalculated and determined that if we held our speed the rest of the way, we would get in with time to spare.  What I did not anticipate, however, were the hundreds of crab pot markers floating all over the place as we got into the mouth of the Piankatank River which takes you to Jackson Creek and into Deltaville.  Nor did I anticipated the fact that we would have the sun flat in our eyes as we were negotiating a mine field of crab pot markers.  So, we just buckled down and made it happen.  We got through the mess with nary a scathe.

When we pulled into Jackson Creek in front of the Deltaville Boatyard and Marina, the water was like a mirror.  There were several other boats anchored out so finding the right place was not a problem.  Once the hook was in the water, and the engine was shut down, we were overwhelmed with this sense of calm.  It was like we arrived at Cat Harbor.  We felt as though the place were familiar.  It was certainly one of the most beautiful places we have anchored in over 3000 miles.

The banks of the river are lined with tall trees - pines and cypress, as well as maples and various kinds of trees one associates with Christmas.  Someone was having a fire and the smell of burning wood was in the air.  The sun was setting and a big moon was rising.  It was simply beautiful.  We didn't go into town that evening as it had been a very long day, but we buckled down to some fine cocktails aboard and passed out early.

This is a typical lighthouse on the Chesapeake bay.  This one was just outside the Piankatank River.

In the morning, we awoke to a clear sky and the temperature was a little warmer.  It was slated to be in the 80's this day.  For the past 3-4 days, it had been a lot cooler; a seriously welcome relief to the days in the 90's we had been compelled to tolerate.  The heat is bad but the humidity really sucks.  Oh well.  We have been running our generator a lot as we need it to keep the air conditioning on at night so we can sleep.  It's all good though.

The marina there is very inviting to cruising boats.  They let you tie up the dinghy for free.  They do charge a lot if you want to drop off trash, however, so we kept ours on the boat.  The nice man in the office gave us a "not so much to scale" map and pointed us in the direction of town.  Now, the town in Deltaville is not really all that.  What it is, is a series of businesses along a 2.5 mile stretch of the main highway.  So, there is no "center of town" as it were.  Nevertheless, it is a very pleasant walk.  Lots of trees and very courteous drivers.

We visited a number of stores along the way and finally found Brenda a new bicycle.  It's interesting to think one can actually find a beach cruiser in Deltaville, Virginia, along the banks of the Piankatank River, but we did.  We left it there so we did not have to bring it with us for the rest of our walk.  We would pick it up on the way back.

So, it was getting close to lunch time and I wanted to sample the local fare.  From what I understand, this includes oysters, shrimp, scallops, crab cakes, and flounder.  There is a place called The Galley that got good reviews, so we found it.  Low and behold, they had a seafood sampler platter that had everything I was looking for.  It was pricey, but since I would be trying it all at once, I would not have to go to but more than this one place.  So, I went for it.  I cannot say that much for the crab cakes, but then again, I really don't know what they are supposed to be like.  Again, no expectations.  If I were to prepare them, however, I think I would do them differently.  They were fine, however and I'm not complaining.  All in all, it was excellent.

After lunch, we were walking back to the store where we got the bike and stopped to peak into a couple other stores along the way just for fun.  At this point,however, Brenda announced that she was not feeling all that well.  So, we kept our store visits short and continued on our way to pick up the bike. 

As we were getting along, a woman in a car stops in the middle of the highway and asks, "are y'all sailors in need of a ride someplace?"  We said, we were just going back to the hardware store and were doing just fine, thanks.  She would have none of it.  She insisted we get in the car and allow her to give us a ride, "it is 85 degrees out, afterall."  So, she drove us to the hardware store where we were picking up the bike.  The next thing you know, she grabs us both by the arms and marches us into the store and calls out for Sam, the owner of the store.  She then tells him, "These fine sailors apparently purchased a bike here and were planning on walking it all the way back to the marina.  It's hot out there Sam, so why don't you get your truck and give them a ride."  Sam was certainly not one to argue, so he got his truck, loaded us and the bike in the truck and then gave us a ride the rest of the way back to the marina.  Both of these fine folks said that they couldn't let us walk in this heat, for the friendly reputation of Deltaville was at stake and dependent on it. 

Now, I have witnessed many acts of kindness in my days, and have been prone to engage in one or two myself.  Brenda, on the other hand, knows of no other way.  It certainly was something however, to be a "victim" of an act of such kindness.  It sort of leaves you scratching your head and wondering what just happened.   I wish there were more people and places like this.  I must say that in the short time we were in Deltaville, it gets my vote for the friendliest place we have visited to date. 

You might know that Deltaville was recently hammered by a tornedo.  It happened in April of this year.  It was the first time this town had ever experienced anything like that.  However, to walk through the town as we did, you would hardly know anything untoward had happened.  As far as the folks we talked to were concerned, it simply meant that the community had to pull itself up by its bootstraps and get on with it.  The local churches raised all kinds of money very quickly to help out their folks.  They took care of  each other in a devastating time of need.  But, it was like not big deal.  It was simply understood and expected. 

We were told that one of the things that makes this community unique is that the folks who live here do so because they want to not because they have to or happen to.  We noticed how the locals all know each other and greet each other.  I guess having lunch at the Galley was like going to the local spot where all the locals go.  What we saw there in terms of the interaction of folks was impressive.  I really liked that.  It sure is nice to know that there are still places where folks know each other and care for each other because they share, if nothing else, at least one thing in common:  they are all human beings and they all suffer from the same frailties, and all deserve to be treated with decency and respect afforded on a most basic level. 

We left Deltaville on our quest to reach Washington DC which is at the top of the Potomac River, still two days away (at least).  I suppose it would have been nice to spend a few more days in Deltaville, but maybe next time. 

This is the light that guards the lower half of the mouth of the Potomac River.

This is where we are anchored.

We are currently anchored in a cove called Long Cove on the Yeocomico River, a tributary of the Potomac.  It's just a stop over place, and tomorrow we will head into the town of Colonial Beach, Virginia for a day or so to get some laundry done and pick up some groceries, before we get to Washington.  Also, poor Brenda seems to have picked up a bug and has been sleeping since we got back to the boat yesterday.  She slept all the way up here from Deltaville.  I'm sure she will be better in the next couple days.

While there has not been too much going on deserving of much written expose, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to a couple other members of our "crew." 

Most of you know Brenda and I.  Or, at least, you have seen us or heard of us.  Well, our responsibilities are numerous as we own the boat and operate it on a day to day basis. 

Then, you have probably heard of and/or seen the least useful members of our crew, Runway and Tarmac.  They are cats and their duties include........well, they actually do nothing.  Tarmac barfs a lot, and Runway leaves hair all over everything.  But other than that, well.....they really do nothing but make us smile on a daily basis.  They are good crew.  They don't eat much, and if I could only get them to clean their own box, then we might get somewhere.  Brenda professes cats can be potty trained.  I got news.  When you have to manually pump to effectuate the removal of waste, well, that takes thumbs, baby, and they ain't got 'em.  That's all I'm going to say about that.

We have picked up some new crew members along the way, members who have, in their own subtle ways, made our lives a little more tolerable.  First, allow me to introduce you to the most senior member of our crew, Otto.

Otto has been part of the crew from the time we first adopted Abreojos.  He was concieved in Goleta, California, but we believe he was actually born in Maryland.  His interests include driving, and driving.  When he is not driving, he is driving.  When he is not driving or driving, he likes to lay quietly in the sun and relax.  He doesn't say much.  Some might think he was shy.  Actually, since the day he came aboard, he has been the most reliable member of the crew bar none.  He can go on and on and on.  Thanks Otto.  We love you.

Next. one of the newest members of our crew, "Olga". 

We are not sure where Olga was born or raised, although we believe Olga is of Korean descent.  We found her in Titusville, Florida.  She became a member of our crew just when things were beginning to heat up, both literally and figuratively.  Olga has proved herself time and again when things get quite warm and stiffling.  We just close up the boat and turn Olga on and she cools the place down pretty quickly.  She works on both ac shore power and ac generator power and doesn't quibble at all.  She eats virtually nothing and requires no waste management.  We sure are glad she joined us, but we sometimes wish we adopted her bigger sister.

You have already met Leon.  

Leon has continued to prove himself indespensable in the battle of the bugs.  Recently, however, we have supplemented Leon with two old Jewish women, who love to eat bugs as much as Leon.

Allow me to introduce, Henna and Schteutle, the twins. 

 

These two girls originally hale from Brooklyn by way of Odessa.  Don't let their green "do's" fool ya.  They are red hot when it comes to blasting away at the smaller insects on the inside of the windshield.  In a recent contest, Henna was up by nearly 20 before Schteutle even got out of bed.  Not to be out done, however, Schteutle soon caught up.  Between the two of them, Leon has his work cut out for him.  However, because of their differences in physiology, it is not fair to compare.  While Leon lacks the whip, Henna and Schteutle cannot dispense with wasps or other critters larger than themselves.

 Finally, allow me to introduce Haiery. 

His job is to keep things cool.  We found him at a Target.  He was probably the last of his kind and they were getting rid of him cheap so we asked if he wanted to come aboard for a long range cruise opportunity and he agreed.  He is of German descent so the ocean is not something he is too unfamiliar with.  He works pretty hard in this heat, but has yet to let us down.  He freezes things quickly and keeps them cold when it really matters.  He doesn't use that much juice either and has yet to let the smoke out of the inverter.  It's ironic that Haiery is such a good yachtsman as he is so similar in shape to my friend Harry who is also an extraordinary yachtsman.  Short but stocky and impossible to knock over. (Just kidding Harry! - you know....cement mixers, stripes, walking or rolling?  Yeah.  Sorry, man.  I just couldn't help it.)

Anyways, that is just about all the crew members worth discussing at this point.  If we add to our crew list in the future, we will let you know.  In the interim.....

That's all for now.

FROM HAMPTON WE WITNESSED THE BIRTH OF A COUNTRY - FROM JAMESTOWN, TO WILLIAMSBURG,TO YORKTOWN

After leaving Portsmouth where we had a really nice time, we headed up the Elizabeth River.  Our plan was originally to run around 35 miles up the James River and anchor just in front of Jamestown.
In the interim, as I mentioned previously, upon departure from the Dismal Swamp, the Elizabeth River into Norfolk and Portsmouth, Newport News, etc. all becomes highly industrial with one ship yard after another banking the river.

As we went further and further up the James River, it just got hotter and hotter.  It was over 100 degrees.  There was not a puff of breeze and the humidity was pretty stiff.  So, we took a look at the cruising guide to consider our options.  The option that looked most appealing was Hampton, just inside the mouth of the Hampton River.  So, we turned around and headed over to the other side of Hampton Roads and went into the Hampton River.  When we got there, we dropped the hook in a nice place.

That is when things got interesting.  In a vain effort to make a small adjustment, I determined that the anchor windlass had seen it's last day.  After getting some good advice from my friend and electrician extraordinare, Dave D., I traced and checked each and every wire, cleaned and made all new connections, and even replaced the solenoid with a spare, and still, nothing.  So, again, after consultation with Dave and the Ideal Windlass Company, we concluded that the motor was done, shot, kaput!  So, over the phone I was able to order a new motor, and the folks at the Hampton City Dock were kind enough to catch it for me from UPS several days later.  So, we ended up spending a lot more time in Hampton than we wanted to, but it worked out.  Hampton turned out to be a very good place to be stuck.  Well, we weren't really stuck because I could have pulled the anchor by hand, but let me tell you, that wouldn't have lasted long.  We had three storms in a row; each evening, it started with thunder and lightning, and finished with torential rain that lasted several hours.  I can guaranty you that my anchor was so deeply dug into the mucky bottom that, when it came to leave, pulling the hook by hand would have been a really difficult and back breaking proposition.  The windlass motor was delivered as promised, installed easily by yours truly, and all was once again good with the world.  So, it was good we stuck around.

In the interim, we rented a car and visited the Revolutionary Triangle - Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.  We actually did all three in one day; one very long, very hot, very exhausting day.  But we were glad we did it this way.  There was continuity.

I have studied American history in both high school and in college, and I have certainly heard of the American Revolution and thought I understood its causes and effects.  However, one thing became abundantly clear.  It is all meaningless unless and until you have a chance to stand on the ground where it all took place and endure a glimpse of what it must have been like.  This was the privilage we enjoyed visiting the aforementioned places.

Here is my editorial commentary about discovering the American Revolution on the east coast.  When you are born and raised on the west/left coast, the American Revolution looks very different.  In my experience, it was taught in a nice, neat, and rather sterile geo-polotical package lacking all the shine and glory of what it was all really about.  For instance, nobody told me of the Revolutionary Triangle - the three sides of this triangle - Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown - and a few small bits of information is all you really need to understand, to grasp the concept of the birth of a nation.  The American Revolution was not taught to me in these terms - the birth of a nation.  It's so much more interesting when you realize that Jamestown, the first English Settlement in the new world, was the basis and the beginning for more colonial efforts.  Then, much later, the colonists were in Williamsburg talking about liberty and independence, and actually starting to take steps in that direction.  And then, again, years later, Yorktown is where, under the leadership of George Washington, Americans and allies sent the English home after winning what many consider the decisive battle of the war.  So for me, all that nepharious gobldygook I learned in history and government classes at that very high priced secondary school I attended finally makes sense; all the little details finally fell into place.  Too bad it took 30 more years.  Perhaps, had I been a graduate student historian, cobbled in an institution of higher education, I might have gathered in those many years what I learned in a 12 hour day.  The experience was compelling.  To understand how America happened makes me even more proud to be an American.  To my knowledge, there is no other country on the planet that can compare.  Ok, that was my editorial commentary.  Should I ever find myself standing in front of a classroom teaching American History, I hope I will remember this. 


JAMESTOWN

Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement in America, is a museum of 17th-century life with exhibits that chronicle the first century of the Virginia colony. In 1607, 13 years before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock, a group of 104 Englishmen began a settlement on the banks of Virginia’s James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

WILLIAMSBURG

Williamsburg was the thriving capital of Virginia when the dream of American freedom and independence was taking shape and the colony was a rich and powerful land stretching west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. For 81 formative years, from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, cultural, and educational center of what was then the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. It was here that the fundamental concepts of our republic — responsible leadership, a sense of public service, self-government, and individual liberty — were nurtured under the leadership of patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph.

YORKTOWN

The American Revolution had entered its seventh year when, in 1781, British general Lord Charles Cornwallis brought his army to Yorktown to establish a naval base.  On October 19, 1781, the British army under General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington’s combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, "Oh God, it's all over." And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history.  The history of the siege is fascinating.

This is the main battlefield where the major parts of the campaigne were held.

All in all it was a great adventure.  We also had the opportunity to visit the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton which is part of the Langly AFB Research Center.  Lots of fun simulators.  Unfortuantely, the place was rather run down and the displayed air craft hanging in the rafters were actually dusty.  That was too bad.

By the time the windlass was fixed, we had been in Hampton for 6 days.  We played in town, read books, did whatever.  By the time the repair was done, however, our friends Barry and Jodie had caught up with us and were down in Norfolk to celebrate Jodie's birthday.  They were kind enough to invite us to share Jodie's special day.  So, being only a couple hours away, we went down to Norfolk. 

There we spent the day touring Nauticus - the National Maritime Museum, including the Battleship Wisconsin.  That was a highlight. 

That evening we had dinner for Jodie's birthday at a restaurant located within the old Freemason Abbey, a building constructed in 1873.  The food was good, but the company was excellent.

As I am writing this, I am waiting for the wind to lay down so we can get moving north again.  We are hoping to make the mouth of the Potomac River and then Washington D.C. in the next couple of days.

All for now.  Bye.