2019: Hampton Yacht Club

4/26/2019
Depart: Anchorage outside Hampton Public Piers 11:00
Arrive: Hampton Yacht Club 11:10
Distance: 0.2 nm

Our friends, Dorothy and Clayton, pulled some strings and got us a spot at the Hampton Yacht Club for the night. When we got word from Clayton that we had the go ahead to come into the marina, we pulled up anchor and moved right on over. We were anxious to get settled before the big storms came in scheduled for an afternoon appearance.

Clayton welcomed us at the docks and helped us tie up. Since he and Dorothy just got home from their Florida trip last night, they had lots to do and Clayton said he would see us later at Happy Hour.

As predicted, storms passed through the area during the afternoon. We ate lunch on board while we waited out the first rain event. When things settled down and "Rainy Days" showed a clearing for a while, we went to Food Lion to get supplies. We were told we could walk the 0.8 miles to the store, but with rain in the forecast, we grabbed Lyft instead.

While waiting for Lyft to arrive, Clark saw a nearby monument and ran for a picture.

Monument near Hampton Yacht Club

We had no rain while we were on our errand.  Later in the afternoon, around 3:30 or so, the winds kicked up and the rain pelted down. This storm brought hail with it although noting like what we experienced in Cocoa Beach.

Heavy Rain at Hampton Yacht Club

Clouds over Hampton, VA

It cleared for a little under an hour and then we got hit again around 4:30. The dark clouds that rolled in brought high winds. I was very glad we were tied well to a dock instead of floating at anchor as the winds hit the boat.

Dark Clouds and another storm just before 5:00

At 5:00 Clayton contacted Clark and told him to "come on up" to the Yacht Club for Happy Hour. Friday's are special nights with free hors oeuvres provided by the club. We had a good time with Dorothy and Clayton as well as with others we have met through them including Thorne, Karen and Dave on Disconnected, and now Jean and Rick Flack on S/V Bahamas Happy. I chatted with Dorothy, Karen, Thorne, and Jean while Clark hung out with the guys. Such a fun night and so glad we could attend! The party broke up around 9:00, and we made our way back to the boat for the night.

2019: Hampton VA

4/25/2019
Depart: Mill Creek Anchorage at Fort Monroe 2:25
Arrive: Anchorage in front of Hampton Public Piers 3:10
Distance: 3.5 nm

Clark said that we would be staying at the Fort Monroe anchorage for a second night. This morning after breakfast and a while reading my current novel, I decided to do some much-needed boat cleaning. Just after I completed my chores and sat down to relax, a sailboat came into the anchorage. I looked up and a woman on board was waving at me and yelling, "Hello Clark! Hello Evelyn!"

I had no idea who this might be. She yelled her name, which I could not hear. I heard her husband's name, Dave, and I could read the boat name - Disconnected. I heard her say Faro Blanco, and I started shaking my head. I never saw a boat by that name at Faro Blanco. Who is this that seems to know us so well?!

Finally, she yelled, "Dorothy and Clayton's friend", and then it clicked. Karen came to Faro Blanco to visit Dorothy and Clayton. She did not have her husband or her boat with her. I called Clark out to say hello, and he invited them to tie up (raft up) to the side of our boat. They did, and we visited for about two hours before they said they needed to get going. They stopped by while on a shake-down cruise for their recently launched boat, saw Sunset Delight at anchor, and swung by to say hello.

Karen and Dave, Disconnected, waving goodbye after our visit

We had a delayed lunch. I planned to work on blog updates after eating. Clark surprised me by saying that we needed to change anchorages due to bad weather coming in tomorrow. He suggested moving later in the day. I said if we had to move, we should move now. So, as soon as we finished eating, we picked up anchor and moved just over 3 nautical miles to plant ourselves in front of the Hampton Public Piers where we recently stayed for the MiniGAM.

Once we were settled in place, I pulled out my laptop and started working on blog updates. When we  scanned for WiFi in the Hampton area, we found "nautical WiFi" which serves WiFi for a $5 per 24 hours fee. Since I had a lot of blog updates to do, it seemed well worth the nominal fee. With the exception of taking time to cook and eat dinner, I spent the rest of the day on blog.

2019: Fort Monroe Virginia

4/24/2019
Depart: Deep Creek Anchorage 8:55
Arrive: Fort Monroe @ Mill Creek Anchorage 11:45
Distance: 18 nm

When we talk to other boaters, we often get recommendations on places to visit. While attending the SSCA MiniGAM, we heard that we should see Fort Monroe. We decided to target this historic site today. On our way there we saw ...

Oyster crews hard at it offloading their early-morning haul

a floating box (??)

Side view of floating box (??)

Military Aircraft

Battleship

Entering the Fort Monroe area, we saw ...

Old Point Comfort Lighthouse at Fort Monroe

The Chamberlin Hotel built c. 1928

 We had a devil of a time trying to get anchored satisfactorily. Crab pots scattered hither, thither, and yon made finding a spot difficult. Add to that the underwater cable running between G3 and G5 that we better not find with our anchor, and we were left struggling to find a good place for the night. On our third attempt, we settled on a place which worked well.

By the time we had our anchor in place, it was almost time to eat lunch. I had wondered what we would do for food. Given the time, I had my answer. We ate on board. As we approached the Fort area, I asked Clark if he planned to use bikes to tour the fort. He said he planned on walking.

After doing some looking into whether or not bikes would be useful / allowed, I suggested he rethink that decision. We took the bikes and related paraphernalia (helmets, and such) with us in the dinghy (it was cozy to say the least). Once we got there, we realized that bikes were a necessity to see more than a small portion of the fort.

On the bike ride from the marina to the fort ...

Zero Mile Post for
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

Bandstand at Centennial Park
first concert held here 4/7/1934

Site of Fort Algernourne - 1609

St Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church c. 1903

Lincoln Gun cast in 1860
First 15-inch Rodman Gun Made

Entrance to Fort Monroe

View of Moat

Path over Moat into Fort Monroe

Entrance to Guard House

Fort Monroe is known as “Freedom’s Fortress” and the Casemate Museum offers an interesting history lesson to its visitors.  A casemate is a room within the wall of a fort used for gun placement and living quarters.

Casemate Museum

No potable well water required Cisterns to be used

3-inch Ordnance Rifle made 1863 for Union forces
fires shells 2.5 miles

Aerial view of Fort Monroe
Largest stone fort in the U.S. with 5 entrance gates

For example, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, was imprisoned here during the Civil War following his capture by Union troops in 1865.

Major General Benjamin Butler made the famous decision that three fugitive slaves should not be returned to the south, but should instead, be treated as “contraband of war”. Following that decision, thousands of “contrabands” sought sanctuary at the fort. Butler’s decision was a forerunner to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The battle of the ironclads (USS Monitor  and CSS Virginia aka Merrimack could be seen from Fort Monroe.

One surprising fact … Edgar Allan Poe, using an alias with initials E.A.P., was stationed at Fort Monroe from 1828 to 1829. He needed money so tried to stay with the army, but he was a bad soldier and was eventually dismissed for gross negligence of duties.

Edgar Allan Poe writing Poems at Fort Monroe

 From the museum, we toured the fort on our bikes – both the inside and outside loop.

Exit to the outside of fort and moat

View of moat

Flag Staff Bastion

Robert E. Lee was posted at Fort Monroe from 1831 – 1834 and was responsible for overseeing to the completion of the fort’s construction.

Lee's Quarters 1831 - 1834

Lincoln stayed in this building in May of 1862

Parade Grounds at Fort Monroe

Beach at Fort Monroe

Old Point Comfort Lighthouse

 Built in 1802, the lighthouse is the oldest structure at Fort Monroe. During the War of 1812, the lighthouse was used as a lookout by British invasion forces. The structure is still used as a navigational aid.

 

Engineer Wharf built 1818.
Jefferson Davis landed here as a Union prisoner.

First African arrived here 1619 -
captured from a Portuguese slave ship

View of The Chamerlin
(once a hotel; now Active Seniors Housing)

After touring the Casemate museum and then biking for miles, Clark said we should stop for ice cream. Someone had texted him that a coffee shop in the area had ice cream. We found it!

Firehouse Coffee

Inside Coffee Shop

Coffee and Ice Cream

Firehouse Coffee - Dogs Welcome, People Tolerated
A number of painted fire hydrants sat outside the coffee shop.

After ice cream, the proprietress of the ice cream shop suggested we might like to explore Phoebus, so we biked there for a look-see.

Town of Phoebus 

Downtown Phoebus

History of Phoebus

Although we had suggestions for places to dine on shore, we opted to return to the boat and eat "in". We had a nice home-cooked meal and a beautiful sunset.

Sunset at Mill Creek Anchorage near Fort Monroe