Out... and back again (part 1)

I have waited nearly a lifetime for this trip. More recently,... I waited patiently since December to start this trip... for this particular opportunity... at this particular time.

The trip is a voyage on a grand scale; sailing across the Atlantic Ocean... solo... in my small boat.

It didn't start out that way. Originally, I was to sail across the Atlantic Ocean with my uncle, Edward, from Glasgow, Scotland. I was twelve years old. We were going to sail across to fulfill Uncle Edward's dream of a transatlantic voyage. We were going to sail across in his boat, the Rosalie.

We never made that trip.

As a young man, I have gone back to Scotland several times to see Uncle Edward. He passed away 20 years ago. His dream became my dream... to sail my boat across the Atlantic Ocean. My voyage is in honor, respect and in memorial to Uncle Edward and all he taught me.

For the past several months, weather has been the dominant factor in my life. I keep referring to a "good weather window". What I have been looking for is three consecutive days of good sailing weather. Three days should get me across the gulf stream and into tropical weather. This can not be followed by a cold front. Cold fronts move fast and bring strong gusty conditions. So, the fast moving front could over-run my weather window... making it smaller, or taking it away completely. I don't want this to happen during my first couple days at sea.

Good weather windows have come and gone since December. For one reason or another, those were missed. Not this one! The boat is ready. I am ready.

It is Wednesday, April 25, 2018. I just sit and watch the weather to determine a departure time. I could leave now. The thunderstorms have passed, the weather is beautiful. However, the tide is flooding and the waves offshore are still 13.5 feet! So, I decided to wait until the morning and depart early.

There is a slight chill in the air. So, under my light Under Armour zip-offs, I am wearing  base 1 thermal long-johns to keep the chill out. My upper body has the matching thermal top and a micro fleece kayak shirt over that. I like to layer. So, those layers are covered by my warm ocean Foul Weather Suit with its fleece collar completely covering my neck and over my chin. I'm wearing a winter hat to keep my head warm.

I untie the dock lines and gently slip Distant Horizon out away from the dock; where she has been protected from all kinds of harsh weather.  The sky is covered with low-hanging clouds left over from yesterday's thunderstorms  The humidity is high; adding to the chill in the air. There is a golden hew to the west. It is 6:55am.

We quietly slide down the creek to the Hampton River and out the channel. Once we reach the James River we turn to port (left), into the main shipping channel and head towards the ocean.

Entering the main Shipping channel in Hampton, VA

Fort Monroe would pass by on the port-side (left) soon after entering the main shipping channel.

Fort Monroe Lighthouse

I was not the only one departing this morning. Another cruising boat passed me. I hailed (called) them on the radio. They were headed up the Chesapeake to Deltaville. After a brief chat, we wished each other a safe journey and continued on our separate ways.

Another boat departing. They were headed up the Chesapeake.

You can see in the photos above, the winds were so light, there was barely a ripple on the water. I could simply motor with the sails down like the boat in the photo. However, I prefer to motorsail. That is, I keep the mainsail raised as I motor along. The airflow from the boat's movement combines with the small amount of breeze; making a stronger breeze that will allow the sail to work slightly. It depends on how much wind there is and from what direction, but on this day it added about 0.5 knot to the boats movement when using the motor.

Another advantage of motorsailing is, that raised main sail acts as a dampener for any rolling motion; reducing the effect considerably.

By 10am, I had reached the Bay Tunnel Bridge... still moving slowly with just a little wind.

The Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge

There are two channels, which is why you have to go through two tunnels when driving across. The channel I followed from Hampton Roads, and the Chesapeake channel that all ships heading up the Chesapeake Bay towards Baltimore utilize. These two channels join together on the ocean-side of the Bay Tunnel Bridge. Shipping traffic increased significantly once I passed this point.

Here, a naval ship following me to the ocean is passing an ocean freighter heading for the Chesapeake.

Two ships passing... except it's daytime

This fishing boat was actively fishing just outside the channel. He called me up on the radio and arranged to pass on my starboard side. This is a courtesy and a matter of safety to agree and confirm how we pass each other. That way, he knows I will not tack or somehow move in front of him.

Fishing Boat Poseidon

Cape Henry is the southern demarcation for the Chesapeake Bay. Once passed this point, I will be on the Atlantic Ocean.

Cape Henry is easily recognized by its two lighthouses. These are actually located on the grounds of Fort Story, an active military base. At most times, you can be granted permission to drive to the lighthouses on the base for the purpose of visiting the lighthouses. Linda, Grace, and I did that several years ago.

Cape Henry Lighthouses

I reached Cape Henry about 11am. You can see in the photo above, the sky has cleared considerably since my departure from Hampton just several hours ago. There are even small wavelets on the water. Still, there was not enough wind to sail. I continued to motorsail for several more hours.

There was a lot of Military Shipping activity. While heading out onto the Ocean, I stay out of the shipping lanes. On this day, I had to slalom through naval ships for a couple of hours. This ship was doing a maneuver that made me think they were calibrating navigation equipment. I had to stay one nautical mile away at all times. It sounds far, but this photo was taken at about 1.25 miles.

Naval ship performing maneuvers

This aircraft carrier was repeatedly announcing its arrival to the Chesapeake, along with a warning that it had a safety barrier of 500 yards, and no boat was allowed to pass in front of its bow under any circumstances.

Aircraft carrier

All in all, it made the day pass rather quickly. Once past the naval ships, there was very little to do. The wind forecasts were overestimated. So, I had much less wind than anticipated all day.

It was 8pm before I had enough wind to sail the boat without the motor. I could have turned the motor off sooner, but I wanted to put more distance between me and the shipping lanes that converge at the Chesapeake Bay entrance.

The sails were all set for the night. They were set and ready just in case the weather deteriorate overnight. I would not have to quickly scramble about to change the sail configuration in the dark. Setting up the boat this way kept it moving at a slower pace. I felt it was safer, and was not concerned about time.

I was happy. I was sailing! I could relax and enjoy the quiet gentle rush of water against the hull. The cool light breeze in my face kept me exhilarated. My layers of clothing kept me warm. It would stay like this through the night.

I was hoping for more wind the next day.