Tuesday, June 26, 2018

No updates....

We left Havana on 6th May for the Bahamas and had a great trip arriving at Great Sale Cay 36 hours later anchored in the night before moving to our old favourite spot at Double Breasted Cay for a few days of holiday - remember this place from Christmas Double Breasted Cay
Willow and Askari at Green Turtle Cay

I have to admit it was great to be back in the Bahamas but after Cuba everything has felt a bit bland so I lost the inclination to blog. I never like to go back..... We moved down to Green Turtle Cay where we hadn't been before and spent a week in the rain before a three day passage back to the USA, we sailed near to Oyster 46 Willow for the first couple of days and had some radio contact however they were heading to Maine so we parted ways. The sail was super speedy with plenty of wind and then a very fast gulf stream crossing, which Andrew timed perfectly to miss some pretty yucky convection and storms

We arrived in the middle of the night (again) at Norfolk Virginia and travelling through miles and miles of Navy shipyards all lit up was pretty surreal. It was a good job we opted to come in to the marina as the customs team arrived to clear us in at 7am.

Moored by the city lights - back in the USA

Tidewater marina in Portsmouth turned out to be a really welcome place to relax and get things organised. We met some fantastic local people and enjoyed the fantastic Harborfest.  We ended up spending over three weeks, did all our annual maintenance, bought a car and planned our next adventure to Canada. We met Fred and Tiffany who own the fabulous Commodore Theatre and they were so helpful and even invited us to a preview of the New Star Wars movie - which was great!
The fabulous Commodore Theatre entrance

You order food from your table at the Commodore

Enjoying a beer bore the movie

Out for the biggest Jewish lunch with Fred and Tiffany - that lasted us 3 days!

So today we hauled out Askari in the beautiful village of Oxford in Maryland, where she will stay until we get back after the heat has calmed down a bit. The blog will continue, in the meantime here's some pictures from the haul out and our time in the USA.

Hanging out on a Navy Boat at Harbourfest

The Waterside during Harborfest

American Authors were fantastic on the main stage

Yacht Virginia at Habourfest


The end of Harborfest

Deep Point - Piankatank River - invited for drinks with the locals

Solomons Island Cruisers


I made a pie for Bob & Anja on Sea for Miles when we met up in Solomons Island

We spent a few days preparing Askari up the River near Oxford, MD it was so beautiful

Our local in Oxford, MD
It's like a resort at Oxford Marina & Boat Yard

Sailors lounge at Oxford - wow!

Out of the water - always so nervwracking

On the hard next to the water tower for a few months