Thanksgiving

I made slip reservations for Hampton Public Pier about 3 weeks before I left to meet Bill because I didn’t want to take any chances that we’d not have a place to meet Polly & Miles, Miles’ parents, Tammy Hitchcock and Robin Dreyer, and Miles’ grandmother, Donna Jean Dreyer. Then I called the day before our reservation date to say we’d be coming in early, was that OK. “Let me check,” said the girl who answered for the Public Pier. Yes, it was OK. So I felt a little silly when we pulled into the harbor to find we were the only vessel at the pier.

We can’t gush enough over how wonderful the holiday was with our 5 guests aboard. They were funny, competent, daring, interested and interesting, and instinctively knew how to manage the small quarters we shared.

Thanksgiving Day was predicted to be the mildest and warmest of our days together so we went out in the morning for about 5 hours of light winds and sunshine. Then had a Thanksgiving Dinner (buffet) that couldn’t be beat at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next door to the marina.

Friday morning weather report was for SW 35-40 kt winds, with gusts to 45. Bill described what we could expect if we went out and the team quickly voted “nay.” Later, though, the forecast was downgraded to 25-35 kt, winds, gusting 40, and the unanimous decision was to go for the adventure. Bill promised the seas wouldn’t be too bad; we’d be in the lee of land.

The forecast was accurate and we had a thrilling time going across from Hampton to Norfolk to view the navy vessels. Act III roared along under full genoa, then reefed jenny, at 8 to 9.5 kts. Through the rain squall with hail we sailed under deeply reefed jenny alone, and by this time we were a well-oiled performance team and daringly rescued a brightly colored beach ball floating all alone in the choppy sea.

Donna Jean particularly loved the fast ride and being heeled over 20 degrees, but nothing interrupted her teatime. (See photo.).

We were sad to say good-bye, but expect to see everyone in warmer climates before too long. Act III departed Hampton on Sunday, 11/29/09, and made a short day on the water, tying up at Great Bridge for the night. Next day we went on to Coinjock, where we met Captain Peter MacIntosh, who has been sailing virtually non-stop since he was 11 years old, and his crew Frieda. They are bound for Beaufort, NC, close to Oriental, where we’ll stop for a final haul before taking off for Southern waters.