Two Fish meets the Revolutionary Era

Before starting down the Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW), we had one more stop to make. Encouraged by another Northwesterly on its way towards us, we reversed into a tough spot at

the Hampton Public Piers – crosswinds, currents and dolphin pilings aren’t our favorite companions.  We did learn a new docking trick.   We had to back into this spot but the side dock was short, so the bow is tied up to a piling.  Our initial idea was to loop a line on the piling while we passed it and then back into the slip.  This is a silly idea in the cross-current as the boat is forced to slow down at the wrong time.   The best way to enter this type of slip is to reverse in all the way at a decent speed to fight the cross-current.   Next, attach the stern on the up-current side.   Then motor forward to attach the boat to the piling.   We are living and learning.  Our clumsy arrival was rewarded with  shelter of the Hampton Parking Garage which kept the 25+ knot winds away from Two Fish. Hampton also has some good restaurants and it is a fun meeting point for fellow boaters heading south.

Yorktown was just a half hour away and the bonus was that Calypso was docked there. We enjoyed Ranger Rick’s walk – meant for the folks in the Financial Department at Langley but he let us tag along. I tuned out a bit to wonder when I would get lunch, but Ed, Maite and Jason seemed to be absorbing all of the data. I did learn how much we owed the French for leading us against the British on the battlefield.  In the decisive battle of Yorktown the French brought more troops, lost more lives and brought the only Navy.   Why?  Because they hated the English.   Not much has changed.

Our other revolutionary stop was Williamsburg. My last visit was in the  70’s and my vague memories were of a more laid-back town than the current Disneyesque area. Despite that, we enjoyed our tours of the Governour’s Palace and Capital, given by the enthusiastic tour guides. I enjoyed seeing Chowning’s Tavern, where we had eaten Brunswick Stew and Welsh Rarebit aka Grilled Cheese Olden Style on my last visit.

Don’t miss the Newport Mariner’s Museum; it is definitely joining our top ten list of Maritime Museums. Their major project is recovering the USS Monitor, a civil war battleship recovered off Cape Hatteras and undergoing conservation efforts. It was exciting to see an example of a Jangada, a Brazilian fishing boat, in the International Small Boat exhibition.  We  saw them frequently on the beaches and waters of Northern Brazil.  Also interesting was the April Fool, a small boat that was sailed from Casablanca to Florida in 1968. That is not a boat for me. The miniature fleet of model ships created by August Crabtree was more my style.

The lines were short at the historic sights because the tourist season is over.  We keep feeling like party guests that have stayed long past desert or after the keg has gone dry.   The cold weather reminds us to head south as Two Fish wants to swim in warmer waters.  Going to museums is territory for school children, retirees on tour buses, and curious cruisers. I enjoy learning more of our history without having to take a test on it next week.

We recently celebrated our first year of living aboard.  We have learned so much.  We continue to perfect the types of activities that make cruising enjoyable for us.   We rent cars at times, visit any museum that will have us,  eat out too much, watch movies, take hot showers on board, use the heaters, and bake brownies.   It has taken us a year to convert from delivery skippers to cruisers.   The transition still has a long way to go.