Although not yet Fall, the first weekend of September brought wind and waves and organized sports! The Hokies won at the Horseshoe, stunning The Ohio State. The Cavaliers brought a losing streak to an end. Timberneck Marina ventured out to Cape Charles Harbour !
The weather was stunning. Fair winds moved us to the Bay entrance. Led by Sea Dog, the Timberneck fleet sailed to Cape Charles. It was a first journey for some, and we all rejoiced in the adventure. Our parental responsibilities had us coming back to Timberneck Saturday, unable to complete the journey but we were envious spectators. We had a date on Sunday at the Hampton Road Soccer Complex, a bastion of sailing...
"A happy man has no past, while an unhappy man has nothing else."
Tortuga greeted us as we came out of Broad Creek. She is a sturdy platform for catching aquatic life. Her passengers smile.
The slack tide softens minds and soon we are pushed down the Bay with an additional knot. A dream like state of sun and wind and shimmering light followed the fleet. There was only the Song of the Wind and all desires melted into sea spray. The weather forecast for Sunday was not on our minds. The workweek was another lifetime. We were happy, with no past and only the future.
The Cape Viewer was still anchored off Cape Charles shore. She carried memories of past dockings on her bow. We did not want to see a ship like her on our starboard side unless she was firmly tethered.
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
The first Sunday of September brought Force 5-6 North winds and deep Bay waves. I am told that some of the Timberneck crew ventured out into the channel and decided to sample more the Cape Charles restaurants. It is better to have good gastronomic memories than the mal de mer taste. A prudent sailor is not afraid to turn back. When it comes to bashing through waves versus eating a Irish fried pickles at Kelly's Gingernut Pub, a skilled sailor is a humble sailor and always listens to his/her spouse. Pogue Mahone ! (http://www.poguemahonepickles.com).
The last weekend in September came with much anticipation. At home, rains had come and gave ablution to own lawn foibles. One of our own was featured in Chesapeake Bay Magazine !
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| Sea Angel ! |
However, the Chesapeake Bay Magazine omitted the best marina in Deltaville! Nonplussed, the Timberneck group ventured out to Onancock. We heard Sea Dog' Captains warning us, it is the land of fog... The hardy Timberneckers braved the winds of Saturday to return on the calms of Sunday.
Green 1 of Onanancock Creek is guarded by prehistoric birds. The channel is serpentine until you hit Parker's Marsh. For the boaters who want peace and quiet, Parker's Marsh is an ideal anchorage in good weather. I had promised my wife a birthday beach holiday, an Parker's Marsh is an economical compromise, giving Grand Cayman like vistas.
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| 7 mile Beach ? |
The rest of the Timberneck group enjoyed the beauty of the town and partook in delicious dockside Happy Hour. The Hokies and the Cavaliers both won their Saturday games. New born babies visited their grandparents at the dock. The stars were in alignment !
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
We paddled around the lovely anchorage and were blessed with gentle breezes that negated Marsh insects. The insects were there first, and we were just visitors. The locals have kept the Parkers Marsh pristine. We pretended we were in John Smith party several hundred years ago, enjoying the same views.
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| photo by T White SV Sea Leggs |
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| photo by T White SV Sea Leggs |
Sun sets every day and it never ceases to amaze. Sailing and anchoring makes us participate in the landscape. We become a part of the Marsh and are stewards to it future outcome.
The morning calm brought Onancock fog, and the world was reborn in water. There was condensation over the boats and everything else left out. I thought of the sailors adrift in the ocean and their thirst for fresh water. There is hope and a sensation and will that all is possible. A new day begins.
The Timberneckers file out one by one. Each alone yet also together. The boats who spent the night at the Wharf emerge from the mist, larger than life. They wave and make a beeline for Windmill point, 249 true.
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
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| photo by J Eure SV AdventEure |
In the last weekend of September, the boats were again out in force. The Bay was glass and a flood tide helped us come home. We took turns coming into Broad Creek. Onancock memories are being processed in the wee recesses of our brains. Perhaps the faint recollections of Parkers' Marsh and of Onancock Wharf will ward off future Alzheimers fog. Instead of taking Namenda and Aricept, more boating from Timberneck Marina !
