It's the "EAGLE!"

Weather: Overcast, high humidity (89%) and fog (at it’s worse, ¼ mile visibility) in the AM; E @ 5-10 knots; partly cloudy in the PM and a most beautiful day! To the south, the water color was silver, to the east and north, the water color was a very clear blue. Seas <>



Comment:
0700 Awoke to fog and 89% humidity. It was flat calm and glassy in the anchorage.
0800 Breakfast and boat chores (stow gear, check oil, etc.)
0900 Generator on!
0945 Fire up, hoist the anchor and away we go.

1100 Generator turned off. We motored passed the US Navy target range. There was no activity at the time.

11:55 Two hours south of the Solomons, we spotted the first Pelican of the trip. I really love to watch these birds. Pelican would have been a great boat name. I don’t believe anyone entered it in the contest.

1200 We begin to hear a Coast Guard patrol boat and a Navy range boat hailing boaters near the target range to alter course. The first two boats were directed to head west and travel either north or south about 1 mile off shore. Subsequent to that, vessels were requested to travel east to the shipping lane and continue their journeys when they arrived in the channel. This went on for two hours, when it was announced that the exercise was concluded.

1300 We are at Point No Point and are about to cross the mouth of the Potomac River. Visibility in the fog is about ¼ mile. We kept a sharp eye for traffic, especially shipping traffic going to and from the river and bay. The fog lifted at around 1340 and blue skies were trying to poke through.

1200 The sky has turned a beautiful blue and there are white nimbus clouds along the eastern shore. The afternoon sun is shinning on the water and clouds and the scene is breathtaking!

1300 I’ve spotted a three masted ship off in the distance. It appears to be steaming up bay.

1400 We are able to ascertain that the ship is the US Coast Guard Barque “Eagle.” We diverted course (by 1.3 miles) to get a good look.

1440 Close encounter with the “Eagle.” We got the pictures. There were even cadets on the yardarms! Surprisingly, there were no escort boats.

1500 Back on Course!

1600 Heard the Chincoteague Coast Guard broadcast a report of about a dead Humpback Whale located off our beam, but about 4 miles off shore. It was reported to be 30’ long and sticking above the water by about 7 feet.

1700 Making our approach to the anchorage at Sandy Point on the Great Wicomico River in Reedville, VA.

HISTORY LESSON, HISTORY LESSON!

While making our approach to this evening’s anchorage, we saw three large ships entering the harbor. They appeared to be fishing vessels. Here’s the story (source: Waterway Guide – Mid-Atlantic Edition 2007)

Reedville was named after Elijah Reed, who moved here from Brooklin, Maine, to establish the first Menhaden processing plant in 1873. The town, with many well maintained houses built at the turn of the century, is on the national register of historic places. In years past, the Menhaden fleet prospered in Reedville and you can see the ruins of the Menhaden-processing plants still standing on both sides of Cockrell Creek. A tall factory stack stands alone at the tip of a small peninsula on the red marker side of the channel. The last remaining Menhaden processing plant is on the east side of Cockrell Creek. You can often see the one-hundred foot ships out on the bay seeking schools of fish and out laying their nets.

1730 Anchor down!

This evening, we made some phone calls, enjoyed rosemary and garlic barbeque chicken, corn and a fresh salad for dinner and used the cockpit shower for the first time. We are refreshed and ready for action!