We had hoped to launch Echo shortly after returning September 27th however things don’t always go according to plan. After a few delays and hiccups we were finally ready to leave Deltaville the afternoon of October 9th.
The Annapolis boat show was already underway and we had a long list of things we wanted to take a look at so we headed right out. We made an overnight journey north in Chesapeake Bay and arrived in Annapolis about 7 the next morning. We got a few hours of sailing in along with a good work out on the engines which was good given the recent work. We did run into a few minor glitches which would necessitate a stop in Deltaville the next time through.
Annapolis was great! We met several fellow Antares owners and reconnected with a few we had met along the way; great resources and nice people. We made several purchases at the boat show, some important, some frivolous. We reconnected with our friends Ed and Chris of SV Freedom. We had our first overnight guest, our cousin Katie who lives in Arlington came to visit. Well worth the extra miles north!
Finally southbound once again with a short stop in Deltaville to correct a few minor issues. We have been traveling on the Intra Costal Waterway but hope to head out on the ocean very soon. It’s getting mighty cold here and the weather forecast is looking good for southbound travel starting tomorrow.
We had hoped to be heading back to the Virgin Islands this week but don’t feel we’re quite ready for a 1500 mile ocean journey. A few months ago we had signed on with a group of boats who are leaving in the next day or so but by the first of October we officially withdrew. We need some more experience with the new boat so we’ll just keep moving south and building our knowledge and experience with our new catamaran. The current thought is that we will head for the Bahamas for a bit, although that plan can change too…
Some other October highlights include:
- Meeting Kate and Steve of Blue Summit. Another Antares 44 that we were docked near in Deltaville
- Visiting Ocracoke Island another beautiful spot in the Outer Banks.
- Meeting John and Penny of Caribbean Soul.
- Logging several hours of great sailing in various conditions, upping our knowledge and comfort level with the new Echo.
- Hopefully getting past my “writer’s block”.
Thanks for following us ~ Mary and Jeff
Lovely to read you, Mary. Was in Ireland for my niece, Caroline’s wedding. It sound like the wide ocean is to be your new home. Enjoy and stay safe. Love, Briíd
Thank you Brid. I loved the pictures you posted from the wedding. Caroline is a beautiful bride and I loved seeing your family! It’s been so long since we were in Ireland.
So good to hear from you. We really enjoy all your emails. Missed you during the summer,but happy you had a wonderful time.
Thank you Donna. We did have a wonderful time but glad to back on the water.