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My Adventurous Trip to Norfolk – Part II By Miss Periauger I was awakened Saturday morning by the arrival of a cruise ship around sunrise, but still enjoyed another hour or so of the serenity of the Freemason Marina. (Kent was up early too, and took this picture from Destiny - of moi!)
After Joan went shopping for more provisions for the hungry crew, and John checked out some events details with Bill Mathus, Water Events Commander, we shoved off around 1100 for the harbor and the hull-to-hull traffic building.
I still had Joan and John on Destiny, and Kent Saunders, Ken Ries and Janet Benton for my crew, but I also had some replacement crew that arrived this morning. I already knew Barb Mueller, who brought her husband Rod, and met an equally enthusiastic sailor by the name of Glen Pandorf, a “Coastie” (Coast Guard), also from Hertford. Monty could not come out on the water today, so Destiny was a little short handed.
We made our first pass (untethered!) along the water front at 1130, and then had a chance to do some free sailing away from the events area. Here we are, sneaking up on the USS Wisconsin…
…and just enjoying some clear air.
After lunch aboard Destiny we made more passes along the waterfront between events, with Rod, Janet or Glen alternating at my helm. John had to jump into Destiny’s dinghy (the “Beagle”) and act as tug boat to help clear us out of the events area when the wind died, and we were forced by the harbor patrol to execute an unplanned, rapid docking maneuver against a floating dock. I was then subjected to an hour of being rocked and jostled and banged against the dock by wakes from ski boats, while my crew tried to protect my hull. John scooted in the dinghy back to Joan, who was quite ably piloting Destiny while being accosted by yellow flagged patrol boats and even the Coast Guard (who thought she was going a little too fast). A little later, a harbor patrol boat came up and towed us away from the dock. When the next event was wrapping up and we were afforded a sail-by window on the schedule of events, John made sure that Bill Mathus’ approval was heard on the radio by the harbor patrol boats, in order to avoid any more hair raising docking maneuvers. The way looked relatively clear of boats, so we made one more pass. Then they took me home – slightly bruised but exhilarated by it all. Freemason Marina was safe and calm as the crew took me in for a smooth and gentle landing under sail, just like yesterday. (These folks are getting better every day!)
They tidied up my rigging…
…and then went over to Destiny for yet another “debriefing” – a well deserved respite after a busy day, with some good Quaker beer called Sam Adams. That night we were treated to a tremendous fireworks display, as photographed by Kent:
Once again, the crew that stayed aboard Destiny (Joan, John, Kent, and Ken) all went to their bunks early. Barbara, Rod, Glen and Janet drove home to Hertford. Sunday, Day 3 The next day, Sunday, started out with another sunrise cruise ship arrival. Glen came back from Hertford to join Kent and Ken as crew. Our fourth crew member for the day was a congenial USCG Ensign named Simon Greene. We once again headed out, with sails up and everyone in costume, to sail by the waterfront between events, and any where else we could find wind. Joan and John looked somehow out of place and out of time at the helm of Destiny today:
But I digress. The big event for today was my ‘race’ (some would say a ‘brush with death,’ but they are weak-kneed toads…) with a tug boat. I think I felt the surge under the water before my crew knew what was coming up behind us. And then there were some calls on the radio between Destiny’s crew and my crew. The pictures by John and Kent tell the story. “Periauger this is Destiny. Tug coming up behind you. He has no barge, so is maneuverable. Keep a steady course. Over.”
“Yikes! Roger, Destiny, we’ll hold course and speed.” And then, I looked over my shoulder!!! (The theme from the human’s movie “jaws” was running through my mind.)
Gadzooks, that seemed rather close! But she was friendly about it.
Once we cleared the events area, John tossed the long tow line and Joannie throttled up Destiny’s diesel - to what felt like full speed! – to tow us the five nautical miles back to NYCC. We had to get me out of the water at high tide, and we were late. At the YC, they pulled me out and packed me and my masts and rigging on “Buddy” for the trip home. Ken and Hutch had me back in the water in Hertford by 2030 (8:30 pm, land lubbers!) that evening. (John, Terry and Janet would come over on Thursday to step my masts.) Destiny said she would start her trip home tomorrow. She hoped they would make a grand return into the Albemarle Plantation Marina with colors still flying. I need some minor repairs. On Friday, Ken got over zealous in hoisting my foresail and broke the shoe in my gaff’s yoke, and John cracked my aft lazarette cover when he stepped on it while raising my masts. Otherwise, I came back unscathed and with almost all my pieces. This was the busiest and most hectic adventure I have had so far. I feel fortunate that my crew brought me back relatively unscathed. But I’m ready for the next expedition! I love what these guys do with me.
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