Tuesday, June 16
Norfolk, VA – Deltaville, VA
49.08 nm 7.5 hours under way
Our first day on the Chesapeake Bay—and now we understand why people sometimes call it the Chesapeake “Ocean.”
Leaving Norfolk felt like it might be the most stressful part of the day. Commercial traffic was everywhere—tugs weaving in and out, Navy patrol boats zipping past, and the occasional barge just to keep things interesting. It was busy, but manageable. We figured once we cleared that, we’d be in the clear.
We were wrong.
Coming off a solid crossing of the Albemarle and with what looked like a favorable forecast—southerly winds, light seas, maybe even a little push north—we felt confident. We had even waited a day for the “right window,” and it seemed like it had arrived.
Let’s just say… the forecast lied.
The first third of the trip had us questioning all of our life choices. The wind? Out of the north. The waves? Bigger than advertised and stacked close enough together to make things thoroughly unpleasant. They were hitting us square on the bow, and the boat was not amused. Neither were we – or Wimbi. Things started flying around, and we were actively scanning for anywhere we could duck in and wait it out.
Meanwhile, Heather kept checking the forecast, which continued to insist things would improve as the day went on and as we moved farther north.
Thankfully—this time—it was right.
Gradually, the conditions eased, the waves stretched out, and the back half of the trip turned into a much more comfortable (and far less dramatic) ride into Deltaville. It felt like a completely different day.
The highlight, though, came courtesy of some incredible timing. We watched two tall ships making their way into Norfolk for the upcoming Sail 250 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We’ve seen tall ships tied up at docks before, but seeing them underway—sails up, moving through open water—was something else entirely.
And just to round things out, we also passed a Spanish naval ship heading into port. Not something you see every day.
We tucked into Norton Yacht Center and Marina, where the dock master and facilities couldn’t have been more welcoming. Big milestone moment—Heather even used a marina shower!
In keeping with our recent streak, we once again arrived in a town where everything was closed (we’re really getting good at Mondays and Tuesdays in small southern towns). The marina offered adult trikes to ride into town, which sounded like a great idea… until we discovered there was nowhere to go.
So, we pivoted.
Pizza delivery (surprisingly good), a quiet night on the boat, and an early crash after a long, stressful start to the day. Honestly, it was exactly what we needed.
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