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Leg 1 Annapolis, MD USA to Hampton, VA USA

Sunrise, departure day. The view from my home slip on the Mgothy.   11/6/00 Hampton, VA Well, the great voyage is underway at last! We left the Magothy River at 7am on 11/3. Made Mill Creek on the Great Wicomico River at 9:30pm. Light winds, so we motored the whole way. Had a small adventure near the Great Wicomico River lighthouse. As we were approaching the mouth of the river after dark. what looked like a wall appeared on the radar display, but we saw nothing ahead! We slowed down, and in the moonlight we saw the source of the reflections - fish traps! Several banks of sticks jutting up from the water, running east-west just north of the lighthouse. Thank goodness for radar! The traps were unlighted and difficult to see in the dark - I'm not sure we would have seen them in time without the radar. Lesson learned: Restrict night sailing to known waters and main shipping routes. We continued on to anchor in Mill Creek (37'47.23N 76'18.67W). Up at sunrise and continued on to Hampton. Anchored just off the temporary docks set up at the Hampton City Dock for the Caribbean 1500 fleet. Saw them break up and leave for the BVI's on Sunday. Fair winds! I am waiting here for 2 days to change crew and head for Beaufort on the ICW. Bill leaves here and Kevin joins the voyage, and will remain until Beaufort. I still need a crew member(s) for the crossing to the Bahamas due to a cancellation. But the stay in Hampton has been nice - great weather and the harbormaster is first rate - information, phone lines, showers, etc... We even had time for a boat jam - overcoming such problems as missing guitar cords and a dead battery in the guitar. The Jam - Bill on guitar at the right and me on the bass Next stop: The ICW en route to Beaufort! From Maryland to the Bahamas... The Crew - Leg 1 --- BACK ---