Carolina Beach, Va.

29 June 2015    67.2 sm today

Our first leg as gold loopers turned out to be a great one. Tuesdays forecast called for small craft advisories up the Potomac so we changed our plans from a relatively short day to a long one. Carolina Beach is about half way up to Alexandria where we will be staying Thursday & Friday night. We'll stay here until then. You couldn't ask for better weather with light winds and flat seas. We arrived at Boathouse Marina and was met by Bill, the owner. What a nice man. We walked to dinner and back for a bit of exercise. Will get around more the next 2 days.

Departing Solomons.

Point no Point Lighthouse.

Gold Loopers.

A ray off the starboard side. The dark brown spot in the upper left. 

Another with wing tips out of the water.

Looking back down the Potomac River.

Denson's Grocery & restaurant.

City pier.

Boardwalk.

Beach.

Interesting waterfront home.

Swans in the marina.

Solomons, Md.

26 June 2015    37.1 sm today

We departed Smith Point Marina just after 700 am with a forecast of less than 10 mph winds and seas less that 1 ft. What a surprise we got as we got out into the Chesapeake. Winds 20-25 mph and 2-3 occasional 4 ft. waves directly on the bow. One of the worst if not the worst day we have had.

Charis arrived in Solomons, Md. crossing her wake at 1200 noon accompanied by John & Kathy Scott on Serenity.

We purchased Charis the winter of 2011 here where she was stored for the winter. We launched her in the spring of 2012 and spent all summer exploring the Chesapeake and learning the boat. We again stored her for the winter in Solomons.

2013 found us cruising up the Hudson where many of us were stuck the Erie was closed due to flooding. We eventually traveled north through Lake Champlain to Sorel, up the St. Lawrence to Montreal, The Ottawa River to Ottawa, the Rideau Canal to Kingston, the Thousand Islands and finally back down the Oswego Canal to Brewerton, NY., where we stored the boat for another winter.

2014 found us on the Trent Severn, Georgian Bay, North Channel, the west coast of Michigan, down the rivers to Mobile and across the Gulf of Mexico to our home near Venice, Fl. Charis spent the winter there docked at Fisherman's Wharf Marina.

2015 found us departing the end of March crossing Lake Okeechobee then up the east coast to Solomons. Our continuing plans are to spend the 4th of July at the Capitol Yacht Club in Washington, DC. Then we will start back down the east coast for home.

All in all it has taken 4 years to travel 5753 sm., and traverse 167 locks.

Sunrise at Smith point Marina.

Leaving.

Protecting her nest.

Heading out the channel.

Prepared for rough weather.

It came and it came.

On the way.

Approaching Solomons.

At the dock!

We are now Gold Loopers!!

Yeah!!

Well worn.

Reedville, Va.

25 June 2015    57.4 sm today

We left Zimmerman's this morning at 600 am with beautiful weather and a great sunrise. Serenity led first then we took over. It was a great day on the Chesapeake with light winds and flat water. We say many manta rays and lighthouses. We are at Smith Point Marina just off the southern shore of the Potomac River. this leaves us 38 miles to Solomons tomorrow.

Sunrise.

Passing Serenity.

New Point Comfort Light.

Wolf Trap Light.

Smith Point Light.

Smith Point Marina.

Zimmerman's

23 & 24 June    0 sm today

Yesterday the refrigerator was tested and installed, the alternators put back on and tested and all the work on the boat finished off. Today we used the courtesy car and with John & Kathy we headed off to resupply groceries, have lunch and get ice. Their boat was put back in the water yesterday and taken out for testing this afternoon. Everything was perfect! If the weather forecast remains the same we will both get underway at 600 am and we should be in Solomon's to cross our wake on Friday.

Old one out.

Gone

New one in.

Looking out the creek into the bay.

The marina.

The other boats here.

Zimmermans

22 June 2015    0 sm today

Today was spent getting a few things taken care of on the boat. The tech and I pulled the refrigerator so he could take a look at it and check the exhaust fan that I thought might be bad. It worked! Then I decided to have my starboard fuel tank polished again. You may remember I had it done in Daytona but took on some bad fuel in Jacksonville. I also had him look at my alternators because I was still getting belt dust. He checked the alignment of the belts and found them off a bit. Ordered some shims and new bolts to fix them. Late yesterday afternoon the new refrigerator arrived. Yeah!!!! Had dinner in town with John & Kathy at a Thai restaurant which was very good.

Zimmermans

21 June 2015    0 sm today

We had a leisurely morning as there is no one here at the marina and nothing around us. John & Kathy picked us up at 1100 am and we drove to Kilmarnock, Va. where John said he had one of the best hamburgers ever. At Northern Neck Burgers for lunch I had to agree with him that they are quite good. From there we visited the Historic Christ Church built in 1735. It was funded by Robert Carter, a wealthy plantation owner and built on his land. The worshipers sat in high-backed, wainscoted box pews and looked up to a rare triple deck pulpit. We later had drinks and snacks aboard for supper.

Triple deck pulpit.

Sitting inside one of the larger pew boxes.

The church is built in the shape of a cross with doors at each end.

Pew box.

Robert Carters grave.