With our plans for the following morning to head south from Newport on this coming northerly, we had yet to decide whether it would be to Bermuda or further down the east coast. Either way, at first light I duck to the grocery store (five minute dingy ride; 15 min walk) and grab some provisions, as other sailors were doing the same. On return Ben packed up the dingy and we spent a good hour looking at our options on weather and routes. It’s interesting to be in a position having the decision whether to leave a continent on that day or not. 

Locals had made it apparent that fall had been particularly warm and once it turns, it can be fast and brutal. So although we would be losing a lot our easting – a benefit of going straight south to Bermuda – we decided to have a cruisey sail down to the Chesapeake and prepare there for the 1500nm passage to the Caribbean.

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We picked up anchor, got fuel, water and sailed out of the harbour at noon. We tacked our way south but weren’t greeted with the forecasted winds until 12 hours off shore. The window became an excellent two day run of 10-15kt off our beam/quarter, and we were boogying. It was a glorious ride. Caprivi has been so pleasant to sail, we are constantly stoked with our choice of boat/home, how she performs and how comfortable she is. 

We had five pods of dolphins visit, one during the early hours where the moon lit their white under bodies as they appeared like glowing torpedos criss-crossing under Caprivi. On our second afternoon right before dinner time we caught a mahi mahi, which was devoured moments later. Now that we have a freezer, we tried for it’s mate but it got away. I learnt that sunfish, mola mola, breach. On two different days, both sunfish darted completely out the water landing with a slap – Ben doesn’t know if he believes my tale of these strange giant fish. However, Google tells me this is quite rare for humans to witness but indeed occurs, possibly due to trying to remove parasites from their bodies.

Our asymmetrical spinnaker led most of our 380nm sail, and by day three we were already barren of our northern layers.

We pull into Hampton, Virginia at 8am, put down the hook and rest. 

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Hatches and vents opened up with the humid 79 degree heat, which is likely the last before winter. We had yet to blow the dingy back up so catch a ride in with Louie, a solo South African sailor and head for the grocery store. We stay a couple days, recoup and check for weather. Nothing is looking good for at least a week with the wait of Hurricane Nicole to pass. And with that and a southerly breeze we spontaneously decide to sail 16 hours – in the wrong direction – up the Chesapeake to Solomons Island where we first laid eyes on Caprivi six years ago. 

With a sporty blow up the bay guided by the moon, again our asymmetrical doing the work seeing 22kts behind us. We pull into Solomons after midnight. Late the next morning we wake, anchored right outside the grassy patch of boatyard where we found her.

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We found Caprivi simply with an online search. We knew eventually we would buy a boat that would be our home and mode of travel. Ben had done it before, and I, a glimpse. At this point in time we had just flown to Florida from Germany on the back of a five month motorcycle trip around Europe which was pretty much on the back of a few years of travel prior. It was assumed we would get a boat in Greece whilst we were in Europe, but desires to settle in somewhere and the necessity to make some money took over. This place happened to be Key West of which we knew nothing of.

Ben found her week one of being in the States. A month later we flew to New York to see her and another vessel, the latter in a terrible way. Caprivi had a large amount of work but her bones and overall design was built to the utmost standards for an offshore cruising vessel, and her retired U.S. Naval status as well as lack of traditional interior came with a price tag we could manage, as long as we could bring sweat equity. A week later in a Key West bar we decide to make the phone call, our offer was accepted and the fate of our next decade was on a new trajectory.

After the winter we packed our trusty van and homemade trailer to the brim and drove to Solomons, Maryland to claim our home and begin the six month refit. Ben’s folks were exceedingly generous with their newly retired lives and spent two arduous months helping us get her ready for the water – it’s a great way to get to know your future in-laws! So thanks to Mike and Brenda again. All the more that is what they’ve always, naturally done for their kids.

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We stop and say hi to the folk at the yard, catch up with Pat the canvas lady who guided me with my first sewing projects, and spend time with some cruisers in the area. The main reason we decided to head north was to see Joe, our welder and friend. 

Joe is a veteran and retired nuclear power plant welder. We installed his help with some metal workings (bow plate; stainless deck rails; traveller design/base). He also happened to collect wood for guitar making or timber-frame construction and often exchanges work for such finds or gets them for deals at the Amish mills. He happened to have a stack of old California redwood decking that got ruined in a hurricane years prior, and was sitting outside of his barn which he offered to us, and we in turn milled and created our interior hull lining. Joe also gave us planks from a 100 year old black walnut tree, which were from sections he could not use for his guitar builds. We processed the walnut along with strips of black tiger oak in anticipation for our cabin sole. This project wasn’t completed until four years later. So to have Joe see this come to fruition, as well as the entire boat itself, was a lovely moment for us. 

Not to mention, he also gave us a place to live on his sailboat Frolic during the last months of our 2017 refit, and had Mike, Ben’s dad, stay with him for three weeks when he returned for our final push to get her in the water. Besides all of this he is a treasure of a human being and an astute artist in his work of metal and musical instruments.

We had a great dinner and catch up with him and his wife Cali, and got to see his current projects, which includes a 7ft tall aluminum guitar sculpture. Thank you Joe, for all your help.

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In-between catch ups, the sewing machine came out for a couple of days and we extend our two spinnaker socks that were both 10ft too short to function properly. Since we left Maine a month ago, and as we stop in places, wait for weather, explore; we have also been tackling minor projects that we’ve not had the time for or have not been a priority. Immense satisfaction has been a side effect.

I type this now, as we’re back down at the mouth of the Chesapeake after a shifty two day hop south. We anticipate leaving in a few days for a possible two-week stretch at sea. We’ve had a tremendous summer, in part due to seeing all of our work come together towards it’s overarching purpose. We are just reeling everything in and are grateful to be out here having these experiences. As you can tell, we’ve had a lot of help along the way so I’m feeling extra thankful for those that have contributed.

Now time to head proper south and onwards bound for Antigua-ish.