Closer to Home Now!

We left Beaufort with Beryl right on our heels, so decided we would skip Oriental this trip, and get as far along as we could. After two days we were ready to head up the Dismal Swamp into Virginia, still running ahead of Beryl. We learned later that the Dismal Swamp had caught several boaters in a fallen tree the previous Friday, so we were glad we avoided that mess! We met up with another catamaran, Nati, at the tie-up by the Deep Creek Lock. We rafted up with them, then joined them for Mexican food at a nearby restaurant while we waited for the bridge and lock to open. Then flew through Norfolk, and a last-minute call to Hampton Public Piers got us a place for the night. This time, Beryl was a helper - the winds were the only reason we made it to Hampton before the marina closed, and with high winds and strong current, we needed the help to tie up!
  The next day was rainy but not windy, so after a morning of oil changes and cleaning the water filters on the engines (the Swamp had filled them with debris) we set off for Cape Charles, VA, across the Chesapeake Bay from Hampton. Arrived around 4:30, fueled up, then docked and met up with Dave Steward and Hania for wine and then dinner. A fun evening!
  Today we decided to head north, so we are now on a mooring in Solomons, MD. We have a rental car reserved tomorrow for the weekend, so will head home to collect mail and say hello to our condo after 5 months away. It feels good to be so close to home!