Canterbury Sails by Chasseur: On to Deltaville, VA

October 18 - 21, 2012 Thursday-Sunday

Weather kept us in Reedville 2 more nights, but the anchorage was peaceful and serene. We set out for Deltaville on Saturday morning just after daybreak. It was great fun. Leaving Sandy Point we were greeted by a pod of dophins and the estimated 6 hour transit turned out to 4.5 hours with a good wind direction and speed , we raised the main sail and took off at 7 kts.
We were happy to arrive in a port that did not have crab pots! Weather forecasts looked like we would be leaving Deltaville the next day, so we grabbed a slip and hustled to get laundry, a boat wash , and provisioning done. As usual things don't go as planned and Sunday greeted us with a small craft advisory, 20 kts and 3-4 ft waves. We chose to stay in Deltaville another day.
The marina had bikes for cruiser use, so the crews of "Mistress" and "Chasseur" set out on a bike adventure. We rode all over Deltaville, a true sailors haven, with marinas and sailboats everywhere. We rode out to Stingray Point. Story has it that Captain John Smith who led 2 exploratory voyages to Chesapeake Bay, ran aground in the Rappahannock River, waiting for high tide to float them away, Smith spent the time impaling fish with his sword. He speared a stingray that sank it's tail into his wrist. Smith survived the sting and had the "ray" for dinner, proclaiming the place "Stingray Point".
We had "bike" problems along the way. The chains kept falling off Muriel and Suzanne's bikes. Being creative sailors Tutty and Terry solved the problem with tools found on the side of a building (see photo), and so it was, the "Tutty and Terry Bike Shop". We stopped at a local cafe for lunch and met up with fellow cruisers Elizabeth and Joe from S/V "Sao Miguel" with whom we have crossed rhumb lines before. We shared our "Atlantic Ocean" stories...turned out we all were out sailing the same night when all hell broke loose.
It turned out to be a great day in beautiful Deltaville.