Big news from the crew of the BlueBelle!
After weeks of being on the hard, repairing some damage to our keel, repainting the bottom of the boat, servicing our engines, and chasing down electrical gremlins that prevented our AIS from working since July 2024, we are BACK!
Last Friday, the very last problem was fixed (our AIS is now, finally functional). And after we settled our tab, finished one last load of laundry, took the trash out, re-stowed everything, said goodbye to everyone and every dog and every deer we’ve become friends with, we shoved off from the dock in Deltaville, Virginia, and took BB for a shakedown sail in the Chesapeake Bay.
The boat is working great, and we are so happy to be aboard again while on the hook (it’s so much cooler we could almost weep. We don’t have AC and that’s unusual in Virginia in the summer, so we really rely on the sea breeze to cool us down and let us rest.)
Instead of heading south toward Norfolk and then heading out into the Atlantic ocean, we decided to head north toward Annapolis. Our goal is to go north, but also to avoid the current weather situation that is Hurricane Erin, making her slow and gigantic way North from the Caribbean to the East Coast of the US.
Hurricane Erin, the first Hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic storm season, is bringing big waves and rip currents. The Outer Banks of North Carolina have been evacuated, so now we are tucked away on a mooring ball in Annapolis. When conditions look safer, we will pop through the C&D Canal, and then make our way to Cape May, New Jersey, and then up and up.
Until then, we will make smart choices and keep out of the path of Erin.
One last story before we sign off,
Paul and I spent Sunday merrymaking on shore in Annapolis. We weren’t the only ones; the US Naval Academy’s fall session was set to begin on Monday. The midshipmen from the academy were all over town, enjoying their final day of summer. Paul and I went to one of our favorite places here, Chick and Ruth’s Delly. We ordered a malt, biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles and a side of pickles. A young plebe sat next to us, 17 years old and from California. He talked to us for a while, telling us about himself and his time here, before asking some very sweet questions to the waitress (he really was so young). Finally, he ordered a Colossal Milkshake Challenge- 6 lbs of milkshake that has to be finished in one hour’s time (to win a shirt). We (covertly) purchased his milkshake and sat with him for the first 30 minutes. He finished more than 75% of it and was looking green but committed when we got up to walk off our own much smaller malt. As we left, we looked around the delly and counted 6 or more midshipmen with fishbowl sized milkshakes in front of them. Yikes! Anyway- Go Navy! Hope everyone’s stomach has settled by now.
Sending our love from Maryland, and reassurance that we are safe from Hurricane Erin.
The crew of the BlueBelle, Paul and Lindsay ❤
See our location on AIS here! We certainly paid enough to figure that problem out!
TIBURON MARINO 