19 July Cape Hatteras – round we go

With a distance of 200nm from Cape Lookout to the entrance to the Chesapeake we reckoned if we left at dawn we'd be at Hatteras before sunset and at Cape Henry at the entrance to the bay early afternoon on the following day. For once the forecast and our timings were spot on. Current was with us in the run to Hatteras and an hour after we turned north west with to wind on the port beam the sun went down. From there it was a slam dunk sail up the coast through a clear night and into morning.

Arriving in Chesapeake Bay

We reached Cape Henry and the lighthouse at midday and then it was a long 15 mile windless, motoring slog against an out flowing tide to the Hampton Road Tunnel anchorage (37.00.606N 076.19.070W). I think it is the closest anchorage to the ocean, bounded to the east by Fort Monroe and Old Comfort Point marina, to the west by the Hampton Road bridge and to the north by Phoebus town.

Old Point Comfort lighthouse

house on Old Point Comfort

Waiting for us in the anchorage were our old friends Jack and Jan Anthem who we last saw four years ago in Thailand. Jack was one of our first cruising friends, second only to Inspiration Lady. There would be lots of catching up to do.