Back in Chesapeake – Again

Parts of the boatyard were under water!

We split up the 10-hour, 575 mile ride from Massachusetts to Chesapeake, Virginia by staying the night in Stratford, CT, giving us a headstart for the run through New York City and over the George Washington Bridge early the next morning. The hotel room was great, but the convenience of having the hotel just off the highway ended up being a negative because the traffic noise was so loud throughout the night, that neither of us slept. We were up at 0400 and out the door by 0430.

The rain started during the night and continued throughout the entire trip. Through six coastal states, heavy, torrential rains were responsible for poor visibility, flooding and generally an unpleasant, very long ride home. When we finally arrived in Chesapeake at the Atlantic Yacht Basin, parts of the boatyard were under water. Luckily, boats float … Cups was fine, albeit higher off the dock than we’d ever seen her. We needed steps to get aboard. Unloading the car during the downpour in all the mud and water seemed ill-advised. Cups really needed an airing out, but with all the rain, we decided opening hatches and ports was probably not in the cards either. Despite being happy to see her, we opted for another hotel night with hopes the waters would subside and the sun might poke through.

Getting to the boat was a challenge and unloading was out of the question.

Unbeknownst to us, the hotel we chose (free night with points) happened to be the one that was also housing participants in the regional cheerleading competition. Needless to say, once again, we had a nice room, but no sleep as cheerleaders roamed the corridors till the wee hours. Morning breakfast was a long queue of young ladies and their parental units, already tired out from their previous night’s activities, who slowly meandered along the breakfast buffet, idly picking and choosing items for their plates while chatting and kibitzing with friends … in no hurry to get to their tables to eat. Siss boom BAH!

Do we sound like old curmudgeons? Well, we are. Sleep … we just needed sleep! The day was, however, sunny! We headed back to Cups before 9am, threw open the hatches and ports to let in some fresh air, unloaded the car and set about getting settled aboard once again. We are a well-oiled machine when it comes to unpacking. We had everything unpacked and stowed within an hour. Once clean sheets were on the bed, we headed out to get some provisions. Too tired to think about complicated menus, we opted for chicken and salad. We’d stock up the larder later.

With a glass or two (or three?) of wine under our belts, we retired to our bunk a little after 9pm. We cannot comment on whether or not it rained during the night, a bomb was dropped or a tornado touched down. We slept like we’d not slept in weeks. It was glorious. Nothing like being home and in your own bed! Zzzzzzzzzzzz!