We arrived in Hampton Roads, VA to crisp fall temperatures and the Beaver Moon. Hampton Roads is among the world’s largest natural harbors that is also known for being the northernmost major East Coast port of the United States which is ice-free year-round. Hampton Roads is part of the Virginia Peninsula bounded by the York River James River, Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. Before it was colonized by the British it was home to Algonquian tribes allied with the Powhatan. The Virginia Peninsula subregion includes Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and Williamsburg. Hampton Roads is home of the largest Navy Base and has over 16 bases surrounding the area. All the folks encountered during our stay were either active or retired Military.
Hampton Roads, circa 1959
We arrived just as Kailoa was being hauled out by a lift operator at Blue Water, Safe Harbor and questions on the positioning of hoist straps. The next day our contractor arrived to drill the through hulls and it seemed that the generator installation was on track. Safe Harbor’s staff pressure washed Kailoa’s bottom, removed barnacles from the bow thruster and propeller and put on a fresh coat of paint.
November Maintenance
On Friday we checked in with the contractor and learned that he was on his way to the emergency room with a back injury. Already behind schedule, the news was clearly a setback. Additionally high winds, created by a low-pressure system offshore, necessitated the delay of departure to the week of Thanksgiving. We also made a decision to leave without the generator install and made provisions for its storage here at Safe Harbor. With the delays we were able to secure an Air bnb at the Safe Harbor Marina in a home called Herbert House (Circa 1757) that is listed in the national historic registry. Allegedly the original owner watched the famous nautical battle between iron clad ships USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia during the civil war.
Never having spent time in Virginia we decided to explore the area and discovered no shortage of things to do. We learned that the Peninsula is rich in history including Jamestown (established in 1607 as the first permanent English settlement), Old Point Comfort is also the site of the first landing of Africans form Angola in America (1619), Williamsburg (the first state capital 1699 and first state to succeed from England), and Yorktown (historic revolutionary war battlefield) all within a 20 min drive. We visited them all.
Jamestown Settlement
We enjoyed learning about the settlement of Virginia relative to our understanding of the New England colonies. The museums brought the early settlement of North America alive with the integration of Indigenous, English and Angolan contributions. We were moved to find the skeleton of Bartholomew Gosnold in the Jamestown Rediscovery. Gosnold had explored the New England coast before becoming commissioned as a Captain for the Virginia Company of London during the Jamestown venture original passage. Gosnold named Martha’s Vineyard after his daughter and Gosnold, Cutty Hunk, MA carries his name today.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Early 18th century life in Virginia came alive through the actors and buildings in Williamsburg. We learned that to have voting rights one had to be a white-protestant-free-man, who owned 100 acres of unimproved land, 50 acres of improved land, or owned a business with no debt. Eligible voters accounted for 16 percent of the population at the time. We walked away thinking that the Governance of America was stacked on the voices of the wealthy and/or venture risk takers from the beginning.
We managed to visit the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown, VA. This museum was the most comprehensive assembly of the revolutionary war events from Fort Ticonderoga, NY, to Concord, MA, Trenton, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia that we have ever seen. Having lived or visited many of these places we enjoyed getting a full picture of the founding of America.
Scott did the yeoman’s’ work on Kailoa by installing the Starlink mount, loading extra water canisters, repacking the forward compartment, and installing the Bimini reinforcement rod. Wearied from the flurry of activity to get here, feeling a bit disrupted with travel, the election, lack of routine, and eating out we decided to settle in here at Herbert House for a few days. We have set up to cook and prepare some healthy meals for consumption and freezing as we wait and watch the weather.
All for now!!
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