"O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,
Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
Survey our empire, and behold our home!" —Lord Byron, Corsair
After last year's brutal winter, this past season has been quite mild and enjoyable. I've taken advantage of the difference by regularly getting out on the water. On the days when I couldn't leave the slip I've explored the Old Town of Manteo, NC and relaxed in the comfortable Waterfront Marina.
Christmas Day was particularly nice with temps in the 60s and a nice breeze for sailing.
After the holidays, work picked up significantly and we did have a little bit of bad weather (Snowzilla). Even so, I had fun single-handing Roanoke Sound in mid-January.
In February the kids and I enjoyed another day on the water.
As of now the plan is to return to the Upper Chesapeake Bay in late April or early May.
These are probably not the islands you're looking for....
I brought S/V Corsair back down to the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, NC for another winter away from the frigid conditions on the upper Chesapeake Bay. Here are some videos from the trip south.
The most challenging leg of the trip was the 24 hour overnight sail from Herrington Harbour (18 miles south of Annapolis) to Portsmouth, VA.
I had to leave S/V Corsair at Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth for few days while I returned to DC for work and also to allow a nasty weather system to pass by.
The next leg of the trip took me down the Virginia Cut of the ICW, across the Currituck Sound to Coinjock where I tied up at the famous Coinjock Marina.
Blessed with great weather, if not a slightly intermittent breeze, I finished the trip with a very enjoyable sail down the Albemarle and Roanoke Sounds to S/V Corsair's winter home at Manteo Waterfront Marina in Manteo, NC.
