Sailing Mystic Hearts

After nearly four months back at the dock, it was time to untie the lines and head back out to sea. Since returning from our 3.5 month cruise to Key West and back over the winter, we were itching to explore again. After weeks of final preparations (including last minute boat projects along with West Marine, Trader Joe’s, and Food Lion runs), we were well provisioned and had full water and fuel tanks. On Saturday, the weather was ideal so we began our next adventure.

We’re planning to spend the next 2 months exploring the Chesapeake Bay and all it has to offer. Despite the Bay being our “backyard” for the past 11 years, there’s so much we have yet to see. Tiny, quaint towns can be found all along the Virginia and Maryland portions of the Bay. These towns, and the docks that line their harbors, tell stories of the local waterways and the fishermen who have made their living here for centuries. When we visit these types of places, we like to visualize what the towns looked like when they were first settled and try to imagine who lived in the old homes we pass on various side streets. And there’s no better way (at least in our opinion!) to visit these places than by bringing our floating home along with us.

After leaving Norfolk, we sailed north toward Mobjack Bay. With winds from 9-11 knots on the beam, Mystic Hearts glided effortlessly through the water, topping out at 7.2 knots. It was sunny with just the right amount of breeze – in other words, it was perfect sailing conditions. A relatively short sail (at least by our standards), we made good time on the 33.1 nautical mile passage to the Ware River, which is in the northwest portion of Mobjack Bay. When Paul did his weather planning for this stop, he was anticipating potential storms to roll through the region on Sunday, so he picked an anchorage that would provide protection from where the wind was projected to come from. Whether or not storms would actually come through we didn’t know – summer weather on the Bay is often unpredictable. Either way, we were excited to visit a new location and take in the scenery, away from people and the hustle of the city.