Hanging out in Hampton and a trip to Fort Monroe

Day 19, Sunday, October 16, 2016

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Winds Progress Live

I slept well in a warm cabin last night.  After my pancakes and bacon, I wandered around taking pictures until about 10:00. 

At that point, I contacted Uber for a ride out to Fort Monroe.  I spent almost 4

A portion of the 1.3 mile long wall and mote.  The wall is 10 feet thick granite

hours wandering around this really interesting place. Construction of the fort began in 1608 on Old Point Comfort.  “Fort Monroe guarded the navigation channel between the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads—the natural roadstead at the confluence of the Elizabeth, the

The quarters of a young Lieutenant Robert E. Lee and his new bride

Nanesmond and the James rivers.” It remained an active military base until it was decommissioned in 2011. 

Early on, the fort was used as an artillery training facility and played an important role during the Civil War.  Interestingly while the most of the state of Virginia seceded from the union, Fort Monroe remain in the hands of the Union army.  Named for President James Monroe, the seven sided fort was the largest stone fort built in the US.  

The cell that held Confederate President Jefferson Davis

As I mentioned yesterday, former Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, was imprisoned at the fort. His first months of confinement were spent in a cell of the casement fort walls that is now part of its Casement Museum. I was able to wander through really neat museum and spend time in Davis’s cell. Also, troops stationed in the fort were eye witnesses to the battle of the Iron Clads;

One of several entrances to the fort

the Monitor and the Merrimack (UCC Virginia).  The museum is filled with artifacts dating back to battles with the Native Americans that lived in the area.

Uber took me back to the marina.  The trip included a brief stop at a grocery for a few supplies.  The Uber drivers that I have encountered have been overly accommodating.  It’s a great way to get around

Back at the boat, I lounged around awaiting the briefing that took place in the

Second Wind Resting peacefully awaiting her next adventure

marina social hall at 6:00.  At the gathering I had the opportunity to meet a number of our traveling companions and I look forward to getting to know them better. 

Our leader, Wally, gave us a short rapid fire discussion of our travels and mooring for the next two days.  He is anxious for us to get underway early tomorrow morning so that we can beat the rush to the first stopping point.  Our next speaker was the main man at the ICW Cruising Guide organization and he outlined a neat program that provides alerts and current conditions on the waterway.  It is a neat program that I will be using as we travel.  The third and final guy leads a group of folks on blue water cruises into the Caribbean.  These are serious open water folks that cover the first leg of their journey over 10 days nonstop.

Back at the boat, I began getting things ready for the kick off tomorrow.  I planned a route through the maze of Hampton Roads that will get me down to the mouth of the ICW.  It is about an 8 mile trip through serious shipping country.  He has asked faster boats to head out first to secure spots for the rest of us.  I will be in the last wave.

And then bed in a warm cabin.  I shant get used to it!