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Our Yachting Adventure



     We had a delightful adventure with our dear friends, Bonnie and Charlie Burke on their yacht the Sonata, a Grand Banks 42. The accommodations were first class and the boat offers everything that would make you feel as comfortable as you would be in your our home, except you have the advantage a 360 degree waterfront view.

     We boarded the Sonata on a magnificent, sunny Friday afternoon, for our destination, Kingsmill on the James River in Williamsburg, Va.

     The Sonata is home-based in Portsmouth, Virginia. Soon, Bonnie left the dock side and headed into the Hampton Roads Harbor.

     The Harbor is always bustling with activity. We passed the Norfolk Naval Station which is the world’s largest Naval Base. In port for overhaul was the USS Bataan.  The USS Bataan is a Wasp class amphibious assault ship and was one of many vessels in the Middle East region at the beginning of the Iraq War. The USS Bataan provided relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina , was involved inV-22 Osprey and assisted in the humanitarian relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, among other duties.

     Tugboats are always fascinating to watch as they push their heavy cargo on the waterways.  A tugboat maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them.  Tugs move vessels that either should not or cannot move themselves, such as a ship in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, a barge, disabled ships, or oil platforms.

     We had fair winds and following seas as we made our way to Kingsmill.  A Bald Eagle greeted us as we approached our docking berth.  In 1963, there were only 417 estimated breeding pairs of Bald Eagles.  In 2005 there were over 7,066 breeding pairs.  The bald eagle has been our national symbol since 1782, when Congress adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States.

     We had a lovely dinner, enjoyed the sunset and then watched football, all while on the water.

     After a wonderful night’s sleep as we were rocked by the gentle wave action of the James River. We woke up bright and early the next morning and had a vigorous walk around the Kingsmill neighborhood and then enjoyed a round of golf at the magnificent Kingsmill golf course.

     That evening Vern and Connie Clark joined us for a shrimp and lobster dinner.  Life is so good; God blesses us with His Grace and Favor.  We even had a fireworks display!

     We pulled up anchor the next morning and went a little further up the James River and anchored off the Chippokes Plantation State Park. Chippokes Plantation is one of the oldest working farms in the United States.  The plantation has kept its original boundaries since the 1600s and has a variety of cultivated gardens and native woodland.  Bonnie and I played in the water while Charlie put on his diving gear and went under the boat to do maintenance and repairs.

 

     We took our time coming home.  We so enjoyed our relaxing, peaceful, fun adventure with the wonderful friends God has blessed us with.

     You can follow Bonnie and Charlie’s travels on their blog sonatacruising.blogspot.com 

Copyright © 2008-2015 DeeDee MacDonald


Reader Comments...
2010-10-08 07:54:20
"Thank you for your kind words and synopsis of a glorious weekend on the water with wonderful friends!"
        - Bonnie
2010-10-04 22:52:57
"Lovely!!! Relaxes me to read your article and view the pics. I'm not showing my husband though! It will give him the boating bug for sure!"
        - Decie

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