16/5/15 : Yorktown, Virginia

We had some fun and games lifting Tumi out of the water in the marina on the Severn River (the winds had been blowing out of the west and had pushed all the water out of the bay which meant that the high tide was a foot lower than expected). I had to reverse into the lifting dock, but as the water was so low, the rudder touched the mud on the bottom as we were backing up. This in turn meant that the sling that normally lies on the bottom and the boat floats over the top of it was actually pushed backwards too. Not good. we needed the sling under the boat to be able to lift her out. Shaun, one of the owners of the marina, stepped up to the mark, stripped down to his shorts and jumped in the water towing a line under the boat. The sling was attached to the line and pulled under Tumi and we were back in business.

Once laid up, we cleaned Tumi inside and out, and took the sails to the sailmakers for repairs to the parts that had suffered some wear and tear. After that, we went to our hotel exhausted. Getting the boat ready for leaving her is not a small task. Next morning we got up early. We had flights from Washington DC at 6pm and we wanted to see something of the area before we went to the airport, so off we went to Yorktown.

Yorktown is a lovely town, the site of 6 wars to date - three with the native indians, the 1812 war against the British, The American war of independence, and then the civil war. As we were walking around the old part of the town we noticed some cannonballs still embedded in the walls of the houses.

Since they were put there by the British, I was tempted to knock on the door and ask for my ball back!

After walking around the tow, we decided to go and visit the battlefield which proved to be the turning point in the war of independence. Supported by the French in their endeavours (bloody typical!) the Virginians sent in a skirmish unit with unloaded guns and bayonets to attack and take the gun emplacements.

This was a surprise attack which worked and from that point on the redoubt they captured was used to turn the British guns on themselves and Cornwallis eventually surrendered.

So, if it hadn't been for the French aiding and abetting the Americans, we could still have been in charge over there ....