Our Bay travels include days with lots of wind and days with no wind at all. On the days with lots of wind we experienced 25+ knots with gusts up to 38 knots. It allowed for quite the ride aboard Tropical Breeze. Fortunately, on the day with the highest winds we opted to drop the sails - good thing we did because just after the sails had fallen the gusts grew stronger still. Days with no wind included the day we passed Wolf Trap Light which allowed for a great photo of the lighthouse and surrounding stillness. It is hard to believe that the Bay can be filled with white caps one day and completely calm the next.
These travel days eventually landed us in the small community of Reedville, VA. Reedville is the menhaden fishing capital of New England. What are menhaden? They are an especially oily fish. The oil is extracted and processed for use in many products we use every day including soaps, stains, linoleum, fertilizer and more.
While this may not sound like the most appealing of professions, in its day it was very rewarding. In 1910, the town of Reedville boasted the highest income per capita for the entire United States. With the income flowing into the community many stately homes were built and remain today.
While I enjoyed the homes, I think the Captain preferred our stop at the local ice cream shop and the seafood deli. Good to know that Reedville has something for everyone.
The Admiral
5/3 - 5/6 2010
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