Cruise to Kiptopeke State Park, 19-21 June
Hosted by:

Bob Kochan

S/V April Wind

Home Port:  HYC Pier F – Slip-10

(919)-740-5040

We are planning for and hoping to be able to cruise on June 19-21st to Kiptopeke State Park. Note that this cruise will depend on the State's order related to COVID-19.  

After these past weeks of virus anxiety that has resulted in most of us feeling too cooped up and needing a medical injection of “ON BOARD” time, we want to plan to provide that much needed “fix” by getting together and have some well needed fun.

Beginning on Friday afternoon, April and I will sail over to Kiptopeke State Park and anchor off the Concrete Ships. Our S/V April Wind will act as the mother ship for the cruise and weather permitting, others are welcome to raft off of us for afternoon cocktails until nightfall.

On Saturday, we will be taking the party to the nearby beach so bring your dink and a reliable motor (or good strong arms) as there is often a current running N/S through the passage. Bring sunning chairs, umbrella’s coolers, etc. and at 5:00 pm. (Somewhere) we will begin to salute Poseidon and will warm up our small grill. I suggest you try to bring a small grill to the beach if you can along with your drink(s) of choice and snacks for the afternoon as well as dinner fixing to share. The plan is for all of us to enjoy being out on the water and together after such a long stressful confinement. Let’s play at being beach bums and bunnies and plan to toast each other and to our good lives as we watch the sun sets to the West over the concrete ships. If by chance the weather is not conducive to beach time together the party on Saturday can join April and me aboard S/V April Wind….just bring your own libations and dinner fixings, including enough to share as I will be grilling off the stern unless the rain gods are mad at us.

Sunday hopefully will offer more of the same fun until it is time to depart back to your home port. April Wind may even be serving Mimosas if you would like to come aboard for a last toast before departing. We will plan to stay awhile and ultimately hoist anchor about 1:30 PM depending upon the weather.

Where:

Kiptopeke State Park – Anchorage inside of the Concrete ships. Approximately, 21 NM from HYC with similar distances from other ports. Course approximately 058 from the High Range marker approximately 1 NM offshore of Fort Monroe’s channel side beach. If you wish to come join us by land yacht, Kiptopeke State Park entrance is only a few miles North of the Eastern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel roadway termination onto the Eastern Shore.

Why There:

This is a great anchorage with good holding assuming the use of the right weight anchor/chain. There is plenty of room for all of us to anchor overnight and the area is extremely peaceful. It offers a wonderful environment and frequently many species of seabirds can be seen all around you. The park offers nature walks which are currently open, and playgrounds and “facilities” ashore if they are reopened by then, as well to enjoy.

Why:

We are joining together to bring in the new cruising season, and to celebrate (hopefully) the passing of the contagiousness currently confining us all.

What to Bring:

April and I will be providing some light snacks and water, and ice to share in one cooler but we will definitely need more than one cooler for everyone to have cool drinks on the beach over a few hours of time. So, bring a cooler filled with ice if you can.

We suggest that you plan to bring your drink of preference, beach mats or blankets along with appropriate sunscreen, some yummy appetizers to share and what you would like to grill and eat for dinner. If you have portable deck chairs or small cocktail tables, they might really come in handy. Heck, if you still have those old winter socks to burn, bring them along and we will add them to the coals after all food has been grilled!

What you need to do:

RSVP to bob@4n6engr.com or aprilkochan@gmail.com that you will be joining your fellow cruisers and then if allowed, GET ABOARD YOUR LONESOME BOAT and COME ON OVER and HAVE SOME FUN!

April and I look forward to getting reacquainted with everyone and meeting new friends. Look for all the Teal colored canvas and we will see you in the Anchorage! We will be monitoring Channel 16 & 68.

Bob Kochan
S/V April Wind
Home Port:  HYC Pier F – Slip-10
(919)-740-5040

Registering here is optional, but be sure to send a note to Bob or April.  This is really helpful if we need to change plans.