Yorktown VA to Tangier VA

We are a long ways from civilization tonight.  Cell service is sketchy.  Wishing I had Starlink today as I have some work to do and can't do it.  Maybe tomorrow we will have better service....

Today we left early and traveled almost 60 miles across and up to the middle of Chesapeake Bay to Tangier Island. 


Tangier is an island populated by about 400 folks and was one of the first places the Methodists established a church.  It is still the centerpiece of the island and for decades the island had a law that Sunday morning you were either to be in church or be in your house.   

Those caught outside during church hours were punished.  (One even shot after a heated exchange on a store porch).   I'm not sure that's the right way to convince people to seek out faith.  (It's not).  The island is still dry (no alcohol allowed).  Not in bars or stores.  I suspect people bring some with them to their houses though ...
 
One thing that IS evident here is death.  There are tombstones everywhere. In almost every yard.    They say two things are inevitable. Death and taxes.  I can vouch for the former here...   

The other thing that is evident here is that the island is sinking.  A significant portion of the island has eroded into the sea and higher tides inundate much of the rest of the island each day.   We can't, for example, get off our boat dock right now because the sea has swallowed the road.    Water is on the roads almost everywhere and it hasn't rained....

The condition of the docks and the buildings are such that many appear to be struggling or giving up. 

The owner of the marina died this past year and his kids are attempting to run it.... But no one has seen anyone for two days so we are just here tied to a dock, plugged into their power without having anyone to check in with.  Hopefully they will come down so we can pay them.  (We don't mind...)

Like I said.   Lots of tombstones....



You can see the island is low lying. There are channels running through the island and people use them like roads. Most people seem to get around on ATV or golf cart... There are a few small cars. The roads are not wide...

The Chesapeake feels alot like Northern Lake Michigan.   Islands with not many people.  Pretty scenery.  Shallow areas.  Rocks.  And waves.  We had 2 footers today but they came from two directions at the same time making it less comfortable and unpredictable.  

We walked most of the length of the island once we got here (on the middle of three main north south roads) and got a few things at the store.   

One of them is pie.  Marie Callendars Coconut Creme pie.  Yum.  I used to get those in LA.  Apparently now you can buy them at the grocery store frozen....

Anyway... The pie went well with our turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. It felt a little like Thanksgiving.  

Tonight was also captains chair surgery night.  The waves over 3500 miles finally have won and the plastic base of the chair gave out.  

I've tried to fix it with epoxy and also some aluminum braces I had on the boat ...  We shall see how long it lasts.  

Tomorrow we intend to head to Smith Island.  This is the place the Methodist Church was founded and where the first church is.   We want to try to visit Sunday if we can....


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