Deltaville, VA

We arrived here on Sunday, early afternoon. We are at Deltaville Yachting Center awaiting service and installation of new and existing electronic equipment. After Scott is finished with his part we will go to Norton's for warranty service and a new electric toilet. By the weekend the plan is to start on the move again up north.

We are unable to get a signal for the internet here in Deltaville so we are at the local coffee shop this morning. They have free wi-fi, it is a great draw for business from the many boaters that pass through and that live on their boat during the summer.

Your probably wondering about the picture of the blue crabs! Crabbing is big business in the Mid-Atlantic Coast, especially on the ICW. While we were at Midway Marina we were treated to a first hand view of the operation for soft shell crabbing. This is the season for mass shedding of their shell. What you see are three male blue crabs, they are the bait for the unsuspecting female crab. The male is placed in the crab pot and attracts approximately 40 or so females. The females are then placed in large water tanks with circulating water from their habitat. The fisherman then checks every 2 hours around the clock to see what crabs are ready for processing. They must be of a perfect texture after shedding their shell, a slight sandpaper feel to the skin. This ensures firm texture to the meat. If they are left in the tank too long they will again have a hard shell. We were told that crabs shed all year long but a few times of the year it happens in mass. After processing, the crabs are sold to local restaurants and shipped to major cities like NYC. Nature never ceases to amaze me!