We had an uneventful motorsail from Deltaville to Hampton, if you don't count the time we were aground in the channel leaving Deltaville...it was a very low tide, and even in the channel we hit bottom (it's only muck, so it doesn't do any damage except to ego's). We managed to power our way out of it and continued on our way. There were dozens of other boats out doing the same trip as us, heading for Hampton, staging point for the ICW and also for the Caribbean 1500 (a cruising rally which goes from here out past Bermuda (doesn't stop there) and down to the British Virgin Islands. It is a yearly rally, a big deal in these parts!). Needless to say, it was very crowded in this little harbour and we had to fight for a spot to anchor! There is a great Canadian contingent here, and for a couple of nights there were 8 Canadian flagged boats in this one part of the river where we were anchored!
Halloween arrived and the folks on the Quebec boats were into it in a big way! "Coxily" and "Snow Goose" and "Victoria's Secret" and "Migo" all have kids of various ages aboard, so they were all dressed up and ready to party and trick or treat by 5 pm! They had previously met Clare, and so she and Graham were invited to go along with them. There was a flurry of activity while they got themselves costumed - Clare in her wet suit and mask, Graham wrapped in tensor bandages as an accident victim! They had a ball and made friends with the other kids to boot.
Larry, Graham, Jan, Iain and I figured out the bus system in Hampton and made a foray to the West Marine to pick up a few odds and ends for the trip down - with a stop at the ever popular Wal-Mart for jeans, groceries and sundries.
Thursday night, the forcast warned that we would be feeling the effects of Tropical Depression Noel that night, with gusts up to 40 knots, so we prepared the boat (after having drinks with fellow Canadians Heather and Stuart from "Our Overdraught" on Jan and Iain's boat!) lashing down anything that could fly off the deck, and bringing down cockpit cushions etc. We got all snugged up, and let the wind howl! We were fine, but remain on alert today, as the winds are meant to be even stronger tonight. We will probably spend most of the day on the boat, as a precaution.
Graham is looking forward to exploring more of Hampton (there is tons to see here, a very historic city) in particular, he is hoping to see the Imax movie at the nearby Air and Space Museum. There is also the Cousteau Society to visit as well as museums. In the meantime, I must help Graham with school work (that can be a battle!!)
Friday, November 2, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Update after a long break!
So ok, sorry about the long wait for an update! It hasn't always been easy to get internet, access to the computer (fights for use!), access to the pics, interest and energy all together at the same time to do this blog! I will do my best to recount our adventures from the time of my last entry.
The Whitby Rendevous at Whitehall Creek was a great weekend where we met a great bunch of Whitby owners - some who have been cruising on their Whitby 42's for up to 17 years! There was good food, interesting talks about boat issues relevant to all of us and great fun comparing notes, swapping ideas, telling stories of adventures and travels and general merry-making. Much to the dismay of Clare and Graham there was a distinct lack of young people there, so they had to make do with us old folks...Graham however did meet up with a fellow on an Alberg 30 (another Brewer boat, for which there was a gathering the same weekend at the same people's home where we were) who had a really cool marshmallow blow gun, and Graham was determined he would make one for himself at the earliest possible opportunity!
We were rafted up with 6 or 7 other boats and had to climb over our neighbours boats to get to shore. Protocol for this sort of activity is to ask the captain the first time to come aboard, then to go around the bow of the boat so as to least disturb the occupants of the boat. Beau however had different ideas about such formalities and quickly learned that he could jump from boat to boat and go visiting (always in hopes of treats!). He was too chicken to actually jump off the boat that was tied up to the dock, so we thought he would at least be confined to the boats, but in his desperation to be with us when we were on shore, he discovered that he COULD manage to jump off (and back on) the boat. This was a major accomplishment for the dog! It did mean though, that we lost him a couple of times when he decided to go exploring on his own (or when he saw another dog to play with). Little bugger! He's cute though.
We spent an extra night at Whitehall Creek, then headed for Baltimore Oct 1 - the long awaited trip! It was quite cool to sail under the huge bridge near Annapolis (I don't know the name of it) and only a bit freaky! Anyway, we had a good sail to Baltimore, keeping an eye on the freighters (holy crap they're big!) and we anchored in Canton as we were told they have a Safeway (grocery) store and a West Marine store just across the street from the anchorage. There is also a Starbucks! I bought the new James Blunt CD - nice!
What we didn't know was that Canton is a LONG walk from downtown Baltimore, and I just about did myself in walking with the kids in search of a hardware store (for Graham to buy his marshmallow blow gun supplies) and a skateboard shop (God only knows why Clare is determined to have a skateboard on a boat...) It's not the nicest part of town either, and I felt somewhat conspicuous traipsing along the streets...no one walks in the US I think. Anyway, we got about 1/2 way there and it became apparent that a) we were not going to find the stores the kids wanted and b) there was no way we were going to be able to get downtown and then back again without my feet giving out and c) it was getting late in the day, and one shopkeeper did mention that some areas were not safe after dark...soooo, we headed back to the boat! Graham was bitterly disappointed that he hadn't been able to find his blow gun supplies, and so the lesson for the day was....patience!
The next day we left Beau on the boat (to "guard" it, at least thats what we tell him) after warning the couple on "Break Away", one of the other boats in the anchorage that he may create a fuss while we were gone. They reassured us that a whining dog is not unusual in an anchorage and not to worry about it! We headed off in the dingy to go to the Baltimore Aquarium - it was fantastic! It was amazing to see so many species of fish, frog, snake, toad, spider etc! The dolphin show was cool too - such gorgeous animals they are. There is also a whole section of the aquarium devoted to the Australian Rainforest, and it was also amazing! The birds and vegetation were enchanting. The whole downtown area of Baltimore has been restored over the past 10 or more years and it is quite beautiful. We had a quick lunch at the gigantic Hard Rock Cafe right on the water.
The following morning, we decided to move the boat to the downtown inner harbour, just for the experience of it! There were a few other boats there, and there is not a lot of room in the ancorage, so we sort of squeezed ourselves in, so close to shore you could almost step off the boat! Surprisingly, we were not able to get a good internet connection, which of course Clare hated as she spends as much time online as humanly possible staying connected with her buds at home! Anyway, Larry and Graham decided to go tour the submarine "Torsk", the lighthouse Chesapeake and the ship "Constellation" as well as go up the World Trade Centre building (all for a total of $6 apiece!). They had a great afternoon! Clare decided to go shopping for music, and headed off to Best Buy and the absolutely huge Barnes and Noble store - a book lovers paradise! I stayed on the boat with the pooch and fended off the stray paddle boaters out for a fall paddle in the harbour! The weather has been unseasonably hot and sunny and we have been grateful for the good weather. Beats rain all to hell!
Next morning (Oct 4) it was time to head back to Annapolis for the Boat Show. It was really foggy, so we had the new radar on, and tracked all the boat activity out of Baltimore. We had been having trouble with barnacles in the raw water intake, which meant that when the engine was running, all available seawater went to the cooling of it, and there was no seawater for toilet flushing, or the deck wash (which is needed to wash off the anchor from the disgusting Chesapeake Bay mud!) So once we were clear of the shipping lanes, and the fog had burned off, Larry jumped overboard (with the engine off, we were just drifting) to clean the intake as best he could. He spent quite awhile cleaning that and the hull in general and the dingy bottom, all of which were pretty gross with slime and barnacles. The water was not cold, but was Larry gross when he got out! The towel was filthy! ewe!!!! Anyway, the rest of the sail back to Annapolis was pleasant and uneventful.
We knew we would not be able to find a spot back in Spa Creek with our friends, so we anchored in the outer harbour, by the Naval Academy - less protected, but still ok. Graham was still on the hunt for pvc tubing for his marshmallow blowgun, and we made an unsuccessful trip into downtown Annapolis to the hardware store there - poor child! He was definately learning the meaning of delayed gratification!
The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is a world wide association of cruisers (duh) and the Annapolis chapter had its annual gathering the weekend of the sailboat show. We headed over for a day long event with speakers, flea market and general networking. Big crowd and lots of nice folks. Not surprisingly, several of the people we met at the Whitby Rendevous were also there, so it was fun to see them again. On the saturday night, Boat Show in full force, the SSCA hosted a huge party with the band "Attitudes and Lattitudes", with free pizza and beer, so you know we were there! We decided to take a water taxi rather than dingy due to the distance to the party and the size of the waves....but the rest of Annapolis was also planning to take the water taxi too! It is a great system of transport - more like a water bus than a taxi, it picks up a pile of people and drops them off either at preset stops or to your boat. Anyway, we had to wait ages before it came, and then the driver told us that we were better off being dropped off at a marina and taking a cab than waiting for the water taxi!
So there we were, at East Port Marina, wandering around like a bunch of dorks, unable to find a cab, hungry, grumpy...when a volunteer driver stopped and picked us up (dog and all) and took us to the East Port Mall, where he thought it would be easier to catch a cab. Since we had our doubts about there being any pizza left at the party, we decided to get some at the mall while we waited for the cab - man! was it good! We still had pizza left when the cab arrived, so we all piled in and off we went to the party! As predicted, there was no pizza left at the party, and some guy actually bought our leftover pizza for $10!!! We had a good time listening to the music and chatting with people - and Clare and Graham actually met kids their age! We were able to get the water taxi back home without too much trouble, though it was a long, roundabout trip! A good night though - and we were happy that the kids had made a new friend.
One of the things cruisers do is swap "boat cards" which is really just a business card with the name of your boat and crew and contact info (and if you're really good, a pic of your boat). So of course, we had to get some card stock and make up a boat card for Star Shadow! We had been collecting quite a few cards from new friends and businesses, so I began to hunt for a business card holder/book so I could keep track of everyone! Took me ages to find one, but I finally did, so now I'm carefully storing everyone's card for easy access (and quick reference for email addresses!)
The day after the Attitudes and Lattitudes party, (Oct 7) we went to the boat show. The weather was HOT and sunny and the show was packed! We had fun checking out all the fancy beautiful boats, and the kids got to go on a catermaran. Of course now they didn't want to get back on Star Shadow!! "Why can't WE have a boat with 3 cabins and 3 bathrooms and tv and a mircowave....." can you say, "who wants to be a millionaire????" Graham had a ball sailing the remote control sailboats and is now considering buying a kit to build one for himself. Larry bought himself some quick dry shorts and Graham got a pair of deck shoes. I got a mop.
The Sail Boat show was over on the Monday, so we figured we would be able to find a spot to anchor back at Spa Creek again. We headed back in, through the draw bridge and were able to squeeze in close to our pals on "Night Hawk" (Barry and Susan) and "Morning Light" (Bob and Rusty) and not too far away from other friends on "Jockslodge" (Iain and Jan). It was Thanksgiving Day and to celebrate we decided to have a proper turkey dinner with Barry, Susan, Bob and Rusty. Bob and Rusty have a car, so we piled in with laundry, shopping lists and kids, and set off for an afternoon of errands!
Larry dropped Rusty and I off at the laundromat and took the kids to find pvc for Graham's marshmallow gun (finally!) and Clare to the local tatoo parlor (!!!!!!!) because she had been angling to get her ears (lobes and cartiledge) pierced for awhile - don't worry, no tatoos! Well, Graham finally got his stuff, and for about $3.50 built himself a state of the art marshmallow blowgun! Now all the seagulls in the Chesapeake are being hunted down and pelted! And so are we - at least the "bullets" don't hurt and they taste good! When Larry got back to us at the laundromat, he reported that Clare had struck out in her bid for pierces! At the tatoo place, you have to be 16, and have BOTH parents present with photo ID! So she was totally bummed about this of course!
We had a great Thanksgiving dinner, albeit a late one, since when we finally got home with the turkey breast which was partially frozen, it didn't get into the oven until about 6 pm!! Ah well, those of you who us, know that we are perpetually late! We had fun nonetheless and celebrated well!
Clare, never one to give up, had gone back online to see where else she might get her ears pierced. There is a great big mall in Annapolis and we figured that "Claire's" jewelery store might do the deed. On Oct 9, Susan and I borrowed Bob and Rusty's car and took Clare and Graham for a shop a thon! We were driving along when we heard a thump, but not seeing anything amiss, continued on our way. First stop was a skateboard shop called Pure, where Clare checked out all the boards.
While we were there, my cell phone rang and it was some fellow asking if I was from Ontario. Turns out that the thump we heard was the ships log book, which Larry had left on the roof of the car when he used it earlier in the day. The log book is like a ships bible, it has all details of the boat's voyages, maintenance, contact information etc. To lose that would be to lose your right arm. Well, this guy, an off duty firefighter or something, had spotted the book on the road at the Church Circle roundabout, and had stopped to pick it up. The one thing missing in the book was the ship's name and Larry's name! But it did have our cell phone number and mailing address, so the guy tried the phone first. He told me he would have mailed it (back to Ontario) if he hadn't been able to reach us! Anyway, wonderful man that he is, he brought it right to me at the store! What a relief (not that anyone realized it was missing until then!) and would I have fun rubbing it in with Larry!
Well, Clare got her skateboard, and now all I have to worry about is her breaking her bones at all times! eghad! Next stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond, in search of a melita coffee maker cone thing. I decided I was sick of perked coffee full of grounds. But no luck, the salesgirl didn't even have a clue what I was talking about! Then we went to Boater's World because they were selling these cool pop makers at the Boat Show, and we decided we wanted one because of the cost of pop(aka Soda in the US) in the Islands. Well, Boaters World had none in the store because they were all at the Boat Show (Power show follows Sail)! Geesh - strike 2 for me. Susan was able to get the syrup for tonic water (gin and tonic's on her boat that night!!) We were running short on time since Graham and Larry were going to the movies that night (a late bday present for Graham) and we had to pick Bob up at work. So we hustled to the big mall and found Claires. Sure enough, they have no problem piercing whatever part of your ear you want, so long as you have parental consent. So, my baby got 5, count 'em 5! holes in her ears! both lobes and 3 in the cartiledge. ugh! She's happy though, and I like that! Larry and Graham went to see Game Plan and had a nice father/son night out. And so ended another lovely day!
Next morning we headed out to the "cruiser's breakfast" at a local restaurant and met up with Susan, Barry, Jan and Iain. We spent an enjoyable morning strolling around Historic Annapolis with our friends (and I found my cone drip coffee thingy!)We decided we would all get together for a chicken curry for dinner that night, since Barry and Susan were going to be heading off soon on their way down the intercoastal waterway. Another great evening! It was hard to say goodbye to them and I can only hope that we come across them again on our journey.
We continued to have problems with the raw water intake, and so we decided to go to Deale (back to Ship Wright Harbor) to get the boat hauled and the intake thru hull completely scraped out, as this problem HAD to get resolved. Jan and Iain also planned to go to Deale to haul out to put in new depth and speed instruments. We had a fun couple of days while they were there, playing dominoes (mexican train!) and walking into town. We discovered some other problems (so what else is new) when we hauled out, so we ended up staying in Deale for a week from Oct 16 to 22 while we got them worked out. On the 23, we headed out for Solomon's Island, about 40 miles away. Part way out, still not getting a great flow of water, Larry hit on the notion that perhaps the hose into the sea chest (full of sea water)might be clogged with all the crud from the bay. So while underway, he took the lid off the sea chest, and lo and behold if it wasn't crammed full of crud! man! what a difference it made when that was cleaned out! Wahoo! we now have excellent water flow to the engine and we can use the deck wash too! So great work, that!
We were having an uneventful motorsail down, when, thanks to Grahams "superior eyesight", he spotted a vessel in distress and we went to offer assistance. It was a small motorboat with a couple of guys who had decided to go fishing (despite small craft warnings)without a VHF or cell phone, and their engine failed. They had dropped an anchor which was saving them from being blown ashore! We were able to come close enough to throw them a line and we towed them the rest of the way into Solomon's Island - our daring "rescue at sea" adventure - or at least our random act of kindness for the day!
At Solomon's Island, we found Jan and Iain, and planned to spend the following day at the Wal-Mart grand opening! What a huge store! They have a complete grocery store as well as all the usual stuff! We were able to pick up a few things like water tanks, DVD's, groceries and cookie sheets there. Fortunately for us, the bus system is pretty good there, and we were able to get to and from the malls without any trouble. Plus, Jan and Iain have done this before, and know the ropes! Thank goodness for experienced cruisers!
Next morning, (Oct 25) we left Jan and Iain behind and headed out for Deltaville, a long trip of almost 50 miles. The winds were forcast to be from the north at 10 -15 knots, which we figured Star Shadow would love, being a heavy boat, she needs a decent wind to get going. However, the forecast was wrong, and it was blowing a lot stronger 20 - 25 with gusts to 30! NOT FUN. It wasn't too bad a first, but the winds continued to build and so did the waves, and they were confused, coming from all over the place. That's a receipe for seasick for me, and sure enough it happened! The good thing about being sick is that you feel better after, so at least I wasn't nauseaous, just cold (did I mention the rain started soon after we left?), uncomfortable and generally miserable! Graham was worried and spent a fair bit of the trip down below on his bunk (but eventually the confused motion forced him up) but Clare and Larry seemed just fine as far as being seasick goes! That girl has nerves of steel!
The trip seemed to be taking forever, with no let up with the wind and waves, and the day was wearing on, and soon it would be dark. I was not happy. Larry decided to furl the geneoa, but that proved to be a problem - and then the action started! A snatch-block let go, and that freed the sheet that controls the geneoa and the sail was shredded and flapping wildly in the wind. It was very scary as we tried to get that sail and sheets under control. Of course we had the engine on, but it was hard work trying to keep the boat under way. Then of course, the engine starts complaining about all the hard work, and the fuel filter demanded to be changed! Another operation at sea! My god what a time. All this happened quite close to the entrance to Deltaville, and I was actually able to keep the boat moving in the right direction, and steer through the markers with no sails up and no engine!! Pretty amazing eh?! Anyway, once the engine was back on, we motored the rest of the way into Deltaville, and got ourselves anchored and our nerves settled. It was not a good day.
That was a turning point for us, and the next morning, Larry and I talked about it, and decided that neither we, nor the boat were ready to make the sail to Bermuda and then the even longer sail to the deep Caribbean. It was time to go back to our original plan of Intercoastal waterway to Bahamas. That decision made, we all felt better, as it took the time pressure we were feeling right off the table. We need a new sail, and that will take time, and the boat still has issues, and now we can look after them.
We moved to another anchorage, at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club to wait for better weather (oh ya, did I mention that it rained for about 3 days straight, like the heavens just opened up and let a summers worth of rain come pouring down!)Everything was damp and we just hunkered down to wait for it to pass. Yesterday (whew, I'm finally at yesterday!) the weather cleared around noon and the sun came out with a nice breeze and we hung everything up to dry! We were able to get the torn sail down, and took it ashore to measure for the new sail. The Yacht Club membership is exceptionally friendly to cruisers, and we have full use of their facilities - showers (thank God!)club house, phone etc. We were invited to join the party for the last race of the season! They were having an oyster bake (not an oyster fan myself, but Larry loves em). It was fun to spend some time with these nice folks!
So here we are, Oct 28, and it is sunny but quite windy. Larry has been spending the morning sewing a curtain for the kids' rooms and I have been doing nothing but this blog! We hope to head for Hampton tomorrow (weather permitting)and we will be there until the new sail is ready, and the other jobs are done.
Whew! if you've read this far - congratulations! I will try to be more brief and more frequent in the future!
The Whitby Rendevous at Whitehall Creek was a great weekend where we met a great bunch of Whitby owners - some who have been cruising on their Whitby 42's for up to 17 years! There was good food, interesting talks about boat issues relevant to all of us and great fun comparing notes, swapping ideas, telling stories of adventures and travels and general merry-making. Much to the dismay of Clare and Graham there was a distinct lack of young people there, so they had to make do with us old folks...Graham however did meet up with a fellow on an Alberg 30 (another Brewer boat, for which there was a gathering the same weekend at the same people's home where we were) who had a really cool marshmallow blow gun, and Graham was determined he would make one for himself at the earliest possible opportunity!
We were rafted up with 6 or 7 other boats and had to climb over our neighbours boats to get to shore. Protocol for this sort of activity is to ask the captain the first time to come aboard, then to go around the bow of the boat so as to least disturb the occupants of the boat. Beau however had different ideas about such formalities and quickly learned that he could jump from boat to boat and go visiting (always in hopes of treats!). He was too chicken to actually jump off the boat that was tied up to the dock, so we thought he would at least be confined to the boats, but in his desperation to be with us when we were on shore, he discovered that he COULD manage to jump off (and back on) the boat. This was a major accomplishment for the dog! It did mean though, that we lost him a couple of times when he decided to go exploring on his own (or when he saw another dog to play with). Little bugger! He's cute though.
We spent an extra night at Whitehall Creek, then headed for Baltimore Oct 1 - the long awaited trip! It was quite cool to sail under the huge bridge near Annapolis (I don't know the name of it) and only a bit freaky! Anyway, we had a good sail to Baltimore, keeping an eye on the freighters (holy crap they're big!) and we anchored in Canton as we were told they have a Safeway (grocery) store and a West Marine store just across the street from the anchorage. There is also a Starbucks! I bought the new James Blunt CD - nice!
What we didn't know was that Canton is a LONG walk from downtown Baltimore, and I just about did myself in walking with the kids in search of a hardware store (for Graham to buy his marshmallow blow gun supplies) and a skateboard shop (God only knows why Clare is determined to have a skateboard on a boat...) It's not the nicest part of town either, and I felt somewhat conspicuous traipsing along the streets...no one walks in the US I think. Anyway, we got about 1/2 way there and it became apparent that a) we were not going to find the stores the kids wanted and b) there was no way we were going to be able to get downtown and then back again without my feet giving out and c) it was getting late in the day, and one shopkeeper did mention that some areas were not safe after dark...soooo, we headed back to the boat! Graham was bitterly disappointed that he hadn't been able to find his blow gun supplies, and so the lesson for the day was....patience!
The next day we left Beau on the boat (to "guard" it, at least thats what we tell him) after warning the couple on "Break Away", one of the other boats in the anchorage that he may create a fuss while we were gone. They reassured us that a whining dog is not unusual in an anchorage and not to worry about it! We headed off in the dingy to go to the Baltimore Aquarium - it was fantastic! It was amazing to see so many species of fish, frog, snake, toad, spider etc! The dolphin show was cool too - such gorgeous animals they are. There is also a whole section of the aquarium devoted to the Australian Rainforest, and it was also amazing! The birds and vegetation were enchanting. The whole downtown area of Baltimore has been restored over the past 10 or more years and it is quite beautiful. We had a quick lunch at the gigantic Hard Rock Cafe right on the water.
The following morning, we decided to move the boat to the downtown inner harbour, just for the experience of it! There were a few other boats there, and there is not a lot of room in the ancorage, so we sort of squeezed ourselves in, so close to shore you could almost step off the boat! Surprisingly, we were not able to get a good internet connection, which of course Clare hated as she spends as much time online as humanly possible staying connected with her buds at home! Anyway, Larry and Graham decided to go tour the submarine "Torsk", the lighthouse Chesapeake and the ship "Constellation" as well as go up the World Trade Centre building (all for a total of $6 apiece!). They had a great afternoon! Clare decided to go shopping for music, and headed off to Best Buy and the absolutely huge Barnes and Noble store - a book lovers paradise! I stayed on the boat with the pooch and fended off the stray paddle boaters out for a fall paddle in the harbour! The weather has been unseasonably hot and sunny and we have been grateful for the good weather. Beats rain all to hell!
Next morning (Oct 4) it was time to head back to Annapolis for the Boat Show. It was really foggy, so we had the new radar on, and tracked all the boat activity out of Baltimore. We had been having trouble with barnacles in the raw water intake, which meant that when the engine was running, all available seawater went to the cooling of it, and there was no seawater for toilet flushing, or the deck wash (which is needed to wash off the anchor from the disgusting Chesapeake Bay mud!) So once we were clear of the shipping lanes, and the fog had burned off, Larry jumped overboard (with the engine off, we were just drifting) to clean the intake as best he could. He spent quite awhile cleaning that and the hull in general and the dingy bottom, all of which were pretty gross with slime and barnacles. The water was not cold, but was Larry gross when he got out! The towel was filthy! ewe!!!! Anyway, the rest of the sail back to Annapolis was pleasant and uneventful.
We knew we would not be able to find a spot back in Spa Creek with our friends, so we anchored in the outer harbour, by the Naval Academy - less protected, but still ok. Graham was still on the hunt for pvc tubing for his marshmallow blowgun, and we made an unsuccessful trip into downtown Annapolis to the hardware store there - poor child! He was definately learning the meaning of delayed gratification!
The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is a world wide association of cruisers (duh) and the Annapolis chapter had its annual gathering the weekend of the sailboat show. We headed over for a day long event with speakers, flea market and general networking. Big crowd and lots of nice folks. Not surprisingly, several of the people we met at the Whitby Rendevous were also there, so it was fun to see them again. On the saturday night, Boat Show in full force, the SSCA hosted a huge party with the band "Attitudes and Lattitudes", with free pizza and beer, so you know we were there! We decided to take a water taxi rather than dingy due to the distance to the party and the size of the waves....but the rest of Annapolis was also planning to take the water taxi too! It is a great system of transport - more like a water bus than a taxi, it picks up a pile of people and drops them off either at preset stops or to your boat. Anyway, we had to wait ages before it came, and then the driver told us that we were better off being dropped off at a marina and taking a cab than waiting for the water taxi!
So there we were, at East Port Marina, wandering around like a bunch of dorks, unable to find a cab, hungry, grumpy...when a volunteer driver stopped and picked us up (dog and all) and took us to the East Port Mall, where he thought it would be easier to catch a cab. Since we had our doubts about there being any pizza left at the party, we decided to get some at the mall while we waited for the cab - man! was it good! We still had pizza left when the cab arrived, so we all piled in and off we went to the party! As predicted, there was no pizza left at the party, and some guy actually bought our leftover pizza for $10!!! We had a good time listening to the music and chatting with people - and Clare and Graham actually met kids their age! We were able to get the water taxi back home without too much trouble, though it was a long, roundabout trip! A good night though - and we were happy that the kids had made a new friend.
One of the things cruisers do is swap "boat cards" which is really just a business card with the name of your boat and crew and contact info (and if you're really good, a pic of your boat). So of course, we had to get some card stock and make up a boat card for Star Shadow! We had been collecting quite a few cards from new friends and businesses, so I began to hunt for a business card holder/book so I could keep track of everyone! Took me ages to find one, but I finally did, so now I'm carefully storing everyone's card for easy access (and quick reference for email addresses!)
The day after the Attitudes and Lattitudes party, (Oct 7) we went to the boat show. The weather was HOT and sunny and the show was packed! We had fun checking out all the fancy beautiful boats, and the kids got to go on a catermaran. Of course now they didn't want to get back on Star Shadow!! "Why can't WE have a boat with 3 cabins and 3 bathrooms and tv and a mircowave....." can you say, "who wants to be a millionaire????" Graham had a ball sailing the remote control sailboats and is now considering buying a kit to build one for himself. Larry bought himself some quick dry shorts and Graham got a pair of deck shoes. I got a mop.
The Sail Boat show was over on the Monday, so we figured we would be able to find a spot to anchor back at Spa Creek again. We headed back in, through the draw bridge and were able to squeeze in close to our pals on "Night Hawk" (Barry and Susan) and "Morning Light" (Bob and Rusty) and not too far away from other friends on "Jockslodge" (Iain and Jan). It was Thanksgiving Day and to celebrate we decided to have a proper turkey dinner with Barry, Susan, Bob and Rusty. Bob and Rusty have a car, so we piled in with laundry, shopping lists and kids, and set off for an afternoon of errands!
Larry dropped Rusty and I off at the laundromat and took the kids to find pvc for Graham's marshmallow gun (finally!) and Clare to the local tatoo parlor (!!!!!!!) because she had been angling to get her ears (lobes and cartiledge) pierced for awhile - don't worry, no tatoos! Well, Graham finally got his stuff, and for about $3.50 built himself a state of the art marshmallow blowgun! Now all the seagulls in the Chesapeake are being hunted down and pelted! And so are we - at least the "bullets" don't hurt and they taste good! When Larry got back to us at the laundromat, he reported that Clare had struck out in her bid for pierces! At the tatoo place, you have to be 16, and have BOTH parents present with photo ID! So she was totally bummed about this of course!
We had a great Thanksgiving dinner, albeit a late one, since when we finally got home with the turkey breast which was partially frozen, it didn't get into the oven until about 6 pm!! Ah well, those of you who us, know that we are perpetually late! We had fun nonetheless and celebrated well!
Clare, never one to give up, had gone back online to see where else she might get her ears pierced. There is a great big mall in Annapolis and we figured that "Claire's" jewelery store might do the deed. On Oct 9, Susan and I borrowed Bob and Rusty's car and took Clare and Graham for a shop a thon! We were driving along when we heard a thump, but not seeing anything amiss, continued on our way. First stop was a skateboard shop called Pure, where Clare checked out all the boards.
While we were there, my cell phone rang and it was some fellow asking if I was from Ontario. Turns out that the thump we heard was the ships log book, which Larry had left on the roof of the car when he used it earlier in the day. The log book is like a ships bible, it has all details of the boat's voyages, maintenance, contact information etc. To lose that would be to lose your right arm. Well, this guy, an off duty firefighter or something, had spotted the book on the road at the Church Circle roundabout, and had stopped to pick it up. The one thing missing in the book was the ship's name and Larry's name! But it did have our cell phone number and mailing address, so the guy tried the phone first. He told me he would have mailed it (back to Ontario) if he hadn't been able to reach us! Anyway, wonderful man that he is, he brought it right to me at the store! What a relief (not that anyone realized it was missing until then!) and would I have fun rubbing it in with Larry!
Well, Clare got her skateboard, and now all I have to worry about is her breaking her bones at all times! eghad! Next stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond, in search of a melita coffee maker cone thing. I decided I was sick of perked coffee full of grounds. But no luck, the salesgirl didn't even have a clue what I was talking about! Then we went to Boater's World because they were selling these cool pop makers at the Boat Show, and we decided we wanted one because of the cost of pop(aka Soda in the US) in the Islands. Well, Boaters World had none in the store because they were all at the Boat Show (Power show follows Sail)! Geesh - strike 2 for me. Susan was able to get the syrup for tonic water (gin and tonic's on her boat that night!!) We were running short on time since Graham and Larry were going to the movies that night (a late bday present for Graham) and we had to pick Bob up at work. So we hustled to the big mall and found Claires. Sure enough, they have no problem piercing whatever part of your ear you want, so long as you have parental consent. So, my baby got 5, count 'em 5! holes in her ears! both lobes and 3 in the cartiledge. ugh! She's happy though, and I like that! Larry and Graham went to see Game Plan and had a nice father/son night out. And so ended another lovely day!
Next morning we headed out to the "cruiser's breakfast" at a local restaurant and met up with Susan, Barry, Jan and Iain. We spent an enjoyable morning strolling around Historic Annapolis with our friends (and I found my cone drip coffee thingy!)We decided we would all get together for a chicken curry for dinner that night, since Barry and Susan were going to be heading off soon on their way down the intercoastal waterway. Another great evening! It was hard to say goodbye to them and I can only hope that we come across them again on our journey.
We continued to have problems with the raw water intake, and so we decided to go to Deale (back to Ship Wright Harbor) to get the boat hauled and the intake thru hull completely scraped out, as this problem HAD to get resolved. Jan and Iain also planned to go to Deale to haul out to put in new depth and speed instruments. We had a fun couple of days while they were there, playing dominoes (mexican train!) and walking into town. We discovered some other problems (so what else is new) when we hauled out, so we ended up staying in Deale for a week from Oct 16 to 22 while we got them worked out. On the 23, we headed out for Solomon's Island, about 40 miles away. Part way out, still not getting a great flow of water, Larry hit on the notion that perhaps the hose into the sea chest (full of sea water)might be clogged with all the crud from the bay. So while underway, he took the lid off the sea chest, and lo and behold if it wasn't crammed full of crud! man! what a difference it made when that was cleaned out! Wahoo! we now have excellent water flow to the engine and we can use the deck wash too! So great work, that!
We were having an uneventful motorsail down, when, thanks to Grahams "superior eyesight", he spotted a vessel in distress and we went to offer assistance. It was a small motorboat with a couple of guys who had decided to go fishing (despite small craft warnings)without a VHF or cell phone, and their engine failed. They had dropped an anchor which was saving them from being blown ashore! We were able to come close enough to throw them a line and we towed them the rest of the way into Solomon's Island - our daring "rescue at sea" adventure - or at least our random act of kindness for the day!
At Solomon's Island, we found Jan and Iain, and planned to spend the following day at the Wal-Mart grand opening! What a huge store! They have a complete grocery store as well as all the usual stuff! We were able to pick up a few things like water tanks, DVD's, groceries and cookie sheets there. Fortunately for us, the bus system is pretty good there, and we were able to get to and from the malls without any trouble. Plus, Jan and Iain have done this before, and know the ropes! Thank goodness for experienced cruisers!
Next morning, (Oct 25) we left Jan and Iain behind and headed out for Deltaville, a long trip of almost 50 miles. The winds were forcast to be from the north at 10 -15 knots, which we figured Star Shadow would love, being a heavy boat, she needs a decent wind to get going. However, the forecast was wrong, and it was blowing a lot stronger 20 - 25 with gusts to 30! NOT FUN. It wasn't too bad a first, but the winds continued to build and so did the waves, and they were confused, coming from all over the place. That's a receipe for seasick for me, and sure enough it happened! The good thing about being sick is that you feel better after, so at least I wasn't nauseaous, just cold (did I mention the rain started soon after we left?), uncomfortable and generally miserable! Graham was worried and spent a fair bit of the trip down below on his bunk (but eventually the confused motion forced him up) but Clare and Larry seemed just fine as far as being seasick goes! That girl has nerves of steel!
The trip seemed to be taking forever, with no let up with the wind and waves, and the day was wearing on, and soon it would be dark. I was not happy. Larry decided to furl the geneoa, but that proved to be a problem - and then the action started! A snatch-block let go, and that freed the sheet that controls the geneoa and the sail was shredded and flapping wildly in the wind. It was very scary as we tried to get that sail and sheets under control. Of course we had the engine on, but it was hard work trying to keep the boat under way. Then of course, the engine starts complaining about all the hard work, and the fuel filter demanded to be changed! Another operation at sea! My god what a time. All this happened quite close to the entrance to Deltaville, and I was actually able to keep the boat moving in the right direction, and steer through the markers with no sails up and no engine!! Pretty amazing eh?! Anyway, once the engine was back on, we motored the rest of the way into Deltaville, and got ourselves anchored and our nerves settled. It was not a good day.
That was a turning point for us, and the next morning, Larry and I talked about it, and decided that neither we, nor the boat were ready to make the sail to Bermuda and then the even longer sail to the deep Caribbean. It was time to go back to our original plan of Intercoastal waterway to Bahamas. That decision made, we all felt better, as it took the time pressure we were feeling right off the table. We need a new sail, and that will take time, and the boat still has issues, and now we can look after them.
We moved to another anchorage, at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club to wait for better weather (oh ya, did I mention that it rained for about 3 days straight, like the heavens just opened up and let a summers worth of rain come pouring down!)Everything was damp and we just hunkered down to wait for it to pass. Yesterday (whew, I'm finally at yesterday!) the weather cleared around noon and the sun came out with a nice breeze and we hung everything up to dry! We were able to get the torn sail down, and took it ashore to measure for the new sail. The Yacht Club membership is exceptionally friendly to cruisers, and we have full use of their facilities - showers (thank God!)club house, phone etc. We were invited to join the party for the last race of the season! They were having an oyster bake (not an oyster fan myself, but Larry loves em). It was fun to spend some time with these nice folks!
So here we are, Oct 28, and it is sunny but quite windy. Larry has been spending the morning sewing a curtain for the kids' rooms and I have been doing nothing but this blog! We hope to head for Hampton tomorrow (weather permitting)and we will be there until the new sail is ready, and the other jobs are done.
Whew! if you've read this far - congratulations! I will try to be more brief and more frequent in the future!
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