We left Miami at 4:00am. To get to the Ocean we had to navigate a channel marked by unlit day markers. We, luckily, we had a track on the chartplotter to follow. We made it out of the channel and headed toward Bimini. When you are crossing the gulf stream, you have to head south of your destination. As you cross the stream, the 2-4 knot stream pushes you northward. We were half way across as the sun rose. The water is so blue. It was great to be out of sight of land and ripping along under sail. We had a few folks crossing with us and it was great fun to talk to each other on the radio.
Land HO! We saw Bimini in the distance and went into Bimini Sands Marina. Matt gathered our documents and rented a cab with our crossing buddies to check in with customs and immigration at the airport. All checked in and time to explore. The marina had an infinity pool. We went for a swim and went to the boat to crash. We shared a bottle of Champagne with Gwen and Walter on their Island Packet 40.
Decided to leave the next morning for West Bay on New Providence Island. Nassau is located in the north east of New Providence Island. Nassau harbor is crowded and busy. West Bay is located near Clifton National Park. The anchorage is quiet and surrounded by a community of gated homes.
On the way to West Bay we stopped and anchored on the Great Bahama Bank. The bank is wide and shallow without any ambient light. The stars were out in force. We watched shooting stars and satellites. The water is so clear that you can see to the bottom. You could see black shapes moving through the water. Not sure what they were, but it was so kewl to see them.
In the gated community surrounding the West Bay anchorages a feud is brewing. A home on the point is owned by a Canadian fashion designer. He has created a 150k sq ft home that looks like a Mayan Ruin. He lights the home at night with multicolored hues and plays music from sundown to midnight. One night was show tunes, one night was Anya, one night was Classical. His neighbors are not amused, but we enjoyed the show. Look up Lyford Cay fashion designer for the whole scoop.
We have been pinned down by weather and can't move till Wednesday Jan 17. The snorkeling is great and the beach is covered by sea glass. Will update more adventures. Next time, pictures.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
Miami
Finally made it to Miami. Left Ft. Lauderdale because the marina was booked for the boat parade. We had a fun and quiet sail. Caught a Gulf Stream counter current and were sailing along at 9 knots. You are limited on ingress at Government Cut if any cruise ships or large tankers are coming out of Miami. We skipped Government Cut and went to Key Biscayne. No large ships and an easier place to anchor. We anchored in Key Biscayne Bight, just outside hurricane harbor. Got ground tackle down and had dinner. Looked up and there was a boat parade starting and we had a front row seat. Large mega yachts and small motor boats and some sailboats went by. Music and scantily clad dancers were a big part of the parade. A fun time was had by all.
We are waiting and waiting for a weather window so we can cross the Gulf Stream and go to the Bahamas. The Gulf Stream is a river of water in the ocean that was described by Benjamin Franklin. The Gulf Stream flows south to north off of the east coast of North America. The Gulf Stream can be easy to cross with south or southwest winds. If winds are from the east, you have the wind on the bow of your boat as you head east. North winds produce so called 'square waves'. As the Gulf Stream is heading north and the winds are heading south the winds pick up the water and cause large waves. It is best to avoid all but the calmest of north winds. The trend the last week or so has been for low pressure systems to move off the east coast. Lots of blustery winds, and very short weather windows. As of today, it looks like Wednesday of next week is a good possible crossing day. We will keep checking!
One of the forecast lows was coming in with lots of wind. The anchorage was unprotected. We called Crandon Park Marina. They are a city run marina that has mooring balls. We got a mooring ball and settled in for the blow. The mangrove areas of Crandon Park are rookeries for many birds. It was neat to watch pelicans feed their young. We have seen cormorants, storks and terns. A no wake zone is strictly enforced to protect the birds and other wildlife. Aquatic friends are also abundant. Dolphins, manatee and a croc or two.
On the way into Crandon a fisherman in a small open boat flagged us down. He said his motor stopped and he had been out on the water for three hours without seeing another boat. He was in shallow water and with a 6 foot draft I was inching my way toward his boat. Matt grabbed his anchor rode and pulled the anchor up and attached it to our winch. I backed out and turned around before guy had a chance to say anything. He looked like he was starting to panic. We got him to the dock safely. A few more coins in the Karma bank for our good deed of the day.
We have discovered the wonderful bus system in Miami. For $2.00 you can travel all over the city. We went grocery shopping one day, out to dinner another and now we are at the library. Library's are such a great resource for a community. We can use the free wifi. Check out books and movies and just hang out and read books.
Christmas was a quiet celebration with folks we met at the marina. Glasses of wine were shared and toasts were made.
Hopefully, we get a weather window. If not we will just wait and enjoy the beauty of Key Biscayne.
We are waiting and waiting for a weather window so we can cross the Gulf Stream and go to the Bahamas. The Gulf Stream is a river of water in the ocean that was described by Benjamin Franklin. The Gulf Stream flows south to north off of the east coast of North America. The Gulf Stream can be easy to cross with south or southwest winds. If winds are from the east, you have the wind on the bow of your boat as you head east. North winds produce so called 'square waves'. As the Gulf Stream is heading north and the winds are heading south the winds pick up the water and cause large waves. It is best to avoid all but the calmest of north winds. The trend the last week or so has been for low pressure systems to move off the east coast. Lots of blustery winds, and very short weather windows. As of today, it looks like Wednesday of next week is a good possible crossing day. We will keep checking!
One of the forecast lows was coming in with lots of wind. The anchorage was unprotected. We called Crandon Park Marina. They are a city run marina that has mooring balls. We got a mooring ball and settled in for the blow. The mangrove areas of Crandon Park are rookeries for many birds. It was neat to watch pelicans feed their young. We have seen cormorants, storks and terns. A no wake zone is strictly enforced to protect the birds and other wildlife. Aquatic friends are also abundant. Dolphins, manatee and a croc or two.
On the way into Crandon a fisherman in a small open boat flagged us down. He said his motor stopped and he had been out on the water for three hours without seeing another boat. He was in shallow water and with a 6 foot draft I was inching my way toward his boat. Matt grabbed his anchor rode and pulled the anchor up and attached it to our winch. I backed out and turned around before guy had a chance to say anything. He looked like he was starting to panic. We got him to the dock safely. A few more coins in the Karma bank for our good deed of the day.
We have discovered the wonderful bus system in Miami. For $2.00 you can travel all over the city. We went grocery shopping one day, out to dinner another and now we are at the library. Library's are such a great resource for a community. We can use the free wifi. Check out books and movies and just hang out and read books.
Christmas was a quiet celebration with folks we met at the marina. Glasses of wine were shared and toasts were made.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Forecast?
Time to do some ocean sailing. So we decided to sail down the ICW and leave from Ponce Inlet. The trip to Ponce was uneventful. Anchoring was a different story. The tide and current was ripping and after checking out the inlet we made the decision to travel the ICW to Ft. Pierce and use that inlet to go out to sea. We have a saying that the inlets we use to go to and from the sea have to be capable of having large ships come in at night or it has a Coast Guard Station. Ponce Inlet has a Coast Guard Station, but the inlet was shoaled and recommended to be used with local knowledge. Ft. Pierce is a major inlet for commercial ships. You can go in and out at night.
Ft. Pierce is a great little town. We put the dingy down and went to Ft. Pierce Marina. The marina was damaged by Hurricane Florence. The floating docks were destroyed and over 100 boats sank. The dock master said that it took two years just to clean up the debris. Now they are rebuilding and installing 'barrier islands' to act as a break wall. We put the dingy down and were going to get fuel. Unaware, we went right thru the construction zone. Power boat came from around the corner and told us to 'use the channel', we said OK, now? his response could not be understood over the yelling and gestures. We smiled and went to the fuel dock. We got fuel, water and threw away our trash. We went to the restaurant and had a wonderful lunch. Every Wednesday they have a farmers market. Was a treat to buy fresh fruits and veggies and organic meat. Coming back to the boat we used the channel.
Went from Ft. Pierce Inlet to West Palm Beach. Since Miami was our destination we had to make a night time approach and anchoring. There were some Navy exercises in the area and we would of had to increase out trip by 20 miles. Better to stop at Palm Beach than to around the 'live fire' training. Whenever we come into an unfamiliar place at night it looks so intimidating. All you see are lights and shadows. Distance is hard to judge. We just looked for the double spreader masts and anchored around them. Anchor down, all is well. The next day was warm and sunny. Matt put on
his wet suit and dove on the anchor. The anchor was dug in well. He tried to pick up a shell, but it moved! Matt spent most of the day poking at small marine animals. All that snorkeling training in the pool paid off.
Checked the weather forecast, seas 2 to 3 ft, winds S 5 to 10 mph. We left at 3am so we would get into Miami during daylight. We found the seas were 8 to 10 ft and the wind was 15 to 20 knots and gusts to 30 mph. Total slog, traveling at 3 knots. Never going to make Miami while sailing into a washing machine. A new plan was needed. How about Ft. Lauderdale? We headed for Ft. Lauderdale. Got through the 17 st bridge at the scheduled opening and found Lake Sylvia. Anchor down.
Don't know if we will make it to Miami this week. We will keep trying.
Ft. Pierce is a great little town. We put the dingy down and went to Ft. Pierce Marina. The marina was damaged by Hurricane Florence. The floating docks were destroyed and over 100 boats sank. The dock master said that it took two years just to clean up the debris. Now they are rebuilding and installing 'barrier islands' to act as a break wall. We put the dingy down and were going to get fuel. Unaware, we went right thru the construction zone. Power boat came from around the corner and told us to 'use the channel', we said OK, now? his response could not be understood over the yelling and gestures. We smiled and went to the fuel dock. We got fuel, water and threw away our trash. We went to the restaurant and had a wonderful lunch. Every Wednesday they have a farmers market. Was a treat to buy fresh fruits and veggies and organic meat. Coming back to the boat we used the channel.
Went from Ft. Pierce Inlet to West Palm Beach. Since Miami was our destination we had to make a night time approach and anchoring. There were some Navy exercises in the area and we would of had to increase out trip by 20 miles. Better to stop at Palm Beach than to around the 'live fire' training. Whenever we come into an unfamiliar place at night it looks so intimidating. All you see are lights and shadows. Distance is hard to judge. We just looked for the double spreader masts and anchored around them. Anchor down, all is well. The next day was warm and sunny. Matt put on
his wet suit and dove on the anchor. The anchor was dug in well. He tried to pick up a shell, but it moved! Matt spent most of the day poking at small marine animals. All that snorkeling training in the pool paid off.
Checked the weather forecast, seas 2 to 3 ft, winds S 5 to 10 mph. We left at 3am so we would get into Miami during daylight. We found the seas were 8 to 10 ft and the wind was 15 to 20 knots and gusts to 30 mph. Total slog, traveling at 3 knots. Never going to make Miami while sailing into a washing machine. A new plan was needed. How about Ft. Lauderdale? We headed for Ft. Lauderdale. Got through the 17 st bridge at the scheduled opening and found Lake Sylvia. Anchor down.
Don't know if we will make it to Miami this week. We will keep trying.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
New look at surroundings
We finally finished the big clump of laundry. Took all day! It is nice to have a washer and dryer, but only one washer and one dryer is tough to share. In between our load, folks snuck in and washed two shirts or two towels...wth...it slowed down our ability to get it all done. One last load. I got it in before the sneakers.
One of the local places we found was Killkenny Marina on Killkenny Creek in Georgia. Georgia AICW is traveled down wild rivers joined by man made cuts. The Killkenny Marina is located on the site of the old Killkenny plantation founded in the early 1800's. The same family has owned the land since then. The marina is a local fisherman/waterman stop. We needed fuel. I called and asked if they had diesel. The said sure and come on over. He told me not to bother with the radio because they were real busy and would be on the docks, off we went. As we entered the creek, I ran aground. Got off and found the deep water and progressed toward the marina. Looked up the creek and saw a floating dock constructed of wood with 2x4's sticking up near the water edge side. A man was waving and pointing toward the dock. Matt looked at me and said...this must be it, take it in slow. We pulled in, dock master helped us tie up and looked a bit perplexed. He said, 'why didn't you use your fenders, you wouldn't have scraped the rub rail?' Matt replied, 'that teak is sacrificial, fenders are expensive'. The dock master laughed.
We filled up and went up to the office to pay. The marina operates a sling lift to launch small boats. A family was getting into a just launched boat. An older gentleman walked up and extended his hand. Matt shook it and wished him a great time on the water. The man said he had never been on a boat before. We told him that we hadn't been off our boat for two weeks. We had a nice talk about boats and living aboard and waved to them as they sped off. At the top of the ramp, there were two tanks. What are these? Bait, was the reply. There were shrimp and little fishes swimming around. ' Are these snapping shrimp?' The dockmaster shook his head and told us that he had heard about those snapping shrimp all is life but never saw one. He said he thinks the noise you hear on the hull is from the reaction of tides and tempertures. He pointed to the office and said his brother would ring us up.
The office was a great little store. Must have biting bug problems because they had lots of kinds of insect repellent. Got some sodas and some beer and went to pay. His brother was a bit cool to us until I said, 'this is such a beautiful place' he smiled and started telling us about the store and the marina and his family. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. His first impression of me must have been as a stuck up yachty. I complimented him and his family on their good choice to make this beautiful part of Georgia their home and business. He rung up our purchases on an adding machine with a tape. He told us we were welcome back anytime. We were tempted to stay. They have a restaurant next door that cooks up what the local fisherman bring in to the marina. They have live music and everyone just sits around and enjoys. What a concept...people enjoying and talking and being neighbors.
At Marineland yesterday we met a fellow boating couple from Germany. They have been traveling up down the east coast of the USA on their way to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Walking back on forth to the laundry, Matt was stopped by a family walking around the docks. They said, it is so peaceful here. He agreed and said this was one of our favorite places. The father shook his head and replied,' we are from Israel, and the USA just always feels so peaceful and calm. The people are kind and generous. You all seem to get along.' 'We try' , Matt said. As the family walked toward the beach, Matt and I were a bit overcome by their statements. We had just finished one of the most contentious elections in our memory. It seemed that our country was torn up and at each other throats. When you look around, you see that we are ok. The parts of the world that are in turmoil look to us as a place of peace. We are lucky. We should be thankful.
OK, the laundry machines are free, time to again dominate. I found another load. May as well get the linens washed. We shove off tomorrow for new track on the chartplotter into the heart of Florida. Miami, here we come!
One of the local places we found was Killkenny Marina on Killkenny Creek in Georgia. Georgia AICW is traveled down wild rivers joined by man made cuts. The Killkenny Marina is located on the site of the old Killkenny plantation founded in the early 1800's. The same family has owned the land since then. The marina is a local fisherman/waterman stop. We needed fuel. I called and asked if they had diesel. The said sure and come on over. He told me not to bother with the radio because they were real busy and would be on the docks, off we went. As we entered the creek, I ran aground. Got off and found the deep water and progressed toward the marina. Looked up the creek and saw a floating dock constructed of wood with 2x4's sticking up near the water edge side. A man was waving and pointing toward the dock. Matt looked at me and said...this must be it, take it in slow. We pulled in, dock master helped us tie up and looked a bit perplexed. He said, 'why didn't you use your fenders, you wouldn't have scraped the rub rail?' Matt replied, 'that teak is sacrificial, fenders are expensive'. The dock master laughed.
We filled up and went up to the office to pay. The marina operates a sling lift to launch small boats. A family was getting into a just launched boat. An older gentleman walked up and extended his hand. Matt shook it and wished him a great time on the water. The man said he had never been on a boat before. We told him that we hadn't been off our boat for two weeks. We had a nice talk about boats and living aboard and waved to them as they sped off. At the top of the ramp, there were two tanks. What are these? Bait, was the reply. There were shrimp and little fishes swimming around. ' Are these snapping shrimp?' The dockmaster shook his head and told us that he had heard about those snapping shrimp all is life but never saw one. He said he thinks the noise you hear on the hull is from the reaction of tides and tempertures. He pointed to the office and said his brother would ring us up.
The office was a great little store. Must have biting bug problems because they had lots of kinds of insect repellent. Got some sodas and some beer and went to pay. His brother was a bit cool to us until I said, 'this is such a beautiful place' he smiled and started telling us about the store and the marina and his family. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. His first impression of me must have been as a stuck up yachty. I complimented him and his family on their good choice to make this beautiful part of Georgia their home and business. He rung up our purchases on an adding machine with a tape. He told us we were welcome back anytime. We were tempted to stay. They have a restaurant next door that cooks up what the local fisherman bring in to the marina. They have live music and everyone just sits around and enjoys. What a concept...people enjoying and talking and being neighbors.
At Marineland yesterday we met a fellow boating couple from Germany. They have been traveling up down the east coast of the USA on their way to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Walking back on forth to the laundry, Matt was stopped by a family walking around the docks. They said, it is so peaceful here. He agreed and said this was one of our favorite places. The father shook his head and replied,' we are from Israel, and the USA just always feels so peaceful and calm. The people are kind and generous. You all seem to get along.' 'We try' , Matt said. As the family walked toward the beach, Matt and I were a bit overcome by their statements. We had just finished one of the most contentious elections in our memory. It seemed that our country was torn up and at each other throats. When you look around, you see that we are ok. The parts of the world that are in turmoil look to us as a place of peace. We are lucky. We should be thankful.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
From Maryland to Florida
We are now in Marineland! This is how far we got last year. The weather is warm and we are washing the boat and our laundry. It is amazing how much laundry you can accumulate when you are traveling.
Last year we were so tentative about the depths and about anchoring. We would agonize about running aground. Then when it was time to anchor, we would stay awake and monitor the position of the boat with graphs and charts. Although it was so wonky and fun to make the charts and graphs, we were tired the next day and slept instead of traveling. We went sightseeing and generally donked around. We loved every minute of our trip.
This year, tides and currents are our friends. We are covering 50 or more miles a day. We sailed in the ocean twice. We watch the sunrise, then anchor up and away we go. It seems that every other day we run aground. We work to get off or we make a pot of coffee and wait for the tide to come up. Both work equally as well. We battled 20 days of north winds and clouds. We have gotten groceries in Beaufort, SC and here in Marineland. We have cooked on the boat.
Over the summer we added an hydrolic (simrad) autopilot and a set of simrad chartplotter and an echo sounder. The new instruments are such a good addition to the boat. The autopilot is easy to use and we can let it steer and give us a rest. The chartplotter is big and easy to read and the echo sounder shows the characteristics of the sea floor. We can see fish and our anchor chain.
The things that have worked well: simrad instruments
windlass
washdown
Trader Joe Vacuum packed meats
freeze dried vegtables
camping meals
The camping meals are a welcome treat for lunch when the wind is cold. Matt goes below and heats up some water and a nice warm meal comes delivered to the helm. The last time we had camping meals they all tasted the same, lots of salt and something to chew. Now the meals have taste and low sodium.
The election is over. So glad we are done with all the commercials and signs. All the towns and people seem to be less stressed and looking forward. We missed the whole Black Friday madness. Since we live on a boat, buying 'stuff' takes on a new meaning. You have to throw out a blouse or pair of pants if you get new ones. A 50 inch flat screen will not fit on the boat. There are also no big box stores out on the water. I don't feel deprived.
Onward we go! Can't wait until we get to the Bahamas.
Last year we were so tentative about the depths and about anchoring. We would agonize about running aground. Then when it was time to anchor, we would stay awake and monitor the position of the boat with graphs and charts. Although it was so wonky and fun to make the charts and graphs, we were tired the next day and slept instead of traveling. We went sightseeing and generally donked around. We loved every minute of our trip.
This year, tides and currents are our friends. We are covering 50 or more miles a day. We sailed in the ocean twice. We watch the sunrise, then anchor up and away we go. It seems that every other day we run aground. We work to get off or we make a pot of coffee and wait for the tide to come up. Both work equally as well. We battled 20 days of north winds and clouds. We have gotten groceries in Beaufort, SC and here in Marineland. We have cooked on the boat.
Over the summer we added an hydrolic (simrad) autopilot and a set of simrad chartplotter and an echo sounder. The new instruments are such a good addition to the boat. The autopilot is easy to use and we can let it steer and give us a rest. The chartplotter is big and easy to read and the echo sounder shows the characteristics of the sea floor. We can see fish and our anchor chain.
The things that have worked well: simrad instruments
windlass
washdown
Trader Joe Vacuum packed meats
freeze dried vegtables
camping meals
The camping meals are a welcome treat for lunch when the wind is cold. Matt goes below and heats up some water and a nice warm meal comes delivered to the helm. The last time we had camping meals they all tasted the same, lots of salt and something to chew. Now the meals have taste and low sodium.
The election is over. So glad we are done with all the commercials and signs. All the towns and people seem to be less stressed and looking forward. We missed the whole Black Friday madness. Since we live on a boat, buying 'stuff' takes on a new meaning. You have to throw out a blouse or pair of pants if you get new ones. A 50 inch flat screen will not fit on the boat. There are also no big box stores out on the water. I don't feel deprived.
Onward we go! Can't wait until we get to the Bahamas.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
on the move...2012
We are heading south again, this time to the Bahamas.
First we got to go thru super storm Sandy. We had been watching the storm develop for at least a week before it hit. We knew we were going to be on the NE quadrant of the storm. The storm surges and fiercest winds are in the NW quadrant of a hurricane. New Jersey got hit by the NW quadrant. We stayed on our boat during the storm. The strongest winds we saw were in the low 50's. We did a bit of surfing. We left two days after Sandy. The bay was full of all the commercial traffic that had been waiting out the storm off shore. We played freighter dodge all the way to Norfolk.
The weather has been cold. Each day we got dressed in heavy pants, sweaters, double socks, and foul weather jackets. Gloves and hats were a must. Each time we go out in the fall I am so glad that we had the cockpit enclosure made. We anchored out each night. We did our best to run in front of the nor'easter roaring up the east coast. We rode the storm out in Slade Creek, just north of Oriental. Two days of blowing cold. Rain was cold.
As the sun returned we made our way down to south river, across from Oriental. The river is wide and beautiful. We saw eagles and pelicans. No motor boat traffic. Night time stars were putting on a show just for us. Tried to look for meteors. Didn't see any.
We got to hear the election results on XM radio. It was a good night for the common people. I was glad to see that the American people could not be bought by millionaires and billionaires.
Tried to stop along the ICW to get fuel. Wind and tide were sending us straight for a gnarly metal bulkhead. Hit reverse and backed out of danger. On to the next fuel station. We started sailing with the light air head sail The winds decided to pick up. I blamed Matt, he had been whistling earlier and just whistled up a blow. As we dropped the sail the halyard escaped and sail, sheet and halyard took a swim. Put the engine in neutral and wrangled the sail on the deck. Got the boat anchored for the night and started to clear the decks. Wet sails dried and stowed. Next task crank Matt to the top of the mast, all 55 ft. I am not that strong and it took a while with many breaks for rest. Glad Matt is not afraid of heights! He said the view was great, but we forgot the camera. I was glad when his feet reached the deck.
Pulled into Morehead City Yacht Basin. Got fuel, got a shower and washed all our clothes. Had a burger in town. Our wash down hose nozzle got a hole in it and was spewing water every time you cleaned off the anchor. Walked to the hardware store and found a Veteran's Day Parade. Pulled up a piece of curb and were treated to marching bands, scout troops, mayors, small boats driving down the main drag. What a fun time! Senior housing vans filled with Vets were waving and trowing candy to the crowd The street was lined with families cheering and shouting, "thanks for your service". After the election, wasn't sure that everyone could come together and show love and support for each other. The feeling was all positive. People were cheering and enjoying each others fellowship. Made me smile from ear to ear.
First we got to go thru super storm Sandy. We had been watching the storm develop for at least a week before it hit. We knew we were going to be on the NE quadrant of the storm. The storm surges and fiercest winds are in the NW quadrant of a hurricane. New Jersey got hit by the NW quadrant. We stayed on our boat during the storm. The strongest winds we saw were in the low 50's. We did a bit of surfing. We left two days after Sandy. The bay was full of all the commercial traffic that had been waiting out the storm off shore. We played freighter dodge all the way to Norfolk.
The weather has been cold. Each day we got dressed in heavy pants, sweaters, double socks, and foul weather jackets. Gloves and hats were a must. Each time we go out in the fall I am so glad that we had the cockpit enclosure made. We anchored out each night. We did our best to run in front of the nor'easter roaring up the east coast. We rode the storm out in Slade Creek, just north of Oriental. Two days of blowing cold. Rain was cold.
As the sun returned we made our way down to south river, across from Oriental. The river is wide and beautiful. We saw eagles and pelicans. No motor boat traffic. Night time stars were putting on a show just for us. Tried to look for meteors. Didn't see any.
We got to hear the election results on XM radio. It was a good night for the common people. I was glad to see that the American people could not be bought by millionaires and billionaires.
Tried to stop along the ICW to get fuel. Wind and tide were sending us straight for a gnarly metal bulkhead. Hit reverse and backed out of danger. On to the next fuel station. We started sailing with the light air head sail The winds decided to pick up. I blamed Matt, he had been whistling earlier and just whistled up a blow. As we dropped the sail the halyard escaped and sail, sheet and halyard took a swim. Put the engine in neutral and wrangled the sail on the deck. Got the boat anchored for the night and started to clear the decks. Wet sails dried and stowed. Next task crank Matt to the top of the mast, all 55 ft. I am not that strong and it took a while with many breaks for rest. Glad Matt is not afraid of heights! He said the view was great, but we forgot the camera. I was glad when his feet reached the deck.
Pulled into Morehead City Yacht Basin. Got fuel, got a shower and washed all our clothes. Had a burger in town. Our wash down hose nozzle got a hole in it and was spewing water every time you cleaned off the anchor. Walked to the hardware store and found a Veteran's Day Parade. Pulled up a piece of curb and were treated to marching bands, scout troops, mayors, small boats driving down the main drag. What a fun time! Senior housing vans filled with Vets were waving and trowing candy to the crowd The street was lined with families cheering and shouting, "thanks for your service". After the election, wasn't sure that everyone could come together and show love and support for each other. The feeling was all positive. People were cheering and enjoying each others fellowship. Made me smile from ear to ear.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Summertime in Galesville, MD
We got back from our travels and realized that we needed a few things. When we bought the boat we kept it simple and decided to add parts/systems as we needed them. As we were sailing into Beaufort, NC we got our autopilot smoking, as in could smell the burning.
We did some research and decided to buy a Simrad non linear autopilot, and an AIS displayed on a NSE8 chart plotter. We thought about getting a touch screen chart plotter, but were worried about not being able to use the chartplotter in the rain or if it was cold enough that gloves were needed.
We had to create two shelves affixed and fiber glassed to the hull. Matt and I made the shelves and strung the electric wires. MTS, our electronic gurus, came buy and hooked up all the parts and made sure they were working. Matt and I have no problems doing the grunt work of installations, but when it comes to getting all the parts to talk to each other, we call in the experts. MTS does a great job. They are professional and cost appropriate.
Just had the boat pulled. We are getting new zincs, the bottom painted, and a set of Spur Sharks installed. Over the years we have drug crab pots with us until we could safely dive on the prop and cut the fouled line. The spurs will hopefully cut the fouling line and keep the prop free of tangled stuff.
Planning on going on a bit of a shake down cruise after we get back in the water. There are so many places on the Chesapeake we have yet to explore.
We did some research and decided to buy a Simrad non linear autopilot, and an AIS displayed on a NSE8 chart plotter. We thought about getting a touch screen chart plotter, but were worried about not being able to use the chartplotter in the rain or if it was cold enough that gloves were needed.
We had to create two shelves affixed and fiber glassed to the hull. Matt and I made the shelves and strung the electric wires. MTS, our electronic gurus, came buy and hooked up all the parts and made sure they were working. Matt and I have no problems doing the grunt work of installations, but when it comes to getting all the parts to talk to each other, we call in the experts. MTS does a great job. They are professional and cost appropriate.
Just had the boat pulled. We are getting new zincs, the bottom painted, and a set of Spur Sharks installed. Over the years we have drug crab pots with us until we could safely dive on the prop and cut the fouled line. The spurs will hopefully cut the fouling line and keep the prop free of tangled stuff.
Planning on going on a bit of a shake down cruise after we get back in the water. There are so many places on the Chesapeake we have yet to explore.
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