Friday, November 16, 2018

November 15-16, 2018 Annapolis tourists

Thursday
We woke up to sleet that turned into snow this morning!!  NOW I am ready to head south.  Three times during the night, Dave had to get up and go outside to adjust fenders between the boat and the dock.  The rub rail along the side of the boat is there to protect the boat.  But it was rubbing up and down along a wooden piling playing a tune “composed by the devil” right next to our heads in the v berth.  He switched fenders, retied fenders, then got out an additional fender, then just decided to stay up for the day. 

We ended up staying on the boat all day, since the docks were icy.  We made bread, took showers, and enjoyed the wifi and heat.  Simple pleasures. 

There is a large Westport motor yacht in the marina that we passed on the way in.  Dave researched it today online.  Winning Drive is owned by the owner of the Baltimore Ravens.  It cost $20,000,000 to build.  Crazy!

Friday
We headed out early this morning to have breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s Delly.  They are know for their jumbo crab cakes.  AND everyday at 8:30 am, everyone stands and recites the Pledge of Allegiance.  This morning it was led by a young man about 12 whose father was leaving on a Navy Ship.  The warship Sioux City is being commissioned tomorrow here in Annapolis. 

We spent some time at at visitor’s center and shopping for warmer boots or socks.  The Sperry store didn’t have my size in stock in the style I wanted.  And no one had wool socks yet, too early in the season.  So our toes will continue to get cold.  At least we’re moving south.

Back at the boat, I did laundry and Dave refueled.  Then I did a little sight seeing and shopping.  I visited the St Anne’s Church.  Instead of kneelers the length of the pew, they had individual boxes with embroidered tops on them.  I have never seen that before.  Next was the Maryland State House.  This was the first peacetime capitol of the United States in 1783-84.  General Washington came before Congress here to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.  The Treaty of Paris was ratified here, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War.  Next I saw the home of William Paca, one of the signers of the constitution, but didn’t allow enough time to tour it. So much history in this city!!  We’ll come back again.
pretty mosaic tiles on a retaining wall

kneeler in the church for individual use

kneelers lined up under the pew

Main street in the historical district looking out to the water

Senate Chambers

House of Representatives

George Washington resigning his commission

Maryland State House

Pinkney St where Galway Pub was located

William Paca House built between 1763 and 1765

"Ego Ally" at the city dock where boaters show off their boats
 After 5:00, I met Dave at the Dock Street Bar and Grill.  We were told they had the best crab cakes in all of Maryland.  They were really good.  So was the crab corn chowder and the crab dip,  Dave had blackened tuna tacos.  That was a first, and they were really good.  We enjoy trying different menus and local specialties.
crab dip and crab cake

tuna tacos
We were back at the boat early to wrap things up and leave early tomorrow. 
Here is a video of the Pledge of Allegiance at Chick and Ruth's 


November 13-14, 2018 Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis

Tuesday
Today was our day of “boat lag”.  We need to catch up on sleep after an over night passage.  Dave transferred about 35 gallons of fuel from the fuel bladder on the deck to the fuel tank.   We figure we use about a gallon an hour when we are motoring.

I took the time at anchor to make chili.  Perfect weather for that.  I spent some time researching marinas in Annapolis.  We want to wait out some bad weather there.  And it’s time to be a tourist again. 

Dave spent some time researching where and who we would like to do the repair of our water leak.  Do we go all the way to Florida?  Or do we find someone along the way?  The marina we go to in Brunswick is not known for their boat work, so we wouldn’t use that marina. 

Our insurance company recommended Dave talk to a Beneteau dealer for information.  The man he talked to gave him the name and number of a man that used to work for Beneteau at the factory in the US.  Dave remembered talking to him a couple years ago, because he is French, but had lost his contact information.  He called Jean Michel Morrison in Charleston, SC and had a great conversation with him.  He explained to Dave that the 5200 seal that we placed where the shaft exits the hull would not properly seal that area.  It has to be fiber glassed.  He recommended that we come to Charleston and he would do that repair for us.  He then went on to tell Dave in his French accent that “if this does not repair your leak, we will no longer be friends.  Because I would have to give you a bill as long as your arm.  And you would wish that you had never bought a sailboat.”  We are looking forward to meeting this guy.  He had us send him some photos.  Then we’ll make a plan.

Wednesday
We planned to go part way to Annapolis and anchor.  Then we would get a slip in Annapolis for Thursday and Friday, since we will have bad weather.  We could wait out the weather at anchor, but this will give a chance to see Annapolis, have power/heat, and do laundry.  After checking the weather again, it is supposed to be nasty on Thursday.  So we decided to bite the bullet and get a slip for 3 nights, starting tonight.

We left at 7:30 am.  At about 1:30, we crossed under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  We were about an hour outside of Annapolis.  I called the Annapolis Yacht Basin to reserve a slip.  I checked to see that the slips were $2/ft.  He said that was their winter rate that officially starts tomorrow, but they would give us that rate. 
our cockpit dinner ware
one dish meal-eggs, toast, banana
easily pleased
Chesapeake Bay bridge north of Annapolis

Annapolis
our escort into the harbor
 We were in our slip by 2:30 and it took us about an hour to set up the fenders where we wanted and hook up our power cords.  We have 2 cords.  One is for the heater/AC and one is for our house batteries for outlets, water heater, battery charger and water maker.  We also switch our water tanks to the aft tank.  We use city treated water in that tank and only our water maker filtered water in the bow tank.  The chlorine in the city water will destroy the membranes of our water maker. 

After getting everything settled, we walked a few blocks into the historic district for dinner.  We caught a great happy hour at McGarvey’s Saloon and Oyster Bar.  We walked around the historic district and ended up at another Irish Pub, Galway, for an Irish Session.  They started at 8:00 (cruiser’s midnight).  We lasted maybe an hour and headed back to the boat.  We are on fixed docks.  So we have to step down quite a ways to get onto the boat.  Don’t want to do that after too many beers. 
raw oysters, oysters Rockefeller, pretzel with crab did and cheese
We don't get to kick leaves any more
Galway Bay Irish Pub

musicians for the Irish Session
cool ally way

November 10-12, 2018 NY to Chesapeake

Saturday
We had a windy rainy day at anchor and didn’t go anywhere.  We prepped the boat for going off shore overnight to Delaware Bay.  I made an awesome beef roast with carrots and potatoes.  My mom would have been proud.  I let Dave have a little glory by making the gravy.  We enjoyed our meal listening to Alabama win another football game.  ROLL TIDE!!

Sunday
OK, this morning has to be the coldest yet, 31 degrees.  My glasses were on a ledge next to the hull.  They fogged over when I put them on.  And the toothpaste was so cold, it was hard to squeeze out of the tube.  We made sure we were warm before we headed out this morning.  Since we will be going overnight, we didn’t need an early departure.  It was more important that we were well rested and warm.  We left about 9:00.
last view of NYC
Dave had checked the bilge before leaving and everything looked dry.  This will be our first off shore passage with our water leak.  We will be within 3-5 miles of the New Jersey shore. 
When we came up that coast, we had wifi and telephone connections the entire trip.  So besides our VHF, we’ll have access to calling for a tow if needed.  I guess we enjoy living on the edge.  Dave checked the bilge periodically and would vacuum out any water with the shop vac.  He only had to vacuum about a quart of water every 6 hours.  Not bad.

The wind was actually favorable to sail most of the day instead of just motor or motor/sail.  Seems like that’s not usually the case.  We had dinner together in the cockpit in the dark.  Days are getting shorter.  We listened to the Packers win against the Miami Dolphins using the Tune In Radio app.  About 7:30 after the game, Dave started his watch and I went below to sleep.  There was a crescent moon over Atlantic City that was a deep orange and beautiful.  Cell phone photos didn't do it justice.

Dave said to include this sunset photo because that was our view all day-through the isenglass


part way down the New Jersey coast


11-12 Monday
I took over watch at 1:00am.  There had been some tugs pulling barges that Dave had to dodge.  And there was one sailboat following us.  It was 37 degrees and a little nippy.  My toes, fingers and nose were the only parts of me that were cold. 
the start of my watch at 1:00am

I had to continue the dodging game with tugs and barges.  As I was going to enter a shipping channel, one was coming towards me.  I didn’t think I’d have enough time to cross in front of him and be on the side like you would on road traffic.  So I just kept off to the side of the channel until he passed.  Another one didn’t follow the shipping channel, but was crossing it instead, right towards me.  I had to alter my course again.  I could call them and ask them if they are going to maintain that course, but this worked.  Or if moving would put me in danger, I would ask him to alter his course.  They don’t usually like to do that.

By 5:30 am, we were entering the Delaware Bay.  I had another spectacular sunrise this morning.  We originally thought we would anchor once we reached the bay.   But with good weather predicted, we decided we would continue up the bay and anchor before entering the C&D canal, the man made canal that connects the Chesapeake & Delaware Bay.
beautiful sunrise, again
after cropping out the dodger and the dinghy

Dave was up by 7:00.  We had oatmeal.  Then I went back to sleep.  There were several ships anchored in the bay waiting to go in our out of Cape May or up the bay to the canal.
Dave's watch-in the Delaware Bay
I was up about noon and we had brunch together in the cockpit.  We were traveling at about 9 k with the current.  Since we were making such good time, we decided to continue through the C&D canal. It was about 1:00 when we entered.  It was only about 15 miles long, so we figured we’d have time to anchor before sunset. 
Beginning of the C&D canal
railroad lift bridge on canal
We pulled off the canal part way through at Chesapeake City.  There is a harbor where we could anchor.  We thought it was kind of shallow and could get crowded.  We decided to move on and anchored at the mouth of the Bohemia River.  It was pretty shallow as we went deeper into the river.  We were more exposed to the wind than we wanted to be, but it worked out fine.  We could see deer grazing on the hillside near our anchorage.  Reminded us of South Dakota. 
northern end of the Chesapeake Bay

Thursday, November 15, 2018

November 9, 2018 Great Kills Harbor, Staten Island, NY

I woke up just before sunrise and froze me butt off going outside to take photos.  I went back to my warm bed and decided these would have to do.  Sometimes predawn are actually better than looking into the sun anyway. 


 
We left our anchorage about 9:30 and headed to Great Kills Harbor on Staten Island.  It was going to be windy and rainy for a couple days, so the harbor would be more protected. 
raising the anchor from our free anchorage in NYC
It was easier to cross the Staten Island Ferry route than I thought it would be.  They are going constantly back and forth.  We passed under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge about 10:45 officially leaving Upper New York Bay for Lower New York Bay.  The shipping traffic wasn’t too bad.  There were several barges at anchor waiting to go in or out of the city.


Our chart plotter with the AIS showing other ships in the bay.  And not all boats have an AIS for them to be identified on our chart.  The top center is the Hudson River, the left branch is the East River,  the bottom is the way to the Verrazzano Narrows bridge.  the white lines outlined in blue are highways.  Our boat is on the left of the bay-white with a brown stern and a yellow line coming off the bow indicating wind direction. The ships light up red if they are considered a dangerous target.  We can move the cursor over the ship and click on it to see that's ship's details-name, type and size, at anchor or motoring, and when we will collide with them if neither of us change course. 
Verrazzano Narrows Bridge with Staten Island Ferry
Fort Wadsworth at the bay entrance. Over 200 years old
We made it to Great Kills Harbor by 12:30 and anchored in the harbor.  I took a quick shower since the engine had heated out water nicely.  It was the first time I took a shower and had a hard time choosing a temperature.  What felt great on my head was burning my hands because they were so cold.  Strange sensation and one of the joys of being up north in November. 

We put on our “foulies”, foul weather gear, and headed to shore.  I have a cousin that lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey about an hour away from here, Kimberly Zeller, Chris and Annabelle Deas.  They met us at a restaurant near shore.  We had lunch and they joined us for dessert. 

Kimberly is the daughter of my first cousin, Jim and Jane Zeller.  She has lived in the NYC area a long time.  We have met up with her 2 other times in the city.  Annabelle didn’t have school because of a teacher’s conference, so the 2 of them made the trip to see us.  It is difficult to make plans when you are on the water.  At anchor in NYC, there wouldn’t have been a dingy dock convenient for us to go to shore.   And the marinas are really expensive there, as to be expected.  So this worked out good.  They had a pistachio tartufo dessert here, the second time we’ve seen it now. 
Annabelle and Kimberly
Dave, Annabelle, Mary
Dave, Annabelle, Kimberly, Mary
 Pistachio Tartufa
By the time we departed, it was raining pretty good.  Kimberly and Annabelle walked us to the dock so they could see out boat out on the water.  Later Dave sent a text to them apologizing for not walking them to their car.  But I explained to Kimberly that Dave didn’t walk me to the door on our first date because it was raining.  So there you go.  I haven’t been able to teach him much over the years. 
Kimberly and Annabelle saying goodbye