Two Dogs and a Sailboat

Dogs Rule Our Lives

2010-01-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

Winter

2010-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Fall

2010-01-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

There's No Place Like Home

2010-01-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

We may not have ruby red shoes, but we have a life back in NYC which is just as wonderful. Plus, I don't know if red is Ryan's color. He really prefers khaki, green, tan, brown. He should have joined the military. It's just great to be back on the east coast again. I have to remind Ryan that we're not on the boat anymore and people dress a little more stylish on the streets of NYC and he can't go out looking like military man.

I should talk. My first couple of weeks we're spent buying clothes appropriate to wear outside in the winter. Shorts, tanks, bikinis weren't going to cut it anymore. Actually, that is what I had hoped to wear on the boat, but ended up in my foul weather gear and two layers of clothing because it was so damned cold. Either way, neither worked now.

Dogs are adjusted so we can now leave the apartment together which may seem odd considering we're on job sabbaticals and spend just about every waking moment together, but it's not. It's hard to people watch by yourself. If we didn't approach our day as a team, we'd miss so much.

So, what do we do all day? At first, it took us awhile to settle in and retrain our dogs to a land schedule including staying home alone. Given the dogs walk at least 2 1/2 hours a day, we explore Central Park with them as much as possible. Without them, we go to the bookstore to read magazines for free, the MET for art viewing, Wollman Rink for ice skating, and an occasional movie which I've been picking pretty badly lately. Ryan gets next pick - most likely Avatar. We'll go on a weekday afternoon of course to avoid the rush. Friday, we even went to happy hour - EARLY - 2pm. At this age, it meant an early night in for us.

Most recently, we've just been keeping fit which may sound like torture to some, but I love it and well Ryan does too. Core, running, and Bikram yoga. I was initially against Bikram yoga because I'd only done Vinyassa, but Bikram rocks! We've been going everyday. It's addicting!! Traditionalists may not approve because it's not as "spiritual" but we like it for the physical aspect not chanting of which there is none - thank goodness! All that ever did was distract me because I wasn't quite sure what to chant so I chanted like I sing songs I don't know the words to - just distracting for myself and everyone else.

Now that we're burning calories, we can eat as much as we like. We both like eating. So, trying out restaurants and new recipes keeps us busy too. Our favorite vegetable sushi place is Haru and for casual lunch Candle Cafe, nice dinner Candle 79. The jury is out on Chinese and Indian and any other good delivery joints. Hopefully, we'll resolve this soon as we're a jury of 2 unless artisanal bread is involved - then 4 because Sarah and Dillon love bread!

Just finished our Sunday morning bagel ritual. Must run. Dogs are stretching in prep for their afternoon walk.

Landlubbers

2009-11-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

Found a place that we absolutely love! Upper east side about 10 blocks south of our previous hood. So, really a whole new neighborhood to explore. It took us exactly 1 week to find this apartment and just about 2 days to unpack. Hanging pictures will come later as the building is pre-war 1920's art deco style with plaster walls. Once we get the proper tools, pictures will settle upon these walls.

Sarah is in her element (surprised us she's usually anxious in new situations) strutting ahead of us marking every spot she can on the way into Central Park. Dillon is feeling much better. He has stopped scratching so we're not sure if the meds are just working better, he was allergic to the boat, or allergic to southern states. Either way, dogs are now happier so we're happier!

We all feel healthier. Fresh produce is easier to acquire and we're all back to walking, running, and just plain having fun playing.

It feels great to be home.

Beginning of NYC Journey

2009-11-15T16:18:00.001-08:00

Crashing at Mandy's Dad's place. Arrived Wednesday evening just in time for dinner and for the dogs to dive bomb his bed. They're happy to have terra under their paws.

Spent Thursday scouting out a proper doggie day care. Found one but still reluctantly left our munchkins to go have lunch at Candle Cafe - phenomenal! Plus, Mr. Munson himself (Woody Harrelson) was at the table next to us. Even a non-vegan would love the food and company at this restaurant. http://www.candlecafe.com/ Also, check out Woody's website http://www.voiceyourself.com/.

While we're a big fan of his, we ignored him NY style and let him enjoy his meal and guest in peace.

Friday, walking down in the Village where really cool people hang out, we happened upon a movie set. Trailer opened - "What movie are you filming?" Response - "Wall Street 2" Ryan: "Hey, there's Oliver Stone!" He even pointed at him. Ollie tipped his head forward under his ballcap probably hoping we wouldn't bother him on his lunch break. He relaxed as we turned the corner and left him alone. Now, if had it been Shia LeBeouf, Ryan would've chased him down the street like the Beatles in the 60's.

No apartment as of yet, because we're short 2 jobs and and long 2 dogs. The exact opposite would be much easier. So far, the apartments are a step down from our boat. Tomorrow's a new day with a new price point. Wish us luck!

Chapter 2 of 3

2009-11-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

On this "hometown" search via boat, we've come upon some lovely places but always found ourselves comparing these spots to New York City. Our intention was to settle in Florida but upon further due diligence we realized we'd be trading winter for hurricanes, sailing for motoring, and bums for old people.

We decided on winter, sailing, and bums because it's just best to go with what you know. I'm not allowed to complain about winter. And, I won't be I'll be looking forward to all the wonderful northeast spring and summer sailing.

The boat will be put on the hard in Charleston until winter passes. Then, we'll return in April and deliver her north. We're shopping for marinas in the Long Island Sound.

In these four months, we plan on moving back to NYC and will be 2 of those people out on random weekdays of which we always wondered - what do they do?

For those of you who don't know us well, this seems to be out of left field but rest assured when living on a boat with no t.v., intermittent internet, and a pace that moves about as fast as a bicycle, this leaves plenty of time for discussion.

The best part of this plan is we get the best of both worlds - city life and sailing life.

This plan works for all those involved except for the squirrels and pigeons of NYC. Here come Sarah and Dillon!

Beautiful Charleston

2009-11-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Charleston

2009-11-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

On our way to Charleston

Look familiar Tim/Ashly?

Good thing we didn't
eat them all at once

1,000 Mile Celebration

2009-11-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

On our way from Georgetown, SC to Charleston, SC we passed through our 1,000 statute mile marker. Woohoo! We have now logged 1,047.755 statue miles.

In celebration of this milestone and the fact that Ryan is still awake and it's past 7 p.m., we plan on painting Charleston red.

A Plethora of Our Favorite Things

2009-11-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

*Music is the ultimate winner because it takes us back to a particular place in time. It's just like a journal.

But our other favorite things on this trip fall into 4 categories: sailing, activities, appreciate, products.

Sailing
Strong current astern, well marked channels, visible obstructions, making bridge openings, deep water, calm anchorages, sticky mud for holding, opinion free conversation with other cruisers, meeting other young cruisers, accurate weather forecasts, silent VHF passes perfectly executed, ranges that help line up tricky channels with extensive shoaling, co-pilot assisting with navigating, rising water depth, Boat U.S. gold unlimited tow package, new binoculars, marinas, wind when under sail in just the most ideal direction

Activities (kind of like spotting license plates from different states)
Finding boats from far off areas - Australia, Grand Cayman, England, and not so far off Canada. When we see a boat from Canada, we can’t help singing “My girlfriend, my girlfriend she lives in Canada” (musical Avenue Q - very funny for adults only), free wifi and then look at real estate, update blog and read NYTimes (check out Block-a-Thon by Andy Newman) just our sense of humor (especially liked making the sign - ‘Post No Bills’), Sirius radio (love music and love to sing all songs with my own made up words - this can entertain one for hours), spy nature - pelicans, dolphins, goats, turtles, deer swimming, fish jumping, Spanish moss, hay colored grasses, fireside chat (R lights hurricane lamps with paraffin fluid and we sit and talk about how we’re surprised we still have stuff to talk about

Appreciate
Hot water, spacious showers, block ice, strong pump out stations, sunny days, walking towns, pressure cooker, labeled cycle time and functioning washers/dryers, fresh produce, fresh baked bread, time, sturdy garbage bags, strong paper towels, fuel disposal, seashells, slow passes by motorboats, sleeping dogs, easy to read charts, helpful guidebooks

Products
Ruffles potato chips (Pringles second), Biobags for dogs (they’re made of corn and so will disintegrate even if buried in landfill - the blue biodegradable bags only compost if exposed to sun so they’re no good), Seventh Generation wipes, Amy’s, A’s homemade soup and bread, Indian spice packets, Chili Oil, Hot Sauces (Texas Pete, Sirachi, Green Tabasco, Chiluha), seltzer, boxed wine, French fries, Giovanni peppermint shampoo, Kiss My Face shaving cream, Jason unscented body wash, Alba coconut face wash, Nature’s Gate toothpaste, Near East Rice, Fantastic Sloppy Joes, BioNature jam (no refrigeration necessary), Agave nectar, Planter’s mixed salted nuts, Pacifico vegetable broth sold in individual sizes, McLube

So, back to music...

Don’t stop believing
Hold on to that feelin’’’’’’
One day we’ll see sunnnnnnnnnnnnn

Who doesn’t love Journey?

The sun will come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
There’ll be sun

The whackiness goes on but don’t want to share too much this early on!

Motoring the ICW - NOT Sailing :-0

2009-11-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sailing is a blast when actually under sail - main/jib hoisted, wind just right - even better when the sun is shining - Oh, what a beautiful feeling…

When motoring like we are on the ICW, it’s a bit more like a never ending road trip without any pit stops. Mind you, as anyone close to us knows, we enjoy a good road trip. But on this trip, we’re in a convertible exposed to rain and wind.

We feel like we’re delivering Prudence south rather than sailing her. It will be a ceremonious occasion when we are once again sailing.

Now, we’re not complaining (too much), it beats work and the scenery is stunning in most places.

And the conversation…well, let’s just call it quirky. Just like on a road trip (without music playing b/c we must monitor radio), random thoughts appear in one’s head. We’re the kind of people who share those whacky thoughts at least with each other. Thought I’d share some with you as it’s rare I let people see this side of me.

So, the morning starts out with drizzle and 50 degrees. Cloudy. I can’t help but sing - Rain drops keep falling on my head. That turns into Raindrops on roses and whiskers on “dogs”. Which leads me into a couple activity - make a list of our favorite things.

Sweet Potato Salad

2009-11-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

by Mark Bittman of the NYTimes

Delicious! Definitely a make it again. Try it out :+)

Sweet Potatoes
Red Onions
Black Beans
Cilantros
Jalapenos
Olive Oil
Limes
Salt
Pepper
Garlic

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/dining/301mrex.html

Something just isn't right

2009-11-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

What's wrong with this picture?

Where are we?

Butler Island Views

2009-11-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Spanish Moss

Spooky Tree

Georgetown, SC

2009-11-01T12:01:00.001-08:00

Thirty mile jaunt turned into a quicker trip with a 2-3 knot current making Prudence go 9.3 knots at one point! This is equivalent to about 130 MPH in a car. No need to check our math. It's true. Prudence now travels faster than I run.

Surprised we made it without any incidents given all the flotsam. Logs, branches, grasses, and trees growing right in our path.

Today's a good day for many reasons. The sun is shining. The rain has stopped. The current was swift. Our dogs are marina happy. Yes, we're at a marina again. Sometimes, it's just easier on all of us.

So far, we anchor 2/3 of the time with the remaining 1/3 spent at some pretty nice places. This is a vacation too after all - as Ryan keeps reminding me. I think we enjoy the marinas so much more because we do without sometimes. It makes us appreciate land amenities like a flush toilet and hot, spacious showers that much more!

Wrightsville Beach

2009-10-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cousins of Wilmington

2009-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan has cousins from both sides of the family in the Wilmington area so we had a blast. A planned 1 night stay turned into 3 nights. Caught up with Brent in Surf City. Then, hung with Tim, Nick, Catherine, Ashly and finally got to see H1N1 Ian when it was decided that he may not contaminate us or our boat.

When not with the hospitable cousins, walked historic district and downtown Wilmington. A great artsy feel with beautiful homes. With the borrowed car, headed to Wrightsville Beach twice where we collected shells, dreamed about becoming great surfers, and ran like wild with the dogs.

Memorable meals - best falafel sandwich from Black Sea Grill on Front St. and Tim/Ashly whipped us up a delicious vegan meal complete with portabello/eggplant burger sandwiches with roasted potatoes and salad on our last night.

Dog status - Sarah is still sweet and calm as ever just chillin’. Poor Dillon is becoming frustrated and we’re worried about his happiness. Brought him to Tim and Ashlys’ place to play with Daisy but it just wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He needs more walking and running time. Plan is to stay in a few towns like Charleston and Savannah longer and when we hit Florida stay long-term on monthly moorings. He’s just so full of life. Sarah is our snuggler. Dillon is our runner! Hopefully, we don’t all go insane before we reach Florida :-)

Rain, Rain - Go Away

2009-10-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Pelicans, Turtles, Goats, and Deer - Oh, MY!

2009-10-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

SNOW Cut Exit - Should’ve known with a name like snow!

2009-10-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Approach to and through Snow Cut from Wrightsville Beach area thornier than a porcupine with currents pushing Prudence 90 degrees off course even at full throttle. Luckily, several boats earlier in the day ran aground and alerted us to extensive shoaling encroaching past markers into the channel. So, at least, we knew to try and avoid those sandbars while surfing Prudence through currents like a swimmer in a riptide.

Entered Snow Cut with currents pushing Prudence from port to starboard right beneath the bridge. Exited Snow Cut without any issues and feeling pretty darn confident about my “captainshipabilities” (Mandy). No worries even as we approach Cape Fear. Fearlessly, I approach the channel from the northwest as indicated in our guidebook, depths start decreasing 10, 6, 5, oh - s---. We draw 4’ 11” seeing 5’ just ain’t no good.

Port. Starboard. No depth anywhere! 3.8’ problem solved. Stopped dead and tipped slightly to port. SOP (standard operating procedure) initialized immediately. Throttle ALL the way down. Neutral. Reverse. Throttle all the way up. BUMP. BUMP. BUMP with wake and current. 3.8’ still. Called Tow Boat U.S. What will we be thankful for this Thanksgiving? Buying the unlimited tow package.

In the meantime, huge wakes came by thanks to the rude people driving powerboats that just seem to lack common sense when it comes to being considerate of other boaters around them. Despite alerting approaching boats about our situation and requesting little to no wake, these motorboats kept creating wake and making our boat slam further into the sand bar floor.

This behavior just confirms my dislike of people who drive motorboats like they’re in a racecar. I put a hex on them as of today. May they all run out of gas and have to stay put while all their onboard accoutrements begin to fail due to lack of power and all their frozen foods melt especially their meat - may it go rotten! As we sail by on free power!

Ryan

2009-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Galley Cook

Oriental Region

2009-10-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

Anchored last night in South River outside a creepy cemetary that apparently is still in use but grave stones indicate it's been around since the 1700s. We did our last dinghy ashore with dogs in daylight because we were so afraid. Felt like we were in a Stephen King movie.

Other than being spooked, pleasant and windy night. Best part, galley wench had the evening off. Ryan put together a nice spread of pasta with bread and red wine. It was delicious!

In Deaton Marina tonight. They let us borrow a truck so we reprovisioned food and spare parts. All set for tomorrow's departure. Deaton owners (husband, wife team) extremely helpful! Oriental town is just wonderful. Too bad we leave in the a.m. At least, we'll leave if R's first oil and filter change are successful. I'm sure they will be :-)

Sea Life

2009-10-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Bubba Gump

DOLPHINS

On route to mile marker 135

2009-10-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Firsts for US

Swarmed by mosquitoes - more than ever seen before (hid down below)
Dillon (always hot) shivering it’s so cold - had to make him stay down below to warm up
Passed by motorboat (we throttle down and so do they when they reach our stern for less wake)
Boats on ICW mimic a slow parade
VHF used TOO much
Sighted Bald Eagle in tree
Stars and Bars everywhere (not just one)
Southern accent thick
Pod of dolphins surfed our stern waves
Pitch black night in Belhaven Harbor dinghying ashore with dogs - R hit stump? and chipped our outboard propeller. An appropriate wife response per Ryan, (A) “We’re o.k.” - (B) “Are you o.k.?” - (C) “The boats o.k.” I went with (D) “Oh, F---!”

Crew

2009-10-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

24 ounce man

Sarah at the helm

Dillon on watch

Mandy

2009-10-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Take That!

Sun Dance Step 1

Sun Dance Step 2

Twister

Dead Body, Artillery Firing Squad and Beer

2009-10-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Elizabeth City
Hello Alligator River (didn’t see any though)

On our way to the Alligator River Marina, we heard over the VHF the NC Coast Guard being hailed to report a dead body on our route with an anchor wrapped around it! Suspicious - huh? The Coast Guard instructed the sailing vessel to remain with the body and if possible bring the body on board without damaging the body.

Ryan and I decided that if we find a dead body, we’ll bring it on board using our life sling and a halyard. We’d place the body on the bow until officials arrived. We have planned for all the typical cruising mishaps but this one we never even considered. Glad we now have a plan. But, we still haven’t figured out how to keep the dogs away from the dead body.

We’re not sure if the cruisers were successful in extracting the body from the water but we have our own idea about what happened. Someone(s) not familiar with the shallow local waters (possibly the mob?) dumped the body not taking into account tides, currents, and depth. The perpetrator(s) is most likely far gone from this area which is good because we have 3 anchors on board.

Bam! Is what we heard but not like from the Flintstones or Emeril. A BAM that vibrated through our bodies, echoed in our ears and chests like a concussion or percussion instrument, and immediately put us on guard. Turns out the military practices artillery firing in an area somewhat nearby to where we were sailing. Regardless that we were well out of the restricted area, we still felt it strong! As for others, we heard boats being hailed left and right to get the hell out of the restricted area! Don’t people read charts??? Is the military liable for injury if a person disregards charts and announcements informing them of firing???

Upon arriving at the marina for the evening, ice and beer were in order to celebrate the fact that we were still alive and having quite a fabulous life! Ryan came back though with 24 ounce cans of beer. Is he nuts? I can barely drink the normal size. Actually, I prefer the minis. His reasoning…

1 beer = tired
2 beers = just right
Hence, purchase four 24 ounce Coors Light cans (our beer of preference while cruising) for a $1.49 thus only 75 cents per beer less than the 6-pack charge for Budweiser. Mispriced.

Deer Swimming Safely to Shore

2009-10-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Frost to Sunshine

2009-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Dillon Digging Dismal Earthy Smell

2009-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ryan in NC

2009-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Delightful Dismal

2009-10-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Not So Dismal

2009-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Leaving Portsmouth for Dismal Swamp

2009-10-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Deep Creek Lock

Rock the Dismal

2009-10-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Met a nice couple our last evening in Portsmouth, VA who "talked" us into taking the Dismal Swamp route. We were hesitate after hearing stories about boats hitting sunken logs and having to watch your mast does not hit any over hanging tree branches. But...they gave us tons of useful information and we felt much better about rocking the dismal.

Luckily, we hit nothing but saw lots of logs and rocks piled with turtles drying out after all the rain we'd just had. It was a perfect year to head down the Dismal because of all the rain, water levels were high. Normally, it's about 6 foot depth or slightly higher but we saw mostly teens and twenties. Due to the fact that I saw many rocks, I couldn't stop singing Rock the Casbah. It became our first day down's song. Unfortuntely, I only know one verse so it started to annoy me that I couldn't stop singing it.

1st day - made the 8:30 lock despite being slowed down by numerous bridges/railroad cars leaving Portsmouth, stopped at 28 mile marker in NC - the only visitor's center in the country that serves both cars and boats. Met some more people we're sure to run into again heading south. Gathered more books for our boat library.

2nd day - stopped at 51 mile marker still in NC - town welcomes boaters with evening wine/beer/crackers/cheese and even help you tie off upon arrival.

Things to note about Dismal Swamp

brown water due to tannic acid from decaying vegetation of root systems belonging to cypress and juniper trees
saw deer swimming across
spider webs spanning large areas of water attaching to our mast as we made our way through
dogs didn't sleep like usual - noses in air entire time
black bear (didn't get to see any)
stunning - the colors, smells, and changes from morning to afternoon (steamy, foggy water opens up to crisp, sunshine this time of year
2 locks and several bridges (Deep Creek, South Mills - Skipper Bob was wrong about 9am opening - it was 8:30am so we missed it!
definite do it again

Staying Warm and Happy

2009-10-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Booze and a bag

In the bag after booze

Coastal Flooding

2009-10-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Fixed docks disappearing

Ramp to bathrooms
floating away

Fixed docks submerged

39 Degrees

2009-10-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

This ain't no tropical weather

VA has a temperate climate???
"Virginia is for liars!"

Sarah on the down lo

Dillon doing the wolf

Prudence visits the doctor

2009-10-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hauled out for inspection

Major source of our problems -
propeller unbalanced, shaft kaput,
cutlass bearing worn out

Back & Better

Exploring Norfolk (for 7 hours!)

2009-10-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dogs allowed visitors

Nothing better than curb side napping

PETA headquarters

Sarah & Dillons' 1st ferry ride
in pursuit of vegan pizza - MMM!
2.5 mile walk one way so ordered
18"

Full Throttle and Cross Dressing

2009-10-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly. While Full Throttle fixed us up real good here in Norfolk, the weather is not cooperating. When it does, we will finally be able to take advantage of our newly balanced propeller, shaft - can you dig it?, and coupler. Ryan and Stuart, our designated contact since we lost gears last weekend due to a sheared off prop shaft, took Prudence out for a test drive in the POURING rain yesterday. The dogs and I waited ashore, soaking up all the fresh water we’d ever want. Regretfully, we had only donned our light foul weather gear.

5:30 am Friday morning - listened to weather seated at the nav station while shivering under the dog’s fleece blanket - the only thing I could actually pry out of the bed this morning. Ryan and the dogs arose only due to nature’s calling. It didn’t take us long to decide to stay another 3 days! 50 degrees with high of 55, rain, flooding (fixed docks covered by 7am), 20 knots, doesn’t sound like vacation to us. Luckily, we’re in a marina making it much easier for Sarah and Dillon.

Plan: Read, Change Oil, Quilt, Play Guitar, Wrestle Dillon, Belly Rub Sarah, Eat Crepes for Breakfast, Sing our hearts out to Sirius, then bon voyage Monday once the low pressure passes us and 70 degrees and sun may just grace our faces.

Aside: I didn’t mention this earlier and should’ve because it’s beginning to become a pattern. Our first rainy season in the Wye River region, I put on my foul weather pants only to find them to be quite large. Looking over at Ryan already dressed, I wondered. Hmm? If anything, I’ve gained weight on this trip not lost. He said, “What’s the problem?” “I think you’re wearing my clothes, that’s the problem,” I laughingly replied. I thought - if he thinks he can just start wearing my clothes because he’s skinny - well…Amazingly, the pants fit him, snuggly, but still. Then, again today, he puts on my heavy duty foul weather jacket. That too fit sans the super short arms and the fact that he most likely would bust the zipper if fully enclosed. I can’t afford to share my clothing with him given the limited amount I stowed on board. I must break him of this cross dressing habit.

Willoughby Spit

2009-10-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Dillon

2009-10-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Men at work

Trying to keep warm

I'm workin' here

Hedgehog still in play

Go Navy!

2009-10-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

See the crazy sailboat?

Navigating channel into Norfolk

Waiting to enter the ditch (ICW)

2009-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Spent last couple of nights in Willoughby Bay awaiting an entrance into a marina for the weekend. Ryan has some family in VA Beach that plan on stopping by.

Willloughby Bay was rough. Tried to train dogs to go onboard and they looked at us as if we were nuts then stoically held it for 24 hours. We decided to forgo this training. We can't stand their suffering and will do everything in our power to either anchor or dock so they can go onshore. It's only fair. Little did they know this wasn't simply another week-long vacation.

As we turned to port entering Waterside Marina in Norfolk after spending a harrowing morning (well deep inside adrenaline pumping) dodging naval warships and freighters, Ryan calmly informed me, "No forward. Prepare lines for emergency docking." Luckily, I too remained calmed and quickly moved all port lines to starboard side of boat just in time for a dock landing.

No damage to Prudence. Transmission key is loose but didn't shear off this time. The mechanic in Annapolis who originally fixed it said that it may be best to haul it b/c now that all is in alignment, the problem may actually be the shaft or cutlass bearing.

Got towed across the channel to TideWater Marina and will find out Monday if a mechanic can make the repair while the boat is in the water. If not, we will haul her out and go to a hotel.

TideWater Marina is nice. Historic Portsmouth homes are beautiful. We can also take the ferry to Norfolk with the dogs. So, this may just turn out to be a nice diversion before entering the ditch.

Overboard

2009-10-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thirty something knot winds don't scare us anymore, but as we sat down below eating our soup for lunch as if nothing was amiss cans, boxes, books, etc. sliding all over the place, poor Turlock took a spill.

Upon hearing a loud splash, we peeked outside spotting our red gas can floating away. "Oh, Sh--!" Turlock was on his belly, outboard submerged, floor missing. We struggled wildly trying to turn him over as gusts of winds kept knocking him back over. Finally, Ryan pulled real hard, slicing his hand and Turlock was upright.

Ryan quickly rowed to the gas can, which luckily did not leak, scooped it up and tried to fight his way back against the wind. I felt like I was watching an Olympic event. The dogs and I cheered from the sidelines as Ryan paddled a resistant Turlock home to Prudence. As he crossed the finish line, I tied them off. Sarah kissed him. Dillon went back to his donut position in the shade sorry that today's games were over.

Cost to fix
25% of the original outboard cost

Could've purchased
3 nights in a slip at a high end marina
100 blocks of ice
40 six packs of beer
40 bottles of fancy nail polish (Well, I don't use that anymore anyway.)

Learned
Turlock is a wimp. Ryan is not a wimp, rather he's quite strong for such a slim frame he's been sporting recently. Turlock must be tied off closer to the boat and from two points in high winds. Outboard should always be brought onboard despite the fact that it's 50 pound weight makes it difficult for Ryan to balance in the dinghy atop moving water and lift up and down 4 times a day.

Sarah and Dillon

2009-10-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the sunset

Sarah loves Mandy, Dillon loves Ryan

Sunset from dog point of view

No, we did not drug him!

Marina stay - our showered look

2009-10-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

R's ladies

One big happy family by the seashore

Mandy - Cape Charles sunset

Ryan at helm Cape Charles to York River

Deltaville, VA

2009-10-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Dinghy Captain

Prudence at Anchor

Cape Charles, VA

2009-10-05T13:33:00.001-07:00

Central Park of Cape Charles - such fond memories. Much smaller than NY's version and sans the Sunday morning coffee, bagel, NYTimes, and people watching.

Observations
Everyone waves from cars going both directions, from golf carts, bicycles, and even wheelchairs.

Cruising advice is plentiful and free while beer and ice are not!

Sarah thinks the cockpit and down below are not connected. If she's downstairs and we start the engine, she frantically yelps and jumps to get outside so she's not left behind.

Pina Coladas on the rocks are just as good when sitting on a sailboat.

Chili oil makes asian dishes just so yum!

Chopsticks have more than one use. Perfect for stirring coffee in the French Press.

When Ryan forcefully jabs his hand to the right while pulling anchor so I'll turn right, he is not yelling at me.

Sarah will not walk on teak grates. She's like a cat walking the perimeter of the boat.

Toilet paper will roll into the toilet if you leave it on the bathroom counter just as a wave broadsides Prudence.

Wine bottles make perfect rolling pins.

When sails balanced, steering is a breeze.

Ryan has taken to calling Mandy "Granny Smith" just because she wants to be catious and not fall in the water when entering and exiting the dinghy. He even says "Come on Granny" in what he calls the Aunt Jemima syrup voice.

Naples, FL condo prices are down A LOT! - tempting

When people are bah humbugs, we simply squeeze into the conversation R's previous job - either they don't understand the jargon or think he's to blame for the poor economy. Either way, it shuts them up. If only Ryan knew he was Ruler of the Economy, yielding such power, he would've kept that job.

Poverty is everywhere once you leave Main Street.

Accident
Don't worry Mandy is ok, but...

One should not dance or rather jiggle their hips pretending to dance as they climb down below. She slipped from the top, cracking her head and back up pretty bad. The lump on her head formed before her butt even hit the floor.

Because of Natasha Richardson, we had to stay up late and monitor the situation. This is hard to do on a boat because the weather was rough, so she felt naseaus. We just don't know from what.

What we do know is she groaned like the grape stomping YouTube lady and surprisingly Ryan was able to hold in his laughter until he was sure she was alive. If you don't know this video, Google it. It's worth a look.

Sweet Virginia

2009-10-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

Bruschetta anyone?

We want in!

Menhaden Boats

Reedville fish plant stack
(where omega 3 is made)

Sweet Virginia

2009-10-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

REEDVILLE
On our way to Reedville, VA (Wednesday) from St. Mary's, we could actually smell the (not fish what Reedville is known for Menhaden/Omega 3 protein) but SOUTH. Yes, the south smells sweet and toasty. We left St. Mary's around 7am and by 7:30am felt the sun on our faces despite the crazy 5-7 foot swells we hit once out in the Potomac. That river is nuts.

Plus, the skies were plentiful with pelicans maybe not like FL but places where temps reach 50s at night - we were pleasantly surprised. We love watching them glide just above the breaking waves in search of fish.

Speaking of waves, we almost lost poor Turlock. Turlock is our dinghy. For those who don't understand why we named it Turlock, read James Mitchener's, The Chesapeake (about 800 pages) or read a brief description below.

Turlock, a family name, began with one man brought to the new country (America) as punishment. He was deemed by a judge from England to be no good. Yet, he thrived on the Chesapeake in the marsh, learned the waters; and hence, became a waterman. Since our dinghy is what brings us in close to shore and lives on the water experiencing all the trials and tribulations and occasional bird poop, we thought the name was fitting.

We anchored upwind from the smoke stack at the fish plant. When we left about 7am, they were definitely cooking and since we were sailing downwind, our sweet, toasty south smell dissipated for a couple of miles.

Deltaville
Tricky entrance. We handled it fine until we decided to leave the creek first entered and try another. Giving a wide berth to marker 10, a little too wide, Mandy ran us aground straight into a sand bar. She calmly (not really) put the boat into neutral, then reverse and spun Prudence back into the channel. Thank goodness for sandy, muddy Chesapeake.

We're in Jackson Creek where lovely homes are situated on rural/waterfront parcels - if you can imagine. While beautiful, we risked bodily harm walking to the grocery store on Route 33 without any sidewalks. Actually, we didn't even make it there. Along the way, we spotted a great produce stand and loaded up for only $19! We would've paid at least $50 at Whole Foods (sorry - still love you WF) but...

Met a retired couple, Ed and Nancy, originally from Syracuse, NY. They dinghied over to say hello and ended up back on our boat last evening for a cocktail, tour, and quiz. We asked them lots of questions, got good info, and heard funny/horror boat stories to watch out for.

Best part about entering Deltaville...
"Are those rocks in the middle of the channel? I'd better have Ryan check the charts if I think I spy one more. Then, thankfully it leapt out of the water with a bunch of friends - DOLPHINS - our first sighting - EXCITING!

Off to Cape Charles tomorrow.

Fair Weather Sailors No More

2009-09-29T06:06:00.001-07:00

Up at 5:30am for a nice sail 35 mile sail to Reedville. Well, at least we thought so. Prepared to go, left boat at 6:30am to walk dogs, back at 7am, turn engine key, NOTHING! Nigel Calder’s Electrical and Mechanical book indicated engine possibly too cold. Yup, we believe that with temperatures in the 50s and reports of possible 40s. So, we try to warm it up. NOTHING! Ryan replaced the glow plug. Bam - it started. Phew. Thank goodness it wasn’t anything too complicated because there are no marine services in St. Mary’s.

9am pull up to college dock to walk dogs just one more time before take off. 9:30am - Full speed ahead, we can still make it to Reedville before sundown and dinner time for the dogs. Dillon starts staring at his food cabinet around 3:30pm. His tummy knows dinner is served daily at 4pm. He hates to eat late. If not served by 4pm, he begins to frantically pace and then stare us down as if we’ve turned into imbeciles.

Wow, what a day. We’re back to school in St. Mary’s at 3pm. With reports of SW winds 20 knots gusts to 30 with waves 3 feet, we shouldn’t have been so positive about reaching Reedville, south of us. How bad could it be if we motor sailed - we thought? Down right, SLOW! We put in two reefs to be cautious because we were experiencing sustained 25 knot winds with gusts at 30 knots. After turning off the engine, Prudence held strong but wow did those waves spray and drench us. No way were they just 3 feet. At the beginning of the day (maybe), by afternoon, waves were easily 5 feet intermittently. On top of that, we couldn’t tack -well easily.

First time out in winds this strong was a good lesson. I think deep down we knew there was no way Reedville was happening today, but the practice was great. Tide was against us, along with waves and wind from a disadvantageous direction, but we had lots of time to get a feel for how Prudence moves through such weather conditions. Slow, but steady.

In honor of our lost flag at sea, Ryan whistles Taps. Our dear flag originally flown on the Mandy Lee was lost at sea sometime this afternoon most likely in a 29 knot gust.

While our flag is now lost to Davey Jones’ locker, Turlock (our dinghy aptly named after our reading of Mitchener’s, The Chesapeake), is recovering from his rolling, thrashing, and partial submerging all day long.

Our most proud moment of the day was when Sarah and Dillon took it upon themselves to hunker down low on the cockpit floorboards beneath the steering wheel. We began to rest a little easier knowing that they would not likely roll overboard. .

Mandy experienced the sickest moment of the day towards the end of the trip when nature called and could not be held off. Try using a head on a boat when she is getting pummeled with waves and wind while wearing foul weather gear. Before departing the head after a very brief visit, the motion sickness began and stayed for about 30 minutes just long enough for her to actual moan and almost upchuck. She recovered nicely, able to enjoy a pasta dinner with 2 glasses of wine.

2009-09-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

29kt winds plus. Pic does not do justice

Flag behind me was lost at sea. :-(

2009-09-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Mandy taking some time away from the galley

Lovely Prudence sitting in Horseshoe Bay

Homemade Italian bread ala Mandy

Ryan beats the Universal Engine into submission

St. Mary's

2009-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

This city was the original capital of Maryland. Calvert came here along with other Europeans and settled into Native American villages that had been taken causing the evacuation of the entire tribe to the other side of the river. Being that so much colonial history remains here, there are well preserved and well constructed replicas of buildings and even a ship named the Dove. This archaeological site is known as Historic St. Mary’s which we toured, again dogs allowed even on the Dove. Sarah and Dillon jumped on board like they’ve been living on boats their entire lives. I’d definitely recommend the tour to anyone in the area. Even though the cost is $10 per person. That says a lot considering we’re cruising on a budget and only want to spend money on necessity items. Check out their website http://www.stmaryscity.org/ for more detailed information.

Besides being a historical city, the college, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, is also historical in its own right - around since the 17th century. The area and school are known for permitting religious freedom and tolerance in an error when people came here just for that and were still denied the right to believe in whatever they wished. What we found especially relevant to us was the waterfront, not only the free wifi named waterfront, but the long-standing institution of sailing. Apparently, this school is #1 in the nation. It just so happens that while I type this, a regatta is going on. It began around 10am. It’s about 4pm now and still quite a spectacular sight to see. Schools out there include Virginia Tech, Fordham, Georgetown, Navy, St. Mary’s, Howard University, plus a whole lot more.

We arrived here Tuesday and decided to stay through until Monday morning because of predicted rain. Our next stop was to be a state park complete with nature trails. It’s just not enticing to walk along muddy trails with dogs, but this college town has wonderful paths and walkways made of concrete, brick, and gravel - perfect for rainy days.

On Monday, we’ll skip going further up the Potomac River and go further south. It’s COLD! Easily down to 50s at night because it’s only 60 down below at best in the morning. Our sleeping bags originally purchased when we slept upon our Mandy Lee are for weather down to zero so it’s super toasty at night. Throw in two dogs and it’s down right hot!

We hope to hit the ICW by 10/20. A bit early for insurance coverage due to hurricane window but we’ll just watch the weather. Chesapeake is beautiful but we’re itching to see other states and want plenty of time to visit areas like Ocracoke, Wrightsville Beach, Beaufort, Charleston, Savannah, etc.
Sirius music for this spot was reggae.

Reflections on Cruisers

2009-09-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

About 50% of the cruisers we’ve met thus far are quite interesting people to converse with while the rest are…

Downright strange!

I’m fairly certain cruising the eastern coast of the U.S. lends few opportunities for hunting rhinoceros. Yet, some people coming ashore are decked out in safari gear loaded down as if they’re going on a week-long trek through the desert or jungle.

They remind me of runners; of course, runners in a very loose sense. Yes, they are out running and are sporting the running shorts, tank, and expertly fitted Fleet footwear. However, they are not out to complete a marathon, but that doesn’t deter them from carrying about 1,000 calories worth of bars and liquids on their body.

Granted, when we’re out sailing or if it‘s pouring rain, we don’t always look so spiffy. When we go ashore, we make ourselves look presentable. We do carry a backpack because we have two dogs in tow that need water when it’s hot, but we look more like college kids which I think is a much better fashion statement for the east coast of the U.S.

Currently, we’re in St. Mary’s, a college town. So, our backpack fits in but not necessarily us. We are so young but everyone here is just so much younger and dressed apparently more hip than us. It’s great here. Everyone is energetic and full of high expectations without too many serious commitments to worry about - yet. Ryan and I are enjoying the occasional ease dropping so much that we may just return to college. Then, we too can discuss who is better looking or “I put down 1*10e-9. What did you put?” It’s not all just fun and games here.

If we decide to go back though, it will be to pursue further leisure activities outside the student center in the beautifully brick lined courtyard and discuss philosophy so that we can both be correct all the time. It would just be splendid! Plus, we’d get to ride bikes to class. Ryan misses his road bike.

We can’t wait to meet more cruisers, all kinds.

Pasta night with Lindsay

2009-09-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Solomons - great provisioning, projects completed (joker valve), naval air station, people wave to us everywhere, off to St. Mary's, college town, Tuesday a.m.

Met couple, former attorneys, from PA. Did the same thing we're doing when they were our age. Also, met couple from UK about our age who have been out for 5 years alraedy.

2009-09-21T10:29:00.001-07:00

U.S. Coast Guard

Dillon using glock as pillow

Boat w/ 50 caliber mount

Lindsay and Andy

Solomons, MD

2009-09-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Longest Sea Trip Yet (42.5 miles)

Departed Cambridge, MD around 7am and arrived at the Solomon Islands entrance around 4pm. Our anchoring was slightly delayed by a boarding and not by aliens - the U.S. Coast Guard. How exciting? Very exciting!

They approached our stern and said, “Captain, please throttle down so that we may come aside.” Then, they explained the boarding procedure since we’ve never been boarded. Our barking dogs did not deter them. Once aboard, Sarah and Dillon settled right down in their way. Dillon especially warmed up to one guy, resting his head upon the gun strapped to his leg. Ryan was equally impressed asking questions about their boat and the mount on the bow used to hold a 50 caliber. I don’t know where he learns this terminology. I bet Ryan wishes he could be in the Coast Guard, but I think he’s too old!!!

The Coast Guard was not the only exciting part of the trip. We found fresh veggies and more at Woodburn’s Gourmet Market. The market is stocked like a Whole Foods. All our veg friendly foods even the refrigerated items. We’ve decided to stay through the weekend, keep large quantities of ice, and eat cold food daily. So far, we like the neighborhood and can’t wait to check it out further.

Even better, my cousin Lindsay is about 1 ½ hours away. Third year med student with an exam on Friday but a free weekend. What perfect timing. She will be coming for a visit on Saturday along with her boyfriend. Hopefully, we’ll all have nice weather to stroll around in and hang out on the water.

2009-09-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

open seasame

snakes

18th century grapevine

wayward travelers

Knapps Narrows, Oxford, Cambridge

2009-09-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

Knapps Narrows, Tilghman Island
One night stay. Not so bad going through Narrows. However, R4 no good. Kept it to right as indicated on charts; yet, still glided through a 4 foot sand bar. We draw 4’ 11”. Thank goodness for soft gooey sand.

Oxford
It’s a beautiful town with lots of public access to water views and strolling beaches. Less commercial than Saint Michaels. Guide book stated that anchoring was not wise, but we anchored fine out on The Strand in calm weather. We think maybe some towns have the guide books in their pockets and use them just to promote marinas. Took a self-guided walking tour and found the history of Oxford quite interesting. Saw a cottonmouth snake sunbathing in the rocks and Mandy exclaimed that she’d rather swim in salt water with sharks than fresh water with snakes especially poisonous snakes!

Cambridge
When you can dock at a bulkhead for free for 2 whole days and there is actually space, do not do it. Spent one evening plotting out our escape 40 miles southwest to Solomon Islands. Plan is to depart at sunrise.

Galley Wench Rants 'n Raves

2009-09-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Out on the high seas all is well until galley supplies run low. As galley wench, I must be creative and quite frankly feel like I’m trying to shop out in the middle of the ocean. I’ll begin with my rants since bad news first is always the way I like to take it.

Living in cities like NY and Chicago have spoiled me and made me naïve about the availability of veg and ethnic foods. Forget tofu and anything else people out their think is foreign. I can’t find soy milk! St. Michael’s had large containers covered with dust on a tippy top shelf you’d need a ladder to get. After having an employee grab me one, I quickly declined - expiration near. For those who don’t know, that’s just plain weird. Soy in aseptic containers lasts practically forever. We like the little boxes since ice on board is sometimes nonexistent.

Sailboats tend to have the galley somewhat central as is the diesel engine. If we buy blocks of ice prior to a trip that results in no wind and have to run the engine, it melts all the ice.

Now, for other items I’m not used to living without. Fresh fruits and vegetables. I know it’s not the season for leafy greens, but I want them. I’m willing to pay a premium, top dollar! There is just so much I can make with carrots, potatoes, and onions. Sometimes, I find a cucumber or wilted pepper. Lettuce is iceberg and slightly browned. Canned soups work, but we eat Amy’s and are down to 3. Agave nectar and large bottles of extra virgin olive oil are also not staples in every small town. Forget about udon noodles. Bread - we love it but can’t find any veg friendly. I like baking; however, bread recipes usually need soy.

My mom looked up a recipe for me online. It called for coconut water. I actually had that on board care of Annapolis staple still remaining. The Giant by Port Annapolis was easy to shop in. I was last there about 1 month ago. Alright, enough ranting on to raves.

My pressure cooker is awesome. Makes beans and rice in a snap. Can’t believe I ever lived without one. The oven on board works splendidly, bakes evenly. French Press. Best coffee ever. That’s Ryan’s job. Bean soaker canister - leak free so I can soak beans all day while sailing and not a drop spills. Nets Ryan made for me hold produce well when we have them. Stackable camping cookware doesn’t make a peep. Cast iron skillet. I can cook almost anything in there even that upside down peach cake. Eating prepared food in cockpit with a fabulous view - priceless!

2009-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Naan
Anyone know what this is?
Irish Soda Bread

Trees

2009-09-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Navigational

2009-09-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Nun 6 Tapped Us
Looked like there was plenty of room
Bennett Point - Not a navigational aid

Mandy

2009-09-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ryan

2009-09-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Happiness is Dinghying

2009-09-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah & Ryan full of glee!

I'm too cool

Who's so cute, me?

Two dogs and a dinghy

Wye River - Dividing Creek

2009-09-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Left St. Michael's and spent 4 days exploring trails in Wye River. Well, 3 days + 1 day of rain resulting in quick messy walks, naps below, bread baking, and book reading. An all around splendid time. Even the windy storms were exciting, saw 37 knots. Prudence held well.

Wye River is a wonderful place to visit. Natural, protected and full of interesting trails easy enough to walk with dogs. Sarah turned into her old feral self while Dillon cautiously acclimated behind Sarah jumping everytime a blade of grass blew into his leg. Both dogs were distracted by the grasshoppers and crickets.

Things we saw in Wye
3 fox
1 dead snake
2 live long black snakes slithering away from us into the tall grass
1 dead mole
lots of scat (Mandy has been obsessed with photographing scat ever since the National Parks trip we took back in August 2007.)
1 eagle
lots of osprey and vultures
1 falcon - we think
300 year old Holly
soy and corn fields
leaves changing
deer tracks
beautiful trees whose limbs looked like long fingers
berries galore

Saturday 9/12 Pit stop to Oxford - Knapps Narrows Marina
Our first stay in a marina so we could check out Tilghman Island. Oldest skipjack here but away from slip. Took picture of sign. Tilghman...watermen, motor boats, loud trucks, cigar smoke, serene water views on opposite side of marina, good french fries, long hot clean showers, inexpensive, wifi, right next to Knapps Narrows bridge to easy departure to Oxford for a couple of days.

2009-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Peach Cake

Upside down peach cake

St. Mikes

2009-09-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Miles River (off to the Knapps Narrows and then Oxford)

Been here 9 days, time to shove off. Love this anchorage. Perfect for walking dogs, walking us around a pleasant historical/marine town, and a short spit of sandy beach where the dogs like to look for snakes. We’re thankful none were found. Plus, it was Labor Day weekend - great for watching other people anchor and dock from the comfort of our own cockpit.

Memories…all alone in the moonlight
*Sirius station tuned to love, coffee house, margaritaville, and classic vinyl but still can’t seem to get those catchy love songs out of our heads

*Ryan’s dad came to visit our first Monday. It also happened to be the same day port water tank ran dry.

*Wine tasting with dogs inside (very dog friendly) - bought Long Splice

*Playing guitar, quilting, reading, chit-chatting lots of it still but more geared towards boat items in particular that darn head which needs to be used and maintained daily

*Local Brewery beer tasting again inside with dogs especially liked the black cherry - sounds weird but tasty.

*25 cent soda machine

*Browsed $1 library books - Carl Hiassen and James Mitchener

*Farmer’s market

What we learned
*No such thing as a quick run or hop when sailing. Plotted trip down to Lake Worth, Fl (possibly arriving 12/8) where we’ll wait for a crossing to the Bahamas. Mandy now has to stop using phrases like just a run up to Nantucket and a hop over to the Bahamas once back in FL. What a newbie!

*Joker valve needs to be replaced and should definitely be done at dock by Ryan. And no it's not going to be a funny project.

*How to make hush puppies, crepes, and peach cake.

*Starboard water tank leaking - huh - only water tank left which ran dry right after we reanchored Friday. We bought ACME out of water - 4 gallons at a time. Ryan fixed problem with handy y-valve spare onboard.

*Approved for CIGNA personal health insurance - woohoo - quite a savings from COBRA. On to Europe maybe :-)

*McCormick bacon bits are vegan. Ryan is now brushing his teeth with them.

*Laundry takes an entire day.

*WE LOVE LIVING ON THIS BOAT!

2009-09-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Chesapeake Museum
Sunrise
Big Bird
Our First "Raft Up" Amanda swam all the way there. Dogs and I took the Dinghy

Strange but Beautiful Wildlife

2009-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

The rare and sleeping Hoot Billed Fathersophious

Amanda's Famous Naan

2009-09-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Crepes

2009-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Morning chore is done and we are re anchored getting ready for the crowds here in St. Michaels. Town is great. We get stopped all the time I think b/c of the dogs. Went to a great MicroBrew place last night called Eastern Shore Brewery. $5 got us a bit more liquored up than we thought.

Met a nice couple too that invited us to go to the local museum on their membership. No dogs allowed so we passed but nice none the less.

I am now sitting here getting ready for Mandy's first try at Crepes. After this, we spied a little beach that we are going to see if the dogs can dig up real good.

More pictures coming soon.

Where are the Days?

2009-08-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

(Warning: Very long post. With no internet on board, one must type when one can and then quickly upload once wifi can be found again.)

Many people have been wondering just where our travels have taken us thus far. Well, not far but nonetheless still enjoyable. We did not get to cruise the Chesapeake as intended 7/20-8/20 due to engine/transmission troubles and all the boat CHORES we failed to account for on our list. So, we are in the Chesapeake.

Our official departure date from Port Annapolis was Sunday, 8/23. Here’s where we’ve been so far with a little review. To follow will be a very tentative schedule on where we plan on motoring to in the future. I use the word motoring instead of sailing because we’ve been motoring quite a bit. Just no wind now unless of course a lightning and thunderstorm brew up and keep us at anchor. We are also looking into how to attach a Google map of where we are.

8/23, Sunday, Magothy River - Broad Creek - residential nook tucked back with a little island in the middle mostly wooded with a small sandy beach area - dogs loved running it, collecting sand, and shaking their bodies all over the boat. We loved it too!

8/24, Monday, Whitehall Bay - Rideout Creek - very settled with homes and private property no trespassing making it difficult to walk the dogs. Pretty spot but not a do it again. Had to walk dogs in marshy, buggy, mucky low tide spots.

8/25, Tuesday, Severn River - Weems Creek (Navy Hurricane moorings)- exposed and windy perfect for 100 degree temps and no storms. Great spot. Easy dinghy ashore to town. Also found yummy bagels at Naval Bagel in West Annapolis. Passed Naval Academy and YP (Yard Patrol) boats used to train midshipmen. Went under our first fixed bridge clearance 75 feet. Our mast is 49 feet but felt like we may not make it (see pictures). Complete silence until we glided under without a hitch. Phew! Ran into Marc (West Marine guy and cruiser of 10 years along with his wife Alison), a wealth of information. Has been kindly answering all our questions and even guided us toward FL domicile - woohoo! - no more winters baby. Hopefully, I won’t fall too in love if we make it up to Maine next summer when it’s beautiful.

8/26, Wednesday, South River - Aberdeen - a little too developed for our taste because again people don’t want an uneven tanned, young couple ridden with mosquito bites, bruises and cuts walking their peeing and pooping mutts on their perfectly manicured lawns. Not a do it again. Living on a sailboat is great but hazardous at times as we fumble our way around trying to remember where every cleat and block is even though we’ve practically ripped off toes on many previous occasions. Not to mention, having to remember when and where to duck your head and stop bashing shins on the winches as we climb up our 5’ freeboard out of the dinghy into the cockpit.

8/27-9/30, Thursday - Sunday, West River, Galesville - came here to setup for a crossing to St. Michael’s and potentially avoid Tropical Storm Danny weather. So far, no Danny but a nasty storm brewed in from the west on Friday to our surprise. VHF announced at 1:04 pm that a storm with gusts up to 50 knots was expected to hit GALESVILLE directly. It hit us at 1:36 pm just as we finished hunkering down below nervously as novices should be first time on the water in a boat bobbing around hoping the anchor would hold in 50 knots and if not reviewing procedures on what to do next as we sit off a rock wall in the harbor. What was the forecaster looking at the moving cloud mass that we also spotted which is why we turned on the VHF? They can’t accurately predict weather in the Chesapeake as we’ve learned over the past month in our secure dock. Good thing we’ve been reading books came in pretty handing with setting a proper anchor, letting out more chain, taking bearings, and securing all loose items. Oh and that big puffy building black masses in the sky mean bad weather! Not sure how strong wind hit us because tried not to go outside except to check bearings. At one point, saw 34 knots which tipped sturdy Prudence port to starboard quite a bit. But she bounced back gracefully.

8/30-9/8, Sunday-Tuesday, St. Michael's eastern shore (itinerary change-decided to stay a lot longer-love this town)

9/8-9/9, Tuesday-Wednesday, Knapps Narrows - Waterhole Cove

9/9-9/11, Wednesday-Friday, Oxford - The Strand, Town Creek, Plaindealing or may even splurge for one night of docking

9/11-9/12, Friday-Saturday, Little Choptank River - Hudson Creek

9/12-9/15, Saturday-Tuesday, Solomon Islands

9/15-9/16, Tuesday-Wednesday, Potomac River - Jutland Creek

9/16-9/19, Wednesday-Saturday, St. Mary’s City

9/19-9/21, Saturday-Monday, Potomac River - Branson Cove

9/21-9/23, Monday-Wednesday, Yeocomico River - Kinsale

9/23-9/24, Wednesday-Thursday, Cockrell Creek - Reedville

9/24-9/25, Thursday-Friday, Great Wicomico River - Sandy Point

9/25-9/27, Friday-Sunday, Piankatank River - Jackson Creek

9/27-9/29, Sunday-Tuesday, York River - Sarah Creek

9/29-9/30 Get into ICW

***We probably won’t make it to the ICW until mid-October. Planned arrival two weeks earlier to account for weather delays and us just plain liking a place so much that we stay a little longer.

2009-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Prudence in Galesville

But last night skies were red!

We came here to hide from Danny and all we got was this mess...

3 minutes into our departure taken by our new friends Oli and Eli from NZ and Argentina respectively

2009-08-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dead Silence

Made it!

Thomas Point Light. Screwpile Design.

Whistle while you work

2009-08-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Me and Sarah, shirt b/c very sunburned

USNA "YP" boats.

First Bridge, will we make it?

Charts say 75', or was it 57'? AHHHHHHHH

2009-08-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sarah's favorite Spot

Prudence in Aberdeene Creek (Keep the Duck Blind to Starboard)

Pretty in Pink

Amanda Adams' First Snapshot

2009-08-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hardest working Crew

Cool Glass house on the Magothy

Good thing we didn't close the hatch

These must be for me.....

2009-08-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Storms kept us in the dock

Heavy D in the Cockpit

Breakfast down below due to rain

Dog Days of Summer

Mud and Spiders and warm beers

2009-08-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all. We are tucked into another anchorage for the evening and currently stealing this wireless connection from one of the fancy mansions we are anchored within!

That said, amongst fancy mansions, there is no real place to bring your dogs for a "doggie break" except the low tide, spidery, mucky shores. The dogs don't even want to go there.

The "warm beer" portion of the title is because when it is 100 degrees, and you have to dinghy a mile to shore, walk 2 miles and pick up ice, it is nothing but water when you get back. Terrible cycle, so I am currently without my daily cold cold coors light. I tried to build a net for it and submerge to the cooler water (water temp as per our machine is 89 degrees) but all that did was get me warm, salty, slightly muddy beer. I'll pass.

The view is really nice though. We swim every night so far as it is still hot. We've got our eye on Tropical Storm Danny, but the VHF radio takes some getting used to so if you hear that it is headed towards us, feel free to call as we rarely get internet access and the first I heard of it on the VHF was today.

Dogs are great. Amanda too. We will give a full review of the week once we are in St. Michaels, which we excpect to be arriving on Sunday.

Our sail today was fun but not really windy. We rounded Thomas Point Lighthouse, which is a screwpile lighthouse for those who care. Very nice, but it is tough to take nice pictures as you are staring at an unfamiliar shore and wondering what kind of dangers the lighthouse is warning you from!

Hello from rain land

2009-08-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

We are vindicated with our decision to sit tight today. Since our decision to stay put, it has been beautiful here. kind of a kick in the pants but we decided it is better to expect bad weather and get good weather than the opposite. Either way, it's pouring now so we win.

We serviced the winches (just like cleaning a gun I would assume) and amanda gets VIP by cleaning the head top to bottom. She won't talk about it, like a vietnam vet. She has the 1000 yard stare.

Another lesson learned is not to cook when you have the whole boat closed up. It is a bit condensated in here.

I went to a Head Repair Class today at West Marine and feel confident that I can tackle that job when/if it comes up. Funny note, people suggest you do it naked as you won't want any clothes you had on anywhere near you when you're done. If not naked, they suggest the full painter outfit. It is 199 degrees here so that isn't an option.

Our blog posts will most likely become a bit more spotty starting tomorrow as we head up to Magothy river tomorrow. Then off to Rock Hall, then up the Chester river to check out Chestertown. Gonna weather Labor day in Gailesville and then work our way to the Eastern Shore after Labor day. We are being cautious with crowds as our anchoring skills are a tad unproven as of yet.

That's the back of the napkin version. More posts soon.

2009-08-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sarah says let's head north to the snow

Amanda hard at work

Dillon doesn't need a compass!

Hail! Thunderstorms! Lightning! Delayed!

2009-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

So much for departing this morning. Weather forecast looks nasty straight through Saturday evening. We've extended our slip stay until Sunday morning when the sun will shine, the temps will decrease, and a sail will be most pleasant.

Sarah's no longer limping. Dillon is helping with navigation. Still 128F!!

Great Day Sail, Stormy Eventful Evening

2009-08-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

All fixed up so took her out for a sea trial late morning to avoid predicted afternoon thunderstorms. Back by 1pm without a hitch but melting in the 100F humid weather. Threw the dogs and us in the a/c rental car to run last minute errands before our Thursday departure. On deck, showered and having cocktails by 5pm. What a great day!

As a special treat, Ryan offers to take dogs for a quick walk while I relax reading a magazine. Splash! All on deck except for Dillon and Ryan. Yup. Dog overboard so human overboard. Dillon sunk like a ton of bricks but luckily Ryan managed to scoop him up. Of course, this meant Ryan jumping into 10ft. of water, a 4ft. drop from the dock. Did I mention we're currently docked in Back Creek referred to by locals as Bacteria Creek! Rinse Dillon. Hand Ryan shower gear and new outfit. Up to screened in gazebo for cards and dry out period.

Wow, that afternoon thunderstorm never hit us. Just then, a dark cloud just to our port drew nearer. We sat there and discussed how we thought it would pass. No line of reasoning could support such a conclusion. This dark cloud spurting out streaks of lightning covered a mass all the way to the horizon and obviously was coming right at us rain, thunder, strikes and all. Our only excuse was we hoped it would pass. No such luck. I stayed with dogs while Ryan ran to close hatches and put in screens. Storm grew worse. Ryan ran back to put in doors and take out screens. I called him on cell to tell him storm escalating, soaked in gazebo with dogs, bring rental car keys! The night progressed similarly with Ryan having to keep returning to the boat. On his final return to the car, he's wearing his foul weather gear. I couldn't help but laugh - "Why are you wearing that now when you're all wet underneath!"

Inside now with semi-wet dogs. Still plan on departing Thursday without the security of the gazebo and rental car :-)

Key fixed, engine aligned, Sarah broken, Dillon Itches

2009-08-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

Engine is up and running. Phew! That's how we get from place to place. We don't need no stinking sails.

Sarah limping this morning. good thing we have a rental car so we can go to the 24 hour vet clinic and have them tell us she may have hurt it but don't worry. This cost us the equivalent of 32 months of ice! But , we brought Dillon along as he was scratching a lot and they gave him some drugs to combat it. Too hot here for huskie mutts I guess. Amanda says we still love them. I am not so sure.

Had drinks for the first time with our boat neighbors, Judy and Nancy. They served Landshark beer. Good and Cheap. They have a refrigerator so I may sneak on their boat tonight and go to sleep in it! It is about 100 degrees and 121% humidity. Swampy.

boat chores coming along. We change the hailing port tomorrow. she is documented out of annapolis so on paper, we will look like we know what we're doing.

Every chore brings 2 more chores and as of tomorrow we are without a car so hopefully we can walk where we need to go.

we can always Dinghy to Davis' Pub.

Haven't seen any Mid Shipman from the Academy but I know they're out there. I am jealous that I didn't even try to go there. I don't think they would let me perfect my shot-gun drinking skills as I did at Lehigh. Such is life.

Amanda is the best cook in the world. She has been working her magic with the pressure cooker to make sure it isn't too hot down below. I've been putting Old Bay Seasoning on my toothpaste. That stuff is great.

more pictures, new dinghy, sarah on the cockpit,

2009-08-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Lists of lists

2009-08-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, still working on getting the boat ready. Amanda did the remainder of our car chores as we put that sucker in storage on Saturday.

We had a mechanic show me the ropes to the diesel engine. Not scary anymore. Just dirty.

Still trying to get our alignment aligned. Baby steps. Dogs doing great. Big high tide last night. We hung out at a bar called "Davis" in eastport. Classic dive, right on the water, 2 beers (coors light can for JRD and Amstel for Ms. Fancy Pants) and a basket of fries with old bay seasoning. Cost = $9.00. Free dog water too.

Hello, quick recap...

2009-08-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, we invited you guys to this blog. Please let us know if you hear from someone that we inadvertantly left off..

so far, here is a recap of our "sabatical"

We have moved out of the hotels, and into the boat full time for the last week. Weather has been HOT, very hot. We've been doing a lot more boat chores than we expected but so far so good.

Our biggest adventure thus far was our first anchorage a few days ago. When we went to put the boat in reverse to back the anchor down......no reverse. No forward! Only a gut wrenching screech coming from below. No worries, just turn on the Anchor lite and ride it out. NO Anchor light! That's ok, the weather seems to be holding up. (fast forward 2 hours) Torrential downpours with lots of lightning.

So, needless to say, we needed the transmission key that was sheered off somewhere along this day. We have people fixing it and is seems somewhat common, but scary none the less. The best part was our "tow of shame" when BOAT US towed us in and we missed our slip so we had to get towed back up the creek, for every tsk tsk boat owner to see. Live and learn.

Dogs are doing great. They rule the dock thus far. Dillon runs away from me and stays up on the deck full time. Sarah is a bit more cautious but still seems to be enjoying it.

The meals, thanks to galley slave Mandy, have been great. We are fairly certain this kitchen is bigger than most of our NYC kitchens.

That's it. We'll keep you posted.

2009-08-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

2009-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

The tough life....

Hey Sailor

My First job. Tucked back in the lazarette.

Testing New Blog

2009-08-11T18:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of our new adventure.

Please check in over the next year and a half as we get better at....
Sailing
Blogging
Cleaning
High Pressure Dog Walking via Dinghy
Head/Diesel Engine repair......