2023 - 2024 Cruise ~ Week 1

Tuesday, 9/26/23 ~ Still Here on Kent Island, MD

     Yesterday was spent doing our final prep. Last minute food items, mail, car fuel tank topped off, new lottery ticket for the next 10 weeks. The enclosure is up. The cockpit cleaned. Electronics have been checked and charged. Our goodbyes shared with our few dock mates and the marina staff.

    Last night and this morning we checked, rechecked and compared our weather apps:  Weather Bug, which we rely on for general weather & updates, our favorite, Windy, which not only covers wind, but also temps and sea states, and is much more accurate and reliable, and then Passage Weather, which is great to animated 7-day wind forecast. Unfortunately, steady winds of 20+ with higher gusts were predicted for the center of the bay with intermittent rain showers, The winds were even higher when we checked earlier. We decided that tomorrow will be a better day to start our newest journey. As the day was raw, windy and rainy, it was a good day to relax and recharge.

Wednesday, 9/27/23 ~ Castle Harbor Marina, Kent Island to Solomons, MD

Today:            65 miles            8.6 hours                S/M - na -

Total:             65 miles            8.6 hours            

     Tillie was walked, engine started, dock lines were removed, and we were underway by 7:44 am. Skies were overcast, winds out of the NE at 12, and temps remained in the low 60’s. After a short wait, we passed through the Kent Narrows bridge with the current. Hit 9.1 mph! We are very grateful that the enclosure is up. It is still tricky to secure as it is as made for the former dodger & Bimini. Without zippers on the new canvas, the entire enclosure is help up with painters clips. Sun came out, winds decreased, wave action lessened about halfway through our travels today. 

      There were lots of snow birds  are scattered over the bay.  They were probably all hunkered down waiting for the winds to become manageable. This is surely the first wave. The next wave comes after the Annapolis Boat Show. It is a great opportunity to get ideas and items to make the cruising life easier.  

                                               Marine Traffic shows the snowbird activity mid-Bay -->

 

    We arrived at Zhanisers around 4:15.  I took Tillie for a walk and took few photos. Considerable changes have occurred in the 20 +years we have been coming to Solomons. There are a lot of charming, new cottage homes near the marina. Unfortunately, my phone battery died.  Pete was still working, but gave into Tillie’s nudging about a hour after we returned from the first walk. She really needed the 2nd walk.

 

 

  

 

 
Views of Sharps Lighthouse, Solomons from the water and Solomons on land

     Zanhizers became part of the Safe Harbors organization about 3 years ago. Since then it has new floating docks and wide alleyways. It is so much easier to dock than with the old fixed docks with narrow fairways and angled slips. This evening, we had electrical problems with the circuit breakers tripping twice. The marina is aware of the issues and is working on the problem. Thankfully, there were no other issues after dinner. 

Thursday, 9/28/23 ~ Solomons, MD to Fleets Bay, Deltaville, VA

Today:            72 miles            9.8 hours                S/M  - na -

Total:            137 miles          18.4 hours     

Smith Lighthouse

     Departed at 7:45 with temp at 59 with winds continuing out of the NE at 10. Clouds were coming in and as we headed out the Pautuxet River with 4 other boats. We could see rains to the East. As we made the turn, we could see more rain to our South. We seemed to chase the rains as we only had a few spritzes. Once southbound, we had a good push from the ebbing current. The 10-12 mph winds were coming to our port aft quarter, creating a bit of a rocky ride. Closer to the Potomac, winds increased to about 15 and the longer fetch with the incoming tide created slightly larger waves. We were able to motorsail with our main on a broad reach. Our speeds ranged from 8.5-9 mph with the outgoing current, to 7-8 mph once it turned. The rough wave action sent printer, computer monitor and other loose items to floor. It also broke the helms seat and sent Pete flailing to stabilize himself. He didn’t fall but thinks he sprained his arch in the left foot. He was able to clean ip the mess down below before I could take the photo. We will wait to test the printer and monitor as we shouldn't need them for a while.

     Snow bird traffic that we could see was light. Commercial traffic was also lighter than other trips; a car carrier, cargo, a tug with a large barge full of containers, and a strange yellow tanker. We spotted our 1st pelican just north of the Potomac. There were none to be seen near Solomons, where they are usually spotted.

     North winds increased and we were almost into the Fleets Bay anchorage. It is very exposed to today’s north winds. The decision was made to headed south for the next 1 1/2 hours to the much better, protected Deltaville anchorage. As we were returning to the bay, I saw about a 4-foot pink fish jump out of the water about 4 feet! Pete said it was a Red Fish that’s good eatin’. We dropped anchor around 5 and were very thankful for the mild rocking.

Friday 9/29/23 ~ Deltaville to Salt Pond, Hampton Rhodes, VA

Today:            42 miles            6.5 hours                S/M   - na -

Total:            179 miles          24.9 hours     

     We woke to fog, cold (64 degrees) and winds of 12-15 and increasing. By the time we departed, the fog had disbursed, but the air was cold and raw.  The winds and fetch increased the waves to 5-6 feet. With it quartering from our port aft, it was a rough ride. Fruits and veggies went sliding across the counter. With a few being unlucky and hitting the floor. Thank heavens for the styrofoam lap desk was perfect to wedge things in place on the counter. Our cruising speed was closer to 7 mph due to incoming currents and opposing winds.

 

Wolftrap Light House

   A quick check on Marine Traffic once again showed lots of snowbirds were once again on the move. We are part of this flock, but most remain out of our sight. However, I did spot our first dolphins in a pod near the mouth of the Yorktown River.

 

 

Entering Salt Ponds

     Once at Salt Ponds Marina, we had the same dockhand we had in the spring. It’s sad. He still doesn’t know how to secure lines to cleats or hook up the electrical. I’m glad we always fine tune the docking.

Cool decorations I found while walking Tillie 

     It was another early night. Dealing with the sea states and weather conditions can take its toll.

Saturday, 9/30/23 ~ Hampton Rhodes to Great Bridge Lock, VA

Today:            30 miles            5.9 hours                S/M  12.3

Total:            209 miles          30.8 hours     

     Pete had a rough night. When the seat failed in rough seas, he sprained his arch. Of course, many other body parts were letting him know that they had been abused. It was difficult to find a comfortable position for sleeping.

     It was a cool (65 degrees), raw, morning. Winds still out of the North at 15 mph with heavy intermittent drizzle. We topped off water, checked on Windy and called Great Bridge Lock.“Yes,” they will be closing again for high water due to the north winds, rains, and the king tides. It has been a strange weather pattern all week due to the remnants of Ophelia remaining stationary off the mid-Atlantic coast.

     Approaching Norfolk, we heard a very proper voice from HMS PRINCE OF WHALES aircraft carrier as they were coming in to dock at the naval base. Even though it is Saturday, Norfolk is still sounded very active this morning. We heard 3 warships, at least 4 tugs, 5 container ships, 1 tanker, 1 British war ship and lots of snowbirds over the radio.

    Once on the Elizabeth River, amazingly, there was almost no traffic - commercial or private.

HMS PRINCE OF WALES

US Carrier with an F-22                                                     Looking upriver towards the rain

 
Unique sights ~ a PINK container ship and lots of RR locomotives sitting on the dock

  

 
The Corps of Engineers building and a cruise ship preparing to depart

There is an aircraft carrier behind the curtain, plus a landing craft and heavy tug

Strange to see a barge half sunk

     At the Glimerton Bridge, we had a short wait due to a transiting train. The 2 other sailboats had been waiting over an hour. (We have felt their pain on previous trips!) We took it slow to locks knowing that at cruising speed, 7 mph, we would have a 30-minute wait for the next southbound opening. As we got closer to the lock, we were passed by 2 barges. That was highly unusual. We never heard the notification of the close. Might the lock opening be delayed due to high water and affecting the commercial traffic (as well as others)? With the passage of the second tug and barge, the locks remained open for south-bound traffic. . .all 3 sailboats. This is the first time neither of the lock masters came to offer docking assistance. The 3 of us secured ourselves, then waited 20 minutes for the locks to close. As we were watching the north end of the lock, we noticed that there are now 2 sets of lock gates. There is substantial damage just outside of the northern lock. Perhaps it was a major incident that caused both damages.

     We cleared the lock around 3:40 and tried to check dock availability on the south dock, but couldn’t see. Since there was still space on the north side of the bridge, all 3 of us docked there for the night. I, and a number of our dock mates, helped SV REJECA to the dock. Since we talked between our boats while in the lock, I introduced myself to Stacy & Justin. They are bringing the new-to-them 38-ft Island Packet back to Washington, NC from Wisconsin. Shared info with them and, since we will both be in Coinjock tomorrow, we made a date to meet for dinner. I called the restaurant. Couldn’t reserve for dinner seating as we were less than 6, but I was able to reserve 4-First Mate (14oz) Prime Ribs for dinner.

     The only other traffic through the bridge and lock was a single cabin cruiser heading north. That was the final traffic for the entire night.

 

 

     The sun finally came out for about 40 minutes before the clouds tool over again. When I went to walk Tillie for her last walk of the day, the moon was peaking through some clouds and the air was still. I great photo to end the day.

         
Pretty ending to today!

Summer 2023 is Over ?

Saturday, September 23, 2023

     It is impossible to believe that Summer 2023 is over.  Unlike previous summers, we didn’t a have any big projects. Over the past year, there were plenty of repairs on the PEKABU, leaving her in great shape. I had hoped to make a new enclosure and chaps for the new dinghy, but there is no space for working onboard and the covered picnic tables are quite a distance from the boat. (Georgia has already place us into her que for the enclosure to be made over this winter.) Between normal medical appointments, family and friends, actual free time was limited. . . and then there was THE HEAT! We had a couple of weeks with temps over 90. We did much better other parts of the country that had weeks over 100 degrees! Wild fires flaired while water supplies decreased. There are over 300 wild fires burning in Canada with the smoke enveloping the east coast with dangerous air quality problems. So, at quick glance, I find it hard to tell you that we got this and that done.  Looking back, it was a bunch of little things that filled our time.

The effects of the HEAT on trees ~ premature coloring and decay

Custom awnings were a major help cutting down on the sun and heat

 

From the Florida Visit: Ibis pest conrol, and cool flowers

  
Around the Marina: Double rainbow, full moon and a huge mushroom

     The best investment of our time was finding Hiede, of I Dog, What’s Your Trick? She is a great dog trainer. During our first lesson, she had us walking Tillie without pulling! A true miracle! Both of us were at whit’s end and our bodies ached from trying to walk her. We still have a strong-willed puppy, but she is learning to be a good canine citizen. We can walk confidently past other dogs, get her to leave or drop things she not supposed to have, and is well behaved in a pet store or hardware store. Our final lesson was to be in an outdoor eatery, but was canceled due to a tropical storm. TS Ophelia blew through our last weekend in Castle Harbor Marina, our home over the summer.  We still have a lot of work to do to get Tillie fully trained, but now there are tools and hope.

Training is hard work, but she is trying to be a good girl

 

"Gots ta support Dad workin' or warmin' up & Mom, who hates selfies!"

     While visiting my dear friend, Carolyn, we went to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA. I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to tour Henry Mercer’s home, Fonthill Castle, but maybe next time. The following is the description from the museum’s website: https://www.mercermuseum.org/about/mercer-museum/

     The Mercer Museum is a history museum of everyday life in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Henry Mercer (1856-1930) gathered the collection and constructed the Museum. The collection of some 40,000 objects documents the lives and tasks of early Americans through the tools that met their needs and wants prior to the Industrial Revolution, or about 1850. Visitors can choose their own paths through the Museum. Most of the 55 exhibit rooms and alcoves display the tools or products of an early American craft, trade or occupation. Other rooms show categories of objects such as lighting devices or architectural hardware.

     Mercer gathered almost 30,000 items ranging from hand tools to horse-drawn vehicles and assembled this encyclopedic collection in a system of his own devising. To enhance the collection’s educational value, and to share it with the public, Mercer decided to design and build a museum to display the artifacts.

     In 1916, Mercer erected a 6-story concrete castle. The towering central atrium of the Museum was used to hang the largest objects such as a whale boat, stage coach and Conestoga wagon. On each level surrounding the court, smaller exhibits were installed in a warren of alcoves, niches and rooms according to Mercer’s classifications — healing arts, tinsmithing, dairying, lighting and so on. The end result of the building is a unique interior that is both logical and provocative. It requires the visitor to view objects in a new way. Henry Mercer donated the building and his collection to the Bucks County Historical Society.

Mercer Museum, one of the cement mixers used to build the castle and my friend, Carolyn

Examples of the tiles the Mercer Company produced

 

Clock making, kitchen and ladies tortoiseshell hair accents rooms

 

Spinning wheels, apothecary and gun smithy rooms

 
Conestoga wagon, milling whee and iron gates

 
A ship's figurhead, a press and a mold

  

The Atrium 

 
The Atrium and its ceiling with the rooms off the walkways on each floot

 
Fonthill Castle & the Tile Foundry

This museum would be a place both my husband and his dad, and the rest of the men in both of our families, would have loved and gotten lost for a couple of days. What a photographic opportunity!

     We both spent time reading. Pete did a few minor repairs onboard and participated in a couple of matches. Of course, he did a lot of walking and training with Tillie. Unfortunately, all that pulling while he walked Tillie prior to our training has exacerbated his left knee.  He is scheduled for surgery with the same doctor in Boca Raton just before Thanksgiving. As for me, I took long walks with Tillie and continued her training on the Cross Island Trail just a half mile from here. The trail itself is 10+ miles long, but we would walk anywhere from 3-5 miles at a time.  Of course, during these walks, I usually found a few things to photograph.  

Views along the Cross Island Trail

 

 

Flowers & "treats" on and off the Trail

     I am continuing with my online photography courses. I am constantly amazed at the phone’s photographic abilities.  Add to that, the editing apps used in the course have tremendous editing tools for compensating for lens distortion, removal of unwanted objects, as well as adjustments in tuning, white balance, vignetting, and special effects. Many are free while others are purchased for a nominal cost. Now, I just have to learn to work within the small screen. Unfortunately, my DSLR doesn’t come out very often.  My smaller phone that just happens to have a phone attached does have a few limitations (like a clear & substantial zoom), but it is the one most handy. All the photos for the past 4 years are all from my phone.

     We enjoyed a few days with our granddaughters, Hadi and Riley.  While in Castle Harbor we had them on the boat doing some crafts and swimming, of course.  We also cruised over to St. Michaels.  The girls totally enjoyed pool and splash pad. They slept very well that night.  We returned to our marina the next day. Chris and Rubble (the dog) came down to join us in great ice cream at Sugar Doodles which features Vanderwende’s Ice Cream.  Pete’s mom was friends with the matriarch of that family. The dairy farm is now in the hands of the 4th generation and the ice cream is one of the best! Their ice cream concoctions are pretty amazing, too!

  

   

     Prior to starting our cruise, we were able to see Riley play softball. Both she and Hadi are in a great instructional league with only 2 teams in each of their divisions. For Riley’s games, the pitcher pitches 3 times, then the coach pitches 3 and if still no hits, the Tee comes out. The entire roster gets up to bat each inning. The coaches help and encourage players on both teams when out in the field whether fielding the ball or running the bases. And here is the best part – since the score is not kept, the game is decided by a relay not skill. At the 90 minute mark one team starts on 2nd and the other at home base. When the signal is given, the players run the bases, then hand the ball off to the next player. The first team with all players running all the bases is declared the winner. We were unable to catch Hadi’s game.  Being older, the skills and scoring count.

 
Riley covering Third and Catching ~ Her cousin, Mia, at bat

     Tillie now has an OK for us to begin our cruise after a bit of a hiccup. This past Wednesday, Tillie took a “walk about” off the boat while Pete was down below. She must have been gone for about 10 minutes before he realized she was gone.  A quick walk to land and a lots of calling from the parking lot for about 15 minutes before a flash of black, white and brown came flying around the corner towards Pete. Of course, she now believed it was time to play some more. We think during her adventure, she must have eaten something she shouldn’t have. Twice, during the early morning hours on Thursday, she vomited up a hard, sharply chewed, 2-inch, pieces of black plastic. Needless to say, we made an appointment with the vet. X-rays, blood work and physical exam were negative, but there might be smaller, sharp pieces still working their way through her system. We needed to bulk up her meals with soft, but bulky food to assist in the removal of any remaining plastic.  She had no complaints about her temporary diet of canned dog food. If there are no problems over the weekend, so we are free to go.

     The boat is ready for our next cruise.  She is clean from stem to stern, top to bottom.  Inventory is complete and most of the provisioning is already on board. The engine oil and belts have been changed and the fuel topped off. The enclosure is up. There are always those last minute and perishable foods, like fresh fruits and veggies, milk, cold cuts, etc.  I’ll finish that just before we depart. We had planned on leaving on Sunday, but between Tillie’s misadventure and a tropical storm, we were slightly delayed. The forecast is for showers for most of the week. We figure that the debris from the 3+ foot above normal high time caused by TS Ophelia this weekend, will have hopefully, headed south the Bay.

Sunset before Ophelia came to visit

 Courtesy of Ophelia’s departing winds, we might be able to sail down The Bay on Tuesday!