Driving the Ditch

We call Adjima our 'Canal Cat' because she loves to come and sit in the cockpit when we're going through canals.  It's usually not too windy and not too bumpy and she can sit and watch the sights.  She's had lots of cockpit time in the last week as we make our way down the ICW south of Norfolk.  The IntraCoastal Waterway, is also known as 'the ditch' or 'going  inside' as opposed to going off shore or 'outside'. It's a series of rivers and canals or land cuts, all connected and usually just inside of the barrier islands along the coast. When the weather isn't good to go outside, like this past week, when we had strong winds from the south,  it's a busy place. Not too much sailing to be had, but lots to look at.  We're now in the middle of the mass exodus of cruising boats making their way to warmer climes and the canals and anchorages are full.  As usual, it's a very, very social group. It's fun to get out the binoculars as we come into an anchorage and see who we've met before and who's our next victim.

 Getting into the Virginia and North Carolina water system is interesting because the water is brown.  It's pretty clear, just brown from all the tannins in the water from the decaying plant materials.  It looks like root beer foam as the power boats go by.  It also gives boats that spend a lot of time here a very distinctive 'mustache' on the hull.

Don't go where the birds are standing.

The ICW is prone to shoaling, due to the many, many creeks and ocean entrances with all their currents and tides.  Some places more than others, as in the picture.  I like that they've even installed a parking meter so they can make money off the many boats that end up stranded here.

Back through Norfolk, one of my favorite places to sit and watch the traffic go by. Yes, Chris, I know you think it sucks, but I love all the different types of boats and the commercial aspect of it all. The loading and unloading of the big container ships is fascinating to me. I want to know how they know which conex to put on which ship and in what order. I realize there's a computer program for it all, but there are thousands of conexes and dozens of little worker bees trundling around moving them, loading more than one ship at a time.The ones getting off last have to go on first, but don't the heaviest ones have to go on the bottom? I know they fall off at sea, because we hear the warnings to look out for them on occasion, but how many are actually reported as 'lost'?



Container ships being loaded.



'Worker bees' hauling conex's to load on board.





L to R: Sandy, Steve, Allen, Judy, Laura, John and Bill

Last night we were tied to the free dock in Great Bridge, which is a bulkhead where boaters can stop for the night and get off the boat. There's a little park with tables and grills. There were 5 or 6 boats there last night. We did laundry up the street and managed to spend $100 at the grocery, but we resisted going to El Toro Loco for great Mexican food as we're saving ourselves for M&M's in Oriental. We did, as usual, though, manage to have a great meal.  One of our dock mates had caught a tuna offshore on the way into Norfolk and offered to share and it turned into a potluck.  We had tuna, grilled chicken, Caesar salad, potato salad, green beans, cheesy potatoes, fresh apple pie and eclairs and maybe a little wine. No one in the picture is standing next to their spouse, but the different boats involved were Luna Sea, Second Wind and Discovery II.



Buzz Kill. Just when we thought we'd solved that age old problem of, "I need
a shower but I also need to do laundry".



Cliff, in the dinghy.

Our weekend couldn't have started out much better. We had dinner with our old neighbor from Albuquerque, Cliff Spohn. He was in Solomon's Island visiting his parents and we managed to sneak him away for dinner and then again for a Saturday visit to the boat. So good to visit and catch up on the news of all our kids and mutual friends. Some day we'll get Cliff and his wife, Sandy, to actually come sailing with us.

Roberta, Lynn, Steve and John, at the Tiki Bar

We also met up with John and Roberta from Freedom, and along with Jason and Laura and

Laura's brother, Erik and his friend, Kennon, we managed a few margaritas at the Tiki Bar. I somehow got no pictures of the whole group! I guess I might have had to put down my glass or something improbable like that. Once again, sooo goood to catch up with everyone. I'm looking forward to learning use Jason's lasso to catch lobster in the Bahamas this winter. Since I never attained my goal of gettting sick of eating lobster over the summer, I will continue with my objective as we go south.

Look Mom, No Violations

On the way from Annapolis to Solomons Island yesterday, we had our very first safety inspection by the Coast Guard. They had boarded the sailboat about a mile behind us and we knew we could be next, so we were sitting, all nice and secure in our PFD's, when they pulled alongside Celebration. They were extremely nice (and SO YOUNG! How come they all look to be 20? It can't be my advancing age, can it?) and polite and efficient and chatty. It was a painless process thanks to our super organised Boat Book, containing all pertinent documents, and Steve's uber up to date flares and fire extinguishers.

We're anchored in Mill Creek just across from Solomons and had the chance to catch up with our friends from Blue Blaze, Jason and Laura and John from Freedom. It was a lively evening, made all the nicer because it was unexpected.

Today as we had our morning coffee, we got to watch a pair of eagles fishing and being harassed by the crows.

Heading South

Or, more likely, the title should be, Meandering South. In our usual fashion, we've stayed a long time in one place. Annapolis is one of those places that's very easy for a sailor to get comfortable in. There are lots of other sailors, good shopping for new and used gear and waterfront bars where sailors can talk (think heated debate here) about all that gear.
The annual Annapolis Boat Show took place this past weekend. It's the largest in-water boat show in the world and it's quite a spectacle. We met some cruisers who are part of the work crew every year and learned a lot about the workings of the set up and take down involved in such a big show. There are about a mile of floating docks assembled off site and towed in and then the vendors start bringing in the boats and setting up in the tents.
This year the weather was perfect and the crowds were big. We went on Friday looking for a few specific things and spent a whole day getting information and taking pictures of new ideas. We went back today to do our volunteer hours at the SSCA booth and look at water heaters, which we need as of yesterday. Ours isn't entirely kaput but it's the original 33 year old one and it's leaking rusty water into the bilge. Steve discovered this when he was at the bottom of the sail locker, doing something entirely different, we call this the Domino Effect. (I actually want to rename the boat 'Domino Effect', because we literally can't make coffee without moving something else first. Our daughter, Hannah, watched us putting away the groceries once, and after we had to ask her to move for the 3rd of 4th time and she was now perched on the back corner of the settee, remarked "you live in a puzzle".) Anyway, a great time was had at the boat show, we ran into friends on every other corner and spent a lot of time talking and catching up, my favorite part.

So now, it's getting chilly in the evenings and the leaves on the bank are turning red and yellow. The Canada Geese are going through in big incredibly noisy flocks and it's time to follow them to where it's warm.

Albuquerque: Family, Friends, Cars, and yes Balloons!!

    The SSCA Gam over with a week before the sailboat show, I took a trip to Albuquerque to spend a week with our daughter Hannah. After two days of knuckle-busting car repair (two motor mounts, idle air valve, adjust valves, timing, new spark plugs, couple light bulbs, etc) and evenings filled with cooking, a little wine and a lot of catching up we finally set out to see Albuquerque. First a trip to Tricklock Theater Company for a Friday night social and my chance to meet all her great friends and fellow company members, then a test drive of the car to the top of Sandia Crest and a photo opportunity looking down at the city below. Next a visit to our long time friends and old neighbors Cliff and Sandy Spohn to catch up once again.

   Tough to beat seeing and catching up with family and friends, but Cliff threw one at us we couldn't pass up. It's Balloon Fiesta week in Albuquerque and I didn't even know it before the trip.  Cliff, Sandy and family crew for one of the out of town balloonists and asked if we wanted to help out. After a 0400 alarm and a quickly downed cup of coffee, we headed off to the Spohns and the Balloon field. Today was a competition day so pilots had to choose their own take-off point from off field and fly the wind back accurately. 

    Well one thing leads to another, the briefings over, launch point selected, wind checked, balloon out, filling, burners heating...take-off time. "Who are my passengers?" Becky the pilot yells. "Hannah, get in!" comes a shout from Cliff. "I need one more" Becky says "Steve get in" Next thing we knew we were airborne floating toward the field watching the competition. Here are a few photos from another wonderful, completely unexpected experience.








Our "sky" for a couple hours.

Hannah

Our pilot Becky and copilot Cindy,







   Thank you Cliff, Sandy, Becky,Cindy and everyone else for the great surprise and morning at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Annapolis

We've been in Annapolis for a couple of days now, walking our feet off. There are a lot of good places to go here: chandleries, a marine consignment store named Bacon Sales, a really good Sunday brunch at Buddys (unlimited bacon and good people watching, it doesn't get any better), a really great Goodwill with a really great book corner, so 16 new paperbacks on my shelf and best of all, lots of old and new friends in the harbor and here in the creek to socialise with.

We're waiting for an alternator to be tuned up, it should be finished around noon, (so one more walk across town) and then we're off to the Rhode River for the Gam weekend. There should be some good seminars this year and, as always, too many people I want to catch up with and not enough time to do it. I love coming home in the evening with my face sore from smiling and laughing. It's such an exhausting schedule.

I thought I'd share some photos of a hitch-hiker we had a little while ago. We've had bats, butterflies and lots of birds, but this was our first Giant Silk Moth. And it really is giant: hook-your-thumbs-together-and-put-your-hands-flat giant. It had big dark 'eyes' on each wing, called a distraction pattern, to scare off the birds and squirrels.

The body was cigar shaped and very furry and the long antenna gave it a kind of Groucho Marks look.

The moths only live about two weeks, long enough to mate and lay eggs. They are lacking mouth parts, so never eat at all. Poor thing, can you imagine a life without bacon?

Block Island to Chesapeake Bay

Warm enough water for a swim, Finally!! We left Block Island Monday with some nice southerlies. Beautiful sail west along Long Island waiting for a front to push through then wind from the west. Well the front came, but the west winds did not so our second day/night was mixed sailing/motoring... mostly motoring.

For fellow cruisers you should find this photo interesting, yes it is THREE tankers going side-by-side up Delaware Bay. Two upbound and one outbound. The Coast Pilot recommends everyone in the bay monitor channel 13 (commercial net) for traffic awareness. We do, and heard this one developing as the tanker last in a line of 4 had an earlier report time, so you pass right? Oh crap, there is another tanker outbound, so we'll just go outside of the channel. ("Don't need no stinking channel" or "channels are for beginners, we're professionals here") OK maybe, but it sure as heck surprised a few little boats in the path.

We are now anchored at Still Pond, after the 2 1/2 day passage from Block Island. Not our longest, but first time doing extensive inland miles (up Delaware Bay, thru the C&D canal, 20nm down Chesapeake) after a 2 night off-shore passage. Nice to be here resting for a couple days watching the deer and eagles on shore. I'll sign off with a photo of one of our salt encrusted hatches after being offshore.

The Boston skyline as we went by to Quincy.

We left Gloucester and had a great beam reach sail along the Massachusetts coast to Quincy, pronounced "Quinzee". Our friend Anne, of Chris and Anne on Mr Mac, grew up in Quincy and they were in the area visiting her family. We rafted up alongside them and had a mini reunion. They've been busy promoting their new books and doing conventions and it's very exciting to hear how well they're doing. We also got an autographed copy of Chris's newest release, Scimitar Sun. I had to hide it from myself, (you know, the old out of sight, out of mind, thing) to save for a future cold, rainy day. We also got to meet and have dinner with Anne's mom, Margie and brother, Greg.

Sunrise at Block Island this morning.

We left Quincy and had another great sailing day down the bay and through the Cape Cod Canal, and yesterday had yet another great sailing day into Block Island, RI. It might seem strange to keep harping about the good sailing, but getting good wind to go the direction you want to go for 3 days in a row is pretty freaking great. But after 2 days of 60 miles or more we were ready for a break and are sitting at anchor today. I know 60 miles isn't that far, if you're in a CAR, but 60 miles is a loooong way at 5-6 kts an hour. We went ashore and had a good walk, and some great wings and the only other thing on my list to do today is to watch the Men's Final of the US Open and maybe bake some browines.

On The Road Again

We had a great, dark, fast thunderstorm go through this morning, just the thing to watch over my morning coffee, while snug in the cockpit. I like this picture because there were rain drops on the lens and it makes it look otherworldly.

Gloucester, pronounced 'Gloss-ta', or as Amanda preferred 'Glow-chester', is a very old maritime center. They have a memorial along the seawall to all the men who have gone to sea and not returned. The stats are sobering: in over 300 years, 5326 men in all. You can enlarge the photo for more details.

And if the man in the statue looks familiar, this is the home of "Trust the Gordon's Fishermen", the tune which I've had stuck in my head all day. Good luck getting rid of it once it comes to you.