Trip Retrospective

Found out that pictures posted to the blog are also in a Picasa web album. Unfortunately, only the pictures from this year are in the album, and I can't organize them without screwing up the blog settings. The first few pictures are NASA shuttle pictures, but soon after are pictures taken on Split Decision.

I Could Use Some Advice

Another post stolen wholesale from Admiral Amy's blog:

A variation on the desert island question, only for real: If you were moving yourself to a boat for two months and knew you had limited kitchen space, what items in your pantry would you not be able to do without? I have a pretty standard cupboard of condiments and spices, and have to decide what to pack and what to give away/throw away.

I don’t need to bring any cookware, since we already have the basics on board: cast-iron fry pan and a couple of sauce pans. There will be no baking, and we have limited and erratic refrigeration. So far, my list contains:

-cornmeal (for frying fish and other things)
-bouillon cubes
-any pasta, beans and canned goods I have in my pantry

Home Sweet Home

I spent the first few nights back in Baltimore, tied up to the Broadway Pier in Fells Point. Checked up on my house, and did a bunch of laundry.

Today I cruised over to my old marina. I hadn't called in advance, but figured they would have room for me. I motored down my old pier, and my old slip was empty. Hurray! My neighbor in the photo is still here, as is Bill, the old coot who helped me get the boat in shape for the cruise. Sadly, my buddy Mike in the slip on my other side, is gone until June. But his boat is here, and Bill ran an electric line from Mike's boat for me. Guess I'll have to buy Mike another case of beer.

Seems like nothing has changed since I've left. Except they're replacing the decking on the piers and installing new electrical pedestals. I hope they're not going to start raising the rates at my trailer park marina. Even if they are, the dockmaster was nice enough to pro-rate my slip fee for the couple weeks I'll be here. Nice.

Oh, Say Can You See?

I bet I've now seen all the lighthouses on the Chesapeake. And of course, coming into Baltimore I passed Fort McHenry and the location where the Star Spangled Banner was written.

I motor-sailed this morning from the West River to Baltimore, about 40 miles. Before this trip, I would have considered that a long cruise and quite an accomplishment. Now it's just a morning's work. I sure am a lot saltier. My new major accomplishment is cruising to Florida and returning with the boat and me still in one piece.

Shhh!

The Admiral will be aboard soon. We celebrate her half birthday in June. Her birthday is in December, and its conflict with xmas is a sore spot.

I got her this wetsuit today. I hope it fits. Also picked up another anchor. Don't ask.

And please don't tell her about the wetsuit. I want it to be a surprise.

Smooth Sailing

I'm in Maryland! Actually dipped the hulls into Maryland waters before tucking into Smith Point last night. (The Potomac up to the Virginia shoreline is part of Maryland.) Unfortunately, I'm only in Solomons Island. I've got another 70 miles to go to Baltimore. A small craft advisory was issued starting at 6pm today. I decided to duck in here rather than searching for a port on the Eastern Shore. (The Western Shore lacks inlets between here and just south of Annapolis.) The weather looks to be unsettled for the next few days, so I may be here awhile.

I'd be pulling into Baltimore now, if I'd done an overnighter last night. But I've put the kibosh on singlehanded overnighters. At least while I'm cruising day after day. I've had a couple scares on my past overnighters. I get too fatigued at a certain point and am apt to make bad decisions. Once I get myself in a bad situation, adrenaline kicks in, I get pretty clear-headed, and am able to get myself and the boat out of the jam. But I'd like to avoid those bad situations altogether.

Passed the boat in the pic down by Deltaville, VA.

Back in the Bay

Sailing out of Norfolk I tried to stay on the edge of the channel. When I saw this guy coming towards me, I moved over even more. Then he sounded four toots, and the two tugboats pivoted him directly towards me. I looked over my shoulder and saw a side channel leading to a landing where hundreds of containers were stacked.

Fortunately, he passed in front of me, not on top of me. I snapped the pic after he passed.

I enjoyed an easy motor-sail into the mouth of the bay, listening to A Prairie Home Companion on the radio. But when a cooking show came on, the wind started picking up. In a matter of minutes, the cruising went from enjoyable to white-knuckle. I can imagine how nasty the conditions could be on this part of the bay, if the weather turned bad.

Oh wait, no need to imagine. This is the stretch of the bay where I busted my rudder. In fact, I'm holed up in the same creek that saved my ass that time. I might spend the day here. It looks like conditions will be more favorable tomorrow on.

The not so Dismal Swamp

Rafted up with some trawler folks and enjoyed happy hour at the visitor's center.


Went through a couple locks



Entered Virginia

The Dismal Swamp Canal reminds me of the C&O Canal back home, but without the towpath and with more boats.