Jack and Rani's Sailing Blog

I know this is out of order, but I realized I forgot to talk about River Dunes Marina, 5 miles before Oriental. We went there with our friends on Wye Knot, Jeanette, Larry, and dog Cali(sp?). Getting into the marina was a frustration, as the markers were not where they were supposed to be nor were they easy to see. And as there was extremely thin water on either side of the channel we needed to  stay in, it was pretty stressful and nerve wracking. To top it all off, no one at the marina was answering the radio, and the woman on the telephone hadn’t a clue.

Well, we eventually made it in, hovered for a good long while waiting for the single elderly gentleman to help us into our dock. For such a fancy sounding marina to be so understaffed that people can’t answer the radio and guide us in through a confusing entry was irritating to say the least!

Well, we got there. I must concede that the facilities are beautiful and attention to the physical layout and details was obvious. We were on the furthest dock from the facilities, so a lot of walking was in order. Even so, I couldn’t miss out on using the wonderful shower, which included a steam option, which I didn’t choose as I was giving Shuki a shower as well and feared it’d frighten him.

We decided to sign up for the dinner, so we could have a meal with our friends from Wye Knot. We left the dogs onboard their respective boats and headed up to the beautifully appointed main building. Antique furniture furnished the whole building, which has a large lounge with pool table, a game(chess and checkers tables)/library room, and an upstairs dining room. See the pictures when I post them.

We enjoyed the dinner, everyone around us all talking about boats and sailing. Had chili, cornbread, salad and desert was delicious carrot cake and  German (Shephard)Chocolate Cake. Why “shephard”? Jack was so tired, he kept saying “German Shephard Cake”, and then Larry, after 3 cups of wine, kept repeating it too!

We left the marina the next morning after a lovely hour or so of chatting and having coffee on the front porch with Jeanette and Larry and the dogs. The sail to New Bern was a bit disappointing: no real wind to sail by. We had to motor the whole way. But I finally got to see the whole Neuse River from the water, the tension and excitement at finally arriving there building with each passing mile! And get this: I was down to my summer Solumbra sun protection clothes and sandals!  This is why we are relocating Jack’s and my landbase to New Bern.

We arrived in New Bern yesterday at about 15:30. Don Huff, who lives across the river in Fairfield Harbor, came out on his MacGregor ( sans mast, removed for winter) to greet us and escort us to the New Bern Grand Marina at the Hilton Hotel. Oh, it was exciting, seeing New Bern from the water! And from my boat on the water! We came under the bridge , following “Wye Knot”, from the Neuse to the Trent River and came into our dock, A45. Dror’s new home.

David Hatch, our plasterer/contractor/friend, came over to welcome us and we all , Jeanette and Larry, their friend Jan (pronounced “Yan”), David Hatch, Don and his friend David, all went to the Deck at the Hilton, and had cold drinks in celebration. Shuki was very happy to see David and Don.

The sunset was beautiful, the weather perfect: in the 70’s.

This morning, Thursday, Joe Spinner, our roofer/friend, phoned and came over to check out the boat and say “welcome”. Again, Shuki greeted a known friend . Then we got a ride from Jan up to the house and gave Jeanette and Larry and Jan a tour.

The work David has done on the walls is beautiful. He has the rest of the second floor to do, and then we can get going on the trim and attic. There’s still a long way to go, and I will have to be more patient than I would like. We will not be able to move in for many more months still.

We came back to the boat and then took the dogs on a walk with us to our favorite New Bern restaurant, Morgan’s, with Jeanette and Larry. I love the fish and chips there! We went into the amazing local, vintage and modern hardware store in downtown New Bern on the way back to the boat. I got some fly paper to get rid of the flies we picked up 3 days ago in Dowry Creek Marina. Got a little surprise for my 20 year old son. Enjoyed looking at the modern stuff next to the vintage stuff like washboards and licorice.

Now back on the boat, I’m sitting with Shuki in the cockpit watching the sun go down: another beautiful sunset, in beautiful New Bern! We have arrived.

See info about New Bern here: http://www.visitnewbern.com/

Please come back to the blog in a few days to see my pictures. Rani

November 6

We spent the weekend at Elizabeth City. The best part were the people we met: Elizabeth and Ed on S/V “Skylark”, and Jeanette and Larry on S/V “Wye Knot”.

We, and about 12 other boats, all left Elizabeth City Sunday morning. It was good to be on the move again and to get away from banging on the dock.

We continued south, down the Pasquatank River and into the Albemarle Sound. At first the sailing was fine, but then as we had to turn more true south, with the wind directly behind, the waves were building and we were rocking and rolling a lot.

We were going to anchor off Durant Island, north of the Alligator River Bridge and before the entrance to South and East Lakes. But “Skylark” folks told us on radio it would be too exposed ( they arrived ½ hour before us) and were going to go into South Lake. “Wye Knot” draws the same depth as do we, 5′ 6”, so if they could get in, so would we be able to.

Sure enough, we all 3 put down the anchors in a lovely spot, once the wind calmed down and the clouds went away. Ed and Elizabeth gave Shuki and I a dinghy ride to the nearest solid land: a good 15 minute dinghy ride! It was to a very rudimentary boat ramp at the end of a dirt road, but we could get our 3 dogs off and walk.

Shuki gets along fine with Cali, Jeanette and Larry’s dog, and Luna, Elizabeth and Ed’s. He’s been enjoying the company.

We had to push the dinghy back out of the mud at the ramp, and since I was the one with the boots, I got the task. My right boot sank into the mud very fast, and in my effort to pull my foot out, I fell onto my back into the water! It was shallow, and I just got a bit wet, and came up laughing.

Back at the boats, we had a quiet early evening, as we knew the next day would be very long: 55 miles to Belhaven.

Nov 7 Monday (Cheni’s 20^th Birthday!)

We hauled anchor at 6:30 am, as did “Wye Knot”. “Skylark” took their time getting going, and were planning to anchor again tonight in a creek right out of the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. Wye Knot and Dror were going to Dowry Creek Marina, a little further along.

The Alligator River Bridge was interesting to watch swing open away from us as we went through. It’s very low to the water, only about 14 feet. Things were kind of boring until we got into the canal, and then it reminded me very much of the Dismal Swamp, but wider, more logs and stumps to watch out for, and a little less interesting views. But I did see a couple of deer right at the beginning. I kept waiting for bears, alas not a one, nor an alligator.

Some 20 miles later, we exited the canal into the Pungo River. We had passed a sailboat towing a smaller disabled one. The marina is in a quiet beautiful location. Serene sunset.

Off to near Oriental tomorrow, with Wye Knot.

Wednesday, 2^nd Nov: At the Deep Creek pond anchorage:

A lot of fog/mist on the water this morning, very quiet (except for Route 64 traffic, as the highway runs right along the canal).

I rowed Shuki to shore forgetting about the tides. The tree I tied up to yesterday afternoon, whose roots were an easy step from the dinghy to land, was now about 2 feet higher. I was coming up to it in mud. I managed to tie up to a lower root, and using Shuki’s life jacket’s handle, lift him up to land. I had to climb like a monkey to get up the bank as well. We had a shorter walk, as we were planning to haul anchor and head to the Deep Creek Lock for the 8:30 opening.

As we motored out of the cove, I saw a large double masted sailboat anchored in the middle of the canal. Then we came around the corner, turning right into real pea soup fog. At first we thought we would try it, we have radar and GPS. But we would have to move it at 6 knots in order to get to the lock in time, and we just didn’t feel happy with that speed in the fog.

So we turned back , with me at the helm, and went back into the cove. Again, forgetting the tides….Though I sure remembered quickly as I saw the depths shallowing at the entrance. I got readings of 2.5-3.5 feet, and had to keep telling myself to add 3 feet, the depth gauge is mounted 3 feet below the water line. We draw 5′ 6”. And later Jack told me he felt us slow down. I was concentrating too much on staying in what I knew to be the deepest parts to notice. I decided not to freak Jack by telling him how shallow it really was! After all, we hadn’t really run aground.

We dropped the hook again, this time so we could see the entrance to the canal from our anchorage. There were a couple of small fishing boats in the cove again. I got offered more speckled trout, for breakfast! And this guy filleted it for me as well. While I was watching, one of the men caught a 6 pound trout. I washed the two fillets (from a smaller fish) and put them in the freezer for another time.

We made the 11 am lock, along with another 9-10 boats. The height added was 8 feet of water, and we had to constantly bring in line as we rose. The turbulence of the water was pretty strong, especially as we were at the front of the lock. This lockmaster has a tradition of blowing the conch before he let’s us go, and it was actually quite moving!

We arrived at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center ( as my mother says, “ a hilarious oxymoron if ever there was one”) at about 15:00. We were in the middle of a 3 boat deep raft up, and by the time it was dark, there were 10 boats rafted up in 3 rows.

I went to the museum ( dogs not allowed and Jack wasn’t really so interested). There were real animals in there, so I understood why dogs weren’t allowed, but these animals were not alive, just stuffed. But I saw what a black bear looks like ( not as big as some) and other interesting critters. As I came out, I saw two deer grazing a little bit away in some bushes, and managed to take a couple of pictures.

The raft up was going to break up around 7:15, so we hit the sack early.

3^rd Nov: Up before dawn again. Took Shuki to do his thing, and as we were climbing over the bow of the motor boat between us and shore, Shuki took a slide across the deck: ice! It really was that cold, and I gingerly worked my way around holding tightly to the bow rail.

We had the pack mentality, following the motor boat’s lead. Very nice folks, but then they don’t have a problem hovering before a lock or bridge as do we sailboats. We got there at least ½ hour early and spent the time trying to keep from banging into one another. Jack decided to put down the anchor, a bit too much rode, we started to swing too much, brought up the anchor a bit and it was fine until it was time to “lock” again. The more than 8 foot drop from our level down to the river again looked very unnatural, and seeing the land disappear as we sank back down was odd. Once again, the “pack” moved out.

This part of the canal was even more beautiful, more wild. If we hadn’t had to have an engine running, we would have been able to hear the birds. I had a lot of fun taking pictures, of interesting trees, patterns in the water with foam and leaves and images reflected. Our wake, well the swirls we made as we moved through the water, created fascinating images. It felt as though we were on a water highway through a forest/swamp. The canal was mostly straight, having been man made.

Actually, I learned at the museum at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center that the canal was made by slave labor. It was terrible work, combating vines, dangerous animals, biting bugs, and the work itself of digging. The canal was to improve shipping between Virginia and North Carolina, and a company formed by George Washington engineered it. With slaves. Hmmm.

As we neared the end of the canal, it widened into the Elizabeth River. The other boats passed us as we slowed down from about 6 to 4.5 knots. We wanted time for Jack to research our options for where to stay in Elizabeth City, and to enjoy the last of the swamp.

We decided to start at the city docks. They aren’t bad, but the gap between the boat and the dock is too wide for a single step across. Jack found a plank of wood , so now we “walk the plank” each time we need to get to shore.

Shuki was really agitated and barky all day. At one point, I even muzzled him, which made no difference: he was still able to whine. It was hard to concentrate on docking with him barking, it was so distracting. We have to figure that out. I’ve tried putting him below, with treats in his bed: he eats them and carries on barking.

At 4:30, there was the little “Rose Buddies” ceremony for any mariners who arrived that day. Started in 1983 by some local guys to welcome sailors who arrived at Elizabeth City, it’s still carried on today by successors. Each woman is given a beautiful red rose, and everyone has a drink of wine. We were also told some tips about sailing the Albermarle Sound , which can be challenging because it is relatively shallow and with a long fetch. This creates a lot of waves.

4^th November Friday:

One of the woman from the Tourist Info Center took me to the supermarket. People in North Carolina are very helpful, we often find. The pace is starting to be a slower one than in the NorthEast. It’s also warmer: in the 60’s during the day, still chilly in the 40’s at night. On a boat, you feel that more. Especially when at a dock with no electricity, so we can’t run our heater.

The weather prediction for the next couple of days calls for high, gale force winds, and today, rain. So we are here until Sunday, at least.

Jack managed to get a wifi connection at the Tourist center, sitting at a table there. He worked most of the day.

We need to fill our water tanks, to pump out, do laundry, get electricity: we could get all that at the marina across the river, Pelican Marina. Their pump out is out of order at the moment though. But the winds have been blasting us all day, onto the dock, and we wouldn’t be able to get away from the dock to move over to there. So we stay here, with the waves slapping the back of the boat sounding like a log is hitting us each time. Every hour or so we need to go out and adjust the lines and fenders. We moved the dinghy from the side of the boat to behind, tied off at both ends to hold it off the boat and the dock. We are rocking and rolling. Ahh, the joys of boating!

I escaped this afternoon and went across the street to the Museum of the Albermarle. Saw a special exhibit on pottery of North Carolina, it’s development from practical to art. Saw the exhibit on the history of the area, took some photos of some handwoven and handsewn women’s garments from 100 years ago. Interesting weave structure, one of them.

I may go to the local Art Center tomorrow, it shouldn’t be raining, just windy.

I turned on the navigation to see what the wind was gusting up to : steady between 15-25 knots, gusting to 35. The weather report got that right. Just not the wind direction: was supposed to be from the north, it’s from the southeast. Which is why we are mashed up against the dock. Tomorrow will be even better: gusts up to 40! The boat is vibrating, and I think the gust we are now feeling is more than 35….It’s going to be an interesting night.

Every time we have a new experience, our tolerance levels go up one more notch. Sitting in the cockpit with 25-35 knot gusts didn’t feel so scary as they once might have. The banging of the waves I could do without. We may not get much sleep tonight.

I hope we can get to New Bern by next Friday!

Well, it’s November, and we’re not in Massachusetts, but neither are we in New Bern yet. We are in the Dismal Swamp Canal and it’s beautiful.

We left Bluewater Yacht Center in Hampton River on the north side of Hampton Roads this morning around 11:30. I was glad to leave there: expensive, pump out not working, wifi requires a Beacon wifi subscription, signal was poor.  The dock hands were excellent. Anyway, we discovered that a fellow Pirate Cove Marina “resident”, from our marina in Rhode Island, was also at this marina, heading south as well.

On the way across Hampton Roads, Jack saw two dolphins! I didn’t see them, nor the one he saw a little later in our bow wave. But I took them as being a good omen for the rest of this trip through the ICW (intracoastal waterway).

Proceeding on, a warship entered the Roads, replete with accompanying helicopters and tugboats, one of which was spraying huge plumes of water in the air. A display of welcome or some sort of security screen? It was impressive. We passed many more navy ships docked along side.

I found all the boats, tugs, booms, watercraft, tankers, barges rather overwhelming. At one point, Jack needed me to take the helm, and I was very very glad to return it to him. It was so busy and industrial, with huge impressive buildings on shore.

We went under the first bridge of the ICW, a railroad bridge which is usually open, but there was a train going across. So we, along with a catamaran, another sailboat, and a couple of motor boats all milled around, fighting the wind and trying to stay out of one another’s way. Oh, and let’s not forget the huge tanker being controlled by at least three tugboats, also waiting to pass.

We had to time our travel, as the next bridge, the Gilmerton, would be opening only on the half hour. This change in it’s schedule was because of the work they are doing on it. So again, we all milled around, this time for at least 20 minutes, trying to keep out of one another’s way.

Jack and I looked at the Dismal Swamp Canal route, Route #2 as it’s called on the charts, and decided to not rush in trying to get to the Dismal Swamp Visitors’ Center today as well. We still have a lock to go through, and it opens only 4 times a day.

So we found a place to anchor before we get to the lock, right after you come from the main canal into the Dismal Swamp. Skipper Bob recommended it. It’s called Deep Creek Basin, or as the locals call it, Hole-in-the-Wall, or the Cove. I would call it paradise! It’s absolutely beautiful here.We’re the only boat here.

We came into this square manmade basin, two small fishing boats toodling around. One left almost immediately. The other kept toodling around while we dropped our anchor. Sun shining, warm enough to start peeling off layers, not too much wind, trees lining the shores with hints of paths or dirt roads to walk.

As we were dropping our anchor, in 17 feet of water, the guy in the second fishing boat caught a 16″+ fish! Then he came over to us and offered it to us! He said that he gives a fish to every sailboat that comes in. I said it was a bit big, so he took a smaller one out of a cooler and gave it to me. I casually said I’d never gutted a fish before, at which he took it back from me and filleted it for me. I now had two fillets of spotted trout for dinner.

Cooked in a frying pan in some olive oil, with some herb mix, garlic and onion flakes, wild rice and salad, dinner was magnificent. Jack tasted the fish and said “no thanks”: he’s never liked fish, but at least he tried.

After we were sure the anchor was set, I rowed Shuki to shore in the dinghy. Found a huge tree root to tie to, and got us on land. We had a lovely long walk on a dirt road going around this “pond”, as Jack calls it. Other than the noise of the traffic on the Route 64 Bridge on the other side of the canal, it’s idyllic here.

I could happily stay here for several days. Payback for all the high paced cruising we’ve been doing up until now. We haven’t done much touristing. Well, I much prefer this quiet spot.

Jack checked the fuel filter, and was dismayed to see it half full with air. He’s spent the entire evening trouble shooting , trying to find the source of the leak. Turns out, the fuel hose was old, cracking and needed replacing. My bush mechanic husband has put together a new fuel supply hose from available parts which we have onboard. Hopefully , this will solve the problem and there won’t be other leaks hiding.

Tomorrow: Deep Creek Lock .

THE BIMINI ROOF IS UP AND FINISHED. I was getting so tired of sewing the heavy canvas and maneuvering the big panel of makrolon (polycarbonate window material). But it looks great, and the view through the makrolon window is amazing: as if it’s not there. So we can see the sail and mast with no problem. When I’ve had a bit of a break from the sewing, I’ll make the connector piece roof next, also with a big window.

We met Jason and Kelly last night as they were trying to dock their new-to-them 44′ Mason. A beautiful boat. Yes, I am a bit jealous. But I’m glad we don’t have a long full keel: turns so slowly, can’t head up well. Kelly works frequently with the navy in New Bern, so we hope to see them when we get there.

I’m so glad we missed the “little snowstorm” in the NorthEast: our son in Amherst got 12 heavy wet inches and classes are canceled tomorrow. Apparently, our town of Sharon is without power. Glad I’m not there.

We are in Deltaville, VA, at a marina with power because tonight the temperature is in the 30’s. We are running a little electric heater.

I am in the process of posting pictures on our new blog.

So we hope to make Norfolk Va tomorrow. We expect to get to New Bern in about a week or two, of course weather dependent.

We are getting used to these 8-10 hour days of sailing, doing 40-60 miles each time. But it is exhausting.

Jack’s been working the whole way down. When ever we’ve been stuck because of weather, he’s working. It’s good, at least it pays for all the marinas!

We are in Solomon’s Island , Chesapeake, expecting gale force winds and snow tomorrow! We’re at a marina with shore power, have the heater running tonight. Not going anywhere tomorrow.

We are sitting in the lounge at Spring Cove Marina trying to keep warm and dry. It’s raining heavily, cold, may get some snow later: ugh. I don’t know if we will venture out, but there is a little shuttle we can use to get to stores or restaurants. Too cold and wet to walk. We hope to get to Norfolk by Monday evening, and then start heading through the ICW, finally!Jack went out to get a Dozier’s guide for the ICW, while I made thick soup with potatoes and chicken.

We’ve picked up a navy mooring in Weems Creek near Annapolis. We actually got the dink into the water and went to the little tiny boat ramp in this creek. Locked it up ( I didn’t feel too happy leaving it and the boat, there seem to be quite a few abandoned boats in this creek, don’t know why). We tried to walk into Annapolis proper, but it seemed further than we had energy for, so we picked up some Chinese take away, came back to Dror, and I’m now snuggled under the blankets in our bunk, after a nice hot shower.

Coming up the Severn River to Annapolis, we were playing “chicken” with some navy frigates, out to do some practice and maneuvers. Jack had to keep radioing them to ask what their intentions were, as they kept turning right on our bow!  Interesting.

The best part: we actually sailed today for the first time without the motor in weeks. Probably since we left the Sakonnet River. It was so lovely to not have the engine noise for a change. We only averaged around 5.5 knots, and after motor sailing up to 8 knots, it felt a bit slow. But it was so peaceful and relaxing.

From here, we’re heading to St. Michael’s on the eastern shore, we’ll probably hang out there until Thursday’s rain has passed. Then onward down the Chesapeake.

Last night we  figured we had about 400 more miles to go. And it’s getting colder. We really have to get moving further south. But I wanted to sight see in the Chesapeake a bit, I was born in Baltimore and my parents met and married here. My father used to summer on Miller’s Island as a boy, which we sailed past today.

Wearing foul weather gear, two pair of wool socks inside my deck boots, and a tightly knit wool hat, oh, and the double layer wool mittens are what keep me warm in the morning until the sun gets up and warms us up around 11 a.m.But it’s colder on the water than on land, and we have to be careful to not get too cold, it can lead to poor decisions.  Lot’s of hot chocolate, hot soup, hot tea.

We’re finding we are loosing weight, can eat what ever we want, and are getting very fit. Sometimes it’s exhausting, especially those 10-12 hour days trying to make tracks. So far, our longest day was nearly 80 miles. We haven’t yet done an overnight, more because of the dog than anything else. We can’t get him to toilet on board. He would rather wait ( his record is 35 hours) than go on board. I don’t know what would happen if we actually go offshore for several days.

One morning we wanted to leave an anchorage at first light, so I took him in the dinghy to the nearby beach in the dark. It was a very pretty harbor, and it was very interesting moving on the water in the pitch black.

I wash the dishes in the mornings after the engine’s been running for a while to heat up the water.

We’ve gotten to the point at which “small craft advisory” doesn’t faze us: we can handle 25 knot winds  (reef the main) and 3-5ft waves. That was what we had on the way down the New Jersey coast. It actually was a great day!

Jack’s been working off and on along the way. No he’s not yet retired. But his office is pretty amazing: ocean views, fresh air, lot’s of sunshine.

Wednesday:

We left Annapolis about 10:15 this morning. We knew we didn’t have too far to go, only about 25 miles to St. Michael’s on the Eastern shore, on the Miles River. It was surprisingly warm, I was ready to put on only a t-shirt, when I remembered how cold it gets on the water. Good thing I waited and kept my long sleeve shirt on. I needed that, my fleece, and eventually my foul weather jacket as well. We had to dodge a couple of frigates doing maneuvers again, but got back out into the bay, heading 180 degrees, due south.

The wind was not cooperating: it was too much on the nose. We put up the main sail to stabilize the boat, and motor sailed for a while . At some point, we were able to actually sail without the motor: bliss!

As we approached the Miles River, the rain I had been watching move south on the bay finally caught up with us. It wasn’t too heavy. But I really do need to finish sewing the bimini.

We are at a very inexpensive marina, the St. Michael’s Harbour Inn Marina. It’s nearly empty, we got off season price. I docked the boat, first time, and did a pretty darn good job!
We walked into the little quaint town, I snapped pictures as I walked. We walked through the downtown historic area, like a very small scale New Bern. Lot’s of very old houses, very well renovated.

I had to find the church that was ringing every quarter hour. It was a little past St. Mary’s square. Impressive being close when the bells rang! We can hear them at our boat, 3/4 of a mile away. At 6pm, there was a short “concert”: Michael Row your boat ashore, and a few others, played on the church’s carillon. I didn’t expect that here!

Tomorrow we hope to get to the Maritime Museum, it’s supposed to have a lot of displays and working areas.

If the weather is cooperative, we will head out Friday to Solomon’s Islands.  And maybe near Norfolk VA on Saturday! Warmer weather, here we come!!

Well, we have to make tracks for Norfolk VA, so going along the western side would make more sense. But I really wanted to see St. Michaels and it hasn’t dissappointed. We went to the Maritime Museum ( boats, what else?) this afternoon, leaving Shuki dog on the boat by himself for the first time. Even went out to lunch! He was fine when we got back, if a bit clingy.

We allotted 4-6 weeks for this trip. The weather keeps slowing us down. We are trying not to get pressured by it, but I just checked the forecast for the next several days, and would you believe that there is SNOW forecast for Saturday in one area we have to get through!! UGH. We’ll either wait, or battle on through. Gotta get south already.
I’m still working on Shuki’s sleeping bag, not making much progress. In fact, I have to go sew now.

Today was a very busy day: 2 loads of laundry, going to get my thyroid blood test done, shopping for food and diesel engine oil and toilet paper ( the important things in a boater’s life!), and entertaining my  cousins from Baltimore. Jack barbecued steaks and chicken, I made a salad. I’m exhausted!!

Going from where the boat is at the dock to the bathroom/laundry is at least an 8 minute walk, and Shuki did everyone with me. He should be good and tired tonight.

I love my cousins, haven’t seen them for 12 years, I should keep in touch with the little bit of family we do have.

I hope we’re heading to Annapolis tomorrow, St. Michael’s Wednesday, and then we’ll see. I need to check the weather for the next few days.

This living on the boat: I think I’m finally getting into the rhythm. It’s taken all this time to begin to slow down and do things at a slower pace, to stop feeling quite so pressured, though today was not a good example. I had a lot to do, still have to put the bed back together after washing the sheets, have two sinks full of dishes ( for tomorrow once the engine’s been running and making hot water). Oh , and I washed down the boat today to get the salt off.

Jack’s been working all day, and nearly the whole time we are in a marina for more than a night. I wish he could sit back and relax, but he has stuff happening which he needs to keep on top of.

I haven’t gotten too much more done on the bimini: have to attach zippers, then connect the two big pieces to one another. Not too bad, just haven’t had the right conditions or the right time. It’s too hard to work on it down below when we’re underway, I tend to get seasick if I stay down too long.

I’m going to go make the bed, and fall into it.

We got into our friend’s marina around 14:00, but it took us nearly an hour to dock and tie up: finger docks and backing in , prop wash, wind…wasn’t fun. But we’re here now and my cousins are coming for a barbecue tomorrow.

We did not particularly enjoy the Delaware: wind too close, but we did manage to motor sail at about 7+ knots for a long way, after the current changed.

This marina is entirely sailboats, all sizes, quite a few ODays as well, smaller than ours. It’s called Maryland Marina , if you want to look it up.

We hope to head out on Tuesday, maybe to Annapolis: I’ve never been there.