Done

 5/14- Swan Creek, Rock Hall

   Well it’s done, we are out of the water and resting comfortably. Due to an impending storm the guys wanted to get us in as it is easier when it’s not windy. So tonight when the wind blows the boat will not rock in the waves. I am excited about getting home as we have not been there in a year but at the same time I’m very sad to be leaving Ms Nutmeg. 

   She performed beautifully and while others around us were having numerous issues we just sailed along. It’s not that we didn’t have any breakdowns but that they were minor or came at more opportune times. The biggest problem we had was the mixing elbow which took a day to replace as soon as I had one made. We did bounce off the bottom a few times as witnessed by the lack of bottom paint on the front of the keel. But she’s big and strong there so no big deal. 

    We had to deal with living in a much smaller space also. We pared down our possessions and adjusted. We did find that we brought way too many clothes although in the fall I was wishing I had brought some warmer clothes. 

We led a somewhat simpler life although it was that we concentrated on different things. Weather for instance is a constant concern. You have to be flexible enough to change your schedule when the weather dictates it. Hide when it looks bad and run when the weather pushes you along. I am a planner and this trip provided ample opportunities to plan and then to rearrange those plans and then rearrange them again. My future was 40 hours out because I never trusted the weather reports any further than that. 

    In my near future we still have to put the boat to bed. She deserves a bit of a rest and so we have to prepare her for a summer on the hard in Maryland. I’m reasonably sure it won’t freeze this summer so I’m not doing any winterizing but instead we are preparing for heat and humidity. Sun exposure is more intense at these latitudes. 

    This is a nice boat yard with a friendly staff. I have found the eastern shore of Maryland to be one of my favorite places. The people here are friendly and the pace is considerably slower. It is well away from the hustle and bustle of the western shore. I will be glad to spend more time here. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sailing

 5/20- Boby Owl Cove, Broad Creek, Choptank River    We finally got to go sailing today. We put up the main sail and cruised out of the Wye River where I ran out the stay sail. When we made the turn to head for the Eastern Bay the wind was on the nose. We short tacked a few times before putting the motor back on to bump us around the point. Once there all three sails were up and we romped down the bay until the wind collapsed.      We had a choice here, we could continue sailing slowly and go outside of Poplar Island or turn the motor on and take the short way. We chose the motor as the wind was dying. Poplar Island is being extended with spoils from dredging operations. This inside track is a bit winding but near the southern end it gets very shallow. You have to follow a winding cut that is unmarked.     After we squeaked through there it was just a long couple of hour haul to the anchorage. This is another sweet anchorage which is kind of ...
Read more

The adventure begins

 I am sitting here on my couch in Vermont trying to remember all the stuff I will need to do to get ready for this trip. We have about a week to go and I keep wandering around the house and seeing stuff I think might be handy. If I keep this up too long the boat will not float on her water line anymore. We are simply ready to go ( I hope).  If you are following along I hope I don't bore you too much and that you enjoy our tale. Talk to you soon.
Read more

Leaks

 5/14/2025- Rock Hall MD   Well it poured last night. It was the kind of rain that made me glad I was on a boat. It was a good way to test for leaks. Boats are always springing leaks usually right where you least want them.     Boat leaks are also notoriously hard to track down. I have a porthole that leaks and despite having sealed the outside with a whole tube of caulking it still leaks. Water will come from pretty far away to spill out in the worst places. It gets under the headliner and travels down the length of the boat. I swear it leaches uphill even. I have even gone so far as to dye the water to see if I could figure out where it was coming from.     Well this porthole of mine that has the notorious leak was in perfect form this morning. As the rain crashed down outside the leak magnified and dropped a deluge right on my face. It was almost like taking a quick morning shower. I decided to just get up when it filled my mouth up with water....
Read more