Further Adventures Of SV Nutmeg

 5/31- Georgetown MD   I have been chasing this leak in our boat since she was put in the water and maybe even some before. It is a salt water leak and that can only come from so many places. It turns out yesterday I was poking around while underway and I discovered where the leak was. The stuffing box to my rudder spit water while underway. Great I thought that’s an easy fix. Ha ha!!    Well today I undertook that task and it did not go well. You must understand that the odds on anyone touching this stuffing box since it was installed 40 years ago is slim. So I tried to break the nut free and the whole rubber tube turned. This might not have been so bad except that now water was pouring in around the rubber tube. Of course the hose clamp broke the minute I tried to turn it. In a bit of good fortune they have a pretty good marine store right here so off I went while leaving Alayne to man the pump. I got back to the boat with a good T-type hose clamp but it turned out...

 5/30- Georgetown MD    We cruised out to some fog this morning but it was no big deal to us experienced Maine sailors. Actually you could see about a mile and a half which is all you really need. We left early in order to catch the flood current heading up the bay. It was great we averaged over 6.5 knots the whole way doing 7 knots a good deal of the time. The ebb turned just as we were a 1/2 mile short of the Sassafras River. If I hadn’t let Alayne have that cup of coffee we would have made it no problem.      With the predicted storm approaching we had decided to head out to an anchorage a ways up the Sassafras. I had contacted a marina there a couple of days ago about a mooring but I had never heard back from them. On a whim I decided to call them and sure enough they had a mooring available. And it was cheap being only $25 a night       The storm tonight is supposed to have some very strong winds. The whole bay has been really calm all d...

 5/29- Swan Creek Marina, Rock Hall MD   Well the rain finally cleared off last night though it left plenty of clouds and fog behind. We hung around to wait for some fuel and then took off. It kept looking like we could sail but no luck.     The day turned nice as we got back to Swan Creek and took a mooring. We did a bunch of boat chores and I rode one of the marinas bikes into town to do some provisioning. They have been doing some work on this marina and we got to enjoy the new boaters lounge. It is really nice and when I first walked in I thought I was mistakenly in somebody’s apartment. They have lots of nice furniture and games but most of all they have free laundry.      We had been planning to head up to Worton Creek tomorrow but the wind forecast has changed that. The wind is supposed to blow big out of the west which is right in the mouth of the creek. The biggest problem is that it is supposed to happen at 2am in the dark. Thanks but I’...

 5/28- Annapolis MD    The rain started well before we were awake. In fact I didn’t even want to get up after hearing the rain pounding on the boat. The wind was howling also and the boat was dancing like a drop of water on a hot skillet. The mooring lines squawked with every wave that rolled through. It was the kind of morning you dreamed about — NOT.     It continued to hose down the neighborhood for most of the morning. By around 1pm I  checked the radar and it said the rain was ending. So I put the battery on the motor and went to shore. I was looking for a few things from West Marine. I think it’s sad that in a place that calls itself the center of sailing it takes an uber drive to get to a marine store. It’s the same thing with a grocery store. How are people on all these sailboats supposed to get basic supplies without a car. I did check out the bus system but I would have to transfer twice to get there and I struggled to figure out their system...

 5/27- Annapolis MD    We tried to beat the sun up this morning but it was a little too quick for us. We were making a run all the way up to Annapolis to try and outrun the storm that is coming so we left pretty early. We caught the ebbing tide out of the Choptank but once we turned that corner the ebb tide fought us the whole rest of the way. At least it was dead calm for most of the way.     Once again no sooner had we tied up to the mooring and it started to rain. It was just a light rain and it just got everything wet. We did decide to go out to eat tonight so we walked around a bit and settled on a restaurant. This was one of the best crab cakes I have had. It was mostly crab with very little filler.     The wind has already turned east and is predicted to increase through the night and rain all day tomorrow. Due to the wind direction this may be a bumpy anchorage tomorrow. 

 5/26- Trippe Creek    This morning was as calm as I think I’ve ever seen. The water was like a mirror. Just moving on the boat caused ripples in the water. That was all fine until later in the afternoon when the sun came out. It was like a switch when the sun popped out so did the water skiers. Round and round they went. Sometimes I was afraid they would cross their ropes. It only lasted a couple of hours so it was fine.     We had talked about moving nearer to Oxford and maybe exploring the town. When we actually got down to it though we decided to stay put. This is a pretty anchorage and the town would not have anything we wanted.      So we got down to doing boat chores in between naps. We cleaned the deck and put a coat of wax on some of the fiberglass. Basically we were doing things to make it seem like we earned the next nap. 

 5/25- Trippe Creek, Tred Avon River , Oxford MD    What was supposed to be an easy departure didn’t go so well. We were preening ourselves because of the way we backed the boat into the slip theoretically making it a piece of cake to leave. We even called the marina guys over to help us and it still got all screwed up. As we left the slip the wind blew the bow down and we couldn’t turn enough to head into the wind so we tried to reverse and of course that just made it worse. After bouncing back and forth while sliding down the slipway we finally got the bow around and got out of there. The marina guys are probably having a pretty good laugh about it.      To make our day even better we got out to the first buoy and promptly ran aground. 2000 miles we sailed to Florida and back and here we run aground. Fortunately it was good old Maryland mud and Mr Perkins got his dander up and pushed us off.      We motored up past Oxford to a nice anchorag...

 5/24- Cambridge MD   The municipal marina here is a very nicely run marina. The staff really care about you and the place is clean and well maintained. That being said I have a few gripes. There have always been lights on docks which I’m sure are for safety but the one that is directly over our cockpit is like a miniature sun. I’m pretty sure the solar panel is producing electricity all night long. I swear you could get a tan from this light.      The other thing about this place is how far the bathroom is. It has to be a half mile walk to get to the shower building. I mean it is a great way to get your steps in but after a weekend of having to walk a half mile every time you leave the boat it gets old.      I don’t mean to a whiner as I really like this place and think they do a great job.     We walked into town this morning and just meandered through the downtown. There are some beautiful old buildings just off the docks. There ...

 5/23- Cambridge MD    We got a lot of boat chores done this morning. We did mundane stuff like laundry and filling water tanks as well as the real exciting chores like changing fuel filters. I always am reluctant to change this filter because it’s about 50/50 if the motor will start afterwards. Then I have to go through and bleed it all over again. This was a time when it failed to start. However after cracking an injector it fired right up. It’s always a relief to have that chore done.     In the afternoon we went out for lunch with my old college roommate and his wife. We drove around a bit and saw Suicide Bridge. We stop and talked with a waterman who was baiting his trap line for crabbing tomorrow. I like the term waterman as it covers all the people who make their living on the water. It is a tough place to make your living and whether you are a crabber or lobsterman or an oyster man working on the water molds your life like no other venue.  ...

 5/22- Cambridge MD    We left this morning in a misting sort of rain. It  covered the dodger windows in a minute but it never showed rain on the water. We motored a short 15 miles through this cloud to get to Cambridge.      Anyone who knows anything about Cape Dorys knows that reverse is a crap shoot. You can practice reversing all you want but when we put this boat in reverse it’s like flipping a coin. Anyway when we called the marina for our slip assignment he said just back it in. To which I laughed but we thought why not give it a try. The guy from the marina was there and he talked us through it and was very helpful. I think that was the first time we backed into a slip!     We met up with some friends and went over to the yacht club for happy hour. As we are sitting at the bar we look out and there is a big thunderstorm raging over the marina. It poured and then hailed. This is just great weather we are having ?!? It snowed in Vermont...

 5/21- Boby Owl Cove    Yep we barely budged all day. I did manage to get up on deck once or twice but otherwise we just hung out on the boat. I probably should have done something more productive but , well, I didn’t.      We did find a couple of more leaks that I can spend the next couple of years trying to find where they are coming from. That’s just the sort of games we play in the rain.       Yesterday we traveled 35 miles and we ended up only about 5 miles from where we started. These islands and peninsulas are so convoluted that your head will spin. I can only imagine trying to drive to some of these houses on shore. It would take the better part of an hour just to get to the bridge. It does make for a plethora of fine anchorages though.      When will this rain stop. This spring has been terrible weatherwise. There is even the threat of snow back home in VT. I think the solar flares that cause the northern lights a...

 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 ...

 5/19- Divide Creek MD      Today was a welcome relief from the chaos of yesterday. We just hung out here and did a bunch of chores that needed doing. It was a very nice day with blue bird skies and cooler temperatures. We even managed a couple of well over due naps.       In the afternoon we dinghied in and went for a hike. We walked through this old growth forest that had just the most amazing old oak trees. These trees were massive, towering over us and humbling us. We did see a snake swimming through the water which got Alayne a little excited. We also saw what someone called a cow nosed skate. It is some sort of manta ray type animal. The best part though was back on the boat and we looked up to see a pair of bald eagles sitting together on a branch just above the boat. Not much else happened today which is a good thing.       Wireless reception has been spotty here and so I will post this hopefully in the morning. 

 5/18- Divide Creek, Wye Island MD   The forecast was for some big winds today. The folks on the dock were scattering first thing this morning trying to beat the blast. We were the last one to leave the dock and of course with the wind it was now a struggle. I manage to lasso the boat and we eventually got off the dock with me on the boat. Alayne did a great job backing her up and away we went.     It wasn’t too bad until we got near the Eastern Channel and then the wind was pretty much on the nose. We pounded through the waves and managed to cover the boat in salt.     We were headed for the Wye River when I noticed that our speed was cut in half. I didn’t think the waves were big enough to slow us down so I looked around and what do I find? The dinghy has flipped over and is acting like a big anchor. After struggling to right it I stopped the boat and pulled it up to the stern. The suction made it hard but once I got a corner above the water it ...

 5/17- St Michaels MD    The day started off with a blast. Today was the city run day. There was a 1/2 marathon, a 7K, and a 5K all before noon. The band (yes live band) started playing at 7am. Imagine waking up to Freebird and you’ll know how my day started.     The Cape Dorian’s got together and listened to a couple of presentations by other Cape Dorian’s about trips they have taken. It was more interesting than it might sound. We then had people come over to our boat and visit. People were climbing all over measuring things and generally asking questions. We then went and repeated the process on all the other boats. It was a fun day and we met some very interesting folks.      After a quick walk in town we met for dinner at a local bar where we chatted up all our new friends. Then it was back to the boats for more of the same. It’s kind of too bad that we may never see some of these people for a long time if ever.  The second annual C...

 5/16- St Michaels MD    We left early to try and escape the heat so we got to St Mikes around noon. There was very little wind so we motored the whole way. We tied up to the dock at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum along with a bunch of other Cape Dorys. This is the weekend of our rally.     It was blisteringly hot and humid. I now understand why people here have air conditioners on their boats. We chatted with fellow CD cruisers for a while then went back to the boat before we melted.      We all went to dinner at the Crab Claw a restaurant right next to the museum. Initially we were seated outside but then the threatening weather made us move the whole party inside. Fortunately the restaurant was very good about this. When the storm finally hit it was a doozy. 50-60mph winds and torrential downpours. All while we sat in air conditioned comfort watching tents blow away and water splatter the windows.     It was considerably...

 5/15- Annapolis MD    We headed off this morning into the fog. We still had over a mile of visibility so it wasn’t too bad. We thought we might be able to sail a bit and even ran the main up but there was just no wind. We tooled along crossing under the Bay Bridge and into Annapolis where we picked up a mooring. It was a case of some exquisite timing as just as we tied up the clouds opened and it poured for about 20 minutes      We strolled into town and walked into some different neighborhoods. We tend to avoid the overcrowded main streets and we ambled down some beautiful old back streets. A thought occurred to me as we saw plenty of buildings on the historical registry. I wonder if Ben Franklin and others of his era would have had buildings that they sought to preserve as historic?     We found Annapolis to be too crowded and it had too many stores selling stuff I neither afford nor want. It was kind of fun though to sit back and people w...

 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....

 4/13- Rock Hall MD    Well here we go again. After spending the winter navigating the asphalt rivers of the western US we are back here in Rock Hall. SVNutmeg was launched today in the middle of a day long rain storm. After changing a filter or two the motor fired right up from its year long slumber. We spent a lot of time today organizing and finding where everything goes and just plain finding what we have here. Even the dinghy was filled and it held air despite being ignored for a season. We are finding things that don’t work but they are mostly minor and there’s not many of them.     It is interesting though that after a year away we now must get back into the rhythm of things on a boat. Like in the rv weather was just not that important but here it surely is. I have to find all the weather apps I used and remember how to use them. Just climbing up and down the ladder is tiring as we are not in shape for this. We went provisioning today so now I have t...