September 30, 2007 – October 3, 2007

Subject: Log #32 Norwalk-Sandy Hook-Cape May-Chesapeake City-Baltimore

My last log left us with no auto pilot heading down the East River.  We “hand” steered down to Sandy Hook, NJ and when we got into the harbor notified the Coast Guard boys, who were “hanging out” (our tax dollars at work!  Actually we have seen the job they do and are totally in awe of them.) that we were going to be intentionally turning in circles for a while.  They laughed.  After an hour of turning in circles Jim called Raymarine.  They had him doing all sorts of “field testing” stuff and finally decided it was the computer.  There was nothing we could do until we got to Baltimore, so we threw down the anchor, threw some pork chops on the grill and called it a night.

The next morning, hand steering all the way, we got to run the genoa (working jib) along with an engine and made Barnegut that day.  We heard the Coast Guard Barque “Eagle” departing New York but never did see it. 

That was the end of the good weather.  As we left Barnegut, I was manning the chart plotter and radar and Jim was loving “flying blind” out of a very busy harbor.  It took us 11 ½ hours to make Cape May, hand steering and on the radar all the way.  I’m not enjoying this.

After Cape May the fog only got heaver.  I thought it would lighten up when we turned into the Delaware Bay, but no, not until we were almost up to the C&D canal.  We even picked up a poor lost hitchhiker for a couple of hours.

Still foggy the next morning in Chesapeake City, but that didn’t stop us!  Oh, no.  Out again on the chart plotter and radar.  The fog did lift after we got into the Chesapeake itself.  After 5 days  of hand steering we realize how hard “Otto” works.  We have decided we’re not leaving Baltimore until the auto pilot is fixed.  We shipped it off to Raymarine Friday and they promise to have it back in less than a week.  Hum… 

We saw the “Eagle” in Baltimore and found out they took the long route to get here – down to Norfolk and up the Chesapeake as their masts are too tall for the C&D canal.  The “Eagle” is going into dry dock here and will be refitted.  They expect that to be completed in January.  Jim traded sailing stories with the crew and heard they also motored the whole way.

The “gremlins” continue attacking – the TV has now died and that company (Vizio) says 4 to 6 weeks to fix it after they get it.  The loss of television is not to bad, but I don’t think I can go 6 weeks without working out!!!!! 

Glenn, Jim’s brother, met us in Baltimore last night and we are supposed to meet old friends from Long Beach, where Jim and I met, tonight.  The Fells Point Festival is going on here and it is huge!  Much bigger than we anticipated when we made the reservations.  The town is jammed and there are several music stages.  We expect to be here at least a week, so this will be the last log for a while.

Oh, thanks for the name suggestions for our parrot.  S/he fell off her perch – actually the perch broke – but that has been fixed and s/he is proudly back up there swinging in the cockpit.  If you think of any more names, send them on!

Regards,

Roxanne, Jim, Shadow

Dawn Dancer

roxanne@farrell.fm