Log #33 – Baltimore, MD – Rock Hall, MD – Annapolis,MD  October 5-October 16, 2007

 

Things are looking up.  Raymarine took one look at the auto pilot computer and said it was “fried”.  The “looking up” part is they had a re-built one in stock and they threw in a new remote station for in the cockpit.  This is an upgrade and gives all sorts of neat information.  We felt confident in getting a re-built unit from them as, in our experience – which we now consider extensive – they do very reliable work.  Jim installed that with only minor issues – the unit is a little larger than the old one, and when we got out in Baltimore Harbor and turned in circles (in front of the fire boats showing off their water spouts) it grabbed immediately with only a 3o deviation (the old one was showing 50o).  Thank goodness we don’t have to move the washer/dryer or the compass!

 

While there are no signs of a direct hit, we are thinking lightening may have hit close to us in New Haven Harbor given the number of electronic failures we have had.  The radar was acting up last spring, so we can’t blame that failure on it, but the auto pilot computer, the regulator (something to do with the batteries) and the TV all could have been affected.  We don’t know about the fridge and freezer as we took them out and put in new ones without ever turning them on.  The radios (knock on wood), both the VHF and the SSB, seem to be working fine, but we have heard that lightening is fickle and will effect one thing and leave the thing next to it fine. 

 

On Monday, October 8 we rented a car and drove down to Annapolis from Baltimore to the boat show.  We have been there during boat show time with the boat in the past and it is such a zoo trying to anchor that we decided to just drive down this year.  We stopped by the Defender booth, the best in the world marine supply store located in Waterford, CT and saw Ken, the owner.  We teased him a little about the freezer we bought from him (We had already seen the Isotherm guy and they are going to repair/replace it when we get to Ft. Lauderdale) and, for our trouble, he handed us a duffle bag made by a foul weather gear maker!  Nice guy!  (Of course that makes up for us not winning a door prize this year.  Two years ago we won a hand held GPS)  We also bought $450 worth of charts for the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Caribbean from the Map Tec guy, Mark Tag, who was in Defender’s booth.   When we got back to the boat and I tried to install the software, the first chart was missing its disk.  I called Map Tec and they gave me Mark’s cell phone number (can you believe that??) and I left 2 messages for him.  The next day I called my buddy Ken at Defender.  Well, within hours I heard from Mark – he was overnighting me the disk for all of the Bahamas, not just the one I was missing.  The next day I heard from Ken and was able to tell him Mark had contacted me.  Nice follow-up!  Well, when I got the package from Mark, not only was there the charts, but also the souped up version of the program (worth $500 itself) to run the charts!  Thank you Mark!  We aren’t sure he knows that it was in there, but, thanks Mark! 

 

At the boat show we also got a chance to see Peter Dean again, the designer/builder of our boat.  We feel that we are really close friends as Jim has contacted him so many times and he has been so responsive.  I mean, within hours of losing the rudder last spring he was making a replacement so Jim could have it shipped to Beaufort, NC to be installed.  What a guy. 

 

We also got a chance to see the folks at Sailrite, from whom we bought the sail-maker sewing machine last spring.  I had followed their directions (they also have great back-up and on-line help and directions on how to make and repair anything) for replacing the plastipane and stratoglass in the cockpit enclosure, but, true to our luck this year, when we went to install them they didn’t fit.  Usually the problem people experience is that the frame material (sunbrella) stretches and the enclosures are too bit.  But not me!  Oh, no! Mine shrank and were too small!!!   The guys at the boat show were incredulous.  I took careful pictures and, with panels in hand, we drove to their store in Annapolis the next day to confer with Dan, the guy who sold me the machine.  He thinks I might have had the tension on the machine too tight (I checked when we got back and it wasn’t) but other than that had no idea how this could have happened.  I figured I was going to have to hire someone to make all new enclosures, but Dan said no, just take some more sunbrella and insert enough fabric on the ends to make these fit.  (Of course, the easy fix!)  I did that on Wednesday while Jim was on a business trip and yea! it worked!  We now have an enclosed cockpit again. 

 

That was the same day I got to sit on the boat, glass of congratulatory wine in hand, and watch the mock schooner battle.  It was really neat.  They had cannons they fired and everything.  They were making such short, sharp turns that I was sure they were using engines even though there was a lot of yelling of orders about sails going on, but it seems that that would kind of defeat the purpose of a mock battle, wouldn’t it?  If they were – shame on them.  If they weren’t - kudos on some really awesome sailing.  Shadow, as everywhere, jumps ship in Baltimore every night, but they have gated docks so she can’t get out.  She’s always back in the morning when we get up.

 

Jim continued his battle with Vizio about the TV.  They we supposed to send a box to the marina in Baltimore and have it waiting for us to send back the TV for warranty service – which would take 4 weeks.  A week later the box still hadn’t come in.  After many phone calls it was determined the box was sent to the wrong address.  Jim told them to have UPS hold it at their place and we would go pick it up.  Vizio’s shipping department gave us the address and I spelled it back to her “B as in boy…” twice.  When he went on line the next day to get directions, nope, no Bero St.  Found out it was Vero St.  Okay, so English isn’t her first language.  In the meantime, since we had to drive back to Annapolis we decided to stop at Costco in New Bernie on the way and see if they would do anything for us.  “Well,” said the manager behind the counter, “I can’t exchange TV’s with you, but what I can do is refund your money for that TV (we had the receipt) and you can buy a new one.”  What??? That easy????  Whatta woman!  And now they’re $20 less than when we bought it last December!  Gotta love it!  So, now picture us in the parking lot pulling the new one out of the box and replacing It…whoops, need a screwdriver to take off the stand so we can return that on the old one…trip to Home Depot to buy screw driver…back to Costco, put old TV and all new parts (had left old parts on boat – too far to drive back to make entire exchange) into new box and take up to desk.  Then they had to check to see that it was the right TV (so a 32” TV would fit in a 20” TV box??? We were buying/returning the smallest one they made!) and voila! They gave us back our money.  Jim left an ever so polite message on the voicemail of the guy at Vizio.  You all know Jim, right?

 

We also made a trip to the Baltimore West Marine – the only store in the whole world – that I’ve been to so far – that carries regular weight sailing gloves with all the fingers.  Usually you can get them with all the fingers cut off or the thumb and index finger cut off, but not all the fingers on.  Now, I may be the chick that readily goes up the mast or down in the anchor chain locker that is too small for Jim, or back in the hidy-hole that has the electronics for the auto pilot, but, please, one does like to have nice nails!  West Marine does not show the gloves in their catalog, but if you want some, ask for Item #5297841 (that’s small, but they have all sizes) and I got them at the West Marine, 2700 Lighthouse Pt., Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21224 410-563-8905.  (They said they’d mail them anywhere.)  By the way, I bought their last 2 pair, but they said they’ll be getting more.  ($19.99 ea.)  If you’re a sailing woman, you’ll know how important these gloves are!

 

So with most everything on the boat repaired and after a trip to York, PA to visit Jim’s mom, we finally pulled out of Baltimore on Monday, October 15 for the 4 ½ hour drive to Rock Hall, MD.  Drive?  Did I say drive?  Of course, there was little wind (5 knots) and that was only 20o off the bow, so no sailing.  We had read about Rock Hall in Lats & Atts Magazine and what a great place it was to stop, so decided to try it.  They said to pull up to Waterman’s Crab House for free docking if you ate dinner there with an overnight included – first come, first served.  Well, that’s not quite true.  Try $.75 a foot.  Skipper Bob, however said “Free dockage at the bulkhead – just tie up.”  Okay, we’ll take that.  By the way, the Skipper Bob books are a necessity to any cruiser.  We have “Anchorages along the  Intercoastal” and although we  can’t use the ICW itself (our mast is 68’ and the bridges are 65’ – it could get ugly) the book gives all the neat anchorages and stops and tells you things like zip codes, where to walk your dog (cats walk themselves – gotta love a cat!) etc.  There was a guy with, I assume, his granddaughter sporting a very long blond going grey pony tail – the guy, not the little girl - walking by who said, “Oh sure – just tie up.  Everyone does.”  Well, with that authority on our side, tie up we did.  And we barely got the lines in place before Shadow jumped ship for the night to check out the town (cat-about?).  “Don’t forget where we parked!”  We walked over to Waterman’s Crab House, the biggest and only lit up restaurant in the harbor, to see if they had the Giants game.  “Oh,” said the owner, “that’s awfully late.  We won’t be open for that.”  (What? Did we step off the planet?  Not open for Monday Night Football?)  “Wait,” said the little waitress, “go 3 blocks to town and try the Main Street Bar & Grill.  They have Monday night pool so they’ll be open.” Okay.  But the 3 blocks turned into a mile, and I wasn’t wearing hiking shoes.  Nonetheless, on we went.  Now this was, well there is no other way to describe it, a pool hall.  A smoky pool hall.  That had a big screen TV with the Giants game and the WORLD’S BEST steamed crabs.  Absolutely put St. Michaels to shame.  We could only eat 2 each they were so big and they had wonderful garlic butter to dunk it in.  The bar was owned by a young guy who had his mom and girlfriend working for him as they are the only people he trusts not to steal from him.  Unfortunately, I was coming down with a cold and Jim walked me back to the boat at half time (whatta gentleman) so I didn’t get to see the final part of the Giants whipping Atlanta, nor the stories at the bar that involved some guy running into his pick-up with a used fire engine he had just bought.  (Didn’t make sense to me either, but then no one at that bar made sense.  Kinda like out of the movies, well, one particular movie.)

 

So, humming the theme from Deliverance, we pulled out of Rock Hall the next morning and drove over to Annapolis.  Here, Skipper Bob says there is a “back door” to Annapolis called Weems Creek that has a bunch of moorings planted by the Navy.  Anyone can use them on a first come, first serve basis unless there is a big storm coming, then the Navy wants them back for their boats.  Okay, no storm in the offing so we went under the 75’ bridge (hold your breath – that looks awfully close to our 68’ mast!) and picked up a Navy mooring that says in BIG red letters:  Private Property of the US Navy – No Trespassing.  Didn’t stop us! Nope!  Picked up that mooring and settled in for the night.  After all, the flimsy Skipper Bob book said it was okay! 

 

Among our never-ending list of repairs was the back awning that had separated from the back target wing during a storm last week.  We were in the process of re-connecting it with wire ties when the Navy sculling team came by, shirtless.  Needless to say I was a little distracted with all that eye candy going by.  Where’s a camera when you need one?  Jim was appalled that the crew master told them to turn LEFT not to the PORT.  Maybe they’re new guys and don’t know port and starboard?  Anyway, we were in the process of re-rolling and strapping the awning to the target wing when Jim dropped one of the Velcro straps overboard.  He laid down on the deck to retrieve it and…over-stretched his reach…and…yes, folks…he fell in. (Giggle)  Now, he has a big story about how I not only didn’t catch him (like I could!) and probably pushed him (no, I didn’t), but I want you to know that I did try.  (Giggle) There just wasn’t anything to grab! (Giggle) He was gone!  (Giggle) And with him his wallet and yes, his phone.  That necessitated a 3.5 mile walk the next day (we took the bus back – remember I was sick!) to Verizon for him to buy a new phone.  Of course, on the way back we just had to stop at Lemongrass, a great Thai restaurant!  In the meantime, although the Navy never came to see us, a couple of other people mentioned that the Navy had been around that morning telling people to vacate the moorings. (We did wonder why all the moorings were empty and people were anchored all over!)   Since Jim was leaving town on Thursday to head up to CT to pull the docks behind our house and do our NHYC work day, the next morning we moved over to the main Annapolis moorings and Shadow and I are hanging here until Jim returns on Saturday or Sunday.

 

Then we’ll be going….which way is the wind blowing???  Better be from the north!

 

Regards,

Roxanne, Jim, Shadow

Dawn Dancer

roxanne@farrell.fm