09/02/2009
We did it! Arrived in Baltimore around 12:30, just the right time to go to Mama's on the Half Shell for lunch. Curlew looks beautiful, albeit a bit dirty on the outside from the weather and sitting in the slip. Thierry has a spring in his step that I haven't seen in a while. Even the moon will be full for us when we take Curlew out for a few days on the Bay. We picked up wine and beer, will get food on board tomorrow (you see we have our priorities straight), and hope to head out by noon. We'll join friends in Swan Creek (Rock Hall area) that evening then see where the wind takes us. During the weekend, we hope to raft up with two other boats - it should be a fun time.
This morning I went for another Neupogen shot (to build the white blood cells). It was a good thing I telephoned the oncologist office yesterday to ask if a) they got the results of my blood work and b) if I needed to come in. When I later spoke with the PA she did confirm that running a fever is a side effect of the drug. So, I have been popping Tylenol all day - so far (at 9:55 p.m.) I am still feeling pretty good, and report a normal temperature. I also learned that three shots of Neupogen is a standard regimen.
My wonderful neighbors, Barbara and Doris, both brought over care packages on Monday. Barbara makes the most incredible chicken soup which will feed us for a couple of days. Doris made egg parm (one of my favorites) and included some fresh veggies. All this after my sister and our friend Joan brought dinner (and my parents) over on Sunday. The Sunday dinner at mom's came to our house. Lauren and Mike pitched in - it was great to have everyone around.
Well, Thierry is hoping that the boat isn't too fouled with barnacles and the prop isn't too clogged up so we can get the boat out of the slip tomorrow. I'm off to get a good night's rest and am looking forward to a great couple of days. I hope you all enjoy as well.
(This post was taken from Mary's blog "A Day in Mary's Life".)
| Summer 2009 |
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06/17/2009, Baltimore, MD
CURLEW and her equipment needed some TLC after our trip to the Bahamas. I went back to Baltimore on Monday, with a long list of things to do. It so happened that Wilbert Quesada, who used to work for the Cabo Rico factory in Costa Rica, was in the US, and I "invited" him to spend some time on CURLEW to take care of the woodwork below decks, and some gel coat crazing on deck. Here is a picture of Wilbert at work.
Tuesday I prepared the caprail to touch-up some minor scratches that we incurred since I "cetoled" the caprail in Beaufort, SC.
Next I put a new tire on my folding bike,
and put another patch on the air floor of the Avon dinghy. We'll see how long this lasts. This dinghy has given me more grief than any of the Avons I've owned before. I firmly believe that the quality has suffered since Avon was bought by Zodiac.
I also was going to end-for-end the anchor chain. One section starts to rust, and I was going to treat this section with Ospho, to remove or bind the rust, and then reverse the chain. Unfortunately it is raining today, and this project has to be postponed to a later date.
| Summer 2009 |
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05/20/2009, Baltimore, MD
Our trip on CURLEW started on 11/1/2008. We returned to Philadelphia for the holidays on 12/15 and we went back to CURLEW in Florida on 1/26/2009. CURLEW was back in Baltimore on 5/19/2009. The entire trip lasted 158 days.
We were 428 hours underway and put 2,596 nm on the log. We ran the engine for 262 hours, which includes some motorsailing, but most of this was spent under power on the Intra Coastal Waterway. Also, we ran the engine 21 hours purely for battery charging and running the water heater. In addition, we ran the Honda generator a total of 83 hours for charging and water heating.
No real mishaps, only small things, such as constant problems with a leaking dinghy (Avon, I would never buy one again), a burned out alternator, a small tear in the mainsail and one grounding (both happened in the last few days on the Chesapeake Bay).
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/19/2009, Baltimore, MD
CURLEW is back in her slip in Baltimore. Yesterday I stayed in Weems Creek, to wait out a predicted strong cold front, that, in the end, did not have much of a punch. Anyway, there is always something to do on a boat, and I used the time to move the remote control for the autopilot from the cockpit (where it did not do much good, as it was too close to he main control unit at the wheel) to the chart table. Now I can steer the boat both from the cockpit, the chart table and from the companion way. This was a project that had been on the "to-do list" for 5 years or so. Finally done. Very satisfying. This morning I left Weems Creek around 0900 for the short trip to Baltimore, and I was lucky that I left early, because the Severn was about to be closed for the Blue Angel air show rehearsal The trip to Baltimore was entirely under power, and uneventful. Good to be back (Or is it?).
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/16/2009, Weems Creek, MD
We left Solomons at 0800, with little wind and low clouds. The forecast was for 10/15 knot winds from the south. They did not materialize until noon, when I turned off the engine. The first part of the trip I saw very few sailboats, but I had to dodge numerous small fishing boats. The spring fishing season must have started. Approaching Annapolis there were sailboats everywhere, including a few races. I can't remember the last time I saw so many boats. Unnerving, almost. Passing Thomas Point lighthouse (picture) felt almost like coming home. At 1500 I picked up an empty Naval Academy mooring in Weems Creek. We will stay here until the predicted strong cold front has passed. Nice opportunity to re-visit Annapolis. Then back to the marina in Baltimore.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/14/2009, Solomons, MD
It almost gets boring: another perfect sailing day for CURLEW, with plenty (may be even a little too much) wind from the right direction. We left Fishing Bay at 0700 and were under sail at 0750. The wind was from the south, at around 18 knots. After a few sail changes, especially after the wind had picked up to 20 and 25 knots, with some stronger gusts thrown in to keep things interesting, we arrived in Solomons at 1600. The anchor would not hold in the first anchorage, in Back Creek, so we moved to Mill Creek, where we dropped anchor at 1700. After I cleaned up on deck, and put the cover on the mainsail, it was time for a well-deserved beer.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/13/2009, Fishing Bay, VA
Mary left CURLEW this morning to take the train to Philadelphia. After Mary left I got the dinghy on deck and raised anchor at 1030. Once outside the Hampton River I set the mainsail and the genoa, and with an 8 knot breeze from the east CURLEW was sailing north at 4 knots. Around 1300 the wind shifted to the SE and increased to 18/20 knots and our speed picked up to 8 knots or more. Wonderful sailing. I decided to go to Deltaville, a distance of about 40 miles. Once we had rounded the Wolf Trap lighthouse I put the genoa on the pole to starboard and we continued on our way to Deltaville. Deltaville has a narrow entrance channel with a few sharp turns. It also has a reputation to be shallow. However, the pilot books indicate a minimum depth of 8 feet. CURLEW draws 6 feet, so there should be ample water, or so I thought. Before we even reached the first turn I saw the depth decreasing rapidly, and we ran hard aground. Generally, running aground is no fun. But when you are single-handed and on a lee shore and the tide is falling, you are in real trouble. It took me 30 minutes to get off. I still don't know how I did it, except I followed my principle of getting off the way you came on. Behind me I noticed COOYA heading towards Deltaville. We had met Mike, the owner of COOYA in Belhaven. We spoke briefly on the VHF and, after I finally got myself back into deeper water, he decided to follow me to the nearby anchorage of Fishing Creek. Once we were anchored Mike invited me aboard COOYA (picture) for a beer. He was grateful that I saved him a potential grounding! I ended up staying for dinner, with Mike and his crew Therese (sp?) and Mike II. All in all, a lovely evening after an eventful afternoon.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/13/2009, Philadelphia
I'm sitting here at our condo in Philadelphia with my feet up on the couch with the computer in my lap. It is nice to be home, but have to admit, I'm thinking of Thierry on Curlew. I came home to get ready for Lauren's wedding while Thierry brings the boat up to Baltimore. I am sure he is enjoying the quiet time with his other girl!
We both thoroughly enjoyed the Star Trek movie. I thought they did a phenomenal job. The characters were pretty much dead on (as younger versions of the originals), the dialog was quippy, and the story was good. Even Thierry liked it - and he was not familiar with the orginial series or the movies that came later. After the movie, we met up with the crew from Thalia and their friends Tammy and Mike who are sailing on a 34' catamaran. We had drinks and snacks at Tabby's (I think that was the name). They have a substantial beer selection - everyone had fun trying different brews.
I caught the 9:10 train out of Newport News this morning, and got in to Philadelphia, on time, at 3:55. Lauren picked me up, and we had dinner, along with my sister at one of our favorite spots, Radicchio. It is good to be back.
I tried calling Thierry a few times. He finally called back and told me that he was anchored in Fishing Bay, VA, near Deltaville. He had a great sail from Hampton, arriving around 6:30. Unfortunately, he ran aground on a falling tide. After about a half hour, he was able to get himself off. He ended the day on a good note, however, catching up with Mike on Cooya. He'll fill in the rest of the story when he has an internet connection.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/12/2009, Hampton VA
We used the lay-over day in Coinjock to do engine maintenance (oil and filter change). Today we left early, again, for the trip to Hampton, VA. It was very windy, again, but this time on the nose. This trip involved going through Norfolk, with 6 bridges and one lock to deal with. Most bridges are on a schedule (closed at morning and afternoon rush hours, and opening only once or twice an hour outside rush hour). We missed one bridge, and that caused us to miss the next scheduled opening of the Great Bridge lock.
from Mary: It always amazes me to watch the dance that the boats do while waiting for the bridge to open. We were waiting along with 8-10 other boats of varying types, shapes and sizes - many very large. Unlike an auto, boats can't just stop - they move with the current and are impacted by the wind, which can spin you around if it catches your bow. You are also limited in space not only by the width of the canal, but also by depth, channel markers and barges or other vessels that are moored alongside the waterway. Some boaters are impatient, so they try to push their way closer to the bridge, without concern for you or space limitations. It rattles me so much some times, that I have to keep myself busy so I don't look to see what's going on. Thierry is always perfectly calm, and handles the boat like I would my car. It is second nature to him. (note from Thierry: you should see the Dutch in Holland in such a situation: by comparison, the Americans are very well behaved!)
We are now anchored in Hampton, VA, next to Thalia. This afternoon we are going to the IMAX theater to see the new Startrek movie.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/09/2009, Coinjock, NC
We left Belhaven at 0600, at daybreak. It turned out a very windy day. We had the genoa up on the Pungo river, but by the time we got to the Alligator river the wind had increased and we saw gusts of over 30 knots. We furled the genoa and set the smaller staysail instead. Fortunately the wind was from the south-west, and we were travelling in a northerly direction. There is an old swing bridge crossing the Alligator river, which does not open in sustained winds of 35 knots and higher. We were lucky that the winds did not get that strong, or we would have been stuck in the unattractive Alligator river, which has no protected anchorages. Crossing the Albemarle Sound was a bumpy affair. This stretch of water is large but shallow, and kicks up a nasty steep swell in strong winds. Mary did not like it. When we got to Coinjock they told us the Gilmerton railroad bridge in Norfolk would be closed to traffic all day Sunday. So we decided to stay in Coinjock and leave for Norfolk/Hampton tomorrow. We had an OK dinner ashore and went to bed early after a long day underway.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/08/2009, Belhaven, NC
We first stopped in Belhaven two years ago when heading south. It was a blustery, rainy day, and we stopped early in the day to wait out the weather, never getting off the boat. Since then, I have read a bit about the town in cruising guides, and have wanted to return. We decided to take a half day and explore.
A half day was too much time, however. The town has seen better days, with many closed stores, and very little of interest to see. There are some charming houses along the waterfront, a drug store, and hardware store. One shop I wanted to find was Wine and Words (www.wineandwords.biz). We had visited their store in Washington and found two very nice wines (highly rated by the wine "experts"). We picked up a Spanish garnacha, Garnacha de Fuego, Old Vines 2006 for $9.95 (wonderful!) and a 2007 Jumilla from Luzon for $10.75 (which we have yet to try).
The Wine & Words in Belhaven not only has an interesting wine (and beer) selection for its size, but they also have a cafe called Back Bay Cafe. They proudly display a sign that says they offer offer 50 wines for under $12.00. W&W is owned and operated by James McKelvey and his wife, who is also the chef. We each had a beer while browsing the book and eclectic cd selection. Many of the books and cd's are used (but in very good shape). I found a cd of Astor Piazzolla songs and later picked up a Heath Brothers cd. After taking a look at the menu and hearing about the dinner specials, we decided to return later that evening.
James features a selection of reds and whites at dinner (at a reduced price). But one of the special features of dining here is that you can pick out a bottle from the store, and for a $4.00 corking fee, sample a bottle that would be double or triple the price at another restaurant. James is very knowledgeable about his collection and made wonderful recommendations. We selected a 2006 Agentinian cabernet sauvignon from Bodega Catena Zapata which sold for $17.80. It was delicious - if you can use that term to descibe a wine - and we bought two to go.
Dinner was wonderful, and Chef Yvonne came out and spoke with us (as well as their other diners). She is from England and lived in several places before settling in Belhaven.
We recognized another diner who came into the anchorage earlier that day. Mike, from Cooya, came to our table to chat for a bit. He is from Scotland (originally from England), and sails a yawl designed by Linton Hope, and built from Burma teak in 1914 in Brightlingsea, England. He has owned the boat since 1973.
All in all, we had a wonderful visit to Belhaven. If for no other reason, boaters should make this a stop to visit Wine & Words and the Back Bay Cafe. They are closed Mondays & Tuesdays (and the month of January), serve lunch Wednesday-Saturday, dinner on Friday and Saturday and are open for Sunday Brunch.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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05/07/2009, Bath, NC
After taking care of a dental emergency, we left the dock at 1200 today, for a leisurely 15 mile sail down the river to Bath, a small town on the Pamlico River.
Bath, North Carolina's first town, was founded in 1705. Bath provided easy access to the Pamlico River and the Atlantic, 50 miles away, and was the first port of entry into North Carolina. Bath is home to the oldest existing church in the state, St. Thomas.
Bath is a lovely, sleepy little town, with two homes from the 1700's, but little else. A quiet anchorage makes this a nice stop-over.
| Bahamas 2008/2009 |
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