Jim
07/31/2010, Solomons Island, Md

We arrived back to Spring Cove Marina on Saturday 7/24 at about 11:45 AM. Good thing we left Knapp's Narrow's at 6:00 AM. We had a high of 100 deg that afternoon. On Sunday it was 104. Monday was cooler and we began preparing the boat to be hauled. I changed oil and filters including both fuel filters. We took down and flaked the head sail. The dodger was removed and the bimini stowed.

On Tuesday morning when we started loading the rental car Maggie became very nervous. She tried to climb into the trunk twice. Finally I let her get in the back seat where she happily stayed until the boat was hauled.

At 9 AM I backed the boat into the haul out slip. She was lifted out of the water and moved over the hard where the guys pressure washed the bottom and scraped off the barnacles. This is the first time she has been out of the water since she was commissioned in 2008.

In the previous blog Leslie mentioned water spraying into the engine compartment while we were underway to Solomons. Water was leaking at the PSS. (Packless Shaft Seal) Our normal cruising rpm is 2500. At that speed water was leaking around the seal causing the bilge pump to run every 8 - 10 mins. When we throttled back to 1500 rpm it stopped. This had us pretty freaked out. When you are in the middle of the bay and water is coming into the boat your heart rate increases dramatically. I pulled the bilge cover off so we could see into the bilge from the cockpit and we tested the manual bilge pump. We put out both the head and main sails and turned off the engine. The leak stopped. We were able to continue this way until we had to turn up the Patuxent River and into the wind. We furled the sails and limped in just under 1500 rpm.

While doing the PM on the engine I checked all motor mounts, mounting and shaft hardware. Once on the hard, we checked the shaft and cutlass bearing. Everything was intact and we found nothing that could be causing the leak. After arriving back home to Brunswick, I got on the internet and the PYI website. They are the manufacture of the PSS. I also consulted our local guru, Steve Pittman. It looks like all that is needed is a small adjustment to the PSS collar.

Spring Cove Marina will bottom paint the boat on or about 8/19. We will drive back to Solomons on Sunday 8/22 and the boat will be launched on Monday 8/23.

Once the boat is back in the water and everything is put back together we plan to head back to Brunswick.

Posted other pictures of the haul out in the Photo Gallery.

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Leslie
07/26/2010, Solomons

After spending a couple of nights at Tilghman Island, we sailed south to Solomons. While at Tilghman we met Tommy & Brenda Asch on Moya. They have 2 sons Ryan (8) and Tyler (6) that reminded us of our sons, Jim III and Daniel at that age. It turns out we have been following each other ever since we left Reedville. So Just Limin and Moya sailed to Solomons together, leaving at 6am to beat the 100+ degree heat expected that day. On the way we noticed some vibration and Jim found water spraying in the engine compartment. We put up the main and the jib and turned off the engine since the wind was both strong enough and from a good direction. All turn out ok, arriving in Solomons without a problem. Good thing too, as it was hot and miserable by 11am. After docking we, cooled our heels in A/C. Later we went out to eat with Moya and then after going back to Moya for a glass of wine, Jim took the boys on a dinghy ride. Tyler had a treasure map, so they were on a mission. Unfortunately they were unable to find any treasure, but everyone returned dry and happy for the short adventure.

Today Jim is changing oil and picking up the rental car. We are driving home on Tuesday, after the boat is hauled to store. A few days before we return, they will repaint the bottom.

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Leslie
07/19/2010, St. Michaels

We left Annapolis and headed across the bay to St. Michaels, a small tourist town. It is known as the town that fooled the Britsh (by putting lanterns in the trees, the British overshot the town and saved many lives and buildings).

St. Michaels is an up-scale resort town. Transient dockage was $3.10/ft/night, the most we had ever paid. Annapolis was the same price, but we opted to take a mooring instead and have some distance from the crowds and noise.

We went to the maritime museum there and the lighthouse. They have a large collection of boats and a working boatyard. Later we strolled through the village and found the grocery store and local restaurants. For dinner we feasted on a pile of steamed crabs. Yum! Yum! Yum!

In the slip next to us was Playing Hooky, a couple our age in a 38' Hunter. Their son was about 5 and loved to play with Maggie. We got together with Mark & Tammy for cocktails one night and their son watched tv below with Maggie laying beside him.

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Leslie
07/18/2010, Annapolis, MD

We are finally in Annapolis, moored right in front of the Naval Academy Visitor Center. We spent our first day just walking around and getting our bearings. Jim's grandmother was born here at 57 Cornhill St., just yards from State Circle and the State Capitol (which from 1783-1784 was the capitol of the new United States). Her father had put the first tin roof on the capitol building, but not sure what date. We had looked up his name on google but didn't find anything, but we did find out that League and Snowden are last names still found in this area. Tomorrow we will go visit the capitol building for their tour and see if we can find the desk their family had donated. I also plan to go to the Waterway Guide offices and to Sailrite store. I didn't bring mine along on this part of our trip. It certainly would have been useful. We had to restitch our UV cover on our foresail. So we just took it down and had it stitched at a canvas shop

Today we took the trolley tour and found out a few more facts about the area. I had read "Chesapeake" and Jim is about half way through it. It really did help us in understanding the history here. (Although we wish it were about 10 degrees lower in temperature).

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Leslie
07/10/2010, Deltaville

After 9 days in Yorktown, we moved north. The forecast was for cooler temps which would allow us to be comfortable WITHOUT air conditioning. I know we are lucky to have it, but we need shore power to run it. Jim is thinking we could get a second portable and tie them together to run it in the future.

Up the ICW, we saw alligators. In Yorktown we saw jellyfish. But in Deltaville, it seemed clear to go swimming off the back of the boat. Maggie LOVED it! Of course she wouldn't go in until Jim got in, but he didn't mind. When they got out, they both got showers on the back of the boat and life was good.

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Leslie
07/07/2010, Yorktown, VA

After our son and friends left, we decided to tour Yorktown, despite the record temperatures and we were glad we did. If it were cooler (under 90) we would have stayed longer, for there was so much to see. We never did make it to Jamestown. We heard more of it was outdoors and had to do with reenactments. We will go on another trip when it isn't so hot. We did go to dinner in Will iamsburgwith friends Ric and Judy from Grand Baby. Luckily for Jim most of the stores were closed, because I could have done some damage there.

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