Miike
07/17/2008, Annapolis, MD

July 16th... Dobbins Island to Annapolis

We tried to go north today to Swan Creek, but wind and tidal current conspired against us. The wind was very light from the northeast as we headed out on our first tack to the east making about 3.5 knots. When we were more than half way across the Bay we tacked to the north and were stopped dead in our tracks. The current was running at 2 knots and that was just too much. We had to lay off the wind so far that our northerly progress was almost nil.

Since we needed to purchase another yard of fabric for more cushions the decision was made to head to Annapolis and get that job done before more exploring.

There is a heat warning here for the next few days. Even on the water we need to keep in the shade most of the time. After working on the computer for a while we went ashore to pick up a few things and loaded up 15 gallons of water.

Grilled pork chops were on our evening menu, which we had with a nice salad and corn. (we're trying to use up our supply of canned vegetables) After dinner we dinghied down Spa Creed to say hi to Lenny and Ciel.

We returned just at dark and watched an almost full moon-rise.

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Mike
07/17/2008, Dobbins Island, Magothy River, MD

July 15th... Dobbins Island

There is really not much to say about today. It was another beautiful day on the Bay but we spent most of it below decks sewing. Kathy finished the cushions at about 4pm. They look great and should last forever. We took the dinghy to the island where there is a nice beach and had a swim and then came back for some supper.

Later we explored the southern end of Gibson Island to our east. The island is one of those "old money" places that is gated and has mostly tasteful older cottages.

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Mike
07/17/2008, Dobbins Island, Magothy River, MD

July 14th... Dobbins Island, Magothy River MD

By late afternoon, with threatening skies, the weekenders were gone. Two small sailboats with a troop of sea scouts had sailed in during the afternoon and anchored too close. As the front approach and the wind changed direction they realized their mistake and re-anchored about 50 yards away. It rained on and off most of the night but without much of a storm.

Since it was a well protected anchorage we decided to stay here a day or two and try to get our cushions put together. All the parts were cut out but before Kathy started sewing on our new machine I fabricated an extra table leg out of an old canoe paddle that had not been in service for months. The machine weighs in excess of 50 pounds and our work space is on a section where half of the table surface hinges up with a angle brace underneath. The new leg worked fine.

As Kathy began sewing I removed the sink to attempt to find a nagging leak in our water system. About once every 30 minutes the pump would come on and run for about 4 seconds. I had checked the lines as well as possible on a couple of occasions and come up empty handed. So it was time for a real effort. The sink came out revealing 95 percent of the entire system. After a few minutes I noticed some rust beginning to form on the water heater just below the point where the element is attached. So I drained the system and removed the element. After cleaning and greasing some electrical contacts I wiped on a little Permatex and put things back together. Before replacing the sink I depressurized the system to see if I had solved the problem and found a tiny leak in a weld at the top of the water heater.

After depressurizing and draining some water out of the tank, I cleaned the area with a Dremel and mixed up some J B Weld. The tube said that it hardened in 9 minutes so in thirty I turned the pump back on bring the water pressure back up. In about 5 minutes we had a tiny geyser spraying about 3 feet in the air.

So... I drained the tank again. (Please remember water is worth a little more on our boat that in your kitchen) By this time it is afternoon, Kathy is sewing away, the boat is torn up, there are tools everywhere and since I don't believe in stress, really had nothing to do but keep at it.

In our container of glues, solvents and epoxies, I found a stick of epoxy that you said it worked on water lines so after cleaning the tank again cut off a piece, mixed until the two colors turned into one, and then applied it to the tank.

By this time Kathy was in the final stages of sewing together the cushion cover so as I waited for my new patch to dry I assisted in the attempt to stuff the foam into the finished cover. We did get the foam inside but try as we may, couldn't get things smoothed like they should. We finally decided that our directions were not meant for closed cell foam (which doesn't compress as much as regular foam) and we needed to tear everything apart and start over.

It was way after lunch time by now and since we hadn't eaten anything all day, I cut up a couple of tomatoes and small cucumbers for a snack.

As Kathy sat in the cockpit and removed one stitch at a time, I repressurized the water system to find that my patch had held. After replacing the sink and beginning the task of putting things away... I took the fabric to the foredeck and cut the new sides for our second attempt at making cushion. I also optimistically cut out the top and bottom sections for the second cushion.

At this point I took over Kathy's job of removing stitches in the failed cover while Kathy sewed the zipper together for trial number two. We both finished about the same time and quit.

After relaxing for a bit, we grilled a steak, cooked some broccoli and mixed up some cucumbers and onions in sour cream. Along with our fresh bread, had a wonderful dinner.

We finished the day with an dinghy ride to explore Gray's Creek which empties into the bay where we anchored.

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