Mike
07/11/2009, Deltaville, VA

July 9th... Deltaville

I wandered around the boatyard this morning looking at bootsrtipes and bottom paint combinations. Since we are going to repaint the blue stripe on the topsides, we are thinking about adding a bootstripe as well.

A little after 8 we headed over to the marina office to pay our usage fee which, if paid monthy, works out to a little over $2 a day per person. Then, since we were legal, we checked out the courtesy car and drove into town. We needed food as well as some 303 fabric guard for a second coat on the dodger and bimini. We stopped at the hardware as well to check out their boat paint supply.

We returned around 10 and I sprayed the 303 and then started the huge task of removing the finish on our teak. Working from the ladder and using a heat gun, I scraped the toe rail and both rub rails that were within my reach. Then I went over the same areas with the sander to clean things up. When I finished one area, I'd move the ladder down two feet and start again.

Kathy made BLT's for lunch and then took the first two (of about four) loads of laundry over to the marina while I continued scraping and sanding. By about 3:30, after being in the sun all day, my legs started getting a little wobbly so I quit, having finished about half of one side.

Kathy had exchanged books at the marina so we read for a couple of hours before grilling hamburgers for dinner.

We read for a while but crashed shortly after dark.

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Mike
07/11/2009, Deltaville, VA

July 8th... Deltaville, VA

We were told yesterday that someone from the office would call when they were ready to have us come in to be hauled but we didn't really have any idea when that would be. However, there were lots of jobs to choose from. With the dinghy on the foredeck, it seemed like the perfect time to do some patching. At some point (probably rocks at Long Island) we've developed two or three holes where the fiberglass bottom meets the tubes that allow water to get into the area between the floor and the hull.

However, before any patching could be done, the bottom needed a good scrubbing which took about an hour. Then I cut the patches, taped off the areas in question and applied the glue. With that job finished, I mixed up some epoxy and filled a few dings in the fiber glass.

By now it was noon and there was no call from the marina, so I transferred the fuel and water in our jerry cans to the proper tanks and stowed the empty cans in the anchor locker. After a few more little jobs it was 3pm and still no call.

Finally, at about 3:30 we got the call, hauled anchor and headed for shore about100 yards away. I had to back into the haulout slip which is always fun, but with no wind or current we had no problem...actually I was showing off our backing prowess when they told me to cut the engine and grabbed us with boat hooks to pull us in by hand.

The bottom looked great. What little slime was there was easily blasted with the power washer. They were going to put us in the yard next to "Tilt" but I ask I we could go back up in the meadow where we were last year. There is some shade there and much less dust.

With a call to the boss to ok the change, everything was fixed and we ended up about 40 feet from where we were last year.

We found another package of venison steaks in the freezer and grilled them for our first dinner on the hard.

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Mike
07/08/2009, Yorktown to Mobjack Bay to Deltaville, VA

July 7th... East River to Deltaville, VA

We were up and ready to go a little before 8 and headed out the mouth of the East River into Mobjack Bay. There was a little west wind so we got the sails up and in an hour made the turn north around New Point Comfort. Our wind died, but was still helping some so we left the sails up and motor sailed up to Wolf Trap Light where there were a few fisherman as is normally the case around lighthouses.

By then the sails were flogging so we took them down and gave up on sailing. We following the high tide north and were getting a nice rush from the current all morning. At about noon we made the turn into the mouth of the Piankatank River and headed NW to the entrance to Jackson Creek which is quite interesting. There are red and green daymarks about 400 yards from shore and the channel is well marked heading directly toward a cottage on shore. We continue on this heading until our bow sprit is almost over the beach and then make a 90 degree turn to the port for another ¼ mile run into Jackson Creek. The channel is narrow all the way in and there is little margin for error.

We anchored off the marina and went to work lowering the dinghy and then the outboard. Kathy went to work cleaning and waxing the shower while I went ashore to take a walk and to check in with the Boatyard and to let them know that we would be ready for haul-out tomorrow.

Later we took the dinghy ride exploring both arms of Jackson Creek, the entire distance of which is only about two miles. The homes are sensible with very few of the starter mansions that we see so often on the waterfront. Everyone has at least two boats tied up and there are at least 50 work boats.

On our return, we hauled the dinghy on the foredeck for our stay on the hard. It is way too heavy. We ended up using the windlass to haul it up but just moving it in place was a chore. We must be carrying some extra ballast somewhere. I'll have to check it out at some point in the next week.

Our freezer needs to be empty in a week so tonight's menu was cracked conch. We used up another can of green beans and Kathy made a nice salad which rounded out a nice meal.


July 6th Yorktown VA, to Mobjack Bay

It rained on and off through the night was still gray and ugly in the morning. The forecast called for clearing in the afternoon. We really needed to move on but didn't really have any good destinations in mind. Our haul out was scheduled for Friday and Deltaville is only a day sail to the north. We felt like we were just wasting time until then so I called and asked to have our haul out moved up to Wednesday. We have so much work to do that the extra days will help.

With that decision made, as soon as it quit drizzling I made the mile drive up to the Marina to pay for last night's stay and dumped off a bag of trash. Back at the boat we got things organized and hauled anchor at 11:15.

Today's trip to the East River in Mobjack Bay is about three hours sideways and one up. We are about an hour up the York River but have to continue easy another hour to clear a shoal. Then we head north and around the corner into Mobjack Bay. Mobjack Bay is huge and has four or five large rivers that all offer great anchorages. We chose the East River because it was the closest and is reported to be the most scenic.

Our trip was uneventful. The sky cleared a little as the afternoon progressed and by the time we arrived it was quite nice. We entered the East River and headed up stream to check out some of the anchorages that we had read about. After about 4 miles of exploring the river we turned around and headed back toward the mouth and found a nice quiet anchorage in front of a small farm.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon reading. Kathy found a flank steak in the freezer yesterday so we got it thawed out and marinating. Later I fired up the grill and for once got it cooked to perfection. I tend to over cook them on this grill ... but seem to be learning.

July 5th... Yorktown, VA

It was gray and rainy all day. Boats that had spent the night after the fireworks filtered away during the morning and those on the moorings left as well. By noon we were the only boat on the water, where last night there were hundreds. It continued to rain and be ugly so we decided just to stay where we are and spent the day on projects and reading.

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