Chesapeake With Friends

Our week on the Chesapeake in brief:

SUNDAY:  Hampton (VA) Public Docks were NOISY over Memorial Day weekend, but we didn't complain about paying $1/ft.   The Air and Space Museum was worth the visit; the actual Apollo 12 capsule amazed Bill and Russell.  

MONDAY:  Anchored off lovely, quiet Kiptopeake State Beach Park, behind breakwater made from WWII Liberty ships. 

TUESDAY:  Left Cape Charles in still water and sunshine, then finished the journey to Tangier Island in rain, 6' chop and 30 knot wind on the nose.  Yuck, but Act III motored into it at 7 kts.  She and Skipper were the only ones thrilled with the ride.  Arrival at Tangier was exciting as the dockmaster Milton Parks, 78, didn't know exactly where or how to dock us.  He and 2 volunteers tried to haul Act III against the wind, not thinking to ever take a turn around a piling.  Softshell crabs were amazing; Heidi and Bill managed to sneak in a skinny dip before we left on Weds.  This island was the highlight of the week.  

WEDNESDAY:  Sunshine returned and we crossed to the Western shore to anchor in Mill Creek.  Pastoral setting, warm water for swimming, good holding.   Russell coaxed the recalcitrant outboard to take him a couple of miles to Reedville, where he reminisced about a childhood trip with his dad.  Reedville turned out to have little to offer, so we fueled up and continued to Solomons Island.

THURSDAY:  Solomons Island, recommended by the waterway guides and other cruisers, seemed overrated to us.  We picked up a mooring ($25), dined ashore, and left early the next morning.

FRIDAY:  Fabulous weather for a motor boat ride to Annapolis.  We have set some sails most days, but no wind for this leg.  We arrived Annapolis, picked up a city mooring (again $25) and celebrated Susan and Russell's 27th anniversary ashore with a progressive dinner and bar hopping. 

SATURDAY:  We bid sad farewell to our crew in the afternoon.  It was a terrific week with only the one day of inclement weather.  We find the Chesapeake a splendid place to cruise, although we've only touched the surface (except for Act III's keel a couple of times.) 

SUNDAY:  Boat projects kept us in Annapolis one more day.  We leave in the morning for one more port (TBD).  Weather permitting, we'll pass through the C&D Canal to Delaware Bay, hoping to get through the bay on Wednesday.  Then we start up the New Jersey coast and go into the Hudson River.  

Wireless access has been sporadic, our computer(s) even more fussy.  We'll keep up as best we can.  Over all, we're happy, healthy and thrilled with our vessel.

Beginning Chesapeake Bay

The original Chief Engineer Russell and First Deck Babe Susan (Prescott) joined Act III this evening for a week of exploring Chesapeake Bay.   It took some clever planning, with them coming from NH and us not knowing exactly where we'd be, but we successfully met at Hampton Public Pier ($1/ft special deal) and were happy to find one of the last slips in the area during a marvelously sunny and mild Memorial Day weekend.  

The next best news is that the depth sounder is working again!  There are many places to hide a little amplifier on a boat this size, but we finally found it and Bill repaired the loose wire.  Phew!

Pleasant, uneventful motor through the last of the ICW, until we reached the final bridge this morning and hailed on the radio for the next lift, please.  The bridge operator came back with a terse, "I'm having problems with the bridge," and no further info.  Another sailboat said he had a similar situation a few years ago and was stuck for 3 days.  Ouch.  We hung around so Heidi could practice her figure 8 turns a bit, and the bridge was open about 45 minutes later.  That could have been a show stopper.

TTFN, Friends.  The next post will have soft shell crab ratings.

HJB

Water water everywhere

Yard gave her two coats of bottom paint by Fri. afternoon.  Hung in slings On Sat. afternoon so I could fill and fair scratches in bottom of keel.  

Lots of sailing tales and laughs at birthday dinner with Heidi and yard friends Jean and Derrik.

Sunday morning clear enough to paint over epoxied keel bottom.  Then down came the rain.  Heavy rain all night and today.  Launched this morning at 0800.  Neuse river staying outside the boat where it belongs.  Engine started right up.  Shaft alingnment excellent.  Reefer working fine.  Rafted up to similar sized boat while we struggled to get foller furling and forestay reinstalled.  Heidi had the brain storm that ended what was shaping up to be and endless loop of "that should do it... oh shit how are we going to get x on or off now."

If all goes well we will depart tomorrow AM for what should be a week of rainy sailing.   Oh well, just so long as we are under way.

Happy sailing everyone, sailors and lubbers alike.

Bill and Heidi

Work, Work, Work

Bill and I arrived at Sailcraft Marina in Oriental NC on 5/7, and have about 10 days of boat projects before launching and taking Act III north through Chesapeake Bay.

We've nearly completed re-installing the propeller shaft and reconditioned MaxProp, and I cleaned the heavy coat of yellow pollen off the decks and cockpit.

Oriental is hopping now that the weather is fine, This "sailing capital of the world" has 3 boats for every resident.

Short and sweet post today...no one wants to hear about work. We want to be sailing!

November, 2008

Jim and Ira  on the ICW                                                              Skipper working hard

S/V ACT III is a Kelly/Peterson 44 we purchased in the summer of 2008 in Oriental, NC.   We enjoyed a great shakedown cruise to our home port of Rye, NH.   We went to Norlolk, Va. via the less conventional route through the sounds, then a few miles of ICW . We sailed outside from Norfolk to Cape Cod (with an unscheduled stop in Atlantic City for engine oil hoses). Russel and Susan Prescott were a terrific crew, but they had to jump ship in Norfolk because of business and family obligations.  Heidi and I continued alone to Cape Cod and on to Rye, NH.  We fell in love with our Peterson 44.  

Several great sails in the summer included a nice week or so in Mystic Conn. with my Cousin Jim and Kylea as crew.  Klyea had never been out of sight of land or offshore at night in a sailboat so she was a little concerned at first, but by the end of the voyage she was an old hand.  We were thrilled by the sight of two humpbacks cavorting off our starbord bow on the last leg home.  

Great day sails with kids, grandkids, and friends rounded out the summer and fall.

In November my intrepid mate, Ira Colby and I sailed for Oriental via the the route outside of Long Island.  Ira is the perfect mate: an enthusiastic and competent sailor no matter what the conditions, good company, a great cook in all weather,  careful and cheerful about cleaning and maintenance.  Cousin Jim joined us for the ICW route to Oriental.  We had a ball.  There were no mishaps, and I was thrilled with ACT III's performance.  Several hours at 7 kts or better were commonplace, even hard on the wind.  On one beam reach leg, we never dropped below 8 kts. She has easy motion and is easy on the helm.

On May 7, Heidi and I will fly to Oriental to launch ACT III and sail her back to her home port. This time we'll be taking the inside route, including the Chesapeake, Delaware Bay, and Long Island Sound.  Russel and Susan will join us for at least part of the journy.

This fall we plan to depart for the Carribean and beyond.  No schedule:  one year, two, who knows?   

Let the adventures begin.