Help

No, we're not sending out an SOS. But we can all use some help from time to time.

We had planned on leaving Solomons today but Jeff felt a bit under the weather yesterday so we fell behind. Today we are getting out an ActiveCaptain newsletter which will mean lots of emails, updates, and comments, so we decided to stay put one more day.

We had lots of folks asking for beginner's help using the ActiveCaptain site, so we've put up a Getting Started tutorial. Look for the big help button under the articles section.

We're also announcing some big discounts at two of our Co-Op marinas here on the Chesapeake, Bay Creek Marina and Severn River Marina.

It'll be a busy day with lots of time behind the computer. However, that doesn't mean we can't find some time for a dinghy ride with Dyna and Dylan to the swimming beach around the corner. Gotta keep the crew happy!

Downtime

We're still waiting for Bill to make his way up the east coast. The predictions here in Maine are for rains and winds to start tonight through Sunday. He's moved further east and slowed down so we're hoping the seas will settle down Monday allowing us to leave first thing Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, we're taking the final preparations a bit slower and taking some downtime with our friends. We've had some parties, big and small, and went to see the new Meryl Streep movie, Julie & Julia - Karen loved it (Jeff says "chick flick"). This afternoon we found time to give the dogs a final bath. Can anyone explain why dogs who absolutely love being in the water hate being bathed? But they smell awful sweet right now.

We were left a comment asking advice about the "poop deck" for the dogs. We have an article describing all about the technique we used. Check out Canine Crew on the web site. If you'd like a reply to your comment, please make sure you leave us your email address!

Cruising With Our Friends

We're in what we thought would be our final week - Friday, August 21st being our take off day. So we planned some day cruises with friends to say good-bye. While we're looking forward to the trip, we're also going to miss those back home. We had two beautiful days cruising around the Penobscot Bay. Our friend, Marion, took this picture after we pulled into the dock one day. I think it's a pretty good looking crew!

While we're almost ready to go, it seems that Mother Nature has some other plans for us. The weather is deteriorating as the week goes on so Friday is looking like a "no go." We're actively watching the building disturbances in the Caribbean with Hurricane Bill too. We're still moving ahead as planned. That way if the weather clears we can go and if it doesn't, we'll have some down time before we leave. No more projects are left - we're simply loading clothes, books, last minute supplies, readying the house, etc.

Anchor Testing

On Tuesday we left for Carver Cove to do some testing with our new anchor. We wanted to really understand how it worked and how working with it might differ from our other anchors. Carver Cove is a good spot for this as it's a large cove with good water. Tuesday night we were the only boat anchored there - even better. We pulled in around 5:00 PM and set the anchor at a variety of scopes, at first trying to make it not set and skip along the bottom so Jeff could know what that felt like. Whenever we anchor Jeff does the bow work while I handle the helm. When we finally let her set, she really did set. Putting the engines in reverse didn't cause us to move an inch.

The night was calm but we still wondered how hard it would be to haul anchor in the morning. Rocna's have a reputation for being a bear to free - the reason we got it actually. We were up early Wednesday morning and found the process went very smoothly. Using the engines, we were able to free the anchor fairly quickly. It also gave the prefect chance to use our new saltwater wash down. Jeff says he's in love. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type. There is still an issue with positioning the anchor and chain as she moves in and out to ensure the chain stays on the winch. Jeff and Larry are working on that one so I'm sure a solution is coming.

The kids did great. They're settling in and finding the spots they like - the bow is a favorite for sniffing those good sea smells. We tried feeding them while underway (something our last crew mate, Tucker, never liked doing) and they finished in their usual rush. They both seem to understand the "poop deck," although Dylan still waits for Dyna to go first. He seems a bit unsure whether or not it's OK. We stuff our pockets with treats so I'm sure he'll feel more confident soon.

When we returned home, the dogs were loaded into the car for a ride to Bangor. We had a promise to fulfill for JoDee -- a four generation picture of Dyan, daughter Katie, granddaughter Daisy, and great-grandson Sarge. Of course, we also took the opportunity to get Dylan with his grandma Dyna, and mom Katie. Dyna has certainly created quite a "Dynasty"!

Washdown Complete!

The saltwater washdown is now installed and fully functioning. We're amazed that it went in without a single real hitch. Of course, we're not tempting fate, so we keep checking the staterooms where the hose runs through for leaks. This is not to say it was easy. It was the most complex addition we've undertaken on the boat so far. But for several days of effort we now have a way to save about 25 gallons or more of fresh water each time we anchor. Our plan is to anchor most nights on this cruise, so that's significant.


In light of our anchoring plans, Jeff decided to upgrade our anchor. Currently, we have four anchors: a Bruce, a CQR, a Fortress, and a Danforth. The Bruce is the anchor we use from Maine to Charleston. It works well in the soft, muddy bottoms from the Penobscot Bay to the Chesapeake. Unfortunately, the first time we anchored in the Bahamas we discovered (at 3 AM) that it is poor in hard sand bottoms. So we started switching to the Fortress and then back again to the Bruce - kind of a pain. The CQR was our backup anchor which we've never used and the Danforth is our stern anchor.

While we've only dragged anchor twice in 15,000 miles of cruising, Jeff has always worried that our Bruce, at 66 pounds, and our Fortress FX55 were a bit undersized. For the sake of many good night's sleep, we decided to get a heavier anchor that would also eliminate the need to switch mid-cruise. After much research, Jeff settled on the Rocna 55 (55 kg or 121 lbs). Unfortunately, the manufacturer had no experience with mounting a large Rocna on a newer model DeFever, so we were a bit concerned it would be too big for our bow roller. After some testing with cardboard templates, we decided to give it a try.

So off we went late last week to West Marine in Southwest Harbor (an hour and a half drive) on my 50th birthday - Jeff was smart enough not to put a ribbon on it and say, "Happy Birthday, honey!" - to meet the delivery truck. The next day we left to drive to Mystic, CT to talk at the MTOA NE Rendevous (great people, great fun) so we will have to wait until later this week for our first anchor fit test. Our hope is that eventually we can get rid of the CQR and maybe the Bruce to gain some needed space in the lazarette. Any one need a gently used anchor?

Here Comes The Sunshine?

As I write this it is pouring down rain - again - even though Yahoo Weather says "Light Rain." The rain and fog just refuses to let up. According to AccuWeather, we had over 8 inches of rain in June, our normal is 3. We have been going to the boat when it's merely been raining, as opposed to pouring with blowing wind. There have been trips back in pea soup fog. Most trips we've taken one or both of the dogs. They're settling back in and finding the places they like to sleep. But we've mostly been confined to doing indoor tasks.

The biggest job we've worked on was running hose for the saltwater wash-down. On the first trip we decided to cut two of the five holes we'd need. Somehow it always feels ominous when cutting a hole in the boat. The first hole went from the chain locker, which has an access door in the guest stateroom, to behind the curtained area. That took pretty much all afternoon and we returned home well after dinner time, much to Dyna and Dylan's dismay. The next time we decided to cut just two more holes and all four went in quickly without a hitch! Jeff spent one more trip pulling the hose from the master stateroom through an access hatch to the engine room which required one more hole. Dylan was there to help with that one. So now the hose runs from the chain locker at the bow, aft to the engine room where we will mount the pump. One last hole in the deck to connect the deck fitting and she's ready for a trial. Hopefully we'll get that done this week.

On July 4th we had an amazing break of afternoon sun so Jeff took Dyna out to help him install new site-glass material on the fuel tanks. They've become so discolored that we can no longer see the fuel level. Jeff heard about this special tubing called Tygon from another trawler owner who has had it for several years. He says it's still crystal clear. We'll see. He said it was about the smoothest project he's done to date, and was back earlier than predicted. He stepped in the door just before the sky opened up. Went to the annual July 4th party to watch the fireworks. Fortunately, the rain slowed to a drizzle just about 9PM so we had a beautiful fireworks display before the rain started again.

The job we are most anxious to get done is touching up the cap-rail. For that we need several dry days in a row. Fat chance. 7 weeks from today is our targeted take off date.....

Installing the Chargers - Well, That Was a Bore!

This week the new chargers arrived so we planned on installing them right away to give us plenty of time before our launch date to deal with any problems we might encounter. We left first thing in the morning armed with extra tools and with Jeff having carefully read all the instructions. I looked to face another day of crouching in the engine room, and running up and down the ladder for needed items all while attending to cuts and bruises. And I had my own list I really wished to get to. Well, while I did get called 2 or 3 times to bring an item or two, and there was one request for a paper towel to clean up blood, the units went in without any real hitches. It was kind of creepy!


I was happily left to tackle one of the things I like best - organizing. I decided to do the galley as the engine room hatch is right there which allowed me to be available if needed. One of the things I decided to do before we left in August was to go through every drawer, cabinet, closest, and cubby to purge them of items we have not used in the past 6 years - excluding safety items, of course. I then reorganized each area and noted any items I felt we should add. For example, since Jeff and I started weight training a year ago, we drink 1-2 protein shakes a day - we need a blender! So the galley is done. I took home a boat bag of items and now have several empty drawers and extra space in some cabinets. A successful day indeed!

Our Onshore Transportation

We've sketched out our itinerary for our winter cruise, bearing in mind the wise sage who coined, "The most dangerous thing on a boat is a schedule." We'll meander down the east coast, spending a few weeks on the Chesapeake Bay where we're giving a couple of talks, ending up in Brunswick, Georgia at Brunswick Landing Marina sometime in November. We plan on spending about 2 months in Brunswick. As we used ActiveCaptain to peruse the area, we noted that several important services, such as the grocery store, were a short trek from the marina. So we've decided to bring our folding bikes out of mothballs. We purchased these bikes about ten years ago for a previous boat we used for "island hopping" in the Penobscot Bay. Unfortunately, these models are no longer made because we really like them and would love to add them to our list of "Products and Tips We Love." They're full size 15-speed bikes which easily fold in half for storage. We pulled them out of the basement, washed off the dust, greased the gears, pumped the tires, and adjusted the brakes. Then we took them for a spin. They worked great! The only issue is our very tender backsides. Well, we have the summer to toughen them up!

Stabilizer Maintenance

We have NAIAD Stabilizers on our boat. I LOVE our stabilizers! It has allowed us - well, really me, as I’m the one who gets seasick - to actually enjoy most any condition offshore. Of course, we have learned to be ever more particular about the weather conditions we go out in. Our motto is “It’s SUPPOSED to be FUN!” But anyone who has done the New Jersey coast knows that there are just some situations where the beam-to seas never cease. Well, every 3 years the stabilizer seals need to be replaced. The last time we were in Ft. Lauderdale and had them done at Playboy Marine by Stabilized Marine - and met Larry since he was still down there. They convinced my husband that this was a job he could learn to do, so he jumped in and helped with the idea of doing it himself the next time. Stabilized Marine makes it all quite easy. You order the seals and they send a metal box with the seals, hydraulic pumps, a mother-of-all torque wrenches, other specialized tools, and a wide assortment of spare parts. Much to our poor UPS driver's chagrin, it weighed 103 pounds! When you’re done, you simply send back the tools and any parts you didn’t use. What could be easier? Besides, Larry offered to help!

Here I must admit that while this escapade was occurring, I was far south assisting my parents with a move. But the summary I received went something like this. In Ft. Lauderdale the whole job took about two hours - of course, there were 3 guys, including my husband. As I remember it, no swear words were uttered and my husband hardly had a smudge mark on him. Well, this time it took 9 hours, several phone calls to Stabilized Marine, numerous trips to Hamilton Marine (the local marine store), and an undetermined amount of off-color language. Oh yes, and large amounts of Advil over the next 24 hours. My husband proudly claims that the next time “will be easy.” I haven’t had a chance to check with Larry on that.

Sorry, as I wasn’t there so I could record the blessed event but the picture above is how they looked the next time I saw the boat.

Larry’s Lines - Perfection

When it comes to making lines there are none better than Larry’s. It is one of the things that he loves to do and still accepts orders from all over the world. Making dock lines for mega-yachts is one of Larry’s winter pastimes. Each line is meticulously hand spliced and whipped, and they are true works of art. It doesn’t matter if they’re dock lines, mooring lines, or even “leash lines” for our dogs, each one is beautiful. Three-strand or braided, without color trace, or hard to find New England Ropes, Larry can get it, splice it and deliver it. Since we met him, only Larry has done our lines. Here in Maine practically every boat sits on a mooring. Larry’s mooring lines have nice leather chafing gear and the ends of our docking lines are custom finished to fit our boat perfectly. He has tried to teach Jeff his techniques and while Jeff’s lines are certainly passable, you would never confuse them with Larry’s.

Our 24-volt Charger

The last time we went to the boat Jeff thought there was “something funny” about the charger. We had plugged it into shore power as always then did our usual bits on the boat, had a leisurely lunch, did some shopping, whatever. When we went to unplug it several hours later, it hadn’t come up to charge. When we went back in two weeks Jeff brought his meter and tested it more thoroughly and determined it was no longer working. ARGH! Our first expensive equipment failure of the season. Actually, we’ve been pretty lucky in the 6 years we’ve had aCappella - replaced the inverter once and some problems with our KVH satellite antenna which we had replaced at an excellent electronics shop in Cambridge, Maryland on the Chesapeake, Mid-Shore Electronics. They did a great job, were helpful and friendly, and even let us stay an extra two days on their dock while we waited for better weather. We highly recommend them!

Well, Jeff did his research, asked the right questions on the Trawlers and Trawlering forum and ordered new charges - two new 12-volt charger which cost less than the old one! Oh, joy, our next trip to the boat will include the thrill of installing new equipment. Stay tuned to find what will (not may) go wrong.....