test - on the way to the bahamas

 This is a test blog, to see if the blog posts still send out notifications to our friends who follows us..

Epiloge

 Monday, May 31, 2021, Memorial Day. Day 148 of the Adventure, and Day 1 of the Return to the Beginning.

I was up at 6:30 am to get ready to leave Penns Landing Marina in Philadelphia after the month's stay. It was cold for May 31 (52°). Roland's sailing buddy, Stephen, came over before 7:30am, to help us off the dock and we each had 1/3 of a cup of coffee. We were using a very small pot.

The galley had only limited equipment and limited food, as we were voyaging for only four days and we needed to take everything back to Philadelphia in Pat's car from Annapolis, where we were to leave the boat.

Magic Moments was scheduled to be hauled out for maintenance at Bert Javins Marina on Friday, June 4, 2021, and we were planning to spend the evening of June 3, at the Browns, our PO's: the place of the Beginning.

It was strange to be on board on Sunday night. Although we had spent a month hosting friends for happy hour, on Magic Moments while in Philadelphia, we hadn’t lived aboard.

Looking back after this one month on land, in my own home, I had many thoughts.

Captain Roland had taken 99% of the responsibility for the boat, our life on board, and this adventure generally. It is true that I did the laundry and the dishes and I made the bed every morning, but is that really a significant contribution?

We had traveled from Galesville, Maryland, south on the AICW, to Stuart, Florida, west across the Okeechobee, north up to Clearwater, Florida, on the GICW and in the Gulf of Mexico. On the way south in the Gulf, we experienced a failed attempt to go to Naples, and then had to go east across the Okeechobee, south to the Upper Keys, back up north to Aventura, Florida (north of Miami), for our emergency hot water tank replacement, then south to return to the Upper Keys, and finally, on March 31, 2021, started our journey back north on the Atlantic ICW to Philadelphia.

I saw many places that were not on my bucket list, met many boaters, marina operators, and other folks along the way; made many new friends, learned a lot about navigation (a lot for me but compared to the body of knowledge and what I should know, actually very little), learned some nautical language, names of many parts of the boat, and learned to live with the Captain in a very small space, 24/7.

I spent an amazing amount of time on my blog. But I don’t think I’m a writer. Maybe, it honed my storytelling talents.

The beauty we experienced on this trip was inspiring. The photographs that especially Captain Roland took, are awesome.

Magic Moments has been a wonderful home for us for six months, but it does require an immense amount of work and upkeep. The hobby is all consuming in terms of time, money and energy.

The Captain loves living on the water. I found it an exciting alternative to cleaning out the garage during Covid isolation, but although I loved the peace and beauty of some amazing anchorages, I lack the love of life on the water that is so important to him.

The future may hold a few more adventures: to Maine in August and September, 2021, and the Bahamas in March, April, and May, 2022, but long-term, no decision has been made.

I have no regrets, it was a great adventure. Am I a better person for it? Am I a better companion? Have I learned to honor my strengths and work on my weaknesses, have I improved my interpersonal communications?

In August, when we commence our trip to Maine, we shall see.

May 1-2, 2021 Coming Home

 Saturday, May 1, 2021. Day 146.

The power went on in the marina before dawn, not sure of the exact time. Roland saw the marina dock lights go back on before day break, got out of bed and changed our power from DC to AC, and then went back to sleep.

It was cold in the morning (less than 50°), but sunny and clear and, more importantly calm. Traveling would be a pleasure.

I did our last load of laundry, we had coffee, checked on the Philadelphia house video, read some news and send some texts. I was trying to adjust to the idea of our homecoming. I was excited and emotional.

Gail and Mike came over to help us off the dock, and at 10:30 am we left Hartge Harbor Yacht Marina and entered the West River; we were off.

I steered for the first 40 minutes. When the crab pots became numerous, Captain Roland took the helm. When they thinned out, I went back steering. 
It was rough and windy; the wind was on our beam; it was choppy, so as a precaution, I put the wristbands on and took a pill shortly after we left the dock.

 As we neared Annapolis, it was beautiful. There were several sailboat races in progress and when they turned around the marker, and opened their spinnakers, it was quite impressive. We watched four races which were run simultaneously in different parts of the Chesapeake.

I steered most of the day until about 2pm. The wind slowed down to 4-7 knots from 15 to 22.

At 4pm, we approached an area of the Chesapeake Bay where several rivers enter the Bay: the Sassafras River, the Susquehanna River, the Elk river, the Bohemia River and the Northeast River (where I had done most of my sailing on Zig Zag many decades ago). Around the confluence of all these rivers, the cross currents became a steering challenge.

When we entered this area, we checked out the channel range markers (flashing lights that when the captain lines up the markers behind each other, the captain knows he or she is in the channel). A very cool and important navigational tool for the freighters.....after lining up the range markers, we hustled out of the channel; there was plenty of depth and width for Magic Moments. It was best to leave the channel to the big boys!

We were able to steer from the flybridge for most of the late afternoon; it was sunny and warm-really nice. The water was so calm that I was able to see our wake trail in the water.

At 5:45pm, we anchored in the mouth of the Bohemia River. It was quiet; clearly pre-season. Captain Roland was unable to anchor as far into the Bohemia River as he had originally planned. It was much more shallow than it had been a few years ago when he had anchored here last. But the winds were not too heavy, so the site closer to the mouth of the river worked out well. We were joined a little later by a catamaran.

[A favorite boat name spied today: “Knot Normal” ]

We had a very special meal for our closing dinner of this adventure. It was quiet and peaceful after sundown, and I was really excited about arriving in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Sunday, May 2, 2021. Day 147.

I was up early and the sunrise was dramatic. We had a nice breakfast, my new favorite: poached eggs.

I spent most of the day cleaning up and packing; the captain was at the helm. We left our anchorage at 9:20am, and entered the C and D (Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River) Canal at 10am. There was no wind and the current was with us, so we were zipping along at 10 knots, which for Magic Moments, was quite a clip. Timing is everything! The tide and the winds were with us all day. The Captain did a great planning job.

Although I missed most of the scenery (cleaning and packing), what little I did see of the C and D Canal, was quite beautiful, with bike trails along both sides. However, there was a lot of debris in the canal. There were several bridges, all of them tall to let the large freights pass through. It was overcast, there was a slight breeze (about 11 knots), and very few boats even though it was Sunday. At 11:30 am, we left the C and D. Cape May to the right and Philadelphia to the left. At the ends of the canal, there are traffic lights so that if there is a large freighter in the canal (the light is red), and one does not enter until the freighter passes (obviously, green). Remembering the waste of time and fuel in the north channel at the Port in Miami, someone should clue them into the traffic signals! The port police could spend their time much more productively!

The wind was picking up and reached 20 knots on our beam (not fun); but when we made a turn it was a tail wind (no problem whatsoever). We passed Fort Delaware, which was built in the 1800s to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia and held Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. I understand it is a beautiful park and museum with lots of interesting activities.

A little after noon, we passed Stephen's friend's boat that had just left Pier 5 in Philadelphia “Curlew”, that morning, and the Captain and Roland chatted on the radio. He appreciated the diversion as he was traveling alone. Stephen had alerted both of us that we would probably be 2 ships passing in the day (sorry about the corn!).

I took a break from cleaning and packing, to steer a bit in the afternoon.

At 1:40pm, we had our first glimpse of Philadelphia although we were still 18 miles away. I as getting really excited!! 

 The Delaware was very industrial from now on, not scenic, but interesting with barges and tugs and freighters. We saw another small sailboat race as we pass Corinthian Yacht Club (one of the oldest continuously operating yacht clubs in America, founded in 1892).

Due to the low tide, we had to slow down significantly. The dockmaster had made it clear that we could not get into Penn's Landing Marina before 4:15pm, when the tide would be high enough.

The dockmaster, Rich, and a boat neighbor, Gary, together with a third man, were there to help us dock. As confident and strong as they were, the wind was too much. Captain Roland had to back out, turn around, and, at Rich's suggestion, we docked on the northern side of the slip, letting the wind blow us on rather than fight the great fight to dock on the southern side, which was our slip. Fortunately, the boat normally in the north side of the slip would not be back until Monday and we agreed to move the boat Monday morning when the wind would not be a problem. Brilliant idea; Rich and I were going to get along just beautifully!

Docking on the north side went perfectly. We tied up and were joyfully greeted by about a dozen (all vaccinated ), friends who had come to welcome us home with wine and flowers. They took pictures, we greeted each other, they toured the boat, we had wine and snacks, chatted, and had a blast. It was so festive! It was so kind of all these folks to take the time to come down to Penn's Landing to greet us. I was so appreciative; it was a great homecoming!

Chris and Charlie, who had taken us down to Maryland in one unbelievably packed car....Charlie is a packing genius!), at the start of this odyssey, drove me home with lots of our stuff, and left us with homemade cinnamon buns for breakfast Monday morning. It was so lovely and so thoughtful, I was so touched. Roland got a ride home from Deborah and Sean after everyone left and he closed up the boat.

I was thrilled to be home, I love my plants, I love my house, I love it all; it was just terrific to be home. But most of all I was looking forward to my spacious and endless shower. I turned on the water and when it got warm enough I flipped the diverter for the overhead shower............and water poured out of the wall!!! What?????

After cleaning up the mess, I had my well practiced “navy shower“ and went to bed. Like Magic Moments, there’s always something in the house to fix, repair or replace!

But, that was for another day (thank you Scarlett O'Hara),. ......... right now I was just basking in the glow of our homecoming.

 

April 29-30, 2021 Return to the Beginning

 Thursday, April 29, 2021. Day 144.

Everyone was up early. The plan was to leave our Mill Creek anchorage before 8am. Fortunately the bugs were not that bad. I stretched on the back deck, we had coffee, and the anchor was up and we started the day's journey to Hartge Yacht Harbor Marina, where we had started on this voyage on December 6, 2020.

We were to drop Gail and Mike off there, at their sailboat, and stay one night at Hartge; at least that was the plan. We wanted to celebrate at an outside restaurant for dinner in Annapolis, as this was, in many ways, the end of the journey.

The day was overcast although the water was calm and I enjoyed the reflections in the water of the landscape. As we re-entered the Patuxent River from our anchorage, Gail telephoned to arrange a T dock at Hartge (the original dock we had had there in December), and to confirm that the pumpout was working. All was good to go.

I steered into the West River. It was overcast and windy, but the West River was calm, although deceptively long and very windy, especially for a newbie (me).

At 2:15pm, I FINALLY GOT MY CHANCE TO DOCK (with a great deal of help and coaching by Captain Roland), while Gail and Mike and the dock hand worked the lines. Gail immediately jumped off the boat as soon as we docked, and ran to her boat to check on it. It was my first docking experience and I was told I did very well. I guess I learned something from watching Roland dock and de-dock for the last five months!

Captain Roland backed into our original T, with help from the dock hands (it was too shallow to turn around and go forward).

Gail and Mike unloaded, started working on their boat, and confirmed our dinner at Luna Blu in Annapolis, outside. I immediately started on the laundry and the dishes (my major contribution to the workload).

We had a happy hour with Gail and Michael on MM, and then, off to dinner. As usual with Gail and Michael, they chose an Italian restaurant. We enjoyed the experience, notwithstanding the loud karaoke bar across the street. My favorite part of the meal was the bread – it was fantastic; I also enjoyed the chocolate mousse. The prices were reasonable, the service was very good and there was no skimping on the portions.

Unfortunately the forecast for Friday was really heavy winds so we had to plan to either leave very early for a short trip to our PO‘s private dock in Crownsville or stay another day in at the Hartge.

Friday, April 30, 2021. Day 145.

We got up early to check the wind, and although it was sunny, we were right on the cusp of whether we should go or stay. The wind was not supposed to pick up until noon but it was already gusting greater than 20 knots, so we decided to stay. We were very disappointed to miss the Crownsville visit to our POs, but hoped to stop there the first couple days of June, on our way back to Annapolis. Weather must be respected; plans often must be adjusted.

I went for a run and we had french toast for breakfast. Gail came by to check on us and report on her progress getting the sailboat together.

I did more laundry and dishes, and as the wind increased (gusting to greater than 50 knots), we secured the lines and put out more fenders. We were in a protected harbor, but things started rocking pretty heavily. It was reported to be very choppy on the bay – no fun. I was glad we hadn't ventured out.

Gail and Roland went food shopping and came back with groceries and a folding cart with wheels (great purchase!). I took a break from work and went over and checked on Gail's and Michael’s progress on their boat and visited the nearby catamaran where Mike and Cheri live aboard, to see how their winter had been. Cheri was helping out with their grandson in North Jersey. Mike was back and forth to maintain the boat, obviously missing Cheri.

At about 5pm, the power went out in the whole marina, possibly, all of Galesville. No power meant that there was no light nor water in the marina bathrooms and laundry (the water pump was powered by an electric motor). Fortunately, we have a generator, so we made chicken thighs in the air fryer. Gail and Mike came over for an after dinner drink. Because all the lights were out in the marina, they had to use their cell phone flashlights to make it back to their boat.

It was kind of ominous to end our visit in Hartge, where we started, powerless.

April 27-28, 2021 Mill Creek Anchorages I and II

 Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Day 142.

It was a relaxing morning. We had poached eggs a la Roland (delicious). We were still in the southern Chesapeake Bay (Virginia). It was a pretty day: sunny, and the water was a beautiful blue, but it was really windy. 

We were on auto pilot most of the day with Gail and/or Mike standing by on watch. Captain Roland got to relax and read. At the end of the cruising day, the Captain steered into the Mill Creek anchorage; it was a little tricky.

We had arrived at Mill Creek at approximately 3:30pm. There was no wind, it was warm and beautiful. Roland and Mike took down the dinghy, and Gail and Mike sent Captain Roland and me off on a dinghy ride. It was fun but the engine, although it kicked over on the first pull (very nice!), started sputtering at high speed. This was a brand new motor! We lowered the speed but didn’t go too far from the boat, as Roland did not want to row back. Never a dull moment... on Magic Moments! There is always something to deal with, something that needs to be fixed or replaced.

The creek was fairly empty, there were a few homes that were visible from the water. Later two boats joined the anchorage. It was peaceful and scenic. After grilled turkey burgers for dinner, I had a zoom, did yoga and worked on the blog. We did have some time for the four of us to go out and look at the moon and the stars. It was a very large, full moon, with light clouds dancing on its face; it was really spectacular.......unfortunately, photos could not do it justice.

Since leaving Norfolk, we have been in the Chesapeake, rarely seeing land while cruising; just water until we anchor. The Chesapeake is one big bay!

Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Day 143.

The sun was already up when I awakened. The anchor chain had been clanging all night like small fireworks or banging chains noises. Captain Roland believes, after 4 1/2 months, he had a fix- for this problem (yay!). He planned to put a towel in a strategic place.......better late than never.

It was cool and comfortable on this third day of primarily only water views while cruising. At approximately 11am we cruised from Virginia into Maryland (no signs in the Bay: “Welcome to Maryland”). … So close to home… Yet so far… Only days now. I worked out and stretched before coffee and breakfast (yogurt), and my first shower ever underway. So much free time from boat duty (crew and Captain Roland do it all) so, my job is the blog, WIL, MAG, emails and bills. 

We were in open water, there were very few boats (we were here before the “season”). It was sunny and there was no wind. However, although the weather was perfect for the flybridge, after the morning we had to go into the pilot house, the biting flies were intolerable. Really?.......hopefully the only one of the ten plagues we will experience!

At approximately 3:30pm, we passed under the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge, in the Patuxent River, and passed Point Patience, and the Solomons. It was still sunny and comfortable, but the little bugs were all over outside. Thankfully, they were bigger than our screen mesh, so we could keep the doors open and enjoy the fresh air. Gail was steering most of the day; since we passed Mobjack Bay, she and Mike were on known territory.

Note: A new term I learned that day was “free board“ which is the part of the boat above the waterline. Easy to use in a sentence..... “Waxing and buffing the free board is a really big job on Magic Moments!”

At 4pm, we anchored in Mill Creek (Maryland versus Mill Creek, Virginia, last night), joining another trawler and a sailboat, but there was plenty of room. It was a little crazy at first because there were fast boats and jet skis zipping all around, and then some thrill seekers out for the evening, screaming as they went, as if they were on a roller coaster, whipping figure eights on the water. At dusk, peace settled in the cove, and it was beautiful, warm and calm.

To celebrate our last dinner with our crew on board, we had an amazing rack of lamb dinner, grilled with eggplant and asparagus, followed by salad, with a very nice red wine. Yum!

We planned to arrive tomorrow at Hartge, where we started this journey on December 6, 2020, Day One.