| Andante's Sailing
Blog October 2013 |
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Unlike the vast majority of
blogs which post entries in reverse chronology, Go Ahead to November 2013 |
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| October 22 - 23 | A visit to St. Michaels | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I left Rock Hall on Monday
October 21 and headed south through Kent Narrows to Eastern Bay to visit Phil and Sara
Sayre. I met the Sayre's in the Bahamas last season. With them (Spartina), Indian
Summer, Meltemi and Andante we made up Ducks in a Row. It was fun to see Phil and
Sara. From the creek behind their house I made the long trip over to St. Michaels to
visit the Maritime Museum. In 2000 I hade been there when we took Adagio south. Photos from this visit follow:
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| October 24-25, Thursday and Friday |
St Michael's to Solomon's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| October 26, Saturday | Solomon's Island, MD to St George's Creek on the Potomac | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A beat to windward down the Bay in apparent winds of 16 knots to 24 knots, with much of it at the high end of the interval. Along the way I picked up a follow along boat. Mick and Rick on BSB, a 30 feet C&C, out of Ontario. They were a little overwhelmed by the winds and followed me across the Bay to a quiet anchorage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 27, Sunday | St George's Creek on the Potomac to Fishing Bay at Deltaville, VA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A day of motor sailing, Quite a change from the earlier trips down Eastern Bay and over to Solomon's and the day before that from Solomons down to the Potomac.. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 28, Monday | Fishing Bay to Norfolk (well that was the plan anyway) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The best plans are just that, a plan. I
got as far as the Wolftrap Lighthouse south of the Rappahonock River (6 or 8 miles) under
power when the engine died after alternately sputtering and racing. For the third time in
13 months the engine stalled for lack of fuel. The first 2 times were within a month of
each other in December 2012. This time was only 40 hours after changing primary and
secondary fuel filters. There are many places along the way where I simply cannot risk the
engine dying, so I'm having the fuel tank drained and cleaned. You don't hear about this
problem in cars and trucks because they run so much fuel thru their system that it never
spoils. 2nd the fuel in the US is much cleaner than in the Bahamas. Finally, Andante is 24
yrs young, so that is a long time to accumulate dirt and biological growth in the tank.
After changing the primary filter and getting some fuel to top off the filter
cannister from Tow BoatUS I motored back to Deltaville. On arriving at Deltaville
Boatyard I was greeted by Mick and Rick!
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| October 30, Wednesday | Deltaville, VA to Norfolk, VA - Hospital Point | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
While I was up on the hard Mick and Rick on the 'little
red boat' headed south. My departure from Deltaville Boatyard was delayed as the
threw their personnel into getting Soujourner into the water so they could get off today
as well. Andante wasn't in the water, fueled and the bill paid until 1140 hours;
several hours later than I had hoped. My goal for the day remained the Hampton Roads
-- Norfolk area. Lucky for me I rode the south flowing tidal current most of the
day. When I wasn't far off Thimble Shoals Light I was hailed by Adirondack.
Who woulda thunk it. We agreed to tie up together at Hospital Point.
Turned out I got there well after dark. Sally had flown back to MN to be with
her boys and to work. But, as all plans a re just that, Jeff had had a little
medical emergency so son number 1 had flown out to help him take the boat south to
Charleston.
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| October 31, Thursday | Hospital Pint to the North Carolina Visitors Center on the Dismal Swamp Canal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leavin Norfolk there is a bascule bridge that
opens at 0630 and not again until 0930 in order to accommodate the rush hour traffic.
All the crusing boats opted for the later opening. When we got to the
Gilmerton bridge I counted more than a dozen waiting boats. After the bridge some of
them peeled off to the Virginia Cut and the rest headed for the Dismal Swamp Canal.
At the Deep Creek Lock we had 13 boats in the lock! Upon getting to the NCVC a
couple of boats headed on, but there were a couple tied up already. The net total
tied to the bulkhead and to each other was thirteen: three rows of four stretching out
into the canal with the 'little red boat' tied up across the sterns of the last four in
the flotilla. You can just see Andante's
turquoise canvas at the back of the fleet. The 'little red boat' is tucked in behind
me. |
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| November 1, 2013 Friday | NCVC to Elizabeth City, NC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elizabeth City has a public dock and bulkhead for transiting boats to tie up for free; no amenties. There is a tradition that the Visitors Bureau hosts a little winde and cheese gathering in the evening if there are five or more new boats arriving that day. We certainly met that litmus test. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 2 - 3, 2013 | Elizabeth City, NC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Of course, Adirondack was here until Saturday
when Jeff and David took off for points south. The 'little red boat' is tied up over
at Pelican Marina. On Saturday Tagwatty II with Jim and Martha arrived. I know them
through Phil and Sara 'Spartina.' Sunday I went up to the most disgusting laundromat
on the east coast to do laundry since I won't have anouther opportunity for several weeks.
That laundromat has going for the fact that it is cheap and only a short walk from
the water front. The shots below give some idea of the state of affairs at the
laundry.
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