Diving deep

Until now, the water tank has been for washing dishes and brushing teeth/hand washing because you could fill a glass or bowl with water and wait. Eventually small black rubber particulate would settle out onto the bottom. The particulate was coming from an ancient fill hose made of reinforced layered rubber. With a Herculean amount of effort I got it off of the hose barbs on both ends and got it out. Unfortunately this resulted in an immediate panic since the hoses internal diameter was 1 3/4 inches- a very non standard size. Nobody had replacement hose. Not Lowe’s or West marine or anybody obvious online. 
The hose was too degraded to go back on so I was starting to consider trying to remove the old fittings from the tank and the deck when someone suggested McMaster carr. What a life saver. They actually had several options of food safe hoses in that size. Nothing reinforced and all clear but hey. 5.59 a foot? Sold. I wrapped it in duct tape and it went quite easily Ack through the bulkheads and onto the fittings, being pretty flexible and much thinner than the old hose. 

Next step was to open the service port on theyank itself. I built this up in my mind to mean that I was going to find all manner of gunk and or dead mice in and was quite dreading It. 

Phew nothing but antifreeze and a few little blobs. I cleaned up what a could and refilled through the new clean hose! Hopefully we can drink the tank water this year and stop using so many plastic bottles of water. 

Meanwhile matt has gotten all of the head hoses out and all of the excess through hulls are out. We found a rather bad patch job that necessitated cutting a hole in the hull big enough to stick your head through. The patch looks wonderful. 

Spring Labors

As we learned two years ago, two coats of barrier coat is not enough.  I've been sanding off the bottom paint since last fall.  I would say I'm nearly done all the parts that can comfortably be done sitting, standing, or kneeling, without the sander being actually over head.  The rest I'm going to try to use a chemical stripper on.  I put a small amount on a test area and it plopped onto the ground some time in the middle of the night so I guess my attempt was premature and I have to wait for the temperature to rise a bit.  

Seems like over the season we lost the anode off the prop nut. It also dug a hole into the rudder again so I think we might do away with this anode for now.  We haven't totally decided on a course of action. 

Also last season we had a terrifying day where we were motoring north into heavy winds and pretty decent chop crossing the mouth of the Potomac river, when we discovered that the anchor locker was basically open to the cabin. We took on a tremendous amount of water, but between manually bailing all day and running the bilge pump constantly we made it into port.  Turns out the anchor locker is basically shot.  The bulkhead was rotten and had a large hole in it, with only a film of wet wood and paint keeping the interior more or less separate.  Below the floor of the anchor locker, the lower bulkhead was just a piece of plywood tabbed into place and could be punctured with a fingertip.  It was where most of the water was going in. The drains were corroded away and a lot of water was going into the hull also.  A full renovation is required. 

Here's a sample of the cross piece that used to hold up the floor. It felt like a wet sponge and was easily crushed. 

This shot is looking down at the interior hull under what had been the bottom of the anchor locker, the lower bulkhead being the rotten looking stuff on the right. 

A different angle.





This is what the inside of the vee berth looks like looking forward, after we cut out the rancid old holding tank (time to go to a composting head). The paint is the only thing holding those bulkheads in place.  The current plan is to sister them from the anchor locker side, and then eventually add a layer of starboard or something for cosmetic effect on the interior side. 




That's the footprint of the old tank.  37 gallons.  Lots of new stowage space now!


The remains of the anchor locker floor. Yum.

Accidental Fame

We accidentally got onto the cover of the August 2017 Spinsheet:

Can you see us?

Rail in the Water

I'm not sure you can properly call the teak capping on our 8 inch bulwarks the "rail," but we had enough wind and we were sailing sufficiently close hauled so that our bulwarks were submerged and the decks were under water on the leeward side.  Holy cow.  The poor dogs were terrified.  Probably should have reefed, I really don't think these old barges are meant to be sailed like that.  The major downside of this activity was that the spreaders managed to sag down again.  We clearly need to have actual spreader hangers installed to keep them in position.

It was a nearly perfect day to sail to Still Pond.  We anchored outside where we normally do.  The prediction was for gusts into the thirties around sunset and boy howdy did that materialize. It was actually really comfortable and pleasant, but our dinner guests had a less than satisfactory experience. Their anchor dragged and by the time the boat next to us shouted the alarm (we weren't paying attention . . . for shame), their boat was drifting sideways onto the bow of a fifty foot motor yacht . . . Even in an extremely inebriated state the power boaters fended successfully and no damage occurred. They announced that they had defended the house and confessed the following:  I wanted to whistle, but I realized that I don't know how. So I asked my wife to google how to whistle, and then I remembered that I could just yell.  That put an end to the evening's festivities, which was fine, and we all settled in to watch the sunset and enjoy the breeze.

We also got to watch the most absurdly over-scaled speed boat I have ever seen pass behind a thirty foot sailboat. 

The next day we lazed on the hook, had Prosecco and fruit and cheese, and then a lazy motor back to HPYC.  I've committed to try to make the most of all weekends, so we are trying to spend more time on Sundays actually on the boat instead of rushing home.  This means a bid of additional meal planning and packing but this weekend seemed to be a success.  

Fourth of July

We took a four day cruise around and about.  First night was at Lloyd's Creek on the Sassafras river.  There was decent wind for most of the day so we got in some fine sailing.  

The fleet anchored safely, knowing a storm was rolling in.  The radar showed a band up and down the entire east coast that was quite narrow but sweeping rapidly from west to east.  

Here is the leading edge of it rolling in.

 

The sun was still beating down from the east, making this boat glow.  

When it swept over us we had pouring rain and a few minutes of 40 mph winds. 

This cool shot of Hobo came from the glowing boat.  

Then within a half an hour it was over. 

Just in time for a beach party. 

Took the dinghy out and about in the morning to go see the lotuses on Lloyd's creek but I forgot how far it is upstream so we didn't make it. 

The next day we were off for Havre De Grace for their fireworks display.  We anchored in our usual spot near the channel to the city dock, but the city moved the display from the island that protects the city marina to a barge right off of the point so we weren't as close as we might have liked.  It was still an excellent display.  

Then for the third, we went home to Hances Point to watch the North East fireworks.  Their display was, I have to admit, a bit better than Havre De Grace.  Plus we had a bonus gorgeous sunset. 

Weekend Update

We took this past weekend as a rest weekend.  Just one short jaunt out in the irresistible wind, and lots and lots of lounging.  Matt got to do some commodoring around the club and I got to read a book.  

Shakedown Cruise

We did some final work at Herrington Harbor including shaving down the vee berth door some more ( yeeps),  stowing a bunch of canned goods for later, working on the electrical and doing some other odd jobs, we fired up the Beta following the instructions carefully -- hold down the heat button for fifteen seconds, press the start button.  The engine turned over and started immediately.  We got out of the slip without any problems thanks to the gigantic flat-bladed prop, which creates enough thrust to get us up to speed, stop, move in reverse, all very quickly for such a heavy boat.  We were heading out for a week, so the discussion was whether to head further south to Tangier, or head north to meet up with the HPYC fleet for a more leisurely cruise.  Ultimately since there was very little wind and all of it was coming out of the south we decided to put the new engine to good use and motor north to Swan Creek and meet up with the three boats coming south from the club.  

Finally at anchor on Swan Creek.  We went to almost the exact same spot where we once anchored right on top of a crab pot only to wake up at sunrise to the sound of a crabber's work boat banging into us to push us away so they could check their catch.  There was no crab pot there this time.  

Anchor lights in the dark. There was a big power boat party raft up in front of us.

The next morning we had a soul searching discussion as to when we had last purchased diesel.  The results were inconclusive.  Efforts to dip the tank with our handy dandy bent bucket handle revealed that the plug we usually removed for dipping purposes was now part of the new fuel line install for the new engine.  We resorted to knocking on the side of the tank.  Boy did it sound empty.  Luckily we were able to duck into Gratitude Marina for fuel.  It took 40 gallons to fill the tank.  We don't actually know but it might be a 50 gallon tank so we cut it a little close.  The engine uses a little less than half a gallon an hour at cruising speed so we would have been OK but who wants to be sucking on the bottom of the tank? Not my brand new Beta.

June 11 was another fairly calm day.  We made our way down to the Kent Narrows. I think this was our first time going through south bound.

We did some laps in front of all the dock bars and marinas in the Narrows, having arrived at 11:45 for the 12:00 opening.    While we were waiting we heard someone radio in to the bridge tender in a panicked screech "REQUESTING BRIDGE OPENING."  The bridge tender must have been able to see them because he responded asking this person to identify their vessel.  When they failed to respond he radioed again stating that south bound had the current and that there were a number of vessels on that side so north bound vessels were to stand down.  At 1:55 we heard the same panicked screech on the radio again "REQUESTING BRIDGE OPENING."  Not being able to see anything on the other side, we let the current carry us almost to the bridge, and at 12:00 the bridge opened.  At 12:00:15 a small blue sailboat was already crowding through the bridge.  The people aboard were so confused and panicked that we couldn't help but laugh at them. Fortunately we were able to hold position long enough for them to clear the channel and we proceeded through after them.

We made our way up the Wye to Dividing Creek, hoping for a relaxing hike in the woods and a swim.  Alas we were stymied in both. The tide was too low for us to get up to the landing to the hiking trails, and the water teemed with stinging nettles.  We did get to enjoy someone else's pain as a very beautiful custom trawler dropped the hook in front of us.  The owner jumped in the water without looking and was cursing his friend for refusing to also jump in.  The friend was hesitating on the gleaming teak swim platform, "I don't know man, I see jellyfish."  "Bull shit I always swim here and there are never jelly fi-" Then he started screaming.  

June 13 we crossed the bay to go to Galesville.  Even though we spent a month in Deale we had never visited Galesville on the West River.  After the previous day jellyfish bonanza we wanted to find a place with a pool.  We attempted to use the CBYCA reciprocity policy at the West River Yacht Club but found that they were going to charge us more than a public marina, were unpleasant, and wouldn't give us slips if we didn't arrive by three PM.  Hartge's Marina had an off site pool (I speculate it is at the owner's house or something), but they have transient moorings, and the other local marina had slips only but they had an on site pool.  Ultimately we decided to forget all that noise and just anchor in the harbor.  

Got to do a little sailing along the way until the wind died. 

The crew, not doing a very good job on watch. 

It was quite pleasant, with a really nice anchorage and lots of nearly abandoned/derelict boats in a public mooring field right down river from Hartge's Marina, which was chock full of classics and mega yachts. The swimming at anchor was also really nice.  

A gorgeous catboat at Hartge's. 

An occupied propane platform with a rusty gasoline generator on the stern.  He ran it all night long.  We also did a two bar bar crawl.  The second bar has SHOWERS IN THE BATHROOMS so we took advantage.  

June 13 we left Galesville and took a short jaunt up to Annapolis.  There's just something about being snug and secure on one of those huge moorings right in the middle of all the action of the busy harbor.

We replaced the forespar poles with collapsible aluminum tent poles so we don't have to have the giant forespar poles on deck all the time anymore.  The tent poles collapse to 12 inches and go into the stowage with the hobo tent sun shade.

June 14 was flag day.  From Annapolis we made for the Choptank river. I thought we might be trying San Domingo Creek for the back door to St. Michaels but instead we went to Harness Creek, which was quiet and breezy.  We hosted a small potluck dinner for everyone and Ranzo didn't bite anyone.  I did get stung on the neck by a jellyfish, and we were attached by a horde of flies.  This is where I learned that the dogs are deathly afraid of fly swatters. 

We had a close brush with the Bloody Point Lighthouse.  It's not in very good shape these days.  

June 15 we went back across the bay to the South River, where you can anchor near Quiet Waters Park.  In spite of reports of porpoises seen in the area the evening before, we saw none.  

June 16 we went to St. Michaels. It was the weekend of the wooden boat show at the museum, so slips were dear.  We got the last one in St. Michaels Marina and never have I ever been so wedged into a spot. We were hanging off the dock by half, and then a large power boat was brought in perpendicular to us.  

Even so it was fun.  

That huge boat out there with the helicopter on it belongs to the founder of Bayliner.  

June 17 we made our way back towards home, through the narrows and up to Still Pond.  The water felt great after all those days in brackish water.  

June 18 we made it home to our yacht club, but we had one more trip to make all the way back to Herrington Harbor.  Adios HHN!