Be still, my trembling liver....

Lord help me, I'm back in Annapolis less than 24 hours - hell, I wasn't here an hour when my good chums Mike and Dennis me - there's a Christmas Boat Parade party, get my butt in gear, they're picking me up in a half hour. Cripes, I take more time than that to set the anchor, and Aduana (the Wonder Puppy®) hasn't been walked yet, the outboard is still on the rails....oh man!
"Poop quickly, pup", I command as we walk out on the grass, quickly tossing the poor pooch back into the dinghy when she's done. 
The outboard fires up first pull and I'm off to meet Mike in front of Davis' Pub, one of my favourite dens of iniquity.
Well, talk about a great party - more than 100 people crammed into an apartment, all talking, eating (great food) and drinking (free wine and beer!)....gawd, I so love Annapolis...and then we were off to the Rockfish (another great den of iniquity) for more drinking and some dancing...and then downtown to McGarveys and Middletons (two more fine dens of iniquity, and historic ones too!). Does the fun never end? Not in Annapolis it doesn't.
Woke up this morning remembering why I had to flee Annapolis all those years ago - my liver simply wasn't up to the demands of this drinking town with a sailing problem! For those who knew me back in university, you can imagine how savage it must be here. I was a champion back then....up to it all....anytime, anywhere.....(post now subtitled: How the Mighty Have Fallen"...)
Monday, I'll complete my rounds with a visit to the Boatyard Bar and Grille...sigh! You know, had I not gotten a proper tune up in Chesapeake City just prior to arriving here, I might well not have been up to last night's revelry. Many thanks to TR, Kim, Harry, Chris and all the rest of the CC party crowd who provided me with such intense pre-Annapolis training. 
As for more mundane things, like sailing, that this blog is supposed to be about - I motored the entire 50 miles from CC to Annapolis since there wasn't a breath of wind - and didn't see a thing the entire way due to fog. Nothing like getting waked by someone you can't even see...and I was deliberately a good couple of hundred yards off the channel for safety.
At one point early on in the day, the Coast Guard came on and advised that the C&D Canal was closed due to fog - not something one wants to hear when one is in the middle of said Canal, which I was. On the other hand, it pretty much guaranteed that a 500 foot freighter wouldn't come out of the mists right in front of me. That can spoil your day - and ruin a good pair of boxer shorts too!

Here are some videos of last night's fun in Annapolis....does anyone wonder why I love this town - liver damage and all?

 

Kids dancing with a Boat Santa after the parade... 

 

Can you see the frog leaping up to kiss the mermaid?

 

Party On!

 
   

Christmas Lights in the Harbour...

Welcome to Chesapeake City - here's some video of the Christmas lighting that surrounds where my boat is docked at the moment....isn't this lovely?

 

 

Chesapeake City

I've always said that some of my best adventures arise out of difficult circumstances, and so it is now. I'm here in Chesapeake City, population 700 (and that's both sides of the canal included), with a broken motor mount to repair. In the last several days, I've met some fabulous folks and discovered what a lovely, friendly town this is. I'm very impressed with it in fact.
For example, yesterday, a new friend drove me 40 miles out and back to pick up the new mount. (quick plug here - should you ever require IT work, go to www.cssnetworking.com, TR will take good care of you!). Anyhow, we were only supposed to go out about ten miles, but the part sent out was the wrong one - so the marina found another marina that had what I needed - and best of all, it was cheaper! Then, today, another new friend, Harry, helped me out with repairing the motor mount by being my 'second hand', giving me tools and parts as they were needed. Working on the engine of a boat is always tedious,the worst part being climbing in and out of the locker to get tools and parts. 
Anyhow, with HUGE thanks to Harry and TR, the motor mount is now replaced. I'll spend another day here testing out the repair and doing a couple of other small jobs that should be done, and then make Annapolis sometime Saturday.
Now - some entertaining tales of Chesapeake City - Sunday, my first day here, I went to the Inn along with the crews of several other boats. A number of local folk were watching the Ravens play. One lady, who was seriously and entertaingly 'over-refreshed' and so shall remain nameless, offered all we visitors rides to the grocery store or wherever, and best of all - hot showers at her house. Jim, who along with Peter was on his way to New Jersey to help with the Sandy reconstruction, quickly took her up on her offer of a shower and they were out the door before anyone could say 'Don't drop the soap!'...not that anyone was jumping to any unwarranted conclusions, but....ok, we jumped to conclusions. So sue us. But somehow the offer never got past Jim....

Just a short distance from my boat, the City has put up a number of gorgeous Christmas lights - I'll take some photos tonight and post them shortly, as this is one of the nicest Christmas harbour light decorations I've seen yet. Tbey've done a super job, thanks to Mayor Dean - who I met the other day on another friend's boat. 
Talking about boats - this harbour has been busy the past several days, with everything from a classic styled wood boat to a 33 Dragonfly trimaran and an aluminum working boat. A surprising number of boats still headed south even this late in the year. Seems I'm not the last man out after all...
Chesapeake City is one of the nicer towns along the Bay's eastern shore - a lot of very old homes that have been vcry well kept. However, these are not big Victorians or old mansions - they're old workingmen's homes, some not much bigger than perhaps 25 by 25, like they used to build them when heating your home meant chopping your own wood. The smaller the house, the less wood needed - makes sense to me. Still, despite their size, they're really attractive, with many of them on the main street having been turned into shops

sign at the Chesapeake Inn tiki deck...

Former Post Office - er, make that a bank, thanks Henny!

Another pub, very historic, formerly owned by Dupont Family

Former general and dry goods store

 

Oh oh....

Since Manasquan, NJ, I've hooked up with several other sailors out of Maine and we've been loosely traveling together - it's been interesting. Amanda and Jeremy have a 46 foot former racer with an 8 foot keel, now that's a challenge - within five minutes of meeting them, they'd managed to put Maria Mercedes aground! Doesn't help that Jeremy's depth sounder is acting up. Like all racers, the interior is pretty barren and Jeremy, a carpenter by trade, is fixing it up as they travel.
The other boat, Greensleeves, is another anomaly, a fibreglass ketch with wooden decks and masts - a really pretty traditional boat, owned by CD, who is traveling with a buddy whose name escapes me for the moment - I must need another coffee this hour of the morning.
So we've run down the coast to Atlantic City, and got there to be faced with the tide exactly opposite to what we wanted. To run the Delaware, you really need to do it with the tide behind you, otherwise, you get a very strong current pushing you back. The only way around it is to leave with the tide, in this case, around 4 am, which I couldn't do as I needed diesel and the marina opened at 9. Couldn't be worse as far as the tide was concerned.
Jeremy needed diesel as well, but thought he had enough - I passed them at 10:45 that evening, anchored out about 9 miles south of the C&D canal entrance. The next day, they had to use their dinghy to push MM up the river to a marina. I thought they were asleep since they didn't answer the VHF, so kept on going since I finally had the tide with me and was making well over 6 knots. Turns out Jeremy saw me but, in the fog and the dark, I couldn't see him on deck.
So, got into Chesapeake City and its free dock (Free is Good®), decided to tighten the stuffing box, a regular maintenance issue, and I knew mine needed it. Well, what's THIS? 
It seems I have a broken motor mount, and I'm going to be here for a couple of days dealing with that. And, of course it's the one the most difficult to get at, way in the back corner....
Went to the local pub last night with the crews of the other three boats that are here - MM, plus a gorgeous Tayana 42 going north to Rhode Island, and two guys from a survey boat heading up to NJ to help out in the post Sandy reconstruction. Enjoyed some interesting conversation, met some really nice local people - they've offered to all of us to help with getting groceries, offered to open their homes to us for showers, offered me a ride to get parts....now if only someone would offer to do the job for me!
This is actually one of the best things about cruising - you meet the greatest people - I've had people toss me the keys to their car on several occasions, people who had known me for perhaps five minutes. As often as not, they're not cruisers, just people who want to share in your adventure by helping out. For those who are or will be cruisers, they're certainly building their cruising karma by helping out!

You'll notice a small change in the blog format - I've added Disqus, a new comment feature - when you comment, it comes up real time, advises you of comments to the post if you want it to, and you can respond to the posts of others on here. You can see it at the bottom of the current post.
My hope is to see more conversations happening on here, to liven up this blog a bit....so if you have comments or questions, post away and let's talk. 
The next time you hear from me, I'll be greasy and cranky from working on the engine mount....but underway again, on Chesapeake Bay and heading for Annapolis. 

A funny thing happened on the way out of NYC...

....I just know you're going to have a tough time believing this, but I actually got to SAIL MY BOAT. No kidding. I mean, for once, the wind, stars, sun, Zodiac signs, tide, I mean everything, lined up and I actually got to SAIL MY BOAT. 
Ok, since this is such an uncommon occurrence (don't believe me, just look back through these posts for the last time I actually talked about SAILING THE BOAT), I'm going to tell you how it came about.
I left Nyack for Liberty Landing Marina on Friday, in Jersey City, right across from New York and about a mile up from the Statue of Liberty. The winds were pretty wild, so I settled down there for the weekend, meeting some neat people - John, on an Island Packet and up from Florida (what's with that?); Zack, a budding journalist and sailor; Brian, a new liveaboard; Michelle, the dockmaster; Ron the GM; and several other of the local liveaboards as well. It was a pleasant weekend.
Leaving on Monday morning, the predicted winds were 10 - 15 NW, gusting 20 - that usually means 15 - 20, gusting insanely, but I thought I'd take a chance anyway. And the forecasters were right for once...so these were perfect conditions for the 38 mile sail. I raised the genoa as I approached the Verranzano Bridge, turned off the engine and was soon scooting along at over six knots, actually breaking 8 knots for a while approaching Sandy Hook. Had a great run into Manasquan, while passing by the areas that Hurricane Sandy had gone through. 
That was just amazing - entire rows of vacation townhouses on the beach lifted up by the winds and shifted back maybe 30°, entire buildings reduced to a pile of wood and stone. And the beaches - you didn't notice it at first, but then I realized it was low tide and there was almost no sand....and what there was would be covered by water at high tide.
Now if you've not seen the NJ beaches, you wouldn't understand - the beaches were a major feature of the NJ coastline - wide stretches of sand and they're gone. Amazing the power of that storm.
So...anchored out in Manasquan, where a lot of boarded up windows and trash in the streets and yards attested to Sandy's visit. Left the next morning, yesterday, with winds expected to go from the east to northeast...and they did, and built to about 15 - 20, gusting 25, sloppy seas, rainy and cold. It was a great sail, probably averaged about six knots to do 50+ miles, but I was sooooo cold when I got in - it was hours before I warmed up.
Now, to make it up the Delaware River from Cape May (my next stop), I need south winds, which aren't arriving until Saturday. I'm taking the opportunity to tie up to a dock here and catch up with some writing, and also avoid the high winds that are still out there, not to mention the cold.

 The red line here denotes the run from Jersey City to Manasquan, a distance of 38 nautical miles.

On the chart to the right, the first red line denotes the run from Manasquan to Atlantic City, where I am now, about 52 miles. The blue line is the run to Cape May, about 32 miles, which I'll do Friday.
Saturday morning, the winds are supposed to be 5 - 10 knots S, so I'll follow the red line up the Delaware River. Also, the tide starts to flood early in the morning, so I'll have the tide behind me, which is the only way to get up the Delaware.
From the C&D Canal, which is at the left top end of the red line, I'll tie up at Chesapeake City, and the following day (Annapolis readers, you've been warned!), I'll be in my favourite city...
Best part is, the temperatures are going up starting Saturday, in the mid to high 50s and remaining there well into next week. YES!
And from the looks of the forecasts, I'll be able to SAIL MY BOAT some more. 
Life is good....oh, and in case I don't get a chance to hit the internet between now and Saturday, Happy Birthday to a certain Barrie native, who shall remain nameless....but you know you're thought about!

Yeehaw Junction - the video! (almost)

Oh my folks, have I got a treat for you today....a video of some people in Virginia I met last year who could rival the folks from Yahoo Junction I blogged about last summer, here: Yeehaw Junction.
First, have to mention my new friends Lin and Diane, in Nyack - I was working away on the boat when someone shouted out from the dock - "What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Want to come for dinner?"
Well, how long does it take a sailor to say yes to that? Rowed ashore and joined Lin and his wife Diane for a great American Thanksgiving dinner in their home, a converted barn - really nicely done too! Aduana enjoyed the visit as they had a dog, Gretyl, and a fenced in yard. Life is good.
Also - this blog is now regularly receiving over 100 visitors a day - that's a bit of a milestone, I'm quite pleased....of course, that puts the pressure on me to keep the interest up, doesn't it? By the way, if you're lurking here, slipping in from Facebook or TheSailingChannel or some other referring site, how about signing up and let's see if we can get the registered membership over 100? We're halfway there now. These posts are spam free and I promise you I won't sell your email address (for less than $50 anyway!)....seriously, you're email address is not shown, so you're safe signing up. Live dangerously - go for it!
The following video of a drunk discussing four viagra pills is from the Urbanna Oyster Festival a year ago. This group could give the folks at Yeehaw Junction a run for their money....and that's saying something. And one thing I should say -- it gets a tiny bit vulgar towards the end (and of course, that's the funniest part), it's nothing that a hardy sailor can't handle, but if you're more of a proper type, you might want to skip this.
Enjoy.
And of course, if you like it, remember what your mother said - it's good to share! 

Whale catches Boat Anchor

Hello everyone - I'm currently in Nyack NY for Thanksgiving - had a great evening last night with new friends Ron and Alex, who will be joining we cruisers out here in about another year. Seems they have this 'job' thing to finish up first!
We had a fabulous prime rib dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant - it ranks right up there with the t-bone I had with Paul in Windsor a while back. 
Ron was worried about what comments I might make today, especially about a 'cute' comment Alex made....but we'll let Alex off the hook on this one since she's such a sweetie! Mind you, a blushing sweetie as she reads this...
Gorgeous day today, sunny and in the mid 50s - not quite suntanning weather, but nice. I may head for Manasquan tomorrow, since Saturday is not looking good for travel. Go figure, I'm about to head out on the Atlantic and this perfectly lovely weather disappears. What's with that? This entire trip, all the way from the Great Lakes, has been a trial.
Found a fascinating video from one of my forums today - a whale caught the anchor line of a powerboat, and the video and blog make for a fascinating tale. Here's the video below

 

...and here's a link to the blog itself, which finishes off the story: http://tinyurl.com/cxpfm9a

Weather...

Interesting day on the blog - highest one day readership ever, with 108 people in a 24 hour period - not quite sure where everyone came from, the blog stats aren't telling me much there - but welcome aboard, and I hope you enjoyed your visit and will return again.
Just so you know, I post from one to three times per week, and your email address is safe here - no spam, so if you want to sign up and get notified about the latest post, you won't be inundated with viagra and cialis ads, or get rich quick schemes, or discover your best friend is in jail in Belgium and needs bail money - and yes, that last one was tried on me when a close friend's email was hacked. 

I was just checking the weather to see what's in store for the next few days. Seems I'm just north of a weather 'line'. Where I am, it's 33° at the moment, but 25 miles to my south, it's 38° and about 100 miles to the south, in New York City, it's 45°. Tomorrow, the high will be 49° here, but into the 50s further south. 
Best of all though, is that winds are light - I'm on the river and won't be able to sail anyway - and the sun is shining, so it's actually rather pleasant.
Here's the NYC forecast through the weekend - 

...it's not too bad, is it, and if it holds, it will make my trip along the New Jersey coast much easier. In fact, with any luck, I should be through to Delaware Bay and done with the New Jersey coast by the weekend, with two days to Annapolis. Of course, no telling what I'll find in the NJ stops after Sandy's visit - I expect I'll be the first cruiser to be anchoring in many of these areas, and likely the first to even enter some of these inlets since the storm. You'll be able to read all about it in the upcoming SAIL Magazine article...
In fact, in looking more closely at the weather, it seems the only challenge I'll face will be going up the Delaware River, with the winds possibly putting me close hauled. That's not fun there, plus I'll have to head out about 4 am to make use of the tide...the Delaware is a real tough slog if you are running against the tide. Been there, done that, not doing it again, but even so, it looks like a long day coming up.

Tomorrow, the mast goes back up, and Gypsy Wind turns into a sailboat again. After over two weeks listening to the constant chugging of the diesel, it will be nice to hear only the silence of the wind - and maybe the iPod and stereo...

Catching up....

Finally, a day when I'm not traveling and can take the time to tidy and clean. When you're pulling ten to twelve hour days on a boat trying to outrun the snow and cold, things get out of place, cleaning doesn't get done as regularly as it should. And it doesn't make it any easier when you're on the canal and you have to carry your sails inside the boat - there's just that much less room.
Tonight, the boat is again clean and tidy - it really is and I'm hoping it will last, although I know someone who is shaking her head and wondering about this. Perhaps I should include video? After all the effort, the lock keeper let those of us at the dock know that he would open his building for - be still my trembling heart - hot showers!
Oh yea! The only way that shower could have been better is if an attractive woman had been involved....you know, the cleanliness is next to Godliness thing? What, you thought I had something other than good clean fun in mind? Perish the thought......oh, do I see a hand raised there? Step this way, bring a towel....and don't drop the soap!
Yesterday, I mentioned the guy who was rowing his sailboat down the canal? Ben and I (and Blue and Aduana too) had dinner here on Gypsy Wind tonight and I got more of the story - rather than tell it here, check out this newspaper story - it's quite the adventure. Here's a photo of Ben and Blue...

Ben and Blue on Junkyard Dog, a 21 foot Westerly - photo © WayneCountyLife.com

Tomorrow, it's laundry, groceries, some boat work, and then Sunday, head for the Catskills and the Hop o Nose Marina (yep, that's its real name), to get the mast stepped (put back up for you landlubbers). From there, it's down the Hudson towards New York and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. 
And I'll tell you now, if there is even the slightest breeze while I'm on my way through there, you can start looking for me in New Mexico, driving an RV, yessir!

..and you think I'm crazy? Well....

...how about this guy? He's actually rowed his 21 foot sailboat the entire Erie Canal - that's 338 miles. He started his trip from Detroit, sailed across Lake Erie - and he sailed it, since he doesn't have a motor. I'll be chatting with him tomorrow morning over coffee to get the details, but in the meantime, I thought you'd enjoy this photo. Oh, yes, he had an English Bull Terrier - about a 60 pound dog - on board this small boat with him, the boat's name is Junkyard Dog.....ought to be an interesting coffee tomorrow.

Yep....those are oars......

As for myself, I'm in Waterford NY at the bottom end of the Erie Canal. Had dinner with my friend John, who lives not far from here, then he was good enough to take me around for some shopping. He's a cruiser himself, just taking a few years off to raise kids - well, actually, I think he's raising money to raise the kids and put them through college, I"m sure you know what I mean.
I just made arrangements today to have the mast stepped in the Catskills, and then it's south to New York and the New Jersey coast, where I'll see firsthand the damage done by Hurricane Sandy. According to the boating industry, some 65,000 boats were damaged to the tune of $650 million. Like I said earlier, ought to be some good deals out there for someone wanting a boat for cheap and with the skills to do the repairs.
My big concern on the NJ coast will be anchoring in the Manasquan and Barnegat areas - who knows what's on the bottom now. I could find myself putting my anchor through the roof of someone's house! Then of course, since all of the marinas have suffered some damage - and some were completely destroyed, I'll have to worry about fuel and water supplies. It's going to be a challenge to say the least.
More later....I'm off to dreamland. Have a great day everyone, don't work too hard on those spreadsheets and so on...