We're in DC!

After three+ days sailing down the Chesapeake and up the Potomac, we arrived in DC Tuesday morning, August 23, just ahead of the earthquake. The docks shook and bounced  and the water was filled with tiny bubbles -like champagne. But that was all. We learned about the hurricane from the radio.

While damage to the area buildings and the Monuments was being assessed from the earthquake, NOAA was forecasting Irene as a Category 1 hurricane. Later changed to a Tropical Storm, Irene brought heavy rain and wind. With Lapidus secured with extra lines and canvass down, we rode out the storm.

Larry began working on the National Gallery of Art project in June.  The exterior wall is 3 by 5 foot, three inch wide marble pieces. In the shop built for the renovation, they are re-gauged, mended, re-anchored, and then  reinstalled. Larry is a foreman and operating equipment in the shop. Smithsonian buildings are considered works of art; you can imagine the directors, architects and project managers all over the place.  

We're in a marina on the Waterfront of the Washington Channel.  We can walk, or take a bus or metro everywhere.  Larry walks about a mile to the job. In Mayo, driving, riding the commuter bus and waiting added up to nearly five hours a day.

No earthquake or hurricane now, just 80 degrees of gorgeous weather.  

It's Spring!

DC's 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival

The weather has been chilly, windy and rainy but we finally had a breezy warm day to enjoy the trees at their peak viewing time.  Hundreds of trees encirle the Tidal Basin; others present a spectacular floral background for the Lincoln and Washington Memorials. 

So..... we made it through the winter while living on a sailboat in Annapolis, Maryland!  Actually, we did just fine.  Our diesel heater warms up the boat quickly; plus we have an electric oil heater and a small electric heater that we use when we don't need the diesel heater.  The weather was cold; infact, it was below average temperature in December, January, February, and March.  We had several snow storms, but our area always seemed to get less snow and ice than everyplace around us, lucky for us.  Our boating neighbors shared stories of 2010's snow storms that left snow boat high on the docks and a snowed in marina.  But this year was nothing close to that, but, again, it was cold and windy and that damp, cold air just cuts right through a person.

When the temperatures fell and taking walks was not fun anymore, we joined a Fitness Center.  Like most people, we have a Love/Hate relationship with the gym.  But we've become regulars in the yoga and pilates classes and like how we feel from doing the practices.  Hanging out on the elliptical and treadmill takes care of that needed aerobic exercise.   Plus, going to the gym got us off the boat, even on the coldest days.  Of course, after we finished at the gym, then we might go to the movies, buy groceries, eat out, etc. Now that the days are warming up, we're walking outside again, still my favorite way to exercise. 

In February, we drove to Oklahoma to celebrate Mom's full life of nearly 89 years.  A vibrant, multi-talented woman, she practiced living each day to its maximum and in her own way.

Left, on Trent's Harley.

Kenya shared these fitting words:  Vegas, Riverboat Casinos, Retail Stores, and Elks Lodges will never be quite as glamorous without her.

Season's Greetings from Annapolis, MD

The blizzard that has buried much of the east coast treated our area pretty nicely.  From as far south as North Carolina and up the Coast to Maine, snow falls were counted in feet.  The Annapolis, D.C., and Baltimore area only received four inches or so. We're not complaining.  We did get the wind that was forecast, and we're still getting gusts in the 30's. 


We cooked Turkey and dressing and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas we chose true Maryland fare, Crab Cakes using local Blue Crab.  We started the day with one of the only family traditions we've been able to keep, a grog type drink that we call Milk Punch.  Drinking the Ice Cream/Milk/Bourbon concoction from our Pusser's cups lent a Caribbean touch to the chilly, snowy day.

We stay busy adjusting to living aboard in a cold climate.  When the water was too cold for our Reverse Cycle Central Heat to work, we serviced our Espar diesel heater and started it up.  The boat's first owner had installed it and we had never used it before (not much of a need).  We were amazed at how toasty it kept the boat. But, alas, it clogged up and stopped working.  Until it is cleaned and repaired, we are using two electric heaters, plus one small electric heater in the engine room.
 
We wish you all peace and happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the year.

New York City

Our first trip to Manhattan!!!!!

The cool, crisp fall days were perfect for miles of walking and sight-seeing.

The Amtrak train ride is about three hours from the BWI station (30 minutes from our marina) to Penn Station in Midtown, close to Madison Square Garden and within walking distance to our hotel and so many 'must sees.'  Trains are the best way to travel.  No hassle  --none!  Just buy your ticket, pick your comfy coach seat, and relax and enjoy the view.  Of course, commuters use Amtrak, so sometimes the trains are crowded.

But our train was not crowded.  On a train, there's much more legroom, the seats are wider, and the aisles are wider than on a plane, plus the windows are bigger.  Very enjoyable.  Passengers do have to pay attention to ensure they depart the train at their chosen destination!

The fall colors have been gorgeous, and Central Park's fall foliage was reported to be so as well.  And that it was.  Our three day, two night trip included many hours within the one-half mile wide and two and one-half miles long Park, and we still only covered about half of the area.  In addition to meandering trails accented with granite boulders, forests,a reservoir and several lakes, the Park is home to restaurants, gardens, museums and a zoo.



The Imagine Mosaic in Strawberry Fields, John Lennon's memorial in Central Park.







Remote Controlled Sailing!





We walked everywhere as we located other sights we wanted to see.   The New York Public Library, the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, Fifth Avenue  -- oh what fun.
So much we didn't see, but that means another visit!

A few other favorites:



Top of Rockefeller Plaza - What a view
 

Remember the
Soup Nazi
from Seinfield? 

But it was not yet open!




Beauty and grandeur in the New York Public Library, as well as extensive collections.  I love libraries (and parks).

St. Patrick's Cathedral
Historical, Gothic-style
Cathholic Church

Rockefeller Plaza
We also were on the Plaza while the Today show was taping, but we were cold and too hungry to wait for Matt and the other anchors to join the crowd outside.

Grand Central Terminal
Transports thousands of commuters daily.
Lots of high-end restaurants and shops.





In the lobby of The Plaza Hotel, on our way to The Oak Room  - martini time.

Fall on the Chesapeake

Hard to believe it's late October.  In between long days of boat cleaning, maintenance, and repair, we've been exploring the area, sampling delicious fresh crab and seafood, and attending local festivals.  The numerous  festivals held throughout the state celebrate Maryland's seafood, its wine, and its harvests.

A small state, Maryland provides a bounty of food, wine and seafood. Our veggies and most of our produce are chosen from several Farmer's Markets and local produce stands.  Maryland has over 40 'Direct Farm & Pick Your Own' markets.  We purchase very fresh seafood from a local shop.  Yes, we are enjoying the area.

We've even been cruising! This last weekend, we left our marina in the Rhode River, sailed up the Bay past the South River, past Annapolis, and turned into the Severn River where we met other Valiant Sailboat owners for a fun outing. We rafted up for  a while for pictures.  Lapidus is between the two red 50' boats.  Our organizers and hosts, Bernie and Kate of Rogue Wave Yachts, own a beautiful home on the Severn and keep their Valiant, Mahalo, there.  We appreciate their hospitality. 

The Bay is crowded on the weekends, especially around Annapolis.  A beautiful site, but maneuvering through all the boats out racing Sunday afternoon was a challenge. 

Cooler Weather -Thanks to Earl

Hurricane Earl,  the monster storm that caused damage to several Caribbean islands, brushed by the Turks and Caicos causing big wave action, and menaced the US East Coast all week, brought a little wind and cooler weather to our area.  Before it fizzled, it made land fall in Nova Scotia, giving several cities a pounding of wind and rain.

The resort town of Ocean City, Maryland, located on the Atlantic coast and about 100 miles from here, braced for a hit from Earl.  The area experienced turbulent waves and wind, but fortunately received no major damage.

We're in Holiday Hill Marina on the Rhode River several miles south of Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay. 
As this serene view indicates, we're in a lovely, tranquil cove. The Smithsonian Institute prohibits development on the entire south side of the Rhode River, thus the marina is secluded and quiet.  While a big storm can do damage here or anywhere, we do have nice protection from the waves caused by wind and Bay boaters, plus no muscle boats or jet skis are allowed (thanks to the Smithsonian).

We're getting into the rhythm of marina living.  Being secured in a slip results in an easier life than being on a mooring ball or at anchor.  Here we just step off the boat and walk up the docks (and, thankfully, to our pickup)   -no need to launch the dingy, start the motor, head for the dingy dock, secure the dingy, and then complete whatever activity was planned, which might be something simple and or it might be laundry day, so the dingy is full of clothes.  Then, of course,  back on the dingy to return to the big boat.  But, because we're in a slip and not anchored with our bow in the wind, we're not enjoying the breeze blowing in our hatches.  And slip life offers far less privacy than living at anchor, where you experience the feeling of having your own, private sunset.  Slip life is easier, but not nearly as rewarding. The Bay boasts hundreds of lovely anchorages and we'll be visiting a few of those this fall.

Right now, we're enjoying this beautiful weather and keeping track of the current tropical storms.

Notes and Pics from the Captain

Lapidus - Close to time to depart for passage from Turks and Caicos to Annapolis


With no chartplotter from the second day on, we navigated with paper charts and our two handheld VHF's.  We came all the way in like this without any trouble. We came into the Chesapeake at 3 in the morning and no moon. It sure beats dead reckoning.

On the third morning we were motoring and there was a loud growling sound. I slowed the engine and checked everything, but found nothing wrong. I started motoring again and within 15 to 20 minutes same sound. I shut the engine off for the next two and a half days and watched the windex on top of the mast spin around and around. After two and a half days I started the engine and ran it at 1500 rpms for a while and then up to 2200, with no problems and no more unusual noises. We ran the engine sparingly to be sure we had enough diesel to enter the marina, which we did, but not much extra. 

Six different pods of dolphins joined us during our voyage.
They came to play, and we were glad to see them.



I was only able to understand Chris Parker two days while we were in the middle of our voyage, but it was a big help. He gave us a couple of good waypoints that helped us out on some eddies and gave us some wind part of a day. The eddies lasted until we got to the gulfstream. We basically sailed north on longitude 72 and then curved in west to Cape Hatteras, then into the Chesapeake.

It was really hot out there. There were two or three days where we did not see a ship, plane or a bird. Again, we were always glad when a pod of dolphins decided to hang out with us for a while.  Unusal cloud formations also added interest.  One cloud with a hole in the middle?
 

South Side Marina

The new bar and restaurant has been started and will be a welcome addition to the south side of Provo.