Soggy Solomon's Island, Maryland

Baba 40 in the anchorage with a family of six living aboard

     There's nothing simple about the Simple Life in soggy Solomon's Island. Wherever we end up in any given anchorage inevitably someone comes by and comments on the name of our boat, "Love the name! Is it really a simple life?" I always say that we aspire toward a simple life but, most often it's not even close. Actually, if anyone living aboard tells me that life is simple when living on a boat they need to be castigated. It's a lot of work. Nothing about living on a sailboat is remotely simple.


     This week we have been holed up on anchor  at Solomon's Island, Maryland while the remnants of former Tropical Storm Karen have been stalled over the Mid-Atlantic region of Chesapeake Bay. Winds in excess of 25 knots with gusts to 30 have been blowing for days. Seas on Chesapeake Bay have been higher than normal with short wave periods making travel less than desirable. The Mid-Atlantic has been inundated with buckets of rain, drizzle, heavy wind and fog and 100% humidity for days. Areas south of us along the ICW have had their share of travel related issues, as well. The Great Bridge Lock on the Virginia ICW has been closed with no scheduled openings restricting boater traffic due to excessively high water. The Alligator Swing Bridge on the Alligator River on the North Carolina ICW wouldn't open due to winds in excess of 25 mph. All of this weather has kept boaters along this section stranded. The Cruiseheimer's SSB net at 8:30 AM on 8152 megahertz has kept us abreast of conditions south of us.

     All week we've listened to NOAA broadcasts over the VHF radio and it all sounds "like a broken record." Rain, fog, high winds, seas, and lets not forget the dampness that goes along with all this weather and humidity. Right now I feel as though we'll never move again and we'll be spending the winter in Maryland!
 
   

All the foul weather gear, wet towels etc.

One thing that I thank God for nearly every day is our full enclosure in the cockpit. Whatever we spent on that little gem was worth it. The enclosure gives us the opportunity to escape the confines of the inside of the boat and at least be outdoors watching the rain and drizzle. It also kept wind from penetrating the main salon. The best way to describe the enclosure for those of you who aren't accustomed to boater lingo is to compare it to a "Florida room" or a mud room in a house. It's a great place to leave wet foulies, shoes and other wet things unwelcomed below.
   
     Yesterday, We donned full foulies and biked to a nearby CVS for a few items and later returned to the waterfront to enjoy lunch at Stony's Restaurant on the Pawtuxent River in Solomon's Island. I savored my first crab cake of the trip while the rain pelted the docks outside.

     This morning we motored into Spring Cove Marina where we got a pump out. Unfortunately, the pump malfunctioned during the process, Joe managed to spray s&@/t on a small section of boat and on himself. We also fueled up and filled the water tanks. Tonight I will wash the "afflicted" items from Joe's chores at the nearby marina. All in a day's work. As I said, it's not a simple life but, for one reason or another we keep trying.

Joe after a shower at the marina, nice and clean...

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