Solomon's Island

Whenever I tell someone that I live on a boat they often pause, look at me with a quizzical expression and ask how I keep myself occupied all day. For some reason boats are equated with a life of leisure. One where stiff upper lipped boat owners attired in blue blazers await servings of martinis and canapés that are doled out by accommodating khaki clad stewards. In real life or at least aboard the Simple Life things are not quite as luxurious. Let's first get things out in the open. We mix our own martinis.

Life aboard is never without chores. When food supplies are dwindling we need to make sure that our next anchorage will have access to grocery shopping. That doesn't insure that the shopping will necessarily be convenient. It simply means that if we are willing to walk occasionally a mile or so and back carrying the weeks supply of food, then we'll have the opportunity to resupply. I always attempt to keep enough stores of food onboard for more than a few days, but we are very limited in storage space. Storage isn't even comparable to a small galley kitchen ashore. My refrigerator is small with only two shelves and a rather tiny freezer. But, for some reason I manage to store more frozen meats in my onboard freezer than I ever stored onshore! The reason for my prudence is; when traveling south as we are there are times when we find ourselves anchored in some God forsaken creek (although scenic) in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no shoreside amenities.

This week Joe and I were anchored off Zahnhizer's Marine at Solomon's Island. Transient cruisers are welcomed ashore at Zahnhizer's' for a dinghy tie up fee of $3.00. Showers are available for $2.00. My goal while visiting Solomon's was shopping and hot showers. We have a shower aboard Simple Life but have hot water only after running the engine. When anchored for more than a day there's no hot water.




In that case we resort to our 2.5 gallon sun shower. The sun shower is basically a plastic bag with one black side and one clear side that when placed strategically in sunlight passively heats the water. Joe and I have learned to conserve enough to take two showers with 2.5 gallons of water! It's not as satisfying as a shoreside shower, but it gets the job done.

When we arrived at Solomon's Island late Sunday afternoon one of our two 10 lb. propane tanks was empty. My stove, oven and heat run off propane and each tank lasts about 4-5 weeks. It's not easy to find a marina that fills propane. We began inquiring ashore and a man named Bill who worked at the Hospitality Marina offered to drive Joe to a hardware store three miles away to fill the tank. At home filling propane would be a task, on a boat it becomes an adventure.
Since all of our systems are run off 12 volt batteries we're always searching for ways to conserve energy. Even though we have three solar panels and a wind generator the batteries get a workout. Refrigeration, lights, radar and chartplotter as well as ancillary items such as the iPad, computer and phone all take their toll on the charge. We stopped at a West Marine at Solomon's to purchase LED bulbs to replace some of the incandescent lights. The reduction in amp usage is remarkable. Joe also purchased a small tarp which he plans to modify as a "rain catcher" to supplement our water tanks.

While writing this I'm starting to think that this really sounds like a lot of work. After all, we're talking about everyday life chores here not X-Games excitement. If I try to expound on our reasons for choosing this way of life I'd have to say that we are living a deliberate life. Simple Life is our home and we resemble a caravan of gypsies traveling about, packing up after a couple of days in any one spot and moving south with flocks of geese and the seasons. The only forces we have to reckon with for now are winds, weather and tides.



This evening we crossed the Potomac River into Virginia. We're anchored in the Glebe off the Coan River. When Simple Life finally settled into her anchorage and all systems were shut down for the evening, we spotted a doe onshore with her twins. A pair of Bald Eagles a common sighting in the Chesapeake fished the creek and ate their catch in pine trees along the shoreline of the anchorage. The sun was low in the early autumn sky warming the body and soul. That's why we're out here. It's not always perfect. At times it's challenging and difficult. Somehow there is nowhere else I'd rather be right now. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

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Location:Western shoreline, Maryland

Joe Has Crabs!

It's 9:00 PM and Joe is crabbing. That's right he has found a new way to keep me barefoot and..."in the galley!" I have only myself to blame for his latest "addiction." I spotted a man crabbing from the docks in Annapolis and began a conversation about his crabbing technique. I was also the one who suggested purchasing a crab trap which we did while shopping at West Marine in Eastport. During shopping at Graul's Market in Annapolis I also offered to buy chicken necks in case we had an opportunity to try crabbing. There is no one to blame other than myself for Joe's latest killing spree.

Last night was a perfect evening for crabbing. Very light wind and calm water in the anchorage. Joe added a few small fishing weights to ensure that the doors to the trap would remain opened when he lowered it to the bottom. We were anchored in 8 feet of water. He also tied the chicken to a couple of separate lines and dropped those to the bottom. With a beer in one hand and a crab net in the other he began his nightlong vigil of slowly pulling lines up and scooping crabs into the net before they reached the surface. Not an easy task in total darkness. After awhile he took up residence in the dinghy. It was a shorter haul out of the water. A few times I'd hear what sounded like a wrestling match coming from the dinghy as he banged the net onto the sides of the tall bucket to coax them free from the net. Then I'd hear an announcement, "I got two!"

After a couple of hours he thought we had enough. Now the work began. I'd begun researching methods of steaming and cleaning or "picking" blue crabs before he came in with the catch. I prepared a large steamer with beer, water and Old Bay with hopes that all the crabs would fit along with the cover. Joe came aboard with his bucket and I handed the steamer to him in the cockpit. I figured if any of those crabs got away I wanted them confined to the cockpit. As soon as he dumped them into the steamer one big one jumped to freedom! It was like a scene from Woody Allen's Annie Hall film when the lobsters escaped in the kitchen. I jumped back and closed the screen doors. Joe quickly pulled his feet up as he searched for the tongs. He attempted to grab the crab while subduing the others with the cover as it scurried about the cockpit, but the crab grabbed his tongs! You'd think he was subduing an elephant. Again banging noises as he jostled the crab into the steamer. Finally, back in the galley with beer and water boiling and crabs banging away in the pot I stepped outside to catch my breath.

Within 20 minutes the steamed crabs had turned bright orange and were ready to be taken out of the steamer to cool before the really hard work of picking began. I showed Joe a website that explained the arduous task of cleaning the crabs and picking the meat.









It seemed to be a rather disgusting job so I volunteered to crack and pick the claws while he learned to remove the crab's "apron" on the underbelly and pick the lump meat from the bodies. We finished the job at 1:00 AM with a sizable amount of lump crabmeat that I planned to use for Baltimore style crab cakes. After the clean up Joe said, "Anyone can go to a store and buy crabmeat, but it's not as much fun as catching your own."

Delicious!

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Location:Oxford, Tred Avon River, Eastern Shore, Maryland

Gale Warnings

Storm warning NOAA broadcasts began over the VHF radio on Saturday. At home in Narragansett Bay the broadcasts are rarely accurate. Here in Maryland mariners heed the warnings and move to protected anchorages in advance of the storm. So far, the forecasts have been very accurate.
In preparation for this weather that was forecast today, we anchored off Chesapeake Bay, up the Tred Avon River in a protected creek at Oxford in Talbot County. The anchor appeared to be well set. I backed down on it and all seemed well. After taking care of business we noticed that the only other boat in the anchorage was a cruising boat we'd identified as one of the boats we'd heard during morning check ins over the SSB radio. Joe dinghied over to introduce himself and found out that they were local Oxford sailors returning from a year of living aboard. Whenever sailors get together the topic of conversation usually turns to weather. They were planning to leave in the morning for an anchorage that offered better holding. Lesson #1: When locals offer a tip for a better anchorage and substantiate it with reasons such as, "Well the watermen have littered the bottom here with chicken necks (crab bait) and shells (crab shells) and I don't trust his place in a blow. Anchors just slide right through this stuff." Listen to them, find out where they're going and go there!
We chose to stay. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Around noon the winds began gusting up to 30-40 knots. Warnings were up to 45 knots and may have reached that speed. At 1:00 PM a tornado watch was in effect for Talbot County. Simple Life (or as I occasionally refer to her as not so simple life) began dragging her anchor during one of the heavy gusts. Joe took notice of our slow backward drift and before long we were scrambling around like monkeys in a room full of computers.
He stood on the bow readying the second Danforth anchor while I was at the helm attempting to keep the boat headed into the wind. After a few tense moments Simple Life seemed to settle in and appeared to be holding. When everything had settled down we discussed our dilemma and marveled at how our confidence in our anchoring technique had clouded our normally good judgement. The moral of this story is; never feel too confident and don't disregard local advice. Hopefully this story will end well. It's 2:00 PM and storm warnings are in effect for 10 more hours. Hold onto your hats kids it going to be a long bumpy ride...
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Location:Oxford, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

As a native New Englander it's not easy for me to say this but, I enjoy Annapolis as much as Newport, Rhode Island. Annapolis is a bit more compact than Newport. The main harbor is smaller and dinghy docks are virtually at the end of any street that ends at the water. There are numerous places to dine al fresco or have lunch in a cozy pub. The sidewalks are brick and lined with hanging baskets of annuals on every lamppost.


The city provides free trollies around town and to nearby grocery shopping. Everyone seems friendly, open and helpful toward itinerant sailors...oh and did I mention that the locals are friendly? Perhaps it's just because I'm smiling and more open to conversation than I was in RI. After all I live on a boat! What better traveller's life is there? I'm still hypothesizing. When public transit drivers are friendly and helpful though it seems that the verdict is in.
Our reward for the relatively quick trip down here was to spring for a city mooring for a week. That meant we were entitled to long, hot showers at the city dock and also the laundromat located in the same facility. Believe me it feels luxurious to take a 10 minute shower compared to turning water on and off during showers on the boat. Another perk is that the harbormaster also rents bikes for $5.00 per day to anyone renting a mooring. We rented a couple of bikes and rode over the bascule bridge to Eastport to a West Marine. Renting a mooring also gave us the opportunity to take a day trip on the metro to Washington, DC without the anxiety of worrying about Simple Life alone on anchor.

Fear the Goat, Navy mascot

Joe is enamored with the Naval Academy or The Yard as it's called in Annapolis. It's an institution that is steeped in pomp and circumstance. We recently witnessed the Brigade of Midshipmen as they ceremoniously gathered and marched at Tecumseh Court for the noon meal.


This is one of the highlights on scheduled bus tours to Annapolis. On weekends Memorial Hall is open for self guided tours to the public.

For some reason or other when I visit the Navel Academy I don't feel as resentful about where my tax dollars are spent.

Our friends Bill and Sandy who also sailed to Annapolis from Rock Hall rented a mooring for a night and told us not to miss breakfast at a local institution called Chick and Ruth's Delly.



Bill explained that on weekdays at precisely 8:30 AM an announcement is made over the PA system and everyone in the deli stands to recite The Pledge of Allegiance! The pledge is delayed until 9:30 for late risers like me on weekends. Joe and I made certain that we were seated by nine o'clock Saturday morning with breakfast ordered. I made a short clip of the Pledge and posted it in the video bar.

Joe has a penchant for raw oysters on the half shell and enjoys treating himself to a half dozen or so at Middleton's Raw Bar during happy hour. He tends to make excuses as to why he needs to take the dinghy into shore around 4:00 PM each day...Occasionally, he'll mix it up a bit and have what are known as "oyster shooters" which consists of an oyster shucked and served with sauce in a cup followed by a shot of beer. I joined Joe during "happy hour" on Saturday afternoon. The Raw Bar exuded a warm, welcoming atmosphere. We spent an hour or so chatting with a fellow sailor whom we'd just met over drinks. He asked about our plans for the trip and told us about his ambitious ten year plan for sailing around the world. We explained that we are on the head south to warmer climes, one harbor at a time plan.
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Location:Maryland

Swan Creek, Rock Hall

Nothing is ever written in stone when planning a sailing itinerary. We left Chesapeake City with plans of heading directly to Annapolis. After sailing for a couple of hours the wind shifted from NW to SW and was directly "on the nose." Simple Life was pointed south and it was clearly evident that we would need to motor through heavy chop with an unfavorable current for several more hours.
Whenever the engine is fired up I quickly lose interest. I decided to check emails and to my delight received an email from friends Bill and Sandy whom we'd met in the Bahamas eight years ago! They were going to be arriving at the Sailing Emporium, where they keep their boat Whistwind in Rock Hall. We were sailing along the eastern shore and were actually only an hour away. As I said, itineraries can change quickly. After checking Navionics (a great navigation app) on the iPad we decided that it made sense to head in toward Rock Hall and the bonus was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends.
One of the preferred cruising guides that we use is Skipper Bob's "Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway." The guide had one suggestion as an anchorage in Rock Hall known as Swan Creek.
Swan Creek happened to be a five minute ride by car from Bill and Sandy's boat and offered protection from all wind directions in the event of thunderstorms which were in the forecast for the following afternoon. Bill also confirmed that Swan Creek offered very good holding and that we should be fine in the event of a storm. We made plans to meet the following day and were invited to attend a party at their yacht club!


Bill and Sandy picked us up on Saturday morning and gave us the tour of Rock Hall. The party was scheduled around 3:00 that afternoon which gave us time to catch up, do laundry at their facility and meet several of their friends on Pennsylvania Dock at the Sailing Emporium. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.
A beautiful gazebo surrounded by crepe myrtles on the Sailing Emporium grounds was chosen for the party venue. Cocktails and appetizers were served before the main course of spectacular crab cakes, corn and salad. The main course was just finished when ominous dark clouds enveloped the area. The locals took notice and began packing the food and other items away. Strong gusts of wind came up swirling leaves and whatever else happened not to be tied down.


It was time to leave. Bill offered to drive Joe back to Swan Creek to check Simple Life, but Joe explained that there was no apparent need since we'd taken a mooring that morning in preparation for the storm.
We all took shelter on the second floor of the building that houses the marina library. It offered a bird's eye view of the storm and the boats in the marina. Electricity went out due to the winds which were clocked at 45mph.


Everything calmed down as the cold front passed and the winds shifted to the north. It was time to head back to Simple Life for the evening. Bill and Sandy had plans of heading south aboard Whistwind for a couple of weeks. We planned to head over to Annapolis for a week or so. It was still raining after the storm so we quickly bid goodby dodging raindrops with promises to stop by again during our migration north in the spring.


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Location:Eastern shore, Maryland

Chesapeake City

When traveling south the anchorage in Chesapeake City's dredged basin is two thirds of the way down the C&D canal. The town is historic with quite a few restored buildings housing antique shops, specialty shops and a few upscale inns and restaurants.There is a certain small town southern charm in both the atmosphere and architecture.





The town is very welcoming toward transient boaters. There is a free 150' dock which can accommodate three 35-40 foot boats with a small fee for water and electric. The dock master will also provide boaters with transportation to grocery shopping.







We stayed in the town for two days and were fortunate enough to tie up to the dock during our second day. After being out for more than two weeks Simple Life needed a long hot shower and so did we. Our water tanks were down to less than 1/4 of a tank! It was great to be able to refill the tanks and have electricity to heat the water! Needless to say it was a good day all around. Ah, the simple life...


After completing all of the boat chores we took a break to stroll historic nearby Bohemia Street and stopped in a few antique shops. That night we rewarded ourselves by having dinner at a great little place called Southside's Bar and Grill. Happy hour was all day and the special was crab cake sandwiches for $2.50 with a drink order! The restaurant was cozy and inviting with a casual atmosphere. We returned to Simple Life feeling satisfied with all that we'd accomplished during the day and felt ready to move on to our next destination which was still to be determined.


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Location:Maryland

Delaware Bay to Chesapeake City, Maryland

At This time of year the southern migration of boaters is in full swing. Cape May's anchorage due to its proximity to Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is a popular anchoring stopover. It's certainly not ideal due to wakes from the fishing fleet and power boats but when your tired and in need of shelter and rest it's acceptable.
We had been anchored in the Cape May basin awaiting good weather to sail up Delaware Bay to the C&D Canal for two days. The optimal time to transit the Bay due to favorable currents was on Tuesday, September 4th. The current would be a northerly current running with us for the entire day of the 56 mile sail. Wind was forecast to be from the southwest which would be a beam reach on one tack until our arrival at the the Canal where the sails would be dropped. Joe had been closely monitoring several weather apps on the iPad. It appeared that even though the remnants of hurricane Isaac were bringing thunderstorms to the area there would be a possible break in the weather on Tuesday. At dawn on Tuesday we decided to leave via the Cape May Canal and make our move toward Chesapeake City, Maryland.


Simple Life has a cutter rig which consists of a large mainsail, a 130% jib and a staysail. She was built to reach and that is where she can occasionally reach unbelievable speeds when combining wind speed and favorable currents. Tuesday had all the right ingredients. At times we were reaching at consistent speeds of 8.6 knots! We sailed up Delaware Bay on one tack, took sails down and turned into the C&D canal by 2:00 PM. We motored through the canal which also had favorable current and were anchored in Chesapeake City by 3:30. Finally a perfect day! Wind, great current running with us rather than against us, no thunderstorms and most importantly...no flies!


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Location:Maryland

Attacked on the way to Cape May

That'll get your attention! No, we weren't attacked by pirates, but we were taunted, attacked, assaulted and bloodied by...flies. We had a similar gory, "revenge of the flies" experience in Chesapeake Bay on our last trip. At that time I soldiered on swatting, double swatting, squishing, sweeping dead fly remains and giving them a burial at sea package deal. This time I nearly had a breakdown. After five continuous hours of relentless murder and staring at the blood stained cockpit my face became as red as the remains of the flies. Joe ordered me to go below, close the screen doors behind me and calm down before stroking out. Although I felt a bit of guilt leaving him in such a mess with no relief in sight I got over it pretty quickly and followed orders.

Joe attempted to continue his single handed killing spree while I prayed to God that our flimsy fly swatter would hold out for him. We actually got that fly swatter as a parting gift from Coinjock Marina in North Carolina on our return trip from the Bahamas eight years ago. At the time I thought it was a weird way to advertise a marina. After this trip not so much.
I wanted to know just what this perpetrator was and what attracted its attention to us. Why us? In my desperation I emailed a professor in the department of plant sciences and entomology at the University of Rhode Island. He kindly wrote back with several suggestions of what type of fly this could be. He was as tenacious as the flies in his investigation. He continued to research the issue until he felt he had found the resolution. The verdict was stomoxys calcitrans or commonly known as "stable flies" or...you don't want to know what I was calling them. Apparently, they fester in rotting onshore grasses and are occasionally blown out to sea! He asked if I would be able to send a specimen to verify. A specimen I thought, how about a cockpit full or perhaps a huge box of flies? Yes I would gladly send a specimen. First though we need to get to Cape May. Then my specimens will be placed in the hands of the US Postal Service.
While writing this I noticed that the wind had picked up and that the familiar sounds of swatting coming from the cockpit had ceased. I cautiously peeked through the screen doors. Joe was sitting at the helm steering! He announced that he and the flies had reached a truce. He wouldn't kill them if they didn't bother him. In other words, he'd given up. It appeared the score was us-zero, flies-won.
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Location:North Atlantic Ocean