CHESAPEAKE week 3

Sailing the Chesapeake has not turned out the way we had expected. Starting off, we had envisioned 6-8 weeks exploring most of its tributaries and anchoring out in little creeks and crannies. But our deep draft has made this impossible. And, as we journey on, we are discovering that most of what makes the Chesapeake so desirable--the thousands of little inlets and coves—is completely inaccessible to us. In some areas we are forced to travel up to 10 hours a day in open water to reach not a “choice” destination but often the only “possible” one able to accommodate our draft. To accomplish this we have to ensure that the weather is right, with winds and currents in our favour, in order to even make it from one place to another before dark. This potentially can add up to days holed up at anchor.

Currently we are in an ideal location. And so, after a lot of thought and number crunching, we have revised our original plans and have decided to take a slip at Spring Cove Resort Marina in the Solomons for a month. We were very lucky to discover this place. Their heated pool is open until Oct. 31st, and the comfortable lounge has TV, videos and hundreds of books. There are spacious restrooms with hot showers and a gift shop with snack bar. An excellent seafood restaurant is right on site and the entire complex is shaded by magnificent old pines and oaks. Everyday we meet cruisers heading south and have made many new friends. We have especially enjoyed the company of Pam and Ron Sweezy from Kansas with whom we’ve had dinner with twice this week. They too are heading towards the Bahamas and we hope to meet up with them there.

Earlier this week people began arriving for the last big concert of the season. As the sounds of twanging guitars and “hurtin’ songs” drifted out over the water, we decided to get in on the action and spent an enjoyable evening watching Gretchen Wilson and her country cohorts perform “southern style” music. A few days later the annual “Trawlerfest” celebrations came to town with hundreds of boats and people from all over the US arriving to attend cruising seminars, talk to exhibitors and board dozens of new mega-yachts offered for sale. This was great fun but at the same time a humbling experience to return to our own little sailboat in the evening after spending the day boarding expensive trawlers and meeting with their well-heeled owners

Having lived aboard for the past two months in hot, humid conditions, we have decided to make a few modifications to the boat in order to increase our comfort level. Currently the refrigerator/freezer is not as cold as it could be. The solar panel we installed is not sufficient to power it and we find that we need to run the engine for a few hours each day to keep it operational. This in turn heats up the cabin—not a good thing in the tropics! After talking with several sailors that have them, we have learned that a wind generator will provide us with ample electricity to power everything on the boat without ever having to turn on the engine. Knowing this made Vince very happy as he likes nothing better than to spend more money at West Marine and have an excuse to get out his tools and putter around. Yesterday he bought the generator and today has turned the boat into his workshop as he happily drills and screws things together. With novel and drink in hand I have relocated myself poolside where, comfortably ensconced for the afternoon, I am left to ponder the truth of the definition for: B.O.A.T.(Bring On Another Thousand!)
Next it will be a watermaker.

Living in a house in Canada, so much is taken for granted. But when life is always comfortable and on an even keel it can also become boring. Safe and predictable can very easily become “same old, same old” and leave you wondering “is this all there is?” or “what next?” On a boat, without air-conditioning and easy access to water, it feels soooo good just to sit in front of a fan or enjoy an icy drink! The roller-coaster ride of ups and downs we are experiencing makes us appreciate the “little things” in life a lot more. And, when bigger good things do come around, they feel really big. This journey, living simply aboard a boat, has brought an “edge” into our lives. Every day is new and uncertain. Every experience is enhanced and we find we have been zapped into a very “present” existence, savouring every wonderful moment.