Log 153; Day 422; July 17, 2009; Maryland Yacht Club; Baltimore, MD.

On Tuesday morning, we left the hustle and bustle of Baltimore's Anchorage Marina, and went about 10 miles (back toward the Chesapeake), to our new home for a few days, at Maryland Yacht Club.

The MYC is where we'll be until next Monday

Although it's a small club, the facility is nice.

After a few conversations, they agreed to put us out at the end of "D" dock...a great spot.

This is the view from the side of our boat, out in the cove, at another marina

This is me, in the dinghy, heading out to do some exploring in the cove.

Log 153
Day 422
Friday, July 17, 2009

6:15 AM EDT
Location: Maryland Yacht Club, Baltimore, MD (CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR LOCATION) If you zoom in close enough you can actually see our dock. We are out at the end of the dock...where the catamaran is in the Google picture.
Weather: 77 degrees with no wind...hot and sticky again today, with rain coming this afternoon

It only got down to a low of 76 last night. This morning is already hot and sticky outside. Yesterday, we had the A/C on all day, and it looks like more of the same today.

Tuesday, July 14...up early to get a few chores done before leaving the slip at Anchorage. After a little re-organizing to adjust for Darrell and Donna leaving (when we have guests aboard, we let them sleep in the aft cabin, where we normally sleep, so we have to put our stuff back where it was) Deb took off to the store (there’s a Safeway only a block away) to stock up for a week or so. I washed the sides of the boat, and put cleaner/wax on a couple of spots that needed it. By 11 we were ready to head out, and by 11:30 we were back on the Patapsco River. We had less than a 10 mile ride to our new slip at Maryland Yacht Club, and we arrived there before 1 PM. We had checked out the marina before, and the setting is very pretty. It is just off the Patapsco River, about 3 miles from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in a very pretty cove that is formed by Rock Creek. The only problem we had was when we got there, they tried to put us in a slip on the sea wall. First of all, the slip was not big enough, and secondly it was next to a old run down boat, with a barking dog on it. So...after some talking, they agreed to put us out at the t-head of D dock. We are in a great spot now. At the very end of the marina, with a great view of the cove. It’s perfect. By the time we got tied up, and settled in, the rest of the day was spent organizing and putzing on the boat. We had dinner on board, and started to catch up on some of the recordings we had accumulated while the Thompsons were here.

Wednesday...It was hot in the morning, so we closed the boat up right away, and turned on the A/C. Deb went up to the Yacht Club, and checked in, and then started to do a few loads of laundry. I cleaned the dinghy, and decided to take a ride around the cove, and other coves, to do some exploring. Side note: We have a great set up for the dinghy. First of all, it’s a piece of cake to get in, and out, of the water. It sits on two arms that hydraulically lower and raise, and it’s done with a remote control. Way cool. Also...the dinghy has a depth finder, and I take my back up (Garmin) chart plotter from HQ, and use it on the dinghy, so I can explore anywhere, and know what the depth is, and have the same charts that we have on the big boat. It works out great. Anyway...after exploring for a while, I came back to the boat about noon. Deb was still doing laundry (they have a nice pool by the laundry room...so maybe that extended her time there), but came back to the boat about 2. We had thought about taking a dinghy ride around the coves, but it was too hot, so we stayed on the boat and did boat chores. For dinner we had steaks on the grill, and sweet corn. The movie was two recordings of “The Next Food Network Star”.

Thursday...the day started off very hot, again. Normally in the morning, we try to open all the windows and get fresh air in, but not today. We just closed up the boat, and turned on the A/C, and it stayed on all day. Deb wanted to do a couple more loads of laundry, and I wanted to get in the engine room to work on a couple of things. Side note: I think our house batteries need to be replaced. The battery changer seems to be running all the time, which is not good, and could cause us to have to buy a new one. So...when we head back to Anchorage Marina next week, I plan to get 2 new batteries from West Marine. They are not a big deal to install, it’s just a matter of getting them to the boat, and the bad ones back to West Marine. Anyway...I also did a couple of outside projects on the boat, and it was brutal, so I stopped and came inside, and that is where we stayed all day. Most of the time, working on charts, and plans for our trip up to New York, and planning our stops in Long Island Sound. We had BLT’s for dinner, and watched a new episode of Leverage, and the pilot episode of Dark Blue.

Today...the heat continues, only dropping to 76 overnight. I turned on the A/C first thing, and it remains on. But, the sun is not bearing down, as it has been, so it is not as bad. It’s actually pretty cloudy now, and they are forecasting rain later this afternoon. I got up at 5 this morning, and started writing this log at 6:15. It’s now 1:05 pm, and I still have not finished it. Between phone calls, small projects, and a bunch of nothing, somehow it still has not been sent. Deb and I talked an hour ago about taking a dinghy ride, but the rain is coming, so we decided to put it off until tomorrow. So the biggest thing on my schedule today is make some lunch; take a nap; work on some cruising plans. I think I can manage that.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 152; Day 419; July 14, 2009; Anchorage Marina

This is a shot out the back of our boat at Anchorage Marina. Those buildings in the distance, are right downtown Baltimore, and the inner harbor

This shot is looking at the walking and jogging path that goes right in front of the marina. Most of the day, and especially in the morning, this is a very busy place. This brick walk will take you all the way to the Inner Harbor...about an hour walk.

These next few shots are of Canton...a suburb of Baltimore...and about 2 blocks from the boat

They have a square here with lots of shops and restuarants

This is where we went for lunch with Darrell and Donna on their last day on the boat

The tops of this church can be seen from the Inner Harbor

The next few pictures are of our dinghy tour of the Inner Harbor

This is a dinghy just like ours...without the rubber floats around it

Some of the older part of Inner Harbor

And then the new

This is an old area they are fixing up...right near Fells Point

This is heading out to the Chesapeake. Lots more comercial

Darrell and Donna...leaving the boat...heading home

Lots of hugs...we had a great time

I think Darrell's smile says it all...

Log 152
Day 419
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

7:45 AM EDT
Location: Anchorage Marina, Baltimore, MD
Weather: 68, with light North winds...forecasted to be 85 and sunny today

Another pretty morning in Baltimore. Bright sun, and not a cloud in the sky. Lots of folks out walking and jogging this morning. A great day in Anchorage Marina.

Yesterday...we enjoyed a relaxing morning with Darrell and Donna, on their last day on the boat. Everyone took their time getting up, and having breakfast, and we were just kind of lazy. About 10, the girls decided to take a walk into Canton, which is a community very close to the boat. Like many areas in this part of the country, they have small communities, with their own ethnic charm. You can see from the pictures what Canton looks like. After a short time of exploring, the girls came back to the boat and Darrell and I went back with them for lunch. We ate at a great spot, and had a good walk as well. Back at the boat, we took a long dinghy ride of Baltimore Inner Harbor. (Anchorage Marina is not right downtown, like Inner Harbor Marina is, but it is close enough to dinghy to, and very close to many things). I never get tired of taking dinghy tours, especially in this area. There is so much to see, and always something going on. It’s also fun to share the tours with friends. Back at the boat again, Darrell and Donna both freshened up, and got ready for the airport shuttle which came at about 4. Deb and I walked with them up to the road, and hugged them good-bye. We hoped they had as good a time as we did. They are great people; fun to be with; and excellent boat guests.

Today...we have a lot to do. First on the list is for Deb to go shopping (we probably won’t be close to a store for a week or so), and I need to wash the boat. When we were in Annapolis, one of the fenders was rubbing against the side of the boat, and left some dirt and grime I could not wash off, so I also want to take advantage of these floating docks, to wax a couple of spots on the side of the hull. Sometime before lunch, we will head out to a new marina, called Maryland Yacht Club. We plan to spend a few days there to take advantage of an excellent rate ($1 per foot, per night) that they offer Loopers. This area can get very expensive from a slip perspective. In both Annapolis and St. Michaels we paid $3.50 per foot, per night, so we need to scale back for a few days to cut back on expenses while we are on the Chesapeake. We checked this marina out a couple of weeks ago, and, although there is not much there, we plan to use the time to get the boat back in shape after the last couple of weeks dealing with fridge issues, and having guests aboard. We also, love going new places, and checking out new marinas, so this will be fun for both of us.

Speaking of fridge issues...I feel I need to write a fridge epilog. When we first had the issues with the fridge, I felt it would just take time to get the smell out, and get back to normal. Deb, on the other hand, felt the fridge had been damaged beyond repair, and, as much as she hated to spend the money, she felt we needed a new fridge. To her credit, she tried everything she could to get the smell out. She tried coffee; charcoal; news paper; wiping it out EVERYDAY with bleach, or ammonia, or vanilla, and other ideas that folks emailed us about, and she could find on the internet. She did not stop trying, but in the end, we bit the bullet, and got a new one. When they hauled out the old one, and set it on the dock, they turned it over because it was defrosting, and some liquids were coming out. It smelled awful, and the repairmen were not looking forward to putting in their truck and driving back to the shop. Then...one of the guys came back in the boat, and told Deb “good thing you didn’t keep that old one...it’s got maggots inside it, and it would never smelled better”. Enough said.

Well, it’s 8:30 now, and time to get going. We’re looking forward to a great day.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 151; Day 418; July 13, 2009; Anchorage Marina; Baltimore, MD

As we enjoyed Darrell and Donna's company, we also had to deal with our smelly refrigerator. After lots of phone calls, and lots of measuring, we finally make a decision on to get a new one, and here the process begins. This is the old one being taken apart to get out the door

We stand the old, and new, side by side...yea...the new one will fit

Darrell takes the front panels out of the old one, but in the end they smelled too...so Deb threw them away

This is the cavity that the refrigerator sits in...the good news is, there was no smell behind the fridge

The new refrigerator coming in the boat...without the doors we had 1/2 inch to spare. You can not imagine what we would have had to do if it would not go through the door
The new one installed...you can't tell by this picture, but my stress level is near 0
Deb is really excited, and gives the "thumbs up" approval

And it even works...thank God

Here is our slip on the canal wall in Annapolis. This gentleman in front of us carries a car with him.

This shot will give you an idea of how narrow the channel is, and how close the boats come to us as they go by

This shot is from the dinghy...looking down the narrow channel. HQ is down on the left.

The shot above is looking down the channel from downtown Annapolis.

This is Darrell and Donna as we take a dinghy tour of Annapolis harbor

And...speaking of tours...we toured The Naval Academy while we were in Annapolis

This is one of the many large halls

The Academy Dome...which you can see from everywhere

Deb wanted to see where they keep the Heismans

When we left on Sunday morning we took this shot from the Severn River

We left Annapolis on Sunday, and came back to Baltimore, only this time we stayed at Anchorage Marina

Log 151
Day 418
Monday, July 13, 2009

7:30 AM EDT
Location: Anchorage Marina, Baltimore, MD
Weather: 77, with calm winds...forecasted to be 84 and sunny today

Another beautiful day on the Chesapeake. Bright sun, and an almost cloudless sky. Yesterday it got up to 90...but today they say it will ONLY get to 85.

Well...I am happy to report that the refrigerator issue has been solved. After a few tear; lots of phone calls; much deliberation; and too much money; we have a new refrigerator...and it’s great to have that behind us. It turned out not to be that big of deal to get the old one out, and the new one in (only an hour or so), but there were hours spent prior to that, to make it happen. The good news is, all went well, and we are back in business. Like many things in life...you don’t know how good something is, until it gone. The stress level on Headquarters has gone down measurably.

Our time with Darrell and Donna has been a lot of fun...but too short. We did get to see a lot, and had great weather. On Friday, we got an early start...leaving St. Michaels at about 7:30. We wanted to get to Annapolis early, in order to get a good spot on the downtown channel wall, as well as get the new refrigerator installed. It was a picture perfect morning on the Bay...we had a great 29 mile cruise...and we were tied up in Annapolis by 10:30. The only issue was that the refrigerator folks said they may be there at any time. So, we waited at the boat for several hours...they finally got there at 3:30. But, we were so excited to get the fridge we did not care what time it was. Once installed, we celebrated with a cocktail, and went downtown to eat dinner. We ate at Middletown Tavern. A great spot right downtown, and less than a block from the boat. Like many places in this area, they claim that George Washington ate and drank there (back in the day). Having been there a few times...I believe them.

Saturday...another beautiful day. We started out by visiting the Naval Academy. I did this several years ago (with my management team), but it was fun (and inspiring) to see it again. We all split up, to see it at our own pace, and then met back at the boat at noon. After a quick boat’n sandwich, we jumped in the dinghy for an Annapolis Harbor tour. Our plan was to tour several creeks, but the winds were fairly strong, and once you got out of Spa Creek (which is the water that Annapolis Harbor is on) the waves were such that it was not any fun. And, fun is what we are all about, so we went back to the boat, and watched the boat traffic move up and down the city channel. Similar to sitting in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the boats go by just a few feet (sometimes inches) from the side of the boat. I ended up putting fenders along the channel side of the boat...just in case. All in all, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, and for dinner we had a great pasta dinner that Deb and Donna cooked on the boat. I went to bed early, but everyone else stayed up late, to watch all the traffic.

Sunday...we left the wall in Annapolis at 8:30. There was almost no wind downtown, but by the time we got out to the Bay, and under the Bay Bridge, the winds had picked up considerably, and it was fairly choppy. The girls had been sitting on their chairs on the bow, but about 1/2 way to Baltimore, they had to come in because it was too windy, and they were getting hit by spray coming over the bow. Our plan was to go to Anchorage Marina in time to walk to lunch, which we did, but a little later than planned. We tied up about noon, and by the time we made it to lunch it was a little after 1 pm. We walked to an area called Fells Point...a very cool area on the harbor. We ate a Koopers...the place Deb and I went to the Sunday before. The food was as good as we remembered, and the atmosphere was great as well. The only issue was it was hot...damn hot. So, when we got back to the boat, we closed up all the isinglass, and turned on the A/C. Darrell and I watched the NASCAR race recorded on Saturday night, and the girls went to the pool at the marina. Dinner was “Chesapeake style sausages”...which, is basically, smoked sausage with Old Bay seasoning.

Today...Darrell and Donna will be leaving this afternoon (they have a 3:30 pick up for the airport) so our plan is to have a relaxing morning, walk somewhere for an early lunch, and then take a dinghy ride around Baltimore Harbor.

From here...we almost have 4 weeks before we need to be in New York, to meet Jeanine and Terry (Deb’s sister and brother in law), so we have lots of time to explore the Bay. I am working on several options for where we’ll stay, and what we’ll do. It’s exciting to have all this time...with all these options. And, knowing we’ll spend the time on the boat.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob