May 24, 2007

This morning we got up at 6 AM and got ourselves a quick breakfast and we were on our way out of Baltimore harbor and headed north toward the C & D Canal. As we neared the tallest bridge out of Baltimore we found the tall ship Libertad anchored and waiting for the tide to go out some more as there masts were so tall they could not clear the bridge. We figured the journey for the day was about 70-80 miles but we were able to take a heading across the bay and not follow the commercial channel. We were running at about 13 knots until we started to get near the part of the bay where it narrows and we got hit by an adverse tidal current which put up some pretty heavy chop against the Southeast wind behind us and for a long time we were going through some pretty heavy two feet or better stuff until we rounded the corner and then it got a little better going. The shoreline was much wooded and the lawns and pastures were looking like they were very well manicured and we also saw some beautiful homes as usual on the side of the bay. We met and passed other trawlers and small boats but for a canal which is the busiest canal next to the Panama we never saw a ship the whole trip. We did see a couple more lighthouses in the center of the bay. We are tied up tonight at the Delaware City Marina off of the C & D canal in Delaware City, Delaware at the entrance to Delaware Bay. If our weather holds tomorrow we are going to try to make it to Cape May, New Jersey where we will reenter the Intracoastal Waterway along the New Jersey coast. This should take about two or three days as we are nearing the point where our motor needs to be serviced again. This means we have been running for about two hundred hours since we started out in Crystal River, Florida. We are in a channel which is a shortcut from the Canal to the bay and the bugs and the tidal current are very fierce. The bugs are the famous no-see-ums that we are finding exist virtually everywhere. There is a brand new sportfisherman tied behind us at the pier which is one long dock along this channel with barely enough room to turn around in. The dockmaster has some beautiful peonies growing out back but the bugs are too bad for me to go get a photo of them.

This is not much news but the pace will slow down a little soon. Our current dilemma with the water leak just won’t end. We now have placed sponges in the bilge and just wring them out after our days run. The blister spot that was leaking was dry at the end of the days run. We now are wondering that since one of our sponges was near a piece of equipment that is fastened to the inside of the bottom of the boat is the culprit and we may have one or more if this is true. We dried out the area around them and will check there tomorrow while we are running. Maybe the screws are going through the bottom of the boat and if so we will take them out and reinsert them filled with sealant compound and hope that will stop it. We are determined to find the leak.

Please read and send gas money, as fuel went to 3.99 a gallon here. We are only kidding.At the rate the people who buy 500-600 gallons at a time and really getting hit hard. It might slow the traffic on the waterway during the upcoming holiday

May 23, 2007

We had a short trip today from Pirates Cove Marina north to Baltimore, Md. We left early this morning and went around the next point and did a slow circle by boat through Annapolis, Md. This is the home to the US Naval Academy which is right downtown in Annapolis and of course we could see the dome of the capital from the water in the morning sun. It looked as though the academy was out for the summer and the cadets were doing their training elsewhere. There was nobody on the scale model training ships that we could hear or see. The harbor was full of sailboats from all over and a few power boats that were pretty large but not as large as the sailboats. We saw our first modern sailboats over one hundred feet long both at anchor and tied off at the wharfs. The real narrow alleyway that goes to the center of town always looks to small to get into and once there you have to back all the way out of it and most times it has only one boat width through it. Saw a megayacht anchored which is something you rarely see in the US. After a cruise around there we headed for Baltimore going under the large four lane bridges between Annapolis and the Easter Shore of Maryland. After that it was just follow the channel around the point and into Baltimore, Maryland. We did the harbor tour in Baltimore using Shorty and cruising slowly along at no wake speed. It was an interesting trip. First we saw the hospital ship Hope tied up at the wharf and loading supplies. Then came a number of navy supply ships which use merchant marine crews to take supplies to where they are needed. We are in a huge marina with probably four to five hundreds slips and all filled with big boats. We are probably the smallest boat here.
But there are groups and groups of marinas that have sail and power boats in them even more than in Norfolk. Coming into the harbor we passed Fort Mchenry where the star spangled banner was written and it flies a flag over it with the thirteen original stars of the colonies. Coming up the channel from Annapolis we again saw some more of the lighthouses that are in the middle of the Chesapeake and left over from the 1800’s or older maybe. We photographed those and the fisherman working there nets and crab people tending there pots as we came through shortly after sunup this morning. We have been making and eating breakfast under way which gives us more hours to run. We had a tanker ahead of us in the channel this morning and a container ship behind us who was trying to outrun us. There were also tugs towing barges and not pushing them. That always looks so unusual because on the Mississippi and elsewhere they are always pushing barges. As far as I know barges do not have brakes and if I was the tug I would be afraid of getting run over by them. We had beautiful weather today and the seas were the gently rolling kind of swells so Shorty was able to run about 12 to 13 knots till we got into the harbors.

Our pin prick hole in the boat continues to leak a drip now and then but after we stopped today it had been enough to fill a large sponge we put there to sop up the water coming through but at least we did not have a half gallon or more in the bilge so something is working right. Bob just put some more 5200 sealant on the hole and so far no water drips are showing and all is dry. Maybe at some point it will seal but we are managing to do alright.

We have fueled up and if the weather holds we could be at the entrance to the C & D canal some time tomorrow. That I am sure will be another story. We have been encountering some currents both days that are adverse to us causing us to lose time and burn more fuel. After some heavy weather one and adverse current our fuel burn has increased slightly.

May 22, 2007

Today we were up as the sun came up and pulled up the anchor in the Back River just twenty miles north of Norfolk and tonight we are in a slip in a marina just south of Annapolis, MD. I forgot to mention Belle Isle Marina where we got our lift out of the water to check things on the Back River. This a very quiet marina and very much country but an excellent place service wise. The little dune we anchored behind last night was a nesting place for all sorts of water birds and if any Loopers are birders and have a dinghy this would be the place to get good bird pictures. We got an outstanding price for the slip in Pirates Cove Marina on the West River in Maryland. The price was so good we ate dinner at the restaurant just a few feet from our slip and came out cheaper than one night anywhere else and for that we thank them. Our problem of yesterday seemed to have held for today but conditions were not as rough today. In fact when we started out at sunup the bay was like glass and then the breeze picked up throughout the day but to only about ten knots. Running at 12 knots this meant a 120 mile day. We chose to run longer so we could make use of the beautiful day we had. When we turned in to go to our marina we could see the Annapolis bridges real well. If we have another good day tomorrow we should easily be in Baltimore tomorrow night and we may stay an extra day there if it proves to be tourist friendly.

Today we saw boats that were in the process of netting fish and we also saw old time fish traps where they set a net and the fish swim into the circular pen and then they dip them out. We saw towboats pushing barges and tugs pulling barges using a harness. We saw regular size barges and huge ocean going barges that were tankers and probably about 150-200 feet long. The fishermen were out in there own boats, on party boats and fishing from shore. The crabbers were out gathering and setting their pots and others were setting there nets. We saw some very large boats netting fish that were probably 60-70 feet in size. In other words today was a day of seeing the waterways used in a commercial way. There were also large container ships and cargo ships which put up pretty large wakes for us to cross. There were other people on the Great Loop Cruise like we are and we talked to a couple on the radio which included one from Houston, Texas. They went up to Washington, DC on the Potomac River when we passed them with other trawlers on the Loop. Shorty attracts visitors wherever we go tonight we have a front row seat.

We also stopped to photograph lighthouses along the way. We took photos of the Smith Point Light, Wolf Trap Light and a couple of others. These were unusual in that they were in the middle of the bay instead of on the edges of the shores, those on the shores edges we couldn’t get because they told of shoaling water and they were to be passed further off shore.

That was about the extent of our day and I will post the photos of the lighthouses in the next group.

May 21, 2007

This morning we got up and it looked like it was going to be a good day. A gentle breeze was blowing when we got underway going north on the Chesapeake Bay. We went out on the Elizabeth River and started up past all the Navy Activity in the bay area. Up past the Coal Loading area and the cargo carriers unloading containers. Then we passed by the Navy yards in Norfolk and saw all the ships that were in port at the time. When we reached the end of the Navy yard we heard a call on our radio that we were not supposed to be within five hundred yards of a warship. What we thought was a lighted buoy ahead of us about a half mile was really the conning tower of a nuclear submarine. And about that time here comes the blue light special over to us and showed us he meant business if we did not get the heck out of the way so we made a turn to starboard or the right about ninety degrees and went until we were out of his way and then proceeded on. I think I will have my bifocals checked in the next port because it sure looked like a lighted buoy.
Well by the time we reached the end of the Navy Yards we knew that quite possibly the weather man had not told us the whole story because a day that was supposed to have waves of one foot suddenly had grown to three feet with an occasional bigger one thrown in for good measure. We slowed from nine knots down to four and were still getting bounced around to we started looking for a river to head up and out of the wind. We found that place in the Back River just north of Norfolk where we are anchored out tonight behind a little sand dune area that protects us from the wind and I just looked and they are saying not much wind tomorrow and waves of one foot. We shall see if that is true in the morning.

But we also discovered when we were looking in the closet area that we had pin prick of a leak that was coming in from a blister like source that we have no idea where it originated. It looks like it was just a flaw in the way the fiberglass cured up or something. Then we thought it might be coming from the rub rail on the boat because some of the screws were not tightened well. Anyhow all this resulted in Bob’s one suitcase of clothes stored there was wet and we needed to dry them out. He spotted a marina maybe half mile away on the river so we went over and got some epoxy type material to seal the hole where the water was coming in. So were are watching the spot to see if it cures up and we are rid of it. Just checked and it had a new water bubble in the spot. We had the boat put on a lift to check it out and the only thing that had water in it was the rub rail area of the boat. Tightened all of those screws and we will see when we run tomorrow it helped any. Otherwise we may have to go to a boat yard and see what they think. Of course the famous words apply here as of now, you bought it you own and it’s your responsibility even though there might be some kind of warranty for that type of source of the leak in the boat. We just have to work on it some more. Our head also hiccupped again in the rougher water and we had that mess to clean up also. We sponged all of the water out of the bilge and for now we have that dried out and hope that we got it all so we don’t have any mold in the bilges. With all of that happening today we made a total of about twenty miles so we hope things go better tomorrow. This is just a part of the adventure. Where we are anchored there is every kind of bird on the sand dune that has to do with water, gulls, plovers and many others. When anchored there was a lady on the island with them and photographing them.
We traveled about 20 miles total for the day and plan on doing better tomorrow

May 19, 2007

It has been a long time since I have written anything but I have been tied up in Norfolk, VA as you know since April 10th or so and have just been waiting for my friend to return from his vacation in Hawaii before we start on the trip north. It also needed to warm up considerably northward before we started again. Hence the month of not much activity for Shorty. I have not been bored but just doing normal household things around the boat but today I began preparing for the trip onward. I had to purchase a few things for the boat and then tomorrow when Bob gets here we will make our grocery trip and then hopefully on Monday the weather cooperating we will be out of Norfolk and on to more unknown waters by both of us. The last couple of days I did a few more little tourist type treks to Norfolk and Portsmouth.

Last night the Spanish Navy training ship the “Juan Sebastian de Elcano came into port for a visit on its trip around the world. They had tours of the ship today so I got over to the fifty cent ferry and rode across the river for a tour. The tour was given by one of the Spanish Navy midshipman who did not speak English to well but tried to answer our questions the best he could. They have a very rigorous day at sea every day working with the tall ships sails, learning navigation the old way and new, regular college courses in different fields and then they do sports also on board. When they graduate from their naval academy they are the equivalents to our Lieutenants in the navy. So it was a very worthwhile trip over. I took some photos and will post them tonight.

There is another ship about to come out of drydock sometime soon as they removed the canvas from the docks and then they were painting the bulbous nose which is usually the last thing done before it goes in the water. It is one of a new class of ship called the San Antonio class and it is a ship the size of a helicopter carrier but it is a destroyer plus other capabilities. The helicopter carrier next to it is also looking more ready to go but it is not in drydock as it is to large for that.

I will post photos tonight so look for anything with todays date on the file and those will be new.

Musings Of A Person Docked For Too Long-May 2007

These are the musings of a philosopher who has been at a dock too long. Last night I happened to be awake after sunset which is my normal time to go to bed and then arise with the sun at 6 AM. I decided I would go and sit on the shore of the East River and watch what goes on at night. My special cultivated interest turned to, of course, the drydocked navy destroyer across from the docks. I am interested because I hope that at least as payment for me being here so long they will float the ship soon so I can watch that process. As I watched her sitting there quietly at night out of her element my eye was focused on the bridge deck and with its night lights on it looked like a very evil being sitting there and getting ready to pounce the moment she is let out of the docks. Like don’t get in my way I eat people like you for breakfast. Then I begin to notice that just like a sleeping giant there is activity day and night aboard her. As my eyes adjusted to the light I could see people moving about like they were doing secret things in the middle of the night. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I was watching a red ant hill; as in Texas red ants that was about to explode and give someone or anyone a few very itchy bites. If you know what a rain in Texas called a “frog strangler” is then you can visualize this at its best. There are these ants living in this thing called a billet box and ever so often they change up to see who does the best job of getting even for all of this rain and fog they are having to endure. Yes my thoughts are occurring as the fog is getting eerier and thicker by the moment and buildings are disappearing but this evil red eye keeps peering through the fog at you. Anyhow, the ants come out of the box and climb the steps to the edge of the drydock and then up another flight of steps to the middle of the hill on the ship. Then they disappear below and this lift crane feeds them day and night because if it doesn't the worker ants get more and more upset. This morning at change time here come the night ants out of the mound and down to the billet box and up goes the day crew but the eye still looks evil even if its night lights are now off. As usual, the lead ant for the day comes out, goes to the bow and proceeds to raise the battle flag after he says a mantra which I cannot hear. This morning he has problems, his battle flag won’t raise and he has to ask for help, not good in the land of super ants. His next duty is to raise the national flag of the colony and then he goes into the middle of the colony for the day. He probably was disciplined for the slow rise of the battle flag. Then later on the civilian ants arrive to aid the ants dressed in blue. These ants come in many colors and different kinds of ant skills I would imagine and probably think the blue ants don’t know what they are doing anyway. This goes on all over the port every day and it is even going on when most people are asleep. Most of the ants in this world we live in don’t care whether this other group of ants exists. It knows that their taxes pay for them and as long they pay taxes this group of ants better produce. There are metal ants running all over at night supplying the other group of ants that is asleep. Without these ants going hither and yon and delivering all sorts of products these ants deem necessary to function with, namely fuel, sand and gravel and other things not showing; the ants of the bigger colony would probably protest and march until they got the chief ant of the country involved and then things would go much slower as they have now got the government ants mad and they have decided that if the ants they represent would just pay them more money they would take care of this whole mess. If you just think of the USA as an ant hill and start reading National Geographic articles on them you get a much clearer picture of what this country is all about. Right now even though I am suffering through a time at the docks and know that more adventure lies ahead it also provides time for thoughts such as those above and when you look at things in a simple manner you can see how we just make getting to the ant hill such a big problem in our lives. If only every one would quit trying to be the leader ant it would be helpful but even ant leaders will tell you that isn’t going to happen because we all think we are capable of being the leader of all the ants. Then there are those like me who are just lying back traveling around the country and as we go we are free to check out the ants of different sections. There is even competition between the crab pot ants on that level to see who can put the most pots in the channel to irritate us traveler ants on there waterway who think we own it because are buying gas in each of there constituencies so that we might see this competition up close and personal each day. As a traveler ant I am finding that ant refills are costing more and more as I travel northward in search of ant heaven and then southward again toward the gentler more serene waterways of antdom. All the way is fraught with different things and exceptions to the normal ways that ants live. As I have said before in my writing I am sure that I am looking at the backside of America that no one usually sees and that some of it is very beautiful and some of it really stinks. This is my mantra and I am sticking by it and have the soggy boxes and bedding on the boat to prove it this morning, I need a strong breeze to clear the air and someone please come and cut up the Velcro at my dock. One day soon I will bow to the head weather ant and hope he is right and I will have a fair day with no wind and waves if any on my backside and even though this will make all the sailing ants mad it will make this one happy ant and, please no fog or glowing evil ants in my stern view. I mean these are huge and can wreak mighty havoc with little Shorty. Until next time just think of ants, how little they are and what they can achieve

April 28,29,30 and May 1, 2007

April 28 to May 1 - I pretty much just sit around and go a few places locally or spend my time at the library. The charts for the next part of the trip are in the mail and once I get them I can start and do a little preplanning which will pretty much go out the window once I get started back because for me an exact schedule just does not work. I will miss a lot if I just do what is necessary.

Yesterday I did go over to Norfolk to the Nauticus museum and then took the Navy base tour on the harbor tour boat. The narrative was really good as they told about all of the things along the river and just not the Navy stuff which is better than half of the shoreline. He pointed out where the traffic tunnels go under the river and how you could tell where they were. The big kind of odd looking Navy shipping in drydock just down from me is a new type of ship called an L which performs landings of marines in addition to the helicopter carrier across from me. There were quite a few destroyers in the Navy yard north of Norfolk City as well as some submarines of the Los Angeles class which were in the piers with white floats across in front of them. He said if you cross the float line at any navy pier you are pretty much a dead man as the orders are shoot to kill and ask later. And I believe what he says. There was a number of what is called RORO ships in the piers and they are know as Roll on/Roll off as the equipment can be driven on right from the piers or floats if they are in a landing zone. Another neat ship the marines can use for an amphibious landing goes in as far as it can to the beach and then it takes on water and the amphibious landing craft emerge from the body of the ship already in the water and loaded. A lot of you may know all of this but I did not know some of this existed. We also saw the carrier, Harry S. Truman, in its pier location which is super impressive but I will also tell you that we did not get close enough that any photos will give away anything but close enough to give you a perspective of the size of things. After the last Navy pier if you go right you enter Chesapeake Bay and to the left you would go past Newport News ship yard and on up the James River which leads you on to Richmond if I am correct and do not have a chart here to prove it. If anyone goes to Norfolk I would certainly recommend this tour so you can see where your tax dollars are going when the Navy gets their appropriations. Of course the only part of the fleet that was in came in because of needed repairs or restocking.

I did not go into the Nauticus Museum yesterday and have saved it for another day. I have to go back to Norfolk again and do the walking tour they have laid out in the old section of town. Of course that means another ferry ride and I like doing it. Saw a couple more ships come in to town in the last couple of days but nothing spectacular. I did see a beautiful yacht even if it was power that was bronze in color and all the rest handrails and other equipment were all painted black. A super nice paint job and it did not seem to be in a hurry like most of those people are. That is all I have for now and the photos will come later.
I did notice one thing though and that is the water police which enforce the NO WAKE areas of Norfolk seem to only stop the boats that are under forty feet or that are easy to board so in some cases bigger is better. I think it shows a lot of prejudice on their part to do it that way, the little guy gets the ticket and then the big ones slow a little bit. The locks from the Dismal Swamp open each day at a certain time and there is always a group of boats from there which arrive in Norfolk at about one in the afternoon and the police always gear up to meet them in the channel and after going at idle speed through the swamp they know every one is itchy on the throttle and here is this big river and you still must idle along at the swamp speeds and most miss the signs because they are way over on the sides of the river and not where you would see them