On to Portsmouth, VA at North Street Basin

I am too impatient it seems when I arise at 7:20 thinking we are leaving to make a railroad bridge that only opens at 9, 12 and 3 each day because of repairs.  Every boat must  arrange their schedule around this one bridge's openings.  The bridge is about 2 and half hours from Hampton.  Drew had other plans that he makes as he goes - first clean the transom, emails to the office.  I read most of the day with a walk to the post office.
  We left Hampton at 2 today, crossing Hampton Roads. Tomorrow we'll start for the 9 am bridge opening in the morning.  At 4:15 we tied up here FREE, a perfect place in downtown historic Portsmouth, the North Street Basin.  Mazu is looking on.  She now stays in the aft cabin while we move on the water.

This is another beautiful boat, Light Reign about 50'+.  Shawnee is in the background along the dock.

We went below to plan for tomorrow and have some appetizers while looking over charts, maps, and reading the extremely helpful mile by mile descriptions from On the Water Chartguides  by Mark and Diana Doyle.  Oops, my kindle is in the picture with my Bernie sticker.

We walked a few blocks down High Street to the historic Commodore Movie Theatre where we watched "The Bridge of Spies" with Tom Hanks.  It's a dinner movie theatre with painted murals, tables and a huge screen.

 

Nice early night and we'll be well rested for tomorrow.
  We are sailing a different way from the last 2 times we've done this.  Instead of the Virginia Cut past Coinjock we are motoring down the Dismal Swamp, past Elizabeth City, VA into NC.  It's a 50 mile canal dug by slaves that is only open to non-commercial traffic, -- very narrow and has 2 locks.  Pictures to follow tomorrow.

Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous, Hampton, VA

The new working deck light : ) for parties on the bow or more likely fixing things in the night. (At the dock at Zimmerman Marine, Cardinal, VA)

A run for Mazu around Zimmerman boatyard in Cardinal, VA before we headed out for Hampton.

 

   

 

We had to shove off and get under way at 11 am following Navionics on the Ipad- beautiful, calm...Sails would only flap for lack of a breeze.

This monstrosity almost ran us over - big wake.

Hard to get a perspective of how big this thing is.

We motored for 5 hours.  If we tried to sail we simply rocked back and forth so we forged on under power.
All day I was thinking and looking at Yelp for a good place to get a pedicure.  Found one, and it was sensational at Hampton Nails and Spa, 1 mile walk from the Hampton Pier Marina.  Rubbing warm stones all over my feet and legs -- so relaxing.

Drew continued to work on the radar that had some condensation in it.  Always a project open somewhere on the boat.  Here is the space where it was taken off the helm.

 Now open on the table to dry out.

We checked in for the Snowbird Rendezvous and went to the meet and greet happy hour at the Grey Goose. 100 people came for the seminars that change each year and inform sailors about motoring the Inter Coastal Waterway, ICW.

https://www.facebook.com/Hampton-Snowbird-Rendezvous-217026198455128/

Thursday afternoon and Friday I pumped up the inflatable paddle board and urged Mazu to hop on.  Thank you Anna for encouraging me to get a Tower Board - terrific quality.

https://www.towerpaddleboards.com

 Friday night a dinner dance took place at the Hampton Yacht Club.  All of these events, lunches, dinners, tours, shuttles to area stores cost a grand total of $35!!

We met up with our friends from Exeter, Donna Schlachman and Rob Becker who are sailing their own boat down south for the first time.

Arrive at Zimmerman Marine, Mathews, VA

Oct. 10, 2016 
Last year we used a wonderful product we highly recommend because it saved us from frozen pipes: The wink spotter by Quirky.  Coordinated with an iphone app I can read the temperature inside my home at any time.  We had a low temp from snow covering the furnace vent and caught it by just looking at my phone. We recommend this for anyone heading south.  Worth it.  We talked with so many people who had tremendous damage during the winter with pipes bursting from the cold - yes, insurance pays, but it's a hassle and things get destroyed.  Check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Pspt1-wh01-Spotter-Multipurpose-Sensor/dp/B00VD6PC3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1444677517&sr=8-3&keywords=quirky+sensor

After a full day of house repairs, packing, closing up the house in Exeter, NH we drove away; car packed to the gills with just a slit to see out the back in the rear view mirror.  Our first night we stopped with friends, the Petrasch's, to see their beautiful new home in Wellesley.  The dogs were friendly and we pushed off the next morning to see Drew's sisters, Laura and Sara and brother-in-law, John, in West Chester, PA.  We laughed and had a great time with John considering my new tennis racket that he tried out: Big Bubba by Gamma - highly touted among the top tennis players for accuracy, control and power.  It's changed my game.
 Another spectacular fall day for driving.  Nothing like driving from New England in weather like this and the leaves at their prime.

We arrived at Zimmerman at 12:30 am, dark and 50 degrees, but the heat went right on, I made up the aft cabin, brushed teeth and collapsed.  Mazu was exhausted too.  I was worried she was disappointed to be on the boat, but the next morning she loved jumping and running around with all the activity and no leash!  The wheaten greetin given to all who stopped in the office.

  We had to haul out Shawnee because the earlier testing of the prop showed bad results.  The tach would only go to 3,000 RPM.  They thought it must be the prop's pitch.  So they hauled her into land to have a look by Zimmerman's technician.
I'd never seen this so here it is. The haul in is very slow as they get the boat positioned correctly on the truck trailer after backing it all the way in the water and pulling Shawnee over the top of the trailer.  Then slowly it's winched onto the trailer.  The cable is cemented into the ground for maximum hold on the truck.  The truck controls winching it onto the trailer with 2 guys.  Charlie and Michael at Zimmerman's did a great job.  All done to see the prop and it's angle.

Looking at the prop.  Seems so little to push such a big boat. Looking at charts for the proper numbers for the pitch we found out we'd been motoring with it wrong for 11 years, since we've owned it, and that's why the tach wouldn't go above 3,000 RPM.  Since we rarely push the throttle up all the way we've never really tested it to the max.  They made the adjustment.  I'm always amazed at what small changes can cause such big and different results.
   You can see here the strut connecting the bottom of the keel and the rudder that keeps any lobster lines from getting caught in the prop.  It's a great design by Island Packet with the full keel cutter rig. 

 We put the boat back in, much faster than taking it out.  And went out for a test run on Mobjack Bay.

Tach RPM showing at 3.6 so success!! 
We motored back into the dock to check some of the other items.
  The air conditioning system that had a new larger filter, and the hole in the hull and the pump repositioned for the correct incline so the hose can drain properly.  Previously it didn't prime properly, had some leaks, and the filter was too small.  Now it all works correctly!  So much more water is coming out as I've seen on other boats.  Now I understand why ours flowing out so little -- filter and hoses were too small and the location not right.  Now it works correctly!  All of these repairs are because third party installations were not done well.  This is what it means having an engineer as boat captain.  He knows it's wrong and wants it right.  All the original Island Packet installs were great. Yay, Zimmerman Marine.

 We unloaded the car of all the gear and clothes and stuff including the new paddle board I am so excited to try.  I got a little sail for it too.  We'll see.
  Drew went back to once again work on the connections for the deck light that are only working intermittently and I am on the blog.
  The anemometer is working once again, but the connections at the bottom of the mast seem to be problematic one way or the other.  Drew went in and tightened all the screws.  One worker said, "If you get 6 years out of the connections, that's doing great!"  Another constant because vibrations loosen the screws.
  At 4:30 Drew came up to say he did get the deck light working again.
  Now, onto the radar connections at the helm.  During the hurricane rains, Zimmerman removed the sails and bimini as required for the harsh winds so there was less protection for the instruments, navigation, etc.  Like all boats without biminis the covering is fine.  However, we think the gasket around the instrument panels probably needs work.  Rain may have seeped in causing it to work intermittently. Pictures of that tomorrow before we really leave for Hampton and the Snowbird Rendezvous this weekend.  Tonight provisioning - marketing.  We are in a beautiful part of the world but there are few amenities/stores nearby.
   The work quality is well worth it here at Zimmerman's in Mathews, VA.

sickness strikes, taking a jouney lying down

Eardrum burst last Thursday so infection there.  Went to doc on Monday and after an X-ray find pneumonia too.  Not good.  This will delay the road trip to Mathews, VA a rain flooded and wind swept area.  Fortunately Shawnee was on high ground and more expenses await as Zimmerman Boatyard readied the boat for the storm - sails taken off, deck stripped.  The true love of sailing is in maintenance and maintenance and replacement to keep it all sound.  Can't wait to get there now as I watch from the window seat the bright, sun drenched, yellow, fall, beech leaves drop slowly and the squirrels bite hundreds of short oak clippings with acorns onto the deck.

While sick-a-bed I found video clips that many may have watched already of the first solely man powered trip around the world by Jason Lewis, completed in 2013 -- from Greenwich meridian to Greenwich meridian, England.  Since I am an arm chair explorer I loved it.  Expedition 360 used inline skates across the USA, a pedal boat across several oceans, kayaks, numerous bikes, swimming and walking.  This website includes many 2 to 3 minute video clips of an amazing journey I hope is someday made into a movie.

See http://www.expedition360.com/logbook/video_gallery_menu.htm

I recently purchased a superb, sturdy, inflatable paddle board and then found the bonus that I can attach a small sail to it as well with the paddle as a rudder.  My wish during the last 2 years has been to be able to hop on a boat and just go sailing for a while.  Maybe this will allow it in semi-calm waters.  I successfully tried out the board on the Swamscott River in Exeter, NH.   Pictures to come.

A sail on an historic Gundalow boat in Great Bay, NH.  It is a copy of the cargo boats that were used on the bay sailing town to town to collect the great timber masts for England and distribute goods.  The Gundalow is a wide, shallow draft boat with side boards, a shallow rudder and uniquely rigged to go under low bridges.

Shawnee update and Possibly Joaquin coming to Virginia, Hatteras

In August Drew flew down to Cardinal, VA to inspect the boat and see how the teak work came out. Dog scratches were the first thing that you saw before.  It looks beautiful.

New deck light installed

And Drew's report:
The work done by Zimmerman seems to be excellent.  Estimates were very close in most areas.
Some were more -
== replacing rigging had some issues due to old jib furling parts that didn’t fit new stays - took extra work, but came out fine.
== took more work than expected on removing and replacing main furling unit (old bearings were scored and needed to be replaced)
== engine work - replaced all 4 injectors (not in plan - one leaking, one had bad spray pattern, others not great); scaling build up in raw water path was much worse than expected - good they did it; engine running well; priming pump is ok - wire splices were bad, fixed them;
== teak looks great, about same price as estimated; estimate did not include anything inside of the hatchboards.  Would be nice to redo trim on inside, around companionway.
[We added them to the work schedule]
== after launching, when checking packing gland drips, they realized the packing gland hose around the shaft looks rather worn out. It is the original 15 yrs old.  Zimmerman usually replaces these at 6 or 7 years.  They suggested replacing it next time we haul the boat.  Expensive part is labor to haul, pull out the propellor shaft, replace hose and reinstall. While they are at it, probably replace the cutlass bearing, which supports the propellor shaft just in front of the rudder.  Our cutlass bearing is a bit loose, but still ok.  Was replaced in 2004. I don’t think it has been replaced since then.   I think we should have them do the work now. . . assuming they can get it done quickly and not hold up schedule for FL. [I assume they fixed the top of the mast anemometer too.]

AND NOW Hurricane Joaquin possibly Sat afternoon.  Weather guru, Chris Parker says,
"If you prepare, anticipate  65k-90k Sat afternoon, sustained wind Cat1-Cat2 Hurricane. And if Joaquin were to move NW across Norfolk and stall, say, over the center of  inland VA, this could be a very bad situation, with storm surge among the highest on record. On the other hand, landfall W of Hatteras seems more likely at this point."  Could be quite an adventure.

So we'll sit and wait to see what happens.  Shawnee is out of the water and in good hands.  They've certainly dealt with hurricanes before.

We are leaving NH on Oct. 9th driving to Virginia.  After a test sail, we'll sail to the  Snowbird Rendezvous in Hampton, VA -- a half day sail away.  Excited by the event and looking forward to seeing friends there. 
  The ultimate decision on Mazu is -- she's coming with us.  Her skin issues persisted in NH all summer so it wasn't Miami or the heat at all.  After antibiotics for weeks her skin is clear, and her ear infection healed.  She's a happy, wheaten.  I think we've figured out how to treat it all and how to deal with her on the boat when we sail (keep her down below.)  Look forward to some great pix.

The best and worst, funniest of the USA

The best, worst, -est

Statistics, opinions and facts of the trip.  In LA we’d gone 3500 miles.  The whole trip 9,000 miles.

Highest elevation the car climbed 9900’ in Escalante State Park on Route 12 after the Grand Canyon.  On the north rim of the Grand Canyon it was 8600’ where we stayed.

Favorite states:  Wyoming and Montana.  Blow your mind vistas, rolling hills, distant mountains, cliffs, green, green meadows.

Funniest moments:  Bad jokes cowboy singers at Grand Canyon, listening to the stereotype accents of Valley Girls and Minnesota people, sorry but it was funny.

Best place we stayed – Hard to say, but 

Lied Center in Nebraska City, NE, 

McDonald Lake Lodge, Glacier National Park, MT, 

Cedar Pass Cabins in the Badlands, Interior SD,

Hotel Bonaparte, Montreal. 

Chain motel we used the most was La Quinta.

Worst Place we Stayed:  Red Carpet Inn in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Biggest adventure – hmmm, fortunately none.  Best time on a hike was Escalante Park cool pools swim at the top of a waterfall.

Best National Park:  Glacier, not for the going, going, gone few glaciers, but the mountains, vistas, lakes, hikes, waterfalls, all accessible, beautiful log built lodges.

Great finds:  cabins for $60/night in State Parks, some with AC, microwave, frig and porch.  Search state parks near your destination.

Best Hikes all from the road: streamside Lunch Creek, Glacier National Park, and Hoh National Rain Forest

Best Lunch Place:  very crowded, Heath Farm Market Deli and Antiques in Wautoma, Wisconsin run by Holly and Janice Route 21.

Animals seen: 2 full rack elks, roadside deer, mule deer, cute tame squirrel at door of motel, domestic sheep, cattle, horses, special Bryce Canyon squirrel, prairie dogs greeting/squeaking at MacDonald Lake Lodge, horses, family of 4 wide eyed raccoons at night huddled on roadside, whales, porpoises, elephant seals, jackalopes, roadrunners, quail, various birds, rattlesnake, bison, antelope, mountain goats 

Route followed:  Albany, NY, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada, Iowa City, IA, Nebraska City, NE, Scottsbluff, NE, Laramie, WY, Moab, UT, Green River, UT, Overton, NV, Lake Havasu, AZ, Brentwood, LA, CA, Mill Valley, CA, OR, WA, Seattle, WA, MT, WY, Interior, SD, Wisc, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, New Hampshire.

# States we drove through: 22.  States I have not ever visited:  North Dakota, Alabama, Alaska

Car driven:   2013 Subaru Crosstrek, the car with the highest ground clearance that’s not an SUV.  Nothing went wrong until I got home and ran over 2 screws to puncture the tires twice in one week,

Notes on Sail v. Motor sail

Notes on Sail v. Motor sail

I am a sailor.  Give me the day on a sunfish and I am happy, wind in my hair, judgment on the wind puffs and direction, sharp turns with a capsize here and there, rising in the water under the sail, standing on the centerboard to right the boat, no fear, fun.

Now we “sail” a maintenance laden 40,’ beautiful Island Packet complete with a Yanmar engine that is used 90% of the time.

Recently the NY Times ran Maya Jasanoff’s article “At Sea With Joseph Conrad.” There was a short period of no motors on ships and only beautiful, big sailing schooners, barks, brigs, galleons, frigates, clippers crossing oceans and carrying cargo, exploring and trading around the world.  She said, “To operate a sailing ship was to master a ‘craft.’  You had to interpret and observe nature, adapt and react to fast-changing conditions, obey without questions, decide without doubt, toil without pause. The craft connotes more than a clutch of skills; it’s a code for how to live.  It turns a sailing ship into a fellowship, a community forged by shared values.”  Sailors were asea for months or years.

  Conrad said, “The taking of a modern steamship has no great moments of confidence.  It lacks the artistic quality of a single-handed struggle with something much greater than yourself.”  And sometimes it’s no struggle at all but a beautiful quiet day with no need for the rummm of the engine.

When the motor snaps off on our boat I breath deeply, take another deep breath of sea air instead of diesel fumes and slowly relax with the end of vibration and the beginning of hearing the frothy wake against the boat, wind through the air, creak of the boom, ringing haul of the winch, and artful coiling of the sheets.

The golden age of sail lasted until about 1900.  Then steamships outnumbered sailing ships and the craft was abandoned for the faster motor.   We get there artfully or directly. Who wants to wait for the right weather, tide, current?  I do.  "Can we turn off the engine now?"