Saint Marys Back to Solomons

We had planned on going to DC around the time that Sarah had her baby. It would have been a good place to leave the boat and grab public transportation. So we putzed around a few days then sailed up to Breton Bay off the Potomac River. It takes 2 days to get up the Potomac to DC, and the only midway place to anchor is not very well protected. So we needed 2 days with good weather. When Karen and Lisa decided it was time to rendezvous, we decided to give it a try, but it didn't take us long to turn around. We had strong winds on the nose, and the timing of the tide was not conducive to day long trips against the wind. You beat your boat up, get bruises, and chip your teeth. So we sailed back to our anchorage in Breton Bay. Leonardtown is a short dinghy ride from our anchorage, so Karen picked Lisa up and took her to the White house--that would be Moses, Sarah and Will White. I stayed behind to tend to the boat.

BEFORE.   Moses, Sarah, Holden, Lola (aka Karen), Will

DURING.  There is absolutely no room for you here! I need a bigger chair so I don't get a kink in my neck, and my tail becomes crooked.

AFTER.  Sarah and Holden--the miracle of life.

Lisa had a great visit. We're very thankful Sarah and Holden are healthy and doing well and that Will knows how to change diapers. Holden is a beautiful baby, and a redhead to boot.

I picked Lisa up after Karen dumped her off at the Wharf in Leonardtown, and we sailed back to St Marys.

Our boat speed has been getting slower and slower, indicating a need for a clean bottom. Our plan was to take it to Haven Harbor Marina in Rock Hall, Maryland and do a quick haul. With a quick haul they don't set the boat on stands, they just hang it in the sling of the travel lift, pressure wash the bottom, and scrape the barnacles off. Then I have about an hour to change the zincs and anything else I may need to do. Then they drop it back in the water. Rockhall was about 90 miles away and we were just going way too slow. So we hauled it out at Zanhisers at Solomons. We also needed to acid clean the topsides to get rid of the stain from the tanic water, which requires a wax job. The way the pricing is done, it made more sense to have them clean and wax the topsides, and do a bottom job, which is basically a coat of new bottom paint. We use Trinidad SR for our bottom paint which has copper in it to help repel underwater growth. With this kind of bottom paint the boat needs to be splashed within 72 hours of being painted or it loses its effectiveness to fight off growth. Our boat didn't get splashed for about 10 months after it was painted at the factory. When it sits out longer than the specified time, it needs to be lightly sanded before being splashed. This did not happen at commissioning.

This is the keel cooler for our Frigoboat refrigerator--kind of like a radiator cooled by water instead of air. The shiny round things are the new sacrificial zincs. When 2 different kinds of metals (ie copper and bronze) are in contact with each other, they are like the Shiites and Sunnis. They try to destroy each other. The strongest metal wins and the weakest metal loses (sort of). So we introduce a third metal--zinc. Zinc is spineless and apologetic and doesn't understand what made him shiny and pretty--it just isn't fair. The Shiites and Sunnis see an opportunity. They pounce on the spineless and confused zinc and destroy it. Literally eat it. Survival of the most determined. Although they are vaunted enemies since forever, the Shiites and the Sunnis become like-minded with a mutual enemy. While they are destroying the zinc, they are not destroying each other. So you need to replace the zincs before they are all eaten up or the Shiites and the Sunnis will turn on each other. Then you would have to replace your keel cooler.

Also, new zincs on the shaft. Bronze prop and stainless steel shaft... The zincs on the shaft look like grenades. When I took them out of the packaging at the Post Office (we try not to take trash to the boat), I thought I might get arrested, but no one noticed.

We coated the prop to try to slow down the barnacles, but it won't work.

The new bottom. We raised the waterline (the red paint) about 3/4 of an inch.

 

About to be splashed. We will stay on a mooring at Zanhisers through part of or all of the July 4th holiday, and hope we don't get hit by drunks. Then we will make our way to the C and D Canal, Delaware Bay, Cape May, then up to Long Island Sound. At least that's the plan.