New places...old friends. Our migration south begins!

You'd think after a few years of going up and down the east coast that we would do the same thing over and over or it would get boring. Well, you can certainly stick to a "path" (and revisiting favorites is fun!), but there are sooo many marina and anchorage options that you really can mix it up! Since we left Patuxent River we've hit quite a few "new" spots.

First up, Dividing Creek, VA. We were with a pack of boats heading down the Bay that first day and had though about hitting up Reedville (we've never been) or Deltaville (we like the anchorages there), but on a whim decided to try something new! We ended up spending the night completely alone in a beautiful spot. 

A beautiful day to cross the mouth of the Potomac ended in a beautiful anchorage.

Next, we had a bit of weather on the horizon to deal with and also had some friends that we wanted to see in a yard up Mobjack Bay. We'd never been there so we headed up the East River and bounced between two sides of the river over our days there to better position for winds. The anchorage was lovely with lots of bald eagle activity, but we also loved our time with friends! They helped us get a new TV, we had a lovely evening of sundowners, and our kiddos played. I did a little sewing for them and they made us a delicious dinner to take home with us. We may not see the crew of Kolohe again for some time, so I'm really glad we got these few days with them.

Cozy in the East River

So great to see the Kolohe crew again!

With weather and family/friend considerations again we booked a reservation at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk. We'd stayed on base in Norfolk and anchored out, but had not been to a marina in town. This allowed us to see some family and friends, get propane, knock out some laundry, and get groceries. The marina staff were awesome (they pay for your ride to the grocery store!), but we did have a crappy night when another boater hit our boat as he was docking, then proceeded to yell at our crew (some really horrible things, too) and refused to give insurance info. In the light of day we were able to see that the marks from the collision would buff out, but we were pretty disappointed that another boater would respond to the situation like that. Made for a bad mark on an otherwise decent stay.

Neptune, family, and my friend Jennifer from college--focusing on the good memories from this stop!

After a short, VERY busy trip through Great Bridge we were finally back to an old favorite spot--the Great Bridge free docks! I love the south side docks with the nearby hiking trails and nice parking area. We had Navy and hometown friends visit, saw mom again, and met three new boats that helped us regain faith in people after the previous night's encounter. One boat, S/V Freedom, was another Beneteau 393 and we really enjoyed chatting with the owners about the boat we love! And Trent made friends by sharing Halloween candy with everyone. 

Sooo many boats went through the locks with us--full house! But there was plenty of space at the docks and we had a visit from my old Master Chief and the Skipper's hometown crew. It was a wonderful stop!

And now we are back in a familiar anchorage south of Coinjock and looking forward to a nice crossing of the Albemarle Sound tomorrow. The new places and experiences have been a real treat! Can't wait to see how many new places we see this season. 

~Jo, 1st Mate

Project wrap-up, off-season 2021

Having finally cast off the lines after about four months at a dock, I'm taking a look back at some of the miscellaneous jobs we tackled over the summer around our travels and major projects! I've always said that this lifestyle isn't all cocktails and sunsets so I feel like it's important to note some of the less-glamorous aspects.

Water tanks were emptied, scrubbed, bleached, rinsed, rinsed, and rinsed! We hadn't done this before as water never really sits in the tanks for too long, but it was nice to wipe the slime off and know that we had a clean system.

Not such an easy task! Had to use some kitchen tongs to extend my reach.

Deep cleaned the cabins and fixing the headliner. Spending time in all sorts of climates and having four humans living in a small space can lead to some mildew and just general funk. I pretty regularly wipe the bulkheads down anyway, but this was a "pull-everything-out-and-clean-the-obscure-spots" effort that was conducted with a toothbrush, Spray Nine, and bleach. Our boat also has a known issue with the foam backing of the headliner/bulkhead liner degrading over time so I worked to remedy that, too. We have used 3M spray adhesive in the past and it holds for a few months. This time I used contact cement to adhere strips of stiff, yet flexible, plastic (from thick folders!) to the headliner to help lift it into place. It seems to be working so far, but time will tell.

This fabric...I hate it.

Cleaned the speed log which had been neglected for a bit, scrubbed the deck and waterline to combat some of the ICW/Chesapeake Bay growth and tannins, and paid a diver to clean the hull. This is part of the boat life work that just never goes away. I could still have more coats of wax on the boat, but...maybe soon! 

TONS of growth in this area.

The hull really needs a good wax, but it's tough when it's in the water.

And way back in the beginning of summer we freshened up the forward head! I had been wanting to hide where the water maker pump stuck out at the bottom of the door and took the opportunity to add some color, too. It's a little change, but I love it!

A little outdoor fabric and paint made a nice change.

And sure, there was the routine defrosting of the freezer, pulling dozens of jellyfish out of the a/c strainer, and bilge cleaning, too. I am happy we still have the energy and flexibility to pull off these tasks, and super happy that we kept up on chores and projects through a summer of fun. 

~Jo, 1st Mate

That’s a wrap! Boat Shows 2021

We came...we worked...we smiled...we shopped!

We worked every single day of the Annapolis Power and Sailboat Shows over the past two weeks, pre-opening to close each day! The Skipper even stayed on an extra day to help with show break-down. How was it? Well, having not worked a paying job together in nearly 20 years we are happy to report that both of us are alive and still speaking to each other! It’s been two years since these shows were held and you could feel the excitement! The booth we worked in this year was a combo of retail safety gear from Fawcett Boat Supplies and boats/motors from their other company, Annapolis Inflatables. It ended up being a great mix for us as we know a few things about dinghies after over a decade aboard and we actually personally use many of the safety items that were being sold! Though the days were usually crazy busy, it was quite fun and we enjoyed working with the FBS/AI team and reps from Highfield Boats, AB Inflatables, ACR, Viking, Gill, Mustang, and Tohatsu. We also managed to see old Navy buddies, college friends, old and new marina friends, cruising pals from our seasons in Bahamas, and cruising/homeschooling moms that I’d only previously “met” online, and we met TONS of new boaters and cruisers that we look forward to sharing an anchorage with in the future! And in addition to our tradition of boat show Painkillers I introduced Frank to pre-show Bloody Mary’s and bagels. He was a fan!

We worked nine full show days...we earned those Painkillers and Bloody Mary's!

YouTube channels and influencers featured more heavily at the boat show this year and while the Skipper still can’t pick any of them out of a crowd except for the two we shared an anchorage and hiking trails with in Maine last year, it was interesting to see the crowds flocking to meet & greets and getting excited about sailing and cruising! Frank even spent a solid 15 minutes talking about RIBs with one popular YouTuber and had no clue who he was (though figured he was “someone” when a guy ran up to him and gushed over him briefly), but I was happy to say hello to Carolyn Shearlock of “The Boat Galley” book fame and thank her for sharing her knowledge over the years. For the most part all the influencers we interacted with around the shows were really nice, genuine, and funny (one super popular one thought they had been left off of our meet & greet schedule poster, but was actually at the wrong booth…we had a good laugh together!), but…like with any group there may be some people you could do without. One influencer approached our team…needed to get photos with the boats at the request of the brand, but “my partner doesn’t want to spring for the ticket to get in.” My manager got the rest of their group into the show (for free), but since I know they cruise on a $1M+ boat I was a little disgusted…tickets are $20 folks. Another (who I didn’t recognize as a YouTuber initially) asked me all about one of our popular products then said, “you want to give me one?” I said, “sure, I can ring you up right over here,” to which he replied, “oh no, that’s not how it works for us.” Um…that’s how it works for your fellow cruisers and pretty sure A-list folks hit up marketing teams and managers for free stuff, not bottom-rung, cruising cashiers. So I’m happy that they inspire others and I love free stuff (who doesn’t), but I can’t get onboard with the begging for/expecting freebies at every turn. Just not my thing. To keep it truthful here we actually did get freebies/swag/lunch from some of the vendors we worked with over the shows…we never asked for it but were offered it in thanks for our work on behalf of their brands—that, IMO, is how it should work and we were humbled by their appreciation.

So…SHOPPING! We actually didn’t have a huge list of “needs” for the boat this year…just some spare parts, cleaning supplies, a little bit of line, etc. But one “want” has been on our list for years and much to our surprise, Fawcett’s had it in stock so we didn’t have to order and ship it! That’s right, we scored a 42” Lewmar Folding Wheel!!!! I can’t wait to enjoy more freedom of movement in the cockpit while we are at anchor. 

Trent was a SUPER shopping helper! And I am in love with the new wheel!

Will we do it again next year? If we are in the country and they need/want us we will! It’s just fun hanging out with so many like-minded folks and getting paid!

~Jo, 1st Mate

Back to work at the Annapolis Boat Shows

After spending the summer at a dock and having all sorts of fun visiting family and friends, we are finally on the move! And the Skipper and 1st Mate are heading back to work for the first time in two years! We are now just south of Annapolis and ready for our job for the next two weeks at the Annapolis Boat Shows. We are working with local retailer Fawcett Boat Supplies in their Boats & Motors booth and are super excited to share great gear with fellow boaters! I mean we get paid to talk about boats, boating, and boat gear, we get to go to the shows every day, and we get a discount on some gear we need for our continued cruising. Winning!

His and hers work uniforms...can't wait to share great gear!

We have settled into a nice slip at Skipper's Pier in Galesville that isn't breaking the bank while we work and as it was a 42nm run from our slip at Pax River the boys were able to move the boat while I took care of some errands and moved the car. It's also close enough to friends from our old home marina in Herring Bay that we can see friends when we aren't working. Hope to head south shortly after the show!

All snugged up at Pirate's Cove!

~ Jo, 1st Mate

Getting the Arch Back on Solid Footing

One of the boat projects this summer was to fix our arch, or rather figure out what was wrong with it. Last year an audible squeak developed near the starboard side deck mount. We tightened the bolts, but it kept returning. The arch also had more play in it as it came under load (some is normal, but this seemed to move more than it had in the past) and I kept thinking I could see the deck flex a little. Uh oh. 

Let me back up. We first put the arch on the boat in late 2011. It's a Beneteau factory arch, but for a 423 model. It mounts with two feet on the top deck and two on the transom, and uses four bolts on each foot. It was shimmed to fit the angle on our 393 model transom and made our boating life so much easier. We had to take it off/remount it in 2017 as part of a cross-country move. And it was probably fine until we started cruising full time, loading more crap into the dinghy while it was on the davits, and sailing in rougher conditions. We keep the dinghy with the engine on it on the davits for our little offshore hops, tying off the dinghy so it doesn't swing in seas. The issue started in the spring of 2020. 

By the end of this winter cruising season we knew we had to really look at it. Being at a dock this summer afforded us the opportunity to do the work ourselves (saving money and accepting a hard job!). First step was to remove the arch and see if we could identify an issue. This involved removing the solar panels so they wouldn't get damaged in the process and disconnecting a bunch of wires. With the arch off and dangling off the back of the boat, Frank was able to get in and see what was up. 

The 1st Mate helps out with lazarette boat yoga as much as she can while taking the arch off. Solar panels were stored on the foredeck throughout the project and we suspended the arch with the topping lift.

We did get some good news! Seeing a deck flex brings fears of a rotted core and a big, involved repair to get the mushy wood out, but the section of deck we are dealing with is actually solid fiberglass! Yay! And it wasn't cracked that we could see. Now we always knew where the bolts came through the deck was a little weird, with some bolts just going through the layer of deck and 3 of 8 total deck bolts going through a wood backer/other component of the deck structure. Removing the whole arch also revealed that where the bolts went through the deck the fiberglass was only 3/8" thick whereas where it was mounted on the stern the fiberglass was almost 1" thick. And we found that one of the 16 bolts that mounted the arch was bent. Sooooo....our issue was likely a combination of the thinner top deck, the heavy load in the dinghy, and maybe taking some big lateral loads in waves at some point. 

Since the deck was solid fiberglass we decided to reinforce and level the mounting surface for the deck feet. Frank started by building up fiberglass blocks that would be used to level out the deck mounting areas. This took a lot of layers of fiberglass, then cutting to shape, then more fiberglass to get them the right thickness.

Arts and Crafts time on Lehe Paine with! Building and shaping the blocks was a multi-day process, but it was worth it. 

And that was the easy part! Then he had to wedge himself into the lazarettes multiple times to place the fiberglass blocks and then coat the entire mounting area with layers of fiberglass to ensure it was one complete, solid structure. This whole process stretched over a few weeks with curing times, weather delays, and other fun. 

More boat yoga! We had some really hot days that made this task miserable; fitting the blocks.

When the deck was reinforced he went a step further and epoxied 1/4" G-10 fiberglass board as a backing plate at each of the four mounting locations for the arch. And because Frank doesn't underbuild anything he also went with beefier, longer bolts.

Trent drills through the new layers; the bolt upgrade; G-10 backer boards in place.

With the deck beefed up the guys drilled through the new layers of glass, we slapped some 3M 4200 sealant/adhesive all over the place and remounted the arch! Ok, it wasn't actually that easy...4200 got everywhere, I was terrified we would drop the shim in the water, the rubber mallet was used extensively to push bolts in, and a few of the bolts were actually too long to clear the arch legs as they were going in and had to be cut. But it is back on and better than ever! The deck mount actually looks way better and more flush than when the rigger put it on in 2017. Add in the many gelcoat cracks that Frank fixed as part of the project and it really looks fabulous! (FYI, spider cracks in gelcoat are common, especially on a boat that's as old as ours.   It's usually just a cosmetic issue.)

The "car" is back in the "garage" and the deck was SOLID!

We feel pretty confident that this should solve the issues we were having (or will rip the entire stern to pieces)...guess it's about time to head out and test it out on the ocean!