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September 2006 After spending two years ashore working and putting everything in order we were ready to rejoin ‘Mr John’ and get going on our next planned adventure, The Pacific. We arrived in the US back in September 2006 a little late in the season but we were surprised to find the weather was perfect. We went to work right away, the boat had been ashore untended for two years and was looking a little run down. There was a surprising amount of mold on the inside in the Main Saloon and a thick coating of grime on the outside. These had to be dealt with before we could even take up residence….. Once settled on board, we didn’t have to try very hard to compile a long jobs list of things requiring attention. From passed experience we knew that the good weather wouldn’t last long so directed most of our efforts at work that required doing whilst the boat was out of the water and things that needed to be done before we could start moving. We had previously determined that all the fresh water hoses needed changing and the hot water system, which we seldom used, had to be removed. We tore out all the guts of the system and started afresh. The twin sinks in the galley had given me some concern in the passed, whilst they were good and deep (real sinks); they were much to close to the waterline. Especially after we sank the boat down with extra cruising gear! I decided to re-configure the whole system and install a pump to drain the bowls. Thus, out came the sinks and all the plumbing. The refrigeration system had proved to be dead loss despite spending quite a bit of money on it. I had even spent the time to increase the insulation with another three inches of the best materials. In the end we felt that we did not want a system on board that required outside assistance every time the weather changed. Thus I tore out that system as well and converted the old fridge box to dry storage. We installed a twelve volt portable fridge/freezer that came well recommended, we haven’t looked back since! It has been working very well, is economical to run and when it breaks down we know exactly where we are going with a replacement. This is much better than the uncertainty of the unknown and being at the whim of some refrigeration technician. Another item on my hit list was the ‘Lectra San’ toilet waste treatment system. This little baby could flatten the battery in just a few goes and I could see no use for it on an offshore cruising boat. I was probably OK for the use it had been intended, weekending in the Chesapeake Bay! Whilst at the pipe-work, we changed all the hoses on the motor, this was where we discovered that Bristol do use the best, when replacing hoses ‘like for like’ some of the stuff was ‘extremely’ expensive. However we do sleep better knowing that good materials were used for construction and that we have maintained that same standard. The usual jobs, such as ‘pulling’ all the seacocks for maintenance and greasing and antifouling etc. all had to be done. We even found some time to polish and buff up the hull! Through it all we knew that we had to get moving as winter was coming and it was time we were no longer here. The great weather lasted about two weeks when on October the 5th (as is normal for the Bay), a large frontal system moved through bringing the first “Norther” of the year. With this came the Polar winds and the temperatures plummeted from the 80’s to just above freezing….. Snow closed down roads in upstate New York and we had Frost; on the day after we went in the water there was frost on the roofs of all the houses around the bay. We knew that we had to move off south quickly or get stuck for the winter. There were a few delays in getting going, especially when we determined that the Mast had to come out for a little urgent work. The Boat Yard however was very co-operative and everyone was surprised when the mast came out one day, went back in the next day and we departed the day after! Actually, the mast had been on the agenda for some time but we had thought we could string it along for a while. On deeper examination however we found that there was some heavy corrosion where it sits on the mast step. Thus we decided to lop off about half an inch and tackle a few other jobs at the same time. Our schedule was so tight that I was still refurbishing the toilet, which was in bits, as we sailed south down the Chesapeake. Even so, with lots left to do, it was good to be back afloat and underway again. As soon as we started moving we were meeting up with old friends, it was really nice to know that whilst we had been ashore life on the cruising circuit had been progressing as normal. On arrival in Norfolk we were pleased to be reunited with ‘Sleepwalker II’ who we had not seen for over two years. We had communicated by email in the intervening period and had arranged to meet up in this area so that we could cruise south together. We were sailing across the Albemarle Sound, charging along with the ‘chute’ up and I looked to leeward where there was another boat on a converging course also flying a kite……. I said to Paula, “that must be Seaquel”, long time old friends who we met in Australia way back. I could just sense that only George would be doing what we were doing at that time out there…..I was right, what a coincidence! Getting south proved to be a challenge, we did get some periods of following winds but unfortunately they came gusting to thirty knots with steep breaking seas etc. We had a few wild moments especially surfing into Fernandina Beach. It was however worth it as that got us into Florida and whilst it was still cool, Florida was getting some record low temperatures, it was a heck of a sight warmer than Virginia. We worked our way slowly down to Miami where we got stuck for almost two weeks. I didn’t mind too much as I was up to my neck with boat work and we had a free anchorage with water and a nearby supermarket…..I could also get most of the parts I was looking for, for the boat. I guess we were privileged really, to spend so much time around Miami Beach with all the rich and famous around us. We were rubbing shoulders with the “beautiful people”. Of course most the Guys are queer and the good looking girls seem to have “girlfriends” so it’s all a little strange for us that are not used to it! In Miami we were most fortunate to meet up with ‘Magpie’. Tony & Jeanne were also old friends which we had met a few years back. They had been waiting for us to catch up with them after hearing that we were on our way south. It was lovely to spend some time with them even though it was so short and we do hope that waiting for us did not miss them a good weather window for their passage to the East Coast of Florida. We did hear after that they had a tough crash to windward after they left us. Our usual phone box in Miami Beach was just outside a carwash where they charged $250 just to have the car shampooed, who can afford this stuff? We were constantly amazed at the way some of the locals spent money as if there was no tomorrow and certainly no accounting! Next stop Bahamas John & Paula |
| Coan River to Miami U.A.S. |