HMMMM.......

 

  I holed up here at Bohemia Bay Yacht Harbor yesterday due to "small craft advisories" on the Chesapeake, 15 to 20 mph west winds with gusts to 25, not my idea of fun. Out of curiosity I asked the BBYH harbor master when they pull the boats for the winter, to my surprise he said almost all of the boats stay in the water through the cold months. They winterize the boats and have a "Bubbler System" to keep the ice from forming. HMMMM......

  The cost for winterizing and dockage here is roughly 30% of what it would cost me in fuel and dockage if I sailed back to Myrtle Beach (not to mention the 10 gallons of oil my Driptroit's would use). 1,600 mile round trip saved by docking here and 10 days less sailing in the spring when we head back to Cleveland.

  After a solid 30 seconds of serious thought, I signed the dockage lease.

  I guess I can't complain about this falls trip. After all, we managed to pack the essentials for a memorable voyage into just 15 days on the water: engine troubles, generator problems, non functioning depth sounder, hung up on a sandbar, bad weather, good weather, cold and hot days, new marinas and old favorites, some really great crew hands (new and experienced), and more memories to share with my grandkids Kate and Charlie.



                                       The 2013 Crew


Dave

Uncle Walter (and friend)

Bill



Mo

Kate and Charlie with Mom and Dad

Time to retire Old Glory after 7,000 + miles

Home for the winter, under cover in the upper Chesapeake.

Harbor security.



For the girls, see you next year :-)

Calm waters

  The 50 mile voyage up the Delaware Bay from Cape May to the C&D Canal can be uncomfortable, or even down right dangerous. There are no safe harbors (for a large vessel such as "Whatever It Takes) between Cape May and the C&D Canal and the Bay is known to kick up quickly. The last time I traveled the Delaware (two weeks ago) we were fighting four foot seas when we arrived at Cape May.

  Today was nothing short of perfect. I left Cape May at 7:00 am with a rising tide and one foot waves. By 10:00 the waves had diminished to the flat water shown on the video below. I was in the C&D Canal by 11:45 and docked at the Bohemian Bay Yacht Harbor by 2:30.

  Dinner tonight was hot dogs smothered in some left over spaghetti meat sauce I made 3 or 4 weeks ago. It tasted much better than it sounds.

                            http://youtu.be/t8GBsuGV4bs

Click on address above to see "Whatever It Takes" in calm waters on the Delaware Bay.     

100%

       

Breakfast- diet Coke, coffee, Oreo's, and a cigarette.

 

 

 

The west end of the C&D Canal.

 

 

Bohemian Bay Yacht Harbor, home for the night.

 

 

 

WOW

 

For the girls (I lost to myself)

This looks familiar

  The best laid plans oft go astray. This holds especially true when your dealing with boating. The Erie Canal will not open until mid November. Way to late for me to try crossing Lake Erie (hypothermia would get me before I could drown).

   SO........it's back south we go. I left this morning from Atlantic City and made Cape May by 2:30. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be good and I will be headed up the Delaware Bay to the C&D Canal. I am travelling alone for a few days but that's OK since the boat knows the way. I have included a few oddball photos in this post as most of the sights worth a picture between here and Atlantic City, were included in the blog a couple of weeks ago.



Shortly before they opened fire.



$85,000.00 and you don't need a vacuum. The dirt will roll out the front door with a gentle push.

Boating in Venice?

Opera benefit in my back yard last summer.

One of my favorite ports in Michigan.

 

 

Sunset on Lake Erie

                                    

For the girls (Iraq 2010)