Before I
explain the title, I’ll tell you about our trip from St. Michaels to
Annapolis. We looked at the charts for our journey from St Michaels to
Annapolis. Easy - we just take a NW heading across the Chesapeake, and
we’re there! Well - not very scenic. So we decided to go through another
narrows! Instead, we headed north to the Kent Narrows, and then back a
little south.
And they weren't kidding when they said this one was NARROW! You don’t want
to meet someone coming the other way! Plus - the current was ripping!
And the channel coming out was also narrow and shallow.
There was also someone / something out there watching us!
We are seeing a lot of Osprey and Osprey nests up here. They remind us of our beloved Eagles back on the Mighty Miss.
It was a nice, comfortable ride, and we soon had the Bay Bridge in site.
Admiral Pat does all the navigating.
First, the paper charts are consulted to get a general idea of what
route, and which portion of the water-way to follow. Then she fires up
her i-Pad, and plots the course with Navionics - a computer based
charting program. She just taps on the screen to insert waypoints. We
then take the GPS coordinates for those waypoints, and enter them into
the chart plotter on the boat. A chart plotter is “sort of” like an
automotive GPS, but with a LOT more cool features!
Then the chart plotter generates the
course to follow. Once underway, we can “give” the course to the
autopilot, and the boat will steer itself along the course. All we have
to do is set the throttles, and sit back and watch where we are going.
If we need to “dodge” an obstruction, or another boat, I can just reach
down on the autopilot, and push a button to turn the boat so many
degrees to the left or right. After we clear the obstruction, another
button tells the autopilot to go back to the original course. Pretty
neat!!
The
autopilot got us out of the Kent Narrows, and to the Bay Bridge. As we
were getting close to our destination, I zoomed the plotter out to see
our arrival point. The course entered had us going a little too far
west, and then back east, so I decided to take a “short cut” to Back
Creek, where the marina we were going to is.
Well...What those plotters do NOT tell you, is that there are a gazillion crab
pots out there, a thousand fishing boats pulling planer boards with 10
lines out behind them, and the National Nood Sailboat races are
happening! I think the few miles I saved was MORE than eaten up in dodge
maneuvers!
We did manage to make it unscathed to our marina on Back Creek.
Man - I just love the names of all these back bays and rivers up here!
Spa Creek, College Creek, Shady Lake, Hearing Bay, Oyster Creek!
When we hit Annapolis, Pat's friends Ted and Wanda picked us up, and took us
on a tour of the Naval Academy! They had also joined us in Florida, and
taken us to their winter place for a day. Ted taught sailing at the
Academy, so we got the “complete” tour! And some behind the scenes
stuff!
The museum had numerous model ships collected from all over the world depicting the history of Naval combat throughout the years.
The church has John Paul Jones’ tomb in the lower level.
The engineering students were building a race car.
Our day at the Academy gave us a greater appreciation of our armed forces.
Thank you so much Ted & Wanda!
Well, now for the She Left Me!
part. Pat has a group of girlfriends who are her scuba buddies, and all
live back home in the Twin Cities. They have gone on dive trips
together all over the world! A pretty close nit group I must say! One of
the girls moved out near Annapolis recently. When she heard we would be
here, of course they wanted to get together. Well - the rest of the
Scuba Girls all flew out to join them! So Pat took off for a few days to
join the group.
That’s OK - I had some maintenance to do
on the boat anyhow. The oil needs changing, the raw water pump
impellers need replacing, the deck carpets need scrubbing, and the
pooper tank level indicator needs a new part installed. So off I go to
the engine room for a few days. First thing I noticed was a spot below
the port raw water pump. Wasn’t there when I did my daily engine room
check on the way here! So I fired up the engine to have a look. Sure
enough, it’s leaking out of the shaft right behind the belt pulley. I
pull the pump off, and can see the bearing is moving out of the housing.
Darn - how do I get a new pump here??? I
get on-line, and can’t find a match to the part number! What now! I
call Mercury, and they tell me it is discontinued, but gave me a
replacement pump number that is a direct replacement. OK - so I find
that one on-line. However, there is no pulley on it. The pulley has to
be pressed off the old, and onto the new. Darn - forgot to bring my 2
ton bench press!!!
OK - I can get the pump, but need
someone to put on the pulley. But who and where??? A call to my Cruisers
Yachts buddy Mike from St Michaels, and he had just the marine repair
shop to do it! I called them, and no problem. Pump should be here Sat or
Monday, the marina manager will let me use his car to drive there, and
they will swap the pully.
OK - now on to the pooper tank. The
level indicator has been acting up. Called the manufacturer a few days
ago, and we deciphered it was the logic board. A new - improved model is
available. That arrived today. I put it in, and still the same problem.
Another call, and the only other thing it can be is a new tank probe.
It’s on the way.
So that’s my last few days, while Pat is having fun with the girls!
Stick Around - Much More To Come!
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