This Season's Improvements

Over the extra four months we had on shore before launching, we made a few improvements to Rosalind. We took advantage of being near supplies and hardware stores and tackled some projects from the to-do list.

New Mast Winch
We added a self-tailing winch at the mast on the starboard side. This makes raising the mainsail and handling reefs easier as this winch can be operated with only one hand. The winch is a two-speed Andersen 26 ST in all stainless steel and it replaced a Lewmar 18. It is a beauty! Because the winch is powerful with a 26:1 reduction gear, it also is very useful for winching a person up the mast, and we have already tested it! Cheryl pulled me the mast a couple of weeks ago with little effort.

Andersen 26ST Winch on the Right (Starboard)

Forward Water Tank

We connected the forward water tank to the manual pump in the head and this increased our water capacity by 18 gallons (68 liters). We also installed an access port and calibrated a wooden dowel that we use as a dipstick so we know exactly how much water is in the tank at any time. The forward water tank is located in the forward cabin under the bunk. The tank is now connected to the manual pump in the head/vanity.

Forward Water Tank Access Port and Connections

Manual Pump (Right) Connected to Forward Water Tank 

Securing Spare Anchor and Rode

We secured the panel covering the V-berth storage bin with webbing to prevent the spare anchor and rode from getting loose. The spare anchor is a 33 lb (15 kg) Bruce and we have over 200 ft (60 m) of rode plus 110 ft (34 m) of chain stored under the V-berth. Securing the panel is necessary as these items are heavy and if they get loose they can cause potentially significant injuries to the crew and damage to Rosalind. 

Forward Bunk Anchor and Rode Storage - Water Tank located under Anchor

Straps to Secure Forward Under-Bunk Panel

Folding Cart Storage
Over the winter, we also purchased a folding cart to help with provisioning and carrying heavy items around when on shore. This a heavy duty cart rated for 275 lbs (125 kg) and has 8 inch (20 cm) diameter wheels. The cart is stored in the aft cabin on the aft end of the starboard bunk. We also secured the cart with a strap. The bunk has become a dedicated storage for large items such as the cart, storm jib, cruising spinnaker, and stand-up paddle board (SUP). This year, the cushion for that bunk was left at home.

Folding Cart Stored - Aft Cabin Starboard Bunk (Looking Aft)

Here is a sketch of Rosalind's main cabin looking aft. Under the settee are the battery selector switches and the panel that controls the propane sensor. Above the aft settee, are the barometer, the ship's clock, the VHF radio, and the main electrical panel. Outboard of the electrical panel (to port) is a bookcase. The red and white pennant with the letter B hanging in front of the mirror is from our favorite restaurant "Boatyard Bar and Grill", in Annapolis MD. The table is setup for two, however it can unfold to accommodate four. Above the table, we have a hanging wine glass rack. The overhead brass cabin light has both white and red LED lights. Red is used when we are on passage and the very bright white is used when we are in port or at anchor and we want lots of light. A brass oil lamp is hanging from the overhead. We can use if we do not want to use electricity or if we want to take the chill off on a cool evening. There is also a small brass LED reading light above the table between the storage bins.

Rosalind's Salon (Looking Aft)

Spring Cruise on the Chesapeake (Part Two)

The next stop on our three-week-long spring commissioning cruise took us to San Domingo Creek, which is the back way to Saint Michaels and about twenty miles (30 km) from Oxford. 

We spent a pleasant day motoring and navigating the windy waterways to San Domingo Creek. Our chart kit (circa 1993!) showed the depth of San Domingo Creek as 10 ft (3 meters), our electronic charts showed 8 ft (2.4 meters), but the tide was going out and our depth sounder registered 7.5 ft (2.3 meters)! Rosalind draws 5 ft (1.5 meters) so we anchored further out than we had 15 years earlier, as the creek has shoaled. 

We used the dinghy to get to shore and enjoyed the fifteen-minute ride. Other than a couple of local fishermen, we were all alone on the creek. We got to Saint Michaels, always a fun place and a great destination for cruisers because of its ACME supermarket for provisioning, only to discover that the ACME closed last fall! There is another small grocery shop in town that also sells plants. So, we did some provisioning there and picked up Mojito Mint and Minette (our mint and basil plants). This was the second time in as many years that we bought herbs there and it looks like it will become a spring commissioning ritual. The small herbs make the cabin cozy and add a touch of green down below. 

Mojito Mint and Minette

In the late afternoon before sunset we met a couple of kayakers paddling by Rosalind. They live on San Domingo Creek and were out for an evening paddle. We invited them on board, shared stories, and had a very pleasant evening. We will definitely go back to San Domingo Creek.

The next morning we headed out. It was clear that, with the ACME supermarket gone, the easiest way to provision in this part of the Bay would be to get back to Galesville and use our car. So, we motorsailed to Galesville.

In Galesville, on the West River, we did laundry and provisioned. From there, we went to the South River, which is north of the West River! We first anchored in Harness Creek. Last year we had a hard time finding the entrance to Harness Creek and had not entered; but this time the conditions allowed us to gently poke our way in. There, we found several boats at anchor and kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats from Quiet Waters Park exploring the creek. It was a very calm day and we took the opportunity to practice setting up our whisker pole. The whisker pole is used to “pole out” the jib for downwind sailing. The creek was very nice, but thunderstorms were forecast and it was just a little too snug. So, just before sunset, we raised the anchor and motored around the corner to Aberdeen Creek to spend the night.

The next day, we took advantage of a northerly and sailed south to the Little Choptank River on our way to Solomons Island. During our sail south, we spotted some tanbark sails a couple of miles off our stern, north of us. There are not too many boats on the Bay with red colored sails and we knew that our friend Steve was scheduled to launch soon. We were right, it was him! We communicated and agreed we would anchor together in the Little Choptank River just behind Ragged Island. We sailed in, dropped the anchor, and then rowed over and had a fun evening with Steve on his beautiful yacht. The next morning we headed out towards the Solomons, while Steve continued further down the Bay. Sailing on a run, with the wind behind us, we put up the whisker pole, put a preventer on the main boom, and sailed wing on wing down the Bay. This was a first for Rosalind and she glided down the Bay beautifully. We spent several days at the Solomons sightseeing and catching up with friends and acquaintances.

Rosalind Sailing "Wing on Wing"

From the Solomons, we made a straight-run north to Galesville on the West River. It was a long and busy day on the Bay. At one point, we had three large ships within a couple of miles (kilometers) of us. These were large and fast ships ranging from 650 ft up to 1100 ft (200 to 335 meters) in length and doing 16 to 22 knots (30 to 40 km/h). In addition, there were tens of fishing boats and many sailboat regattas. The Bay felt very small. We even had to change course because one of the large ships would have passed within 250 ft (75 meters) of us. At 20+ knots (35+ km/h), these behemoths can creep up over the horizon in 15 minutes. A good lookout is essential! We were also monitoring radio traffic and were astonished to witness one of the ships having to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a small 40 ft (12 meter) fishing boat that, despite having its radar and AIS on, was totally unresponsive to the ship hailing it. The wake of one of these behemoths gave Rosalind a good tossing, and because the hatches were open, we ended up having to dry out cushions and bedding from the water that came up and over the bow. 

We got to Galesville and anchored in our familiar setting. Severe thunderstorms were forecast and that night we were hit with hail and 50 mph (80 km/h) winds. Visibility went down to zero and from our cockpit we could not see the main mast, only 6 ft (1.8 meters) away!  It was a memorable storm...We were concerned about hail damage to our solar panels, but an inspection the next morning confirmed that everything was fine. We were relieved!

We had three nights of severe thunderstorms, but thankfully, none compared to that first night. While at anchor, we used the oven for the first time and Cheryl made gluten-free lemon scones. The oven worked like a charm (one more system checked out) and the scones were yummy!

 Gluten-Free Lemon Scones, First Time Using the Oven

In order to get some sleep (no concerns about the anchor dragging), we picked up our old mooring and focused on completing our commissioning. The main engine and outboard were due for some maintenance and we needed to tune the rigging. 

The cruise had taken us to seven different anchorages and we covered 175 nautical miles (325 km). The spring commissioning cruise has been a success!

Thank you for following our blog and stay tuned for the next leg in our travels.
Alex and Cheryl

At Anchor on the West River (Galesville, Maryland)

A Spring Cruise on the Chesapeake Bay (Part One)

Well folks, a lot has happened since we posted last fall. We were ready to head south to the Bahamas, Rosalind was provisioned, and the fridge was packed but we had to change our plans. The destructive fires in California last fall made us change our plans and we were not able to launch until this spring.

This year's commissioning was done in late winter and early spring. We worked on the fresh water system including hooking up the forward water tank. Rosalind now has 103 gallons (390 liters) of fresh water capacity (85 gallons in the main cabin tank and 18 gallons in the forward tank). On the hard, we also commissioned the head and did some maintenance on the rudder. Rosalind was ready to launch. We were on the waiting list for an early launch. While working on making an access panel for the galley seacock (through-hull valve), the travel-lift showed up and before we knew it, Rosalind was launched and in her temporary slip. We dashed home to get the victuals and after several days we were all loaded and ready to start the engine. 

Rosalind on the Travel-lift

Rosalind being Launched

The engine fired right up and the annual maintenance of the heat exchanger was successful. No leaks there, except...the water in the diesel alarm started buzzing (again!). At the end of last season, we had a broken fuel filler cap o-ring that allowed rainwater into the starboard fuel tank (see 8/22/2017 blogpost "Adventures on the Chesapeake Part Two"). We drained the water from the Racor fuel filter/water separator at the end of last season but some additional work was needed. It took a couple of days to sort this out as the Racor had to be disassembled and cleaned. After that, we were ready to head out and our first destination was Oxford, Maryland. 

Our First Sunrise this Season

Herrington Harbor North Marina (Deale, Maryland)

Visibility was down to a quarter mile (400 meters) as we headed out of Herring Bay and motorsailed across the Chesapeake Bay. It was mid-April and the Chesapeake was completely empty. The water temperature was a chilly 56F (13C). Visibility improved as the spring sun started burning off some of the fog. We appreciated having both the RADAR and the AIS to help us keep track of any potential traffic around us. 

We had not been in Oxford, Maryland for close to twenty years and we were pleased to see that not much had changed. Oxford played an important role in Maryland’s history and there is history there dating back to the Revolutionary War. It now has a permanent population of about four hundred, a handful of restaurants, and a quaint general store. People waved and struck up conversations and the pace in town was reminiscent of different times. We were told of the upcoming annual Oxford Day and were encouraged to stay.

Panoramic View of Town Creek (Oxford, Maryland)

Oxford Boatyard and Water Tower

(Oxford, Maryland)

So, we stayed in Oxford for several days to see Oxford Day 2018. Daytime temperatures were pleasant and a windbeaker or a light fleece jacket was sufficient but the evenings were still chilly in the forties (4C to 9C) and we ran the cabin heater aboard Rosalind.  The temperature increased steadily and by Oxford Day we found ourselves looking for shade. 

Oxford Day was filled with activities and a long parade. It was small town USA all over with pies, crab cakes, fire trucks and marching bands. In the afternoon, after a morning filled with contests, the parade, and many other activities, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted two simulated water rescues by helicopter on the Tred Avon River right in front of the town park. The noise was almost deafening and the downwash from the helicopter confirmed that in the unlikely event that one needs helicopter rescue, goggles would be not only be nice but critical. 

On our way back from the Oxford Day festivities, we visited the one-room library and picked up some reading material from their annual sale. It was a fun day and we were glad we stayed to see it firsthand. 

We used our dinghy and outboard motor to get to shore and we found that the outboard shifter was stuck making it impossible to shift from neutral to forward. We carry the outboard shop manual with us onboard and after disassembling the powerhead from the lower unit (twice!), we got that sorted out.

We waited for a couple of days for the weather to settle, then we continued our spring cruise. The next destination was St. Michael's, Maryland...

Thanks for joining us on our blog after our long break on the hard! Alex and Cheryl

Town Creek (Oxford, Maryland)