Saturday 19th October, 2019

We woke early as we usually do these days, probably because we go to bed to read at 8:30-ish and then fall asleep at 9. (Our daytimes are, of course, driven by daylight hours which are getting shorter and shorter.)  Anyway, we had planned to leave at 10am, but since we were up and about with not much to do, we set off just after 9am. 

Winds were light again – 3-7 knots from the port bow and we motored most of the way and motor-sailed towards the end.  We had planned to anchor in the bay, but 25 knots winds from the NE are in the forecast, which would have made that anchorage not much fun.   So we elected to take a slip at Herring Harbour South, 38’ 43’.582N 076° 32’.549W, arriving at about 3pm.  We filled up with fuel and docked about 3:30pm. 

It’s a huge, luxury resort, but their off season rates are pretty cheap so we’re happy to be here.  We did laundry, head maintenance, etc. and then settled in for the night with full fuel tanks, unlimited water and an electric heater if we need it.  I doubt we will, but it was pretty cold last night. 

The good news is that the rudder and dinghy repairs are holding up, and Ron’s laptop hasn’t crashed yet.  (Did I really say that!)

The even better news is that I just read Boris lost his vote and sent a letter to the EU asking for an extension.  Let’s hope the EU do the right thing and grant it!

Ships Log: 6977.9, Trip: 28.7, Trip Total: 391.9

Friday 18th October, 2019

The winds and waves were much calmer today and we managed to fix the rudder (hopefully).  We then went ashore, Ron hauled the dinghy out and fixed the davit mount (hopefully), and then followed Teresa to the grocery (and beer and wine) store.  We’re planning to anchor in Herring cove tomorrow, so decided to eat ashore this evening at Pearl on Main.  It’s really nice having marina bikes to borrow.  Dinner at Pearl on Main was very nice.  Thanks you Noel and Annette for the recommendation. 

Thursday 17th October, 2019

Winds were howling all day and even in the harbor we recorded 37 knots. Not exactly a day for sailing so we stayed put.  We had a couple of jobs to work on.  Quinita has lifting rudders and when fully up we only draw 18”.  The lifting mechanism includes a fail-safe designed to break and allow the rudders to lift if they hit anything.  Pretty sure we didn’t hit anything, but one of them broke and allowed the rudder to lift yesterday in the big winds.  This makes the steering really heavy- not what you want in a storm.  And one of the davit mounts on our dinghy broke off yesterday too.  But with the wind howling, it wasn’t a day for repairs either. 

So we settled down to do some admin on our laptops.  Then Ron’s laptop crashed 3 times in succession.  So the plan changed to moving critical software (like navigation software) and email to Teresa’s machine in case Ron’s dies permanently. 

We did brave a ride ashore in the dinghy, borrowed a couple of marina bikes and went shopping for groceries and adhesive to fix the rudders tomorrow.  The ride to the shops was easy – a dead straight road with the 30 knot wind blowing right down it.  The ride home was not quite so pleasant.  And the dinghy ride back to Quinita was another wild and wet one. 

Wednesday 16th October, 2019

We had another longish day in mind today – to Rock Hall Harbor, where our friends Noel & Annette (on Amazing Grace) were spending a few days before moving on.  Winds were forecast from the south, with high gusts later in the day.  But we needed gas, so tied up to the gas dock at 7:45, waiting for it to open at 8am.  By 8:30 we had found someone to operate the pumps and set off. 

Winds were light, and from the SE which put us on a reach but not quite strong enough to achieve the 5 knots we wanted to get us into harbor before the big winds hit.  So we ran the engine, just enough to keep our speed above 5 knots.  The plan didn’t quite work however.  Before we reached the harbor, a squall hit, and we had 30 knots on the nose.  The winds came on very suddenly, and we found ourselves furling the genoa and reefing the main in 25 – 30 knot winds.  So we had an hour or so of motor sailing with just the double reefed main in big seas.  Actually the winds didn’t last that long, but the waves did which made for an uncomfortable couple of hours.  Oh well, all’s well that ends well and we picked up a mooring next to Amazing Grace, 39 08.815N 076 15.505W at 3pm. 

Noel and Annette invited us to dinner on their boat.  The dinghy ride there, fortunately not very long, was wild as the winds were starting to pick up- well at least it was downwind.  Their boat – a 44’ Antares catamaran - is beautiful.  With full sized showers, water-maker, washing machine, etc. etc.  We’re not jealous – we can get under much lower bridges than they can!  By the way, dinner was delicious and if you’re reading this Noel and Anette, thanks very much.  And you may have guessed, the dinghy ride back to Quinita, upwind, was even wilder. 

Ships Log: 6949.2, Trip: 35.7, Trip Total: 363.2

Tuesday 15th October, 2019

11 or 12 years ago when we were considering buying a Tomcat, we were put in touch with an owner named Bob Krchnavek, (pronounced Krchnavek).  We were living in Boston at the time and gave him a call on a Saturday morning to see when he might be available for a phone call.  By chance, at that very moment, he was sitting in a café in Cambridge (about a 30 minute walk away), waiting for his wife to complete some business.  He pointed out that he was bored, so we walked right over and talked Tomcat’s for an hour or so. 

We knew his boat was in the Chesapeake and emailed him to see if a meet up was possible.  We agreed to anchor in Chesapeake City, where he could meet us this evening.  Chesapeake City wasn’t quite as far as we would have liked to sail today, but what the heck. 

We had a great close reach up the Delaware Bay followed by a beat in light airs with a fair tide to the start of the Chesapeake and Delaware canal.  Sailboats are obliged to motor through the canal – there are a lot of commercial ships and they don’t appreciate sailboats tacking back and forth in front of them!  So we dropped our sails and motored through with a 2-3 knot tide, reaching 7 knots at times. 

In fact, we were moving so fast is seemed a shame to stop, particularly when we looked at the tides and winds tomorrow.  So we called Bob who, as a sailor, immediately agreed that we should cancel the get together and carry on to the Sassafras River, where his boat his moored.  So we did.  Sorry we did not get to hook up Bob, but you were right – the Sassafras River was very nice.  We made great progress today and had a welcome shower and very nice meal at the Fish Whistle at the Granary. 

We picked up a mooring at 4:58, 39 21’.674N, 075 53’.282W, having logged 45.4 miles.  A great day and we’re now on our way down the Chesapeake. 

Ships Log: 6913.3, Trip: 45.4, Trip Total: 327.5

Monday 14th October, 2019

Tides are important for small boats – when you’re only doing 5 knots it’s much better to have a 2 knot tide with you (making a total speed of 7 knots), than against you (making a total speed of 3 knots).  So we left at first light to take advantage of the tides up the Delaware Bay.  And we had headwinds which resulted in a wind over tide situation and a pretty choppy sea.  The winds were too light to push the boat through the wave and we needed to keep our speed up to avoid the foul tides that we coming later in the day.  So we started out beating with the motor’s assistance in a choppy sea, which is a little frustrating since as soon as the boat got some speed, a wave would hit and slow us back down again.  And we’re getting a little fed up with having the engines on all the time. 

Around 10am the winds pretty much died, so we dropped the sails and were then able to motor the course, rather than tacking.  We reached our destination Cohassey Cove, 39° 20.685N 075° 20.857W, just in time to catch a little foul tide – pretty much what we expected. 

The sun was shining by now and we dropped the hook around 2pm.  Now we get an afternoon off for a change!

Teresa enjoyed a yoga and pilates session on the trampoline while Ron checked tides and route for tomorrow.  And we finished the day with some admin on the computer and some reading.  The latter was more relaxing!

Ships Log: 6867.9, Trip 31.6, Trip Total: 282.1

Sunday 13th October, 2019

Winds were light and from behind again as we headed to Cape May, the southern tip of New Jersey.  So we were motor sailing once again. 

We decided to try to fix the impellor under way.  This requires removal of the galley floorboard which we usually do with 2 people.  Necessity being the mother of invention, we found a way to lift the floorboard single handed, which gives access to the impellor.  The impellor can be removed for cleaning, a blanking plug is inserted before the boats sinks, and the impellor can then be cleaned and replaced.  It works!  Yippee.  So the couple of pints of seawater in the bilge were mopped up and floorboard replaced. 

And then the impellor stopped working again.  So the operation was repeated, and this time the cleanup and floorboard replacement was not done until the log had been working for an hour or so.  This time the fix seems permanent, at least the log lasted all day.

We tied up at Canyon Club Resort Marina, 38° 57.215N 074° 54.059W, just before the Cape May canal which will tomorrow take us to the Delaware Bay.  

We dined on rotisserie chicken, rice and veg, before an early night in readiness for an early start tomorrow.

Ships Log: 6836.3, Trip, 32.3, Trip Total: 250.5