From Tehani - out cruising

[luckettg]

You must be educated hicks from Texas. Charlie you have your thong shoes on while working on the rudder... ;D

I am glad to be hearing about you all again. Edith and I have been wondering how you and Laura have been.  Great pics too.

Greg Luckett

[CharlieJ]

Howdy Greg.

Man it's been a LONG time. We're doing good and having a pretty good time- beats working for sure ;D

As for the thongs( we call'em flips) I can't remember the last time I had real shoes on. I guess it was when we flew home from Mexico in early March!! I am wearing sandals while wandering around here in Washington, DC.

[Jim_ME]

Charlie & Laura, congrats on arriving at Washington DC. I really enjoyed it there. Such a great place to walk around with the Mall and so much to see, including all the (free) Smithsonian Museums, National Art Gallery, and historic sites and buildings.

When I was last there in March 2004 they were building the WWII memorial. It was completed and opened to the public the next month.  

I went out to see the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum Center at the Dulles Airport, with my old friend and his brother, both pilots. Admission to the museum was free, but the parking fee was $12. There were buses that you could take out there from the Mall area.

So that must be the I-395 Bridge in the background of your photo? It's good to see that boats can anchor out there. [So convenient to so many of the WDC sites.]

Looking forward to hearing more about your time there, and seeing additional photos, if you have them.

-Jim

[CharlieJ]

Currently at anchor in Washingto Harbor, just off the Capital Yacht Club. Nice friendly spot- 15 a day for use of all facilities. 3 blocks from National Mall and Smithsonian.

Earlier Laura and I were dinghying in to the dinghy dock where we usually tie up right to the front corner.

Was about a 45 foot power boat  coming into a slip. We hung outside to wait out of the way.

Damned good thing!!

The boat apparently had shifter trouble, got stuck in reverse and wiped out the dinghy dock we would have tied to!!

REALLY happy to have not been there- if we'd have been 5 minutes earlier we'd have been tied to that dock- on the end that got smushed!!

[CharlieJ]

After departing DC, we stopped at St Clements Island, where we got pounded by a serious storm front. Winds around mid 40s and HEAVY rains. Dinghy was over ankle deep next morning.

Proceded on down to Smith Creek for ice and fuel.

Then on around to Solomons Island wher we spent two very hot nights. But the Calvert Maritime Museum was worth it. One of the very best we've seen. On a par with some of the Smithsonians.

Oh-- city run free pumpout available there.

Left Solomons yesterday morning and after a virtually windless 10 1/2 hour motor up the bay wemare at anchor in Spa Creek in Annapolis. Did a bit of touring but it's simply too hot to walk
much 

10'degees cooler in San Antonio Texas than here !! That's just wrong :D

Nice on the boat tho- awning up and there's a breeze!

More later

[Auspicious]

Charlie & Laura,

Welcome to Annapolis. Send me a note if you would like a ride to grocery, laundromat, or West.  Regardless, be nice to catch up with you.

[CharlieJ]

I PM'd you

[Auspicious]

Very pleasant day with Charlie and Laura. I'd sail with them any time. Charlie does good work. They better get out of Annapolis before I give 'em a honey-do list! *grin* Looking forward to trotting them around town a bit while they are here.

[CharlieJ]

Annapolis is a pretty neat city. I told Laura tho that every place in Annapolis was uphill-

Both ways!!!



Nice old buildings and lovely homes. Great public transportation system- buy a day pass(costs double fare) and ride all day on it, including on the down town circulators.

But one of the neatest things is that EVERY Street that dead ends onto the water, has a city maintained dinghy dock on it, many with floating docks. Limited by law to boats under 12 feet and less than 25 hp. Meant to be dinghy docks.'Eastport, across Spa Creek is the same. Wish more towns felt that way.

We've done a good bit of wandering around and will be doing more in the next few days. Tonight we bussed down to City Dock for a concert by USNA cadet band. Nice.

Visited Bacon Sails- man if you want a used sail, they got it- the owner told me they had around 10,000 sails in the warehouse!!!

More later.

[CharlieJ]

54.5 nautical miles, 11 hours 29 minutes, anchor up to anchor down. Down wind!

Under just the genny.

2 hours and change engine time, mostly due to a small but very windy rain shower as we approached the destination.

We got wet a time or three, but never enough to need rain gear.

GREAT days sail- one of the best we've had.

Oh- currenly back at anchor in Smith Creek, Point Lookout, North shore Potomoc River.

[luckettg]

Charlie & Laura,
How did you all and Irene get along?
Greg & Edith

[CharlieJ]

For those who are unaware, I am now single hand aboard Tehani. Here's some writeups from my first few days. Monday was my first day ever as a singlehander by the way.

Condensed because I'm using an Iphone.

Forcast was Sunny, NE 5-10,temps about 85. They got the 85 right!!

Actuals- cloudy, SE 15 +, which put the 3-5 (depending) seas right on the beam. Crossing the mouth of Mobjack Bay the tiller pilot couldn't handle it. We (Tehani and I) were rolling through 60 degrees at times. Was comtemplating diverting into one of the rivers but as I crossed the York channel it settled down and Albert (the tillerpliot) could steer again.

Forward to the last 3 miles before entering Hampton Roads. Outgoing tide against 15 knots of wind, 15 to 20 feet of water. Before I realized it I was running downwind in cresting stuff 7 to8 feet at times. Opened the throttle to try staying with the waves as much as possible, but damned near broached her twice.

Made it safely through that, crossed the line demarking the bay entrance when a wave broke into the dinghy, swamping it. Lost my ratty old flips and the bailer. Got the dinghy bailed and got going again and within about 1/4 mile the dink came down a wave, stuck it's nose under and completely disappeared under water. Shut down, bailed it out again and got back under way

Until

Just off the carrier piers, well inside, the darned thing did it AGAIN!!

3 swampings in less than a mile, after 4300 uneventful towing miles, including twice across the Gulf Stream.

Anyway, got her bailed again, and motored towards the anchorage

And right into a thunderstorm!! Fortunately the wind and rain stopped just before I anchored so I missed out on single hand anchoring in a storm

No harm, no damage but I was beat!!

Spent a quiet night and am now getting ready for a " many bridge" morning, the first of which won't open til aftr 0830.

[CharlieJ]

Day two. Better known as AAARGH!!

Great Bridge Lock is closed temporarily- like through today and MAYBE tomorrow.

No Problem- use Dismal

Nope- Deep Creek Lock is closed til further notice. And the fire is NOT out.

So here I sit, anchored just north of Great Bridge, with free dockage and a nice town half a mile away-that I don't know if I can get to- but I'm gonna try Don't really need anything but a hamburger would taste good!

[CharlieJ]

Yahoo! The lock turned us loose! Not fixed but
At slack water they did one lock thru of south bound and one of north bound. They plan to do it again one more time at tonights slack. Then no more for two days!

Fortuntely I was one of the south bound boats. Haven't made but 30 miles in two days but it could have been worse.

Did meet some really nice folks and had a guided tour of a tow boat. The lead capt of the boat is the oldest aboard- he's 24!!

[CharlieJ]

If it ain't one thing it's another!! Stopped again!

Anchored just off the channel leading to Albemarle Sound, tight aganst the windward shore.

For five days forcast was for NE winds. For four days winds were E or ESE. Today they nailed it, in spades.

Winds NE 18, Gusting 22.

No way am I trying to cross Albemarle in that!! Supposed to drop late today so maybe I'lll try just at dark. Or not

Or go very early tomorrow.

We'll see what happens.

Ain't cruising fun??

[Frank]

It's really fun when, like you 2...there is no firm schedule  ;)  Have fun kids

[luckettg]

Charlie, who is your iPhone service with? We are looking in to changing from Sprint.
Thanks,
Greg & Edith

[CharlieJ]

Frank- you must not have read all four of the new posts. Laura is not aboard anymore- i'm singlehanding the boat back to Texas.

Greg- i'm with AT and T for the cell phone. Have had coverage, sometimes weak but always useable, all around the coast.

[Mario G]

Hey Charlie let me know when your near the NC/SC boarder. We will be heading south at the end of the month weather permitting.

[CharlieJ]

Hi Mario-

I'm in Vandemere NC at the moment about 20 miles above Oriental. I'll be here for a short while then will be hEading on south. Keep in touch- I'm sure we can connect.

Cruise- is the pumpout station in Oriental functial? Gonna plan to stop there later this week ifit is, otherwise I'll go on downto Beaufort.