Back to Annapolis

Our trip down the Potomac was easy and uneventful but no wind. We anchored the first night in Breton Bay a very quiet and lovely anchorage. The next day we ended at Solomon's Island in the main anchorage area. We were the only boat anchored out. Several boats came in but went into marinas. The next morning we left early rounded Point Lookout, set a waypoint on our MacENC program for Thomas Point Lighthouse and motor sailed up the Chesapeake to Annapolis. We arrived in Back Creek around 4 p.m and found our spot at the end of the creek unoccupied so we dropped anchor, fixed a drink and relaxed.

The next day we took the dinghy into the dock at 4th street and checked in with Annapolis Harbor Boatyard where we had work done last year and were very pleased with the fellow who did the work. His name is Bill and he is now the yard manager and Christy, his wife, is the parts manager. They work during the summer months and cruise during the winters and were very generous with advice before we left last fall. We consider them friends. Our plan is to get several repairs done at their yard as well as Spunky's bottom painted. Bill invited us to have "happy hour" on their dock and we spent a very enjoyable Friday evening.

We picked up the mainsail and took it back to Spunky and put it back onto the mast track(not an easy job as it is very big and heavy). Well, it went about 3/4 of the way up the mast and stopped. We couldn't figure out what was wrong and thought perhaps one of the old slides left a piece behind when it broke as we were leaving Great Sale Cay. So we dug out the bosuns chair and John cranked me up the mast to check things out. I do not tolerate heights very well but given the choice of who would be able to raise whom up the mast,I drew the short straw. I could not see any pieces of broken slide so down I came. Then we decided I had not gone up high enough so back up I went above the 2nd spreaders. Still no sighting of broken slides or bent track and down I came. Then we stupidly decided to try and force the slides up which John was able to do but then we couldn't get the sail down!! Up I went once again to tie a line to the reefing ring so that John would be able to get more force on the slides and pull them down. Success. We got the sail back into the sail pack and fixed ourselves a drink. We will have to go back to the shop on Tuesday and get some advice. Saturday we began to figure out the public transportation system here and walked about 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop to get to the shop where my glasses were being repaired and ready for pick up. That trip went pretty well except for the walk to the stop.

My back had been bothering me since Charleston and by the time we arrived in DC I was having pain down my left leg whenever I walked more than a block. It has become progressively worse as the days go by. That is not a workable situation especially now that we have no car. We spent a pretty quiet Memorial Day weekend and I made an appointment to see a chiropractor on Tuesday. We couldn't figure the bus route out and were concerned about arriving on time so we took a cab to the doc. After the appointment we decided to take the bus back. Between waiting for the hourly run in the 90 degree temps (there are no shelters at the bus stops) and transferring 4 times we were able to stop at a hardware store, Giant and return to the dinghy dock all in 5 hours from the time we left the doc. I have a real empathy with folks who don't drive and must rely on the bus to get to work and child care and grocery shopping. How one ever gets everything done or even gets to their destination on time is a real challenge those of us with cars can't truly appreciate. There are just not enough hours in the day during the long daylight days not to mention what it must be like in winter with shorter daylight and inclement weather.

On Wednesday we took the dinghy into town to check on the sail and to pick up my meds that were waiting at the boatyard. They had graciously allowed us to have them delivered there for pick up. The meds have to remain cold and so are overnighted in a cooler with ice packs and can't sit for a long time outside of a refrigerator. About half way there our trusty outboard engine quit. John rowed us the rest of the way and we had the engine guy at the boatyard come back and assess the problem. He determined it would need to have the carburator rebuilt and so he took the engine back in his truck. We stopped at the sail loft and they suggested we try to file down the brass slides a bit to see if that would help after which poor John had to row us all the way back up the creek to Spunky.

Next week we will take Spunky into a marina where the electronics guy will troubleshoot the chartplotter and VHF radio mic both of which failed to work on our trip south. At that time the sail guys will come by and take a look at the mast slide to try to figure out why the sail will not go all the way up. Today John is sanding down the teak brightwork and I am sitting on ice packs. Tomorrow he will row me in to take the bus back to the doc. I have a 10:30 appointment so we will leave at the crack to make sure we get there on time.

Life on the water can be challenging but it is better than any alternative. Hope you are all enjoying your springtime, Elyse and John s/v Spunky