CRUISING (At Last!)

Maryland, My Maryland.

Today we are in the Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Maryland.    Yesterday, we bid farewell to York River and cruised (yes, really) some 70 miles NNE to Tangier Sound and the Little Annemessex River on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay.   It was a trip of seven-ish hours and consumed (OMG%!!&) diesel fuel.  Commodore Kathleen demonstrated her growing boat handling skills (see below)by exiting York River and staying in command for the first 3 hours of our journey.

Somers Cove is a lovely (albeit pretty empty today) state-owned facility with great docks, nice facilities, helpful staff, and good fuel

prices.  Neat, clean, and in good repair. It is surrounded by the town of Crisfield which boasts a USCG station, three Dollar stores, two gas stations,  one grocery store, and about 137 crab shacks.   Once the Seafood Capital of the World, its decline has sadly followed that of the Chesapeake fishery.  Except for a couple of very notable local festivals (centered on crab), there is not a great deal of here here. 

So, how did we get here......

We had planned to leave York River in Early August, provided the components of our new dinghy arrived and a few other things fell into place. Our last week at York River Yacht Haven was a busy one:  

• The missing air floor for the Zodiac arrived and we were able to complete assembly.  Our maiden voyage on Sarah Creek was nigh on flawless, with Admiral Maggie assuming her rightful place in the bow for all to see.
• Wade installed a new potable water pump so we can stay hydrated while on the move. 
• The replacement circuit breaker for the Maxwell anchor windlass arrived and Wade got it installed with no shocking events.
• Our slip neighbor Rob (who just happened to be a marine refrigeration expert) dropped everything to diagnose and repair our galley refrigerator, even finding the required new control module in his personal parts inventory.  Then he turned around and refused all payment.  (We did finally get him to accept a bottle of whiskey).
• We engaged Captain Patrick Davis to join us for three days of onboard instruction and consulting.
  
  Under his patient instruction. Commodore Kathleen blossomed into a confident helmsperson in a matter of hours.  She can maneuver Irish Lass in a tight fairway, approach and leave a side-tie and even back her into a slip with Wade acting as a deckhand.  Yeah, BABY!  (Wade proposed ordering a new deck chair and blender and letting her assume helm duties full time.  But cooler heads prevailed.) Captain Pat also reviewed routine engine room tasks, basic navigation and trip planning, and emergency procedures.  And he patiently answered our endless questions, big and small

• During Capt. Pat's visit, we motored across the York River to Wormley Creek Marina to load up on fuel. (York Yacht Haven's fuel dock was out of commission.)   After concluding our "investment" in 240 gallons of diesel, we discovered that the starboard engine would not turn over.  Not one to pass up free lemonade, Wade got a hands-on lesson in single-engine boat handling, backing out of the fuel dock, navigating out of Wormley Creek, and backing into our York River slip without incident.
• With Capt Pat's assistance, we determined that the starboard starter was not engaging, apparently a solenoid issue.   After some wringing of hands and scratching of heads, Wade recalled a solution that used to work on a certain 1955 Oldsmobile in his past.  Crawling behind the starboard engine, he smacked the starter-selenoid assembly three times with a hammer and jiggled the wires.  And, TA DA! the starter engaged and the engine started.   And 10 more times in sequence, but with some unusual noises. (Sheesh)
• Kathleen made a round of calls to nearby marine mechanics, quickly determining that none was available for at least two weeks.  Several offered helpful advice, however, that the starter is likely on its last legs and we would be wise to line up a new one against the possibility of failure at some out-of-the-way location.  As in, DON'T WAIT FOR PARTS!  Hey! What. A. Concept.  (Its fun to try new things, isn't it.)
• Not wanting to delay our departure, The Commodore got out her phone and located a gen-u-ine Volvo starter in Norfolk.  And Captain Pat drove us an hour each way in heavy rain and traffic so we could make this (not insignificant) "investment" in our mechanical peace of mind. (Those of you who understand how boat engines are often installed will appreciate why we don't just install it ourselves.)

So, here we are in Crisfield.....

Tomorrow we will cruise 40 miles across the Bay to Solomons, MD, on the Patuxent River where we intend to spend two nights "on the hook".   From there we will head to St Michael's, back on the eastern shore and then on to Annapolis for a few days (and hopefully a visit with a Volvo mechanic.)

But, we are CRUISING!  And we are NOT waiting for parts.