On the Hard, On the Road (cont)

 So, where were we?  

Oh yes, Cleveland.  What is there to say about Cleveland?  How about, "Goodbye."

Heading further west on the Pathway to The World (i.e. I-90), we crossed into Indiana.  Faithful readers of this blog will recall that our last impression of Indiana was not altogether positive.   Nothing has changed, except that encountered their toll system this trip.  We remain unimpressed.

Past Indiana (Whew!), we entered the land of the Illinois highway tolls which were thankfully 100% electronic.  We expect Alamo will catch up with us (or our credit card) for these eventually.  Our day ended back in Geneva, Illinois at the home of Charlie McLaughlan (our Labor Day guest aboard Irish Lass).   Daughter Laren Mc Laughlan recently threw off the corporate yoke and is spinning up her own company to produce food items for those (like her) with significant food allergies and/or intolerances.  Eventually, she will employ both an on-line and trailer-based (i.event) delivery channels.   Meanwhile, the dinner of pesto shrimp and rice pasta she prepared for us was wonderful.  You GO girl!

On Tuesday, we set off on a new route, crossing Iowa instead of the northern I-90 route thru Wisconsin.  On the whole, we liked Iowa.  Picturesque,  Bucolic.  Light traffic. Few speed traps.  No tolls.  What's not to like?  Well, we will tell you.  Iowans need to learn how to speed.  The 4-lane state highway we traveled had a limiting speed limit of 65.  And people drove, well,  65.   What's up with that?  One always wants one or two drivers going slightly faster to serve as "rabbits" to attract any law enforcement attention.  In some 375 miles, we could never locate these decoys.  On I-5, these folks would be a traffic hazard, Running a cautious, watchful 72-ish mph, we were never passed.   I guess we were the "rabbit" that day.  Thanks for nothing.  Sheesh

Fortunately, after a quiet night on the banks of the Big Muddy in Sioux City, we crossed into South Dakota.  Now, these folks understand that the purpose of an Interstate Highway is to effing get somewhere.  Rural limits of 80 and a common cruise of 85. And "rabbits" running 85+.  Yeah, BABY! 

We arrived in Rapid City (428 miles) early enough to make a side trip to see Mt Rushmore.  What a majestic monument. 

No matter how many times you see it, your first words are always, "Oh, Wow!"  Plus we found a steak house that served us what was quite probably the best steak we have ever eaten.  

Thursday morning found us hustling east again, skirting the Black Hills and across a corner of Wyoming, (another state that "gets it") into Montana.   Where the Sky is Big, the mountains are tall and the speeds are high.   We allowed time for a visit to the Custer Battlefield National Monument. 

We have both visited this site over the years, (beginning n 1967 for Kathleen).  And over that span of time, it has been interesting to see how the interpretation of those bloody days of 1876 has shifted.   The view of Custer has evolved from Colorful, Romantic, Tragic Hero to Egotisitcal, Narcissistic, Tactical Idiot.  In the end, all he contributed to military science is this: If you blindly attack a better-armed enemy 5 times your size on ground of their choosing, odds are you are gonna lose.   Sheesh.  

Friday, we departed Bozeman (38 degrees. Brrrr) for our LAST DAY ON THE ROAD!  And no one was more thrilled than Admiral Maggie.   She has been a wonderful traveler, but she seems close to the breaking point.  We fear she may refuse to enter the car again at any moment.  We cleared the Continental Divide and Lookout Pass in record time despite the first rain we had encountered on this drive.  We broke for lunch in Wallace (The Center of the Universe), Idaho, and took on the final 87 miles to....

HOME!

Amen

Thanks for watching!

Wade and Kathleen 

On the Hard And On the Road

 On The Hard.

It took all day on Tuesday and  21 gallons of (non-toxic) antifreeze to winterize Irish Lass's systems.  Commodore Kathleen got her steps (9 miles worth)  in hiking back and forth to West Marine repeatedly for the elusive "last jug". Admiral Maggie hid in the master stateroom.  Wade crawled around below decks draining and flushing engines, generators, AC units, and water heaters.  Not hugely different than what we experienced with our last boat, except for scale.  I mean 21 gallons. Sheesh!

Tuesday night, we moved ashore to a motel.  On Wednesday morning, we arrived back at the marina to find Irish Lass already in the slings of the TravelLift with a long-suffering dockhand power washing her hull.  (Yuck) 

We were pleased to see that her hull had come through of summer cruise in pretty good shape. Over the winter she will be fresh bottom paint, new zincs, and new cutlass bearings,  but little else seems necessary below the waterline.

It was fascinating ( and a bit unnerving) to watch the marina crew drive the TravelLift with a wireless remote control while walking her (yes, really) some 500 yards to her winter parking place in the boatyard.  They then made quick work of lowering her on to keel blocks and bracing her with hull stands.  Easy peasy. Like they do it 12 times a day.  Which actually they do, in order to haul the hundreds of boats that will keep Irish Lass company over the winter. (Sheesh) 

We tidied up her decks and made one last check of ports, doors, thru-hulls, and battery switches and declared ourselves to be full-time land dwellers again. 

Here endeth the cruise.....

All this quick, efficient work left us with a down day on Thursday, which we filled by making the trek to Mt Vernon to tour the plantation home of George Washington.  This is a fascinating place on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Potomac River. 

Owned and operated since 1860 by the Mt Vernon Ladies Association. a group formed to preserve Mt Vernon when men failed to do so.  (Don't get them started. Sheesh!)  Frankly, it is a better experience than many similar sites run by the National Park Circus....er....Service.  And it's largely dog-friendly.  We're sold.

Friday morning, we loaded up Freedom Bird and began our trek back to The World.....

On The Road

Friday's destination was Albany, NY, where we would meet our son Daniel and his fiance' Alexandria.  Traveling north thru Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York was a study in contrast.  Speed limits, fuel costs, road conditions, and COVID restrictions varied tremendously.   It seemed we would just figure out one state's toll system when we would cross a border and have to begin learning all over.  But, by the time we reached Albany, we had invested close to $50 in pay-as-you-go highway taxes.  And, contrary to a Westerner's impression, not ALL of NewJersey serves as the nation's toxic waste dump.

We made a detour to visit West Point, NY, and the United States Military Academy.  Wade's uncle George Hannan was a member of the tragic Class of 1950, which suffered greatly in the Korean War.  We had hoped to see the Cadet Chapel, where he was married shortly after graduation and shortly before deployment.  (He fell while protecting his detachment's withdrawal near Wosan a few months later.) Unfortunately, the campus was closed to visitors due to COVID.  Still, we enjoyed the beauty of the Hudson River Valley and the charming town. 

We shared a delightful weekend with Daniel and Alex in Albany.  They brought us up to date on their wedding plans (May 2021).  We toured the NY capital grounds and visited the first lock on the Erie Canal, which we hope to see again from a water perspective on our Loop next year. 

Sunday morning saw us hustling west on I-90 (our Pathway To The World.).  Upstate New York is downright gorgeous, but we started to get repeated reminders of the approach of winter.  There was a hit of color in the trees, a crisp sense of Fall in the air, not to mention snow plows pre-positioned in parking lots and DOT barns overflowing with future car rust (i.e salt). We ain't in the Tidewater no more.  Sheesh. 

Afternoon saw us barreling thru Ohio, headed on our next overnight in Cleveland.  But that's another story.......

Thanks for watching.....

Wade and Kathleen

Homeward Bound

OK, let's cut to the chase.....

We expect to be back in Spoklahoma by Sept 26th.  Yes, furthering our habit of counter-intuitive choices, we are bidding farewell to Indian (can we still say that?) Summer on the Chesapeake for a 7-day journey back the smoky PNW.    And just in time for winter, too.....  (Looking forward to cooler evenings and < 40% humidity.)  

Irish Lass will spend the winter "on the hard" (i.e. out of the water) at Herrington Harbor North, near Deale, MD.  While there she will receive some repairs, mechanical maintenance, and cosmetic care.  See, boats can live up to their hole-in-the-water financial reputation even when high and dry in a gravel parking lot. (Sheesh)

In preparation, we have been busy winterizing systems and sorting out what to take home and what to leave aboard.  Engine, generator, water tanks and lines, AC units, Washer/Dryer, and heads and holding tanks get serviced and drained or/or flushed with non-toxic antifreeze.  It's like being responsible for a small city.  Sheesh. 

For this journey,  we have once again availed ourselves of one-way car rental.  With a significantly reduced load, this time we have chosen a black Chrysler Voyager minivan from Alamo.  I have been unable to verify how Cortez returned to Spain, so we have dumped the whole conquistador theme and have dubbed her "Freedom Bird".   Because she is taking us back to "The World" after our dream summer afloat.  (You participants in and/or students of the Vietnam conflict will understand that reference.)  Commodore Kathleen hitched a ride to Reagan National Airport in DC to pick her up on Monday.

All that is left now is to watch Irish Lass get hoisted form the dirty brackish waters of Herring Bay and moved to her winter parking spot.  More on that to follow....

Stay tuned

Wade and Kathleen

Annapolis Redux

 We spent the Labor Day weekend back in our old haunt at Annapolis Landing Marina.  This time, the consigned us to a 20' X 60' slip on F Dock.  Easy to back into with some genial neighbors on bigger boats, but exposed to wakes and waves rolling up the creek from Annapolis harbor. The cruise from

Baltimore was uneventful, but Annapolis threw us a heck of the welcome on Thursday evening, with drenching rains, a 30-minute lightning storm, and a tornado warning.  Aw, you shouldn't have....... (Sheesh) 

Not to be denied, Ambassador Maggie made a beeline to B dock, where she was greeted warmly by her old friends from our past visit.  And some of them actually remembered our names, too.  (Sheesh)

The highlight of our weekend was a visit from Kathleen's cousin, Charlie McLaughlan, who arrived

from the Chicago area after delivering his daughter and his pop-up camp trailer to a girlfriend camping trip in West Virginia.   One of his many endearing characteristics is that he stands 6' 6".   He had no issues with headroom anywhere aboard (except for the engine room where everybody has headroom issues).  So there's one less excuse you can use for not visiting us next year.  (So there!)

On Saturday, we took Charlie on a cruise up the Severn River to Round Bay.  Being a holiday weekend with decent weather, the harbor and river were crowded.  in fact, the NW wind and the random chop from boat wakes combined to provide the roughest water we have encountered all summer.  It was pretty sporty at times, but also a testament to the generally wonderful cruising weather we have enjoyed on the Chesapeake.  We recall only two days where we had to alter our plans due to weather. (And one of those was a hurricane,)

On Sunday we visited Dock Street,  the center of "old" Annapolis.  The Naval Academy was closed due to COVID restrictions, but we did peek over the walls in a few places.  There were even midshipmen, resplendent in their "undress whites", visiting with loved ones thru the fence.  enjoyed wandering the old streets lined with wooden and row houses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.  We visited the grounds of the Maryland capital,  the oldest state house in continuous use in the country.  For a brief

period in 1784-5, it also served as the nation's capital (when the Continental Congress was hiding out from the demands of unpaid Continental soldiers.)   Finished the day will a lovely dinner in the Easton section of Annapolis.   Thanks, Charlie. We will see you in few weeks on our way home.

From here we will make our way south towards our final (😒) destination for the season, Herrington Harbor.   More to follow.....

Thanks for following us.

Wade and Kathleen

Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

(You Gotta Take The Other, Too.  It's A Set.)

 Crab Pot Minefields

The crab fisherman in the Chesapeake seemed to have patterned their distribution of crab pots after the mine plan for Tokyo Bay in 1942.    Any time you are in waters of less than about 25 feet, constant vigilance is required.  Every one of those colorful little floats (and also the old Clorox bottles) is attached to a line leading down to the wire pot.  Hook one with your propeller and you will reel the pot up like Tommy Smothers' yoyo until it crashes into your rudder like a torpedo.   We've learned that our trip routing software plans our courses based on Irish Lass's 4-foot draft and often sends us right thru the minefields.   Solution?  Tell the software you draw 15 feet and it will route you thru (relatively) deeper water. (He He He)

The Ball is in Volvo's Court (So, There!)

Our post "Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Lubricants" is now in the hands of the Volvo Penta design team.  (Yes, really)  Courtesy of my brother, Jim, who it just so happens sits on Volvo's Board of Directors.  (Yes, really)  Thanks, Jim.   Perhaps together we can improve the breed for future boaters.  Now if we can just get the guys at Cruisers Yachts to may more attention to how they install engines....... (He He He) 

Santa Came Early

Strap wrenches!  Via the sale table at Ace Hardware - Baltimore. 👍 Thanks, Santa. (He He He)  

New Units of Measure

Like any crisis, COVID 19 had driven innovation out of necessity.  The state of Mayland has adopted the Golden Retriever as the unit of measure for social distancing.  👍

But Admiral Maggies says "Just try to get two of them to stand nose-to-nose like this."  (He He He)

Apparently, the same honor has been afforded the blacktip reef shark.  But when they wag their tail, it means something entirely different.......... 

Fixed Docks (Broken Legs)

One challenge we have encountered this summer is the prevalence of fixed docks in marinas. These are the ones that are bolted to the pilings at somebody's idea of the optimal height.   Not like the floating docks we're used to.    Often seen in areas with larger tidal swings. Like 4+ feet.  And offering a HUGE step to get on or off the boat at low tide.  Or, you can just wait 6 hours..... (He He He)

Baltimore

   We enjoyed our extended stay in Baltimore,  despite the city's littering issue.  It's a treat to have floating docks (see above) plus a Safeway, Ace Hardware, West Marine, and Starbucks right across the street from our marina.  A short Uber took us to Little Italy for a delightful (and reasonably priced) dinner.  A slightly longer Uber took us to Fells Point on the Inner Harbor for shopping and a visit to the National Aquarium.  It's nice that not all moorage has to be at the end of a dirt road. 

To their credit, the City has positioned these rather Rube Goldberg-ish devices in the mouth of significant points of urban runoff.  Driven by a water wheel in the runoff current or tide, they attempt to draw trash up a conveyor into an onboard dumpster. Cool, but sad that it's necessary.

Continuous Duty

It is common for diesel engines and electric motors to be assigned a Continuous Duty rating.  This is the output the device can safely provide when operated continuously for long periods.  It's easy to see how that might be useful on extended voyages.  We're not aware of formal Continuous Duty ratings for any of Irish Lass's equipment, but we will award one to the device shown in this picture.  

Powered by shore power, generator, or our inverter, this unit supplied us with a continuous stream of ice from the first day we moved aboard on June 8th.  (Except, of course, when we forgot to refill it with water.)  In our travels, we consumed the equivalent of a bag of ice every few days.  And this wonderful little machine insulated us from bagged ice prices of up to $7 ea.  Clearly worth every penny its $100 +/- price.  And even more valuable to us, because Commadore Kathleen convinced our seller to include it in the deal. For a big fat nuthin'.  Yeah, BABY!

All Things Are Relative, I guess,

The boat we sold to acquire the Irish Lass was a 32' Carver named Emerald Isle (see a trend here?)  In our home water, she was considered a BIG BOAT!  The boat on the left in the photo below is identical to Emerald Isle.  Not so BIG in Baltimore............

Thanks for watching

Wade and Kathleen