
Well, we survived the winds and rain that Ernesto threw at us as we were making our last update to the log. We’ve since moved Orion down to Solomons, MD to a slip, where we’ll stay for a month. This will allow us not only to prepare her for the trip south on the ICW, but also will make it easier to leave her to travel by car to a couple of family events during the month of September. As we write this entry, we are in Rochester, NY, but plan to hit the road again shortly to head south to Pennsylvania and then to Virginia.
Winds of September
We rode out Ernesto staying on board Orion as she hung off a mooring ball in Annapolis’ Spa Creek, having moved further up stream before the storm approached. This proved to be a good decision. Although the winds blew with some intensity for 24 hours, and the rains came down longer than that, they were considerably calmer back in our "hurricane hole" than in the main harbor in Annapolis or out on the bay itself. And the wave action was minimal. The occasional higher gusts sometimes made us perk up, and David went out a number of times to check the mooring lines to make sure all was OK. It was also a little disconcerting being so close to shore as the wind tried to blow you back further. (Dave was convinced that, standing at the stern, it was closer to shore than it was to the bow.) However, the mooring anchor held firm, and we were able to sleep through the night.
It was not quite so rosy for the boats moored in the main Annapolis harbor. After Ernesto passed by, we went in to town to do laundry and shower and had the opportunity to hear the experience of the others who chose to stay in the main mooring field off city dock. The winds and waves were more pronounced, and, worse still, the winds had a tendency to swing the boats broadside to the waves, causing the boats to heel dramatically under their force. It was not a pleasant experience, and not one that most wanted to repeat. However, all of the boats seemed to come through unscathed.
On the water, our biggest concern was the wind and waves. However, on shore, the rain was the bigger news. In Annapolis, sand bags had been brought in to protect the establishments closest to the water near Ego Alley. With high tide during and after the storm, the water level at the Annapolis city dock rose high enough to flood the streets and didn’t fully recede until Sunday (after the storm passed through on Friday). We spoke to friends in Solomons, who described water rising 6" to 1 foot above the fixed docks there. However, Ernesto was nothing like Isabel, which had passed through just 2 years earlier, so everyone was breathing a collective sigh of relief at the minimal damage.
One of the beneficial side effects of Ernesto, or maybe it was just due to the calendar, was the arrival of more consistently cooler weather. So, by Labor Day, Ernesto’s winds and rains were replaced with sunshine and mild winds, allowing us to take a beautiful afternoon sail on the Severn River with Tony and Leslie, one of Cathy’s former co-workers and his wife.
Look out for that . . . !
Although we’re becoming experts at snagging a mooring ball, docking is still – what’s the word? – worrisome. As mentioned in earlier entries, Cathy’s confidence has sunk dramatically as time and again we experience some pretty ugly tie ups. However, in Solomons, we managed to improve our performance considerably with some on board coaching from Doris and Russ, a couple of experienced cruisers from Savannah, GA, who were at Hospitality Harbor for a short stay. They talked Cathy through the process of backing into a slip where the stern must swing to port (which is opposite of the way the right-hand propeller wants to turn the boat when backing). By getting up enough sternway (over a knot) before entering the fairway and then backing all the way into the slip, Cathy was able to make the maneuver. In de-briefing afterwards, we were also advised to get one more enhancement for the boat – rubrails. This would allow us to simply rub up against the pilings on the side opposite of where David is handling the lines, without damaging the woodwork. These are now on our to-do list.
Back Home Again
Although Solomons isn’t "home", it was good to return to Hospitality Harbor Marina, and reconnect with some of the fellow live-a-boards there, as well as meeting some new faces, such as the couple who helped us with our docking.
Family Ties and Other Business
We are in Rochester to enjoy the first of two receptions for our daughter and new son-in-law. We have also taken advantage of the opportunity to visit with relatives and catch up on some personal business. with visits to our financial planner and our dentist. Although we hope to get a little sailing done in September, it will have to wait until we return to Orion later in the month. So, it may be a few more weeks before we return to more nautical topics.
Winds of September
We rode out Ernesto staying on board Orion as she hung off a mooring ball in Annapolis’ Spa Creek, having moved further up stream before the storm approached. This proved to be a good decision. Although the winds blew with some intensity for 24 hours, and the rains came down longer than that, they were considerably calmer back in our "hurricane hole" than in the main harbor in Annapolis or out on the bay itself. And the wave action was minimal. The occasional higher gusts sometimes made us perk up, and David went out a number of times to check the mooring lines to make sure all was OK. It was also a little disconcerting being so close to shore as the wind tried to blow you back further. (Dave was convinced that, standing at the stern, it was closer to shore than it was to the bow.) However, the mooring anchor held firm, and we were able to sleep through the night.
It was not quite so rosy for the boats moored in the main Annapolis harbor. After Ernesto passed by, we went in to town to do laundry and shower and had the opportunity to hear the experience of the others who chose to stay in the main mooring field off city dock. The winds and waves were more pronounced, and, worse still, the winds had a tendency to swing the boats broadside to the waves, causing the boats to heel dramatically under their force. It was not a pleasant experience, and not one that most wanted to repeat. However, all of the boats seemed to come through unscathed.
On the water, our biggest concern was the wind and waves. However, on shore, the rain was the bigger news. In Annapolis, sand bags had been brought in to protect the establishments closest to the water near Ego Alley. With high tide during and after the storm, the water level at the Annapolis city dock rose high enough to flood the streets and didn’t fully recede until Sunday (after the storm passed through on Friday). We spoke to friends in Solomons, who described water rising 6" to 1 foot above the fixed docks there. However, Ernesto was nothing like Isabel, which had passed through just 2 years earlier, so everyone was breathing a collective sigh of relief at the minimal damage.
One of the beneficial side effects of Ernesto, or maybe it was just due to the calendar, was the arrival of more consistently cooler weather. So, by Labor Day, Ernesto’s winds and rains were replaced with sunshine and mild winds, allowing us to take a beautiful afternoon sail on the Severn River with Tony and Leslie, one of Cathy’s former co-workers and his wife.
Look out for that . . . !
Although we’re becoming experts at snagging a mooring ball, docking is still – what’s the word? – worrisome. As mentioned in earlier entries, Cathy’s confidence has sunk dramatically as time and again we experience some pretty ugly tie ups. However, in Solomons, we managed to improve our performance considerably with some on board coaching from Doris and Russ, a couple of experienced cruisers from Savannah, GA, who were at Hospitality Harbor for a short stay. They talked Cathy through the process of backing into a slip where the stern must swing to port (which is opposite of the way the right-hand propeller wants to turn the boat when backing). By getting up enough sternway (over a knot) before entering the fairway and then backing all the way into the slip, Cathy was able to make the maneuver. In de-briefing afterwards, we were also advised to get one more enhancement for the boat – rubrails. This would allow us to simply rub up against the pilings on the side opposite of where David is handling the lines, without damaging the woodwork. These are now on our to-do list.
Back Home Again
Although Solomons isn’t "home", it was good to return to Hospitality Harbor Marina, and reconnect with some of the fellow live-a-boards there, as well as meeting some new faces, such as the couple who helped us with our docking.
Family Ties and Other Business
We are in Rochester to enjoy the first of two receptions for our daughter and new son-in-law. We have also taken advantage of the opportunity to visit with relatives and catch up on some personal business. with visits to our financial planner and our dentist. Although we hope to get a little sailing done in September, it will have to wait until we return to Orion later in the month. So, it may be a few more weeks before we return to more nautical topics.