Reedville, VA

Reedville, with a National Historic District Main street know as Millionaire's Row, sits upon the shores of Cockrell Creek located near the entrance of the Great Wicomico River.  A review of my log from a year ago warns that Reedville is to be " avoided at all costs in an easterly wind" due to the fact that the waterfront is home to a menhaden (bunker) fishing industry about which there is a pungent "stink."

 Since 1874 when Elijah Reed brought his menhaden business south from Brooklin, ME to the Great Wicomico River, the seemingly endless bounty of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay has supported it.   By 1912, Virginia's Northern Neck had 15 large menhaden factories and about 60 ships to supply them.  Reedville was the center of the industry and was considered one of the wealthiest towns, per capita, in the country.

Today the single factory that is in operation is home to 13 ocean going vessels and processes 100,000 metric tons per year of the inedible menhaden- a quantity that makes Reedville the second largest fishing port in the US in terms of fish landed, Kodiak AK being number one.  Processed menhaden is a protein used in cat food, poultry and pig feed, and fertilizer; the fish oil is used in margarine, baking, perfumes, and as a source of Omega -3.
                                         
                                                                 Menhaden Fleet boat

 A tour of the wonderful Fishermen's Museum on Main Street reveals the history of the menhaden fishery, pound net fishing, the use of spotter planes to locate the vast schools of bunker ( a practice started by a "barnstormer" at the  end of WW1), and the fact that many of the 100-150' menhaden boats were conscripted into service during WW1 to serve as minesweepers in France.  The museum is home to a Deck boat "Elva," and 42' skipjack "Claud W. Somers" built in 1911; a sloop rigged wooden boat at one time used to dredge the plenteous oysters in the region.

Our stay in Reedville was extended as we waited the passing of a NE're that barreled through on Sat. and was responsible for dumping snow on regions North of here.  Sat. brought a delightful treat; a visit from Charmaine and David who we met in last winter in Islamorada where they were enjoying the warmth and relaxation aboard their yacht Dream Catcher. They were kind enough to pick us up at the marina in Reedville and they drove us to their lovely home on the Corrotoman River and provided us with a  tour of the local area, a greatly appreciated respite from the stormy conditions of the day.

This morning we departed Reedville and are rolling our way down the bay in 17kn easterly wind that has the 3-4' seas hitting us broad-side (not our most graceful tack, in fact the open container of soup that I placed on the counter promtply slid into the sink.)

 I'm happy to report that we are in the land of Pelicans!  It's so heart warming to watch them explode into the water surface as graceless as a brick.  We are also seeing Northern Gannet, a large white seabird with black wingtip and golden buff on it head, with a 37' wingspan they are almost as large as a Pelican (45" wingspan) and also a fish eater, but much more graceful as they dive into the water from up to 100.'

                                                                 Wolf Trap Lighthouse

Just passed Wolf Trap Lighthouse, est. 1893 a caisson tower with a light 52' above the water at mean high tide.  That tower replaced and earlier screw pile light house (like the one we saw at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels) that was in service from 1870-1893 when heavy ice floes cut the lighthouse free from its pilings, two days later it was found twenty miles away in two pieces.  No mention is made of the fate of the lighthouse keeper:(
In the picture, note the "out house" perched off the starboard side of the lighthouse,  in the middle of January how chilly do you think it was to answer the call of nature.

I just spent some quality time reading the blog: solotheamericas.org of Matt Rutherford a young man with a worthy cause (more on that later) who is attempting a non-stop solo circumnavigation of  the Americas sailing an Albin 27.  He departed from Annapolis (where else?) on June 11, 2011, since then has broken the record for single-handedly sailing the smallest boat through the Northwest Passage (where he rode out a typhoon.)   His journey is expected to take close to a year, currently he is 1300 miles west of Mexico. He has dedicated his journey to raise funds for CRAB, the non-profit organization Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating that makes the thrill of sailing a reality for physically and developmentally challenged individuals.  Check out his blog; it's inspirational, and/or you can make a contribution to CRAB at crabsailing.org.

St. Michaels, MD

On the eastern shore of the Miles River is this picturesque enclave of historic homes and churches that once was a shipbuilding center where swift Baltimore Clippers were built; it went on to be a packing house center for seafood (crabs and oysters.)  Today it is home to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, housed on 18 acres, providing a premier collection of Bay boats and a working boatyard where Shipwrights, apprentices and volunteers are currently restoring an assortment of wooden boats including the Rosa Parks, a Skipjack built in the 50's. The staff and volunteers were knowledgeable and patient in answering our questions and definitely piqued our interest in volunteering in the future.  The Hooper Strait screwpile lighthouse, built in 1879 and once located 40 miles south of St. Michaels, now adorning  on the museum grounds, offers a view into the trials and solitary life of the lighthouse keeper.  Of interest in the lighthouse was a system of 100 pound weights attached to a mechanism that when lifted (like a Grandfather clock) would "automatically"clang the fog bell for a duration of two hours.  I don't know which would be more of a challenge: listening to the bell clang repeatedly for endless hours/days or having to crank the weight back to the top of the two story structure every two hours until the fog lifted.

I have reflected that we are eating our share of oysters and crabs; finessing the tender morsels from the crabs is a challenge.  At a museum exhibit of the crab packing house,  a woman worker was featured and noted to have picked clean 22 gallons of crab meat in a typical work day!  There was no mention of the length of a typical work day, but I can tell you that it would take me a month of 8 hour days to produce 22 gallons of cleaned crab unless the crabs were the size of compact car.

Regarding the feasting on of crabs, last night I made crabcakes from a recipe gleaned from Gary in "Prop Talk," a local "free" boater's Pennysaver type paper.  After warning about the evils of using anything but "fresh, in-season, colossal jumbo lump crabmeat from Crisfield, Smith Island or Eastern Bay Regions," Gary promises that his father's recipe utilizes an "all killer, no filler philosophy."  We can attest to the perfection of the recipe that follows for "Ronaldo's Authentic Maryland Crabcakes:"
1 pound of fresh Maryland Colossal Jumbo lump crabmeat
1-2 slices of Wonder Bread, "it's among the best glue anywhere with it's inherent stickiness"
2 Tbs Hellmann's Mayonaise
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp Grey Poupon Mustard
1 large cage-free raised egg, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mix all the ingredients together, gently add the crab, mold into 3-4 crabcakes, cook in a frying pan in 1/2 stick of butter, gently turning once until golden brown on both sides; yummy deliciousness!

Today finds us rolling down the Chesapeake after spending the night at Tilghman Island thankfully secured to a floating dock as a cold front bullied it's way through the region during the night. This morning our departure found us briefly stuck on hump in the middle of the channel, a gentle reminder of the force of Mother Nature.  Thankfully the wind gently rocked us enough to power off the "hump." The  morning is an overcast, crisp 41 degrees with 20 kn NE wind.  It's definitely a soup day as we tack south and west across the bay to reach the area around the Potomac River.  "Virginia" and her captain and crew are enjoying the bounty of the Chesapeake!

Annapolis Md., October 13-17

Annapolis is a marvelous place to land for any length of time; from numerous rives and harbors that sprout sailboat masts numerous enough to weave a tapestry.  Steeped in US Navy history,  Annapolis provides  a wonderful launching pad for all things nautical.  Naturally, we planned to arrive in time for the Power Boat show so we could explore some of the new trawlers and investigate the seemingly endless array of gadgets and widgets available at "show sale" pricing.

For "Virginia" a week on the hard (dry dock) provided for a sanding of the bottom and several coats of bottom paint.  Kurt and I spent the week at home connecting with family and friends.  For me the highlight was a trip to the city (NY) with three very special girlfriend-sisters where we were treated to the Broadway show "Priscilla Queen of the Dessert."  The musical  provided for the perfect, entertaining amalgamation of bawdy humor,  sing-along pop songs (spanning three decades,)  actors festooned in dozens of glittering costumes, rambunctious dance routines and the lavishly appointed, technicolor "Priscilla."  This followed by dinner at "Chez Josephine;" a most memorable way to celebrate a dear friend's birthday. 

Destination Rock Hall, MD

It feels good to be back in the land of oysters and crabs (duh, LI is also home to oysters and crabs,) but there is nothing like a Maryland crabcake!
Today is fraught with amusing wake-up calls: the pump for the anchor washdown didn't pump water; note to self, check through hull valve first!  The engines lost power: note to self, check fuel level in fuel tank being used before departure each day!
May those be everyone's biggest problems today and everyday.
Overcaast, monochromatic, 15 kts wind pushing us down the Chesapeake Bay to Rock Hall; a picturesque fishing village on the western shore.  In Colonial times, George Washington, Thomas jefferson and James Madison rode sailing ferries between Annapolis and Rock Hall on their way to Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Today the town boasts commercial and recreational boaters and wonderful seafood restaurants and coincidentally it's "oyster night" at Bay Wolf!!!

Day Five, Delaware Bay, C&D Canal

Day five finds us  plying the Delaware Bay in 7-8 kts. of NE wind and moderately lumpy sea conditions (thank Nordhavn for Naiad stabilizers).  Overcast skies make for a steely gray visual effect that is punctuated by the occasional behemoth freighters and sail or power boat.

Days four and five provided optimal sea and weather conditions for an easy glide down the Jersey coast with a stop over anchorage in Shark River and last night in Cape May.  Unfortunately this voyage has been punctuated with electrical challenges that may or may not be the result of a lightening strike to a neighboring boat while docked this summer in Mattituck.  Yesterday our electrical conundrum was complicated with the overheating of the generator which necessitated an impromptu after-dinner impeller change, thankfully a spare impeller was among the myriad spare parts stowed on board.

We are midway across the Delaware Bay and have the pleasure of the company of a hitchhiker, a Yellow-rumped Warbler!  He flew in the open wheelhouse door and alighted and allowed me to pick him up and bring him outside;  he showed no showed no signs of wanting to depart and  is currently back inside perched on the rear-view camera monitor. I will encourage him to depart when we are in the C&D canal and the shore-line is closer.

As we approach the Chesapeake & Delaware (C & D) Canal and the bay narrows we are again seeing rafts of flotsam, some of it  likely to be the remnants of the destruction to homes and shoreline caused by Hurricane Irene.  While transiting the Hudson River in NY we encountered enormous floating detritus, reminders of the devastating flooding that the folks upstate suffered as a result of rains from Irene.

Port of call today is Chesapeake City:)

Day Two

A glorious day for a leisurely cruise up down the East River and around the Lower Manhattan Bay where the Statue of Liberty, the universal symbol of freedom and democracy since 1886 is juxtaposed with the construction of the Freedom tower rising from the ashes of the tragic events of 9/11/2001.  A reminder of the tens of thousands of lives that were irrevocably and unimaginably changed in the course of several hours.  A moment of silent prayers for all those who suffered that day and those who continue to experience the effects of that event.

Docking at the 79th Street Boat Basin was a challenge for the Capt'n Kurt, but dock we did with no damage to ego or boat.  The location gave us easy access to Kurt and Shyanne's new home-to-be on the west side of Central Park on 88th St; an exciting and challenging architectural redesign is in the near future for them.  Dinning sidewalk-side at Mermaid on Amsterdam Ave. was a treat for the suburbanites (Kurt and me) and a leisurely stroll back to the boat was enough "City" to remind us why we choose to live on a boat:)

Departure day, October 7, 2011

A splendid day to start part two of our adventures in retirement on a ship.  We departed Mt Sinai Yacht Club with favorable sea conditions for an peaceful mini-voyage to City Island.  The NYC skyline graces the horizon, sailboats gracefully ply the sound while engaged in racing vying for favorable wind and currents while tweaking technicolor spinnakers.
Dockage at South Minneford Yacht Club provided a convenient site for three granddaughters to visit and spend the night,  dinner at Sammy's Shrimp restaurant was a delight for all.  A waxing moon and brilliant stars bless the night sky....