For those of you who think we are wiling away the hours in a tropical paradise, let me describe my day. The alarm went off at 5am. Fortunately, this was a fake 5am since we just finished Daylight Savings Time, but my brain still doesn’t like to see the numeral 5 as the starting point. The temperature was in the 30s and it was still dark outside. I quickly put on my 5 layers of clothing, made breakfast and went outside. We unplugged from shore power, removed most of the […]
Do the Dismal
The InterCoastal Waterway (ICW) was Jason’s gift to me. He did not procure a shovel and dig the waterway, but he reluctantly agreed to travel this route, rather than going out into the open ocean. The Atlantic Coast portion, from Virginia to Florida, measures about 1,100 miles. It is a slow trip with no open ocean passages and no overnight trips. Perfect Gail travel. Before entering the ICW, we transited past the navy base in Norfolk, Virginia. To starboard we saw a Littoral (close to shore) ship, a fairly […]
Two Fish meets the Revolutionary Era
Before starting down the Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW), we had one more stop to make. Encouraged by another Northwesterly on its way towards us, we reversed into a tough spot at the Hampton Public Piers – crosswinds, currents and dolphin pilings aren’t our favorite companions. We did learn a new docking trick. We had to back into this spot but the side dock was short, so the bow is tied up to a piling. Our initial idea was to loop a line on the piling while we passed it and […]
Gale on the Chesapeake
After a pleasant trip across the bay, we grabbed a mooring ball at Solomons, and got some rest, especially well-deserved for Jason. I had a cold, and he took the bulk of the helming for the day. The only exception was when I managed to shred the self-tailer on the winch, while raising the mainsail. The good news was that we had broken it once before and knew what parts to order. We enjoyed the hospitality of our mooring ball at Zanhiser’s and marveled at the number of Canadian boats. […]
Two Fish at the Museum
Two Fish was eager to move along after our long stops in the Upper Chesapeake. Our pace is slowed by weather, visitors and cool places to explore. The cooling weather is a constant reminder that we need to keep heading South, even if we are having a fun time. Jason’s need to be at sea is also a force that causes the anchor to be weighed or the dock lines cast. Being Maritime Museum addicts, our next stop was the dock at the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum. St Michael’s […]
Another Boat Show
From the time we started researching boats, until we boarded Two Fish, we were boat show groupies. (See posts Miami 2011, Miami 2012, Miami 2013, and Annapolis 2011. No post but we did visit Annapolis again in 2012). This would be our first time as boat owners so it was also my first time realizing I had no more space for most of the cool stuff on offer. We enjoyed meeting Rod Johnstone, the designer and originator of J Boats and the Uncle of Gunboats. He patiently explained to me […]
Charm City – Baltimore
In an attempt to bolster the image of Baltimore, city officials branded it “Charm City” in 1974. The news reports the next day were filled with garbage strikes, police walkouts, and general looting. Town fathers would have to wait to earn their new name. The label did not catch on with the locals, but the Baltimore we encountered was charming. As much as I try to pretend I am now a cruiser with no home port, I am still a New Yorker. Those of you who hold some disdain for […]
Goodbye Marina Foot?
Once again, Jason has accused me of getting soft. And, once again, I replied “Soft is good”. Jason enjoys the tough passage and I enjoy touring a new town. Jason’s accusation was driven by our recent marina stops. When not anchored in a remote bay, are we really cruising? Our trip south has taught us that there are many styles of cruising. Two Fish is still figuring out her preferred mix. As we pulled out of our most recent marina in New Jersey, I was looking forward to the […]
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