The CruiserAugust-September 2007
Mystery Cruise,
July 14, 2007
June-July 2007Edited By Pat Hershey From the Helm . . . Mike DeBettencourt, Fleet Captain
Missy and I just finished a 9 day cruise in the Bay aboard Treasure, visiting with several fleet members along the way. Tom and Wanda Vail aboard Merlin hosted the St. Michaels raft-up for the Antique Boat Show, and, as usual, I think we forgot to actually eat dinner again. Tom and Wanda were also gracious enough to show Missy and me the St, Michaels harbor via their dinghy (mine is powered by oars and sail and is very impractical). The Harrisons and Jacks were also present, and I realized how much I enjoy hearing the sailing and shore side stories of the fleet members. Bill Jack told me of his return sail from Bermuda in his boat, the Sally J, and the lessons he learned along the way. He also made me realize once more that the fleet members are very good sailors in their own right, and I am somewhat humbled when listening. Also, if you want to see the results of true craftsmanship from one of our own members, please ask Tom or Wanda to show you Merlin’s hinged salon table, courtesy of Mike Harrison. Our week cruise down the bay enabled us to visit with Roy Gillim and Laura Wharton, whom we met at Solomon’s Island for dinner. They are taking a two week long cruise with the Chesapeake Catalina Yacht Club to Norfolk and back, which is their longest sail on their C36, Troubadour. Roy and Laura are hosting the Day of Absurdity with some new events that I am not sure you can really practice for – should be interesting. What did I learn on my cruise other than that boats are constant maintenance? I learned that NOAA reports are accurate about 60% of the time, that mosquitoes will find any opening in your screens, that the jellyfish have started to inhabit the middle bay areas, that walking miles in 96 degree heat makes you incredibly thirsty, and that going to windward in small craft warnings is never fun. What hurts is that I learned all this long ago, too, and just needed to be taught anew. And for all this, I hope I never have to give up sailing! Richard Toth, the Fleet Captain of Catalina 36 Fleet 5 (Long Island Sound), has also extended us another invitation for any assistance we might need to go to the Catalina East Coast Rendezvous at Mystic, Connecticut. The website for Fleet 5 is www.catalina36.org/Fleet5. He also stated that we would be welcome at any of his other events, if space is still available. I hope to see you all at some of the events this year, and am sure that you will already have stories of your own, for that is what we do. See you on the Bay! Mike deBettencourt Treasure www.debettecourt@comcast.net
From our Vice Fleet Captain, Mike Harrison
I don’t know about the rest of you but we have been having a great season so far. Our move from storage in New Jersey to Rock Hall in April provided a fine inaugural trip with decent wind and warm weather. The Delaware Bay was even behaving kindly. We stopped over night in Chesapeake City and took advantage of the new City dock, which is free by the way. They even have water and electric available for $5 and $10 respectively, which you drop off at the Town Hall on the honor system. Dinner at one of our favorite spots, The Yacht Club restaurant, two blocks from the dock, was great as usual. We have had several great outings so far, but one was somewhat noteworthy. We met up with the Vails on Merlin on the Magothy and had a typical nice relaxed evening. The next morning we were both to sail back across the Bay to Rock Hall. The weather seemed good but the wind was getting pretty stiff by the time we pulled up anchor. It appeared that full sails would be too much so I put one reef in the main. Although I was a bit hesitant to let out the 150 I did anyway (knowing that we were actually going to be racing across the Bay, unofficial of course) By the time we got through the neck of the river I had already rounded up twice and I was really not feeling too wise about having all of the Genoa out. This was going to be one of those real white-knuckle rides I thought. After due consideration I decided it would be too difficult to furl in the Genoa so I tried something I had read about. We were on a hard tack so I winched the Genoa in hard and eased the main a bit to depower it. It worked great. Now all I had to do was ride the bucking bronco across the Bay! About halfway across (wind at about 20 kts and seas at about 4 ft), as we blasted into the wind at 6.5 kts and bulldozed through the gnarly chop, I had a revelation. My mental state went from one of fear and trepidation about what could happen, what might break, what if…, to one of shear bliss at the excitement of how the boat was absolutely blasting its way through the wind and seas, in a relatively controlled manner. But, we lost the race to Merlin (a C42 by the way, with a folding prop). Oh well, at least they didn’t know it was a race. For those that might remember me mentioning that the city owned moorings in Weems Cr, Annapolis, were free for the taking please be advised that they have retagged the moorings with a notice stating that there is a $25/day fee for use, to be paid to the Annapolis Harbormaster. I guess if it seems too good to be true then… We anchored without any problem on our last visit. We have also enjoyed good wind, good food, good drink and good socializing the day following Memorial Day on the West R., at an impromptu raft on The Wye R. in Shaw bay, with the Banks, Jacks and Vails. And, we rafted with the Vails, Jacks, and Missey and Mike DeBettencourt at St. Michaels during the annual antique boat show. I am really getting the itch to build one of those reproduction Chris-Craft kit boats! Plan to join one of out raft-ups in the near future! You’ll have a good time, for sure! Mike Harrison Bonnie Dew (856) 794-8287 DIESEL CONTAMINATION
This piece of information is for those of you who have not yet attempted to fill your fuel tank with tap water! Last week we arrived at Bonnie Dew late Friday evening after stopping at the Granary for dinner (and beverages). The plan was to sail first thing in the am from Rock Hall to the raft in St. Michaels. We wanted to get there in time to visit the antique boat show and still allow appropriate time for the evening social hour. I only had a couple of items of preparation to take care of on Fri eve. Topping off the water tanks was of course one of them. I will never be able to explain why I began filling the diesel tank with water but fortunately I only squirted for a short while before smelling the rat! Well, I thought we were going to have to write off the whole weekend, what with finding someone that could pump out the entire tank, filter the fuel, and refill the tank, on a weekend. I went to sleep feeling very depressed. The next morning, with a somewhat cleared head, I decided to ask my friend, a few slips down the dock. with a C36 also, if perchance he had ever done the same thing? (he shall remain nameless) Sure enough his answer was yes! He was kind enough to lend me the hand pump he used to get the water out of his tank. It is one of those sold for changing oil in your engine, with a thin plastic intake tube about 2 ft long. The procedure was very straightforward. First remove the cover panel in the aft cabin to expose the fuel tank. Loosen and pull off the fill hose from the tank and insert the hand pump intake tube so it goes exactly to the bottom of the tank. Using a plastic gallon jug I began pumping. It is so great that diesel fuel is bright red and that water doesn’t mix with it but sinks to the bottom of the tank. It was possible to see clearly the water in the jug. Two gallons worth and I was satisfied that most all water was removed. I still, however, went to West Marine and bought some “water absorber” to treat the tank. One caveat: don’t lay the pump down in the aft cabin while you empty the first jug, it will siphon fuel all day long into the bilge. Periodic checking to the bowl on the primary fuel filter resulted in the trapping of only a couple of ounces of water over the duration of the weekend. We got off Saturday about 1300 and made St Michaels in time for the important stuff that evening. Sunday we dinghyed over to the museum and took in the antique boats. Anonymous
GOING FASTER – BACKING STRAIGHTER
Much to my first mate’s chagrin, I usually spend a few boat units each winter on boat upgrades or improvements. During the past winter, I spent several hours during those cold evenings surfing the Internet for a more efficient prop option for our 36XL. I’ve never liked dragging the “five gallon bucket” under the boat while sailing. On previous boats, I had feathering props, Max-Prop and Autoprop. Both were reliable, low maintenance and definite improvements for motoring and sailing. Both companies make a unit to fit Merlin, but are too expensive to get by my CF-“No”, also known as my Admiral. For some reason, I always felt better about feathering versus folding. But after reading several owner’s reviews of the Flex-O-Fold propeller, it went on the short list. A couple on a boat like ours sailed one from Vancouver, down to Mexico and over to Hawaii last year and spoke very highly of it being one of the best upgrades that contributed to the success of their trip. With a recommendation like that, I called the distributor and had a chat. After he agreed to the “Miami Boat Show price”, I placed the order for the 3-bladed version to fit our shaft and boat. Costing less than 20 boat units was much better than the competition’s prices. After sawing around ½ inch off the end of my existing shaft to make room for the folding mechanism, installation took just a few minutes. The unit is very well built of bronze with substantial stainless pins at the three blade pivot points. It’s heavy with nicely machined folding mechanisms. . The result: We gained about .5 knot motoring and more under sail. In stronger winds of 15-20 knots, it really shines. When folded, the props’ frontal exposure is small, smooth and streamlined. It hasn’t failed to unfold or go smoothly into reverse yet. And no kidding…the boat backs much, much straighter with very little prop walk. Merlin’s happier too. Tom Vail Merlin Changes in Latitude Wintering in the BahamasWindancer spent the entire winter in the Bahamas – from the end of the hurricane season to start of the hurricane season. The last time we cruised the Bahamas was ten years ago in our previous boat, Condor (a Morgan 34), and that was a relatively short visit. The down side of such a cruise is also the up side. That is, the Bahamas is a long way from the Chesapeake (the “top” of the Bahamas’ 700 islands are roughly on the same latitude as West Palm Beach, Florida and our GPS log showed that we had traveled 1400+ miles from Galesville). But getting there is half the fun. We stuck to the ICW/”Ditch” both ways because we prefer it to “going outside”. For us, the scenic variety of the Ditch swamps the “speed” of offshore passages. It’s also safer. The Ditch is not for die-hard sailors because there are so few opportunities to sail – Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, and the Neuse River (all in North Carolina) are pretty much all there is (though motor sailing – “sail motoring” is a more accurate description – is frequently feasible). Windancer draws 6’ which is not always compatible with the seldom-dredged ICW, though we found that the frequently-heard warnings about shoaling to be overblown. Nevertheless, don’t try the ICW without a reliable depthsounder, a good chartplotter (with built-in up-to-date charts and tide information), and supporting materials like the Waterway Guide and Skipper Bob’s book of anchorages. And make sure you adjust your insurance coverage for being outside your normal cruising waters. Crossing the Gulf Stream – or I should say, waiting to cross – has to be the most frustrating part of any trip to or from the Bahamas. On the way to the Bahamas, we had to wait four days in Ft. Lauderdale for a weather window; on the way back, we waited two days at West End. These are far from hardship ports, but such delays can impact vacation plans and crew-change schedules. The general advice not to cross the Gulf Stream if the wind is from the north is ignored at one’s peril. On the return, U.S. Customs procedures were so Mickey Mouse I thought we were in a different part of Florida. Don’t get me started! But the Bahamas is worth it! We now subscribe to the shtick that Bahamian waters are the clearest in the world. The place is lousy with pristine beaches, and the Bahamians are friendly and helpful. The government now welcomes outside capital and the economic consequences are obvious; the economy is strong and the drug culture appears to be history. Where we spent most of our time – the Exumas – cruisers routinely leave their boats wide open (don’t try this in Nassau!). A well-organized cruiser community is quite active, though unobtrusive, with daily VHF announcements of activities for cruisers of all ages. Provisioning is easy, though not cheap, so it’s best to stock up as much as possible before crossing. Repairs you can’t make yourself are best made with the very willing and readily available help of fellow cruisers; or, one can rely on the local talent though only if you appreciate “Bahamian time” – a charming but also frustrating cultural phenomenon endemic throughout the Caribbean. The winds – commonly 20-25 knots – make for marvelous sailing between islands. Speaking of winds, MJ and I encountered three horrific storms, all while we were on the ICW. Thankfully, each hit while we were at the dock – a full gale pushing the boat against the dock in Charleston all night long on the way down, a similar event from Tropical Depression Barry in Swansboro (NC) on the way back, and a freak storm (55 knots, marble-sized hail, torrential rain) in Belhaven (also NC) that struck within an hour of arrival. Beyond normal wear and tear, Windancer did quite well, as did we. Ron Boster Windancer
The British Virgin IslandsWe arrived in Road Town, Tortola, on a Saturday mid-afternoon in March, but were unable to depart until Sunday morning as the rest of our crew didn’t arrive until early evening. Ron and I were briefed on the boat and our itinerary checked with the charter personnel. Our charter company was North South, which has older sailboats for charter at less expense than Moorings. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. However, our only criticism was that we were unable to reach the charter base by VHF. Thankfully, we had no emergencies. Bobby’s Market was within walking distance for provisioning. They carry a large choice of provisions and gave us a lift back to the marina gratis. The Ample Hamper was located at our marina but it is very pricey. Our first destination was Cooper Island. There were several moorings but none available when we arrived. We decided to set two anchors but, as we were doing so, a neighboring sailboat let us know that they would be leaving in a couple of hours. They signaled when they were leaving and we dinghied over to the mooring ball just in time to snag it as another entering sailboat had also spied it. This night we cooked aboard. The next day we left for Virgin Gorda’s North Sound and had a lovely sail. We took a mooring in Biras Creek and then dinghied over in front of Saba Rock for some snorkeling. This can be tricky when the sun is not with you as there are many shallow spots. A wonderful meal was had at The Fat Virgin, which is a very short dinghy ride. The following morning we left for Anagada. Leaving from the North Sound, head due north. You’ll not loose sight of Virgin Gorda, but it’ll be some time before you see what looks like ‘pencils’ on the horizon, which are palm trees. Anagada is but 23 feet above sea level. Thanks to GPS you shouldn’t have a problem locating it. However, the approach is a little tricky. There are many coral heads close to the surface. Luckily, there was a flagship sitting on the first buoy for some time, waiting for its sailboat flotilla to arrive. Even though we had been here before we made use of good fortune and headed for the flagship. Dinner reservations for Anagada lobster must be made by radio by 4 pm. We called Potter’s and were not disappointed (for our second time). We then left by taxi for a 15-minute ride to Loblolly Bay located on the north shore of Anagada. This has got to be the most beautiful beach/bay we’ve seen in the Caribbean! You can snorkel right off the shore and see great coral and fish. There is a coral reef to the north that keeps the wave action down. Our fourth day was spent on a beautiful beam reach from Anagada to Jost Van Dyke’s Great Harbor, sailing on the high north side of Tortola. On our previous trip we had seen rainbows in the area and, again, we were treated to another. You usually do not see the violet color so vivid in a rainbow—except for here! We set anchor and made reservations for dinner. While sitting in the cockpit enjoying a cocktail, we watched as a dinghy went from boat to boat checking up on their flotilla of inexperienced sailors. The sailboat anchored immediately in front of us decided to run their engine to charge their fridge. However, they neglected to check if they were in neutral, and immediately came full speed toward our boat. Once they discovered they were in gear, they pulled back into neutral and were fortunate enough not to have to reset their anchor. We had not been to the famous Foxy’s on our previous trip. The other ladies on our crew had been before and said the atmosphere was great but the food was a little sketchy. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a nice open-air patio dining area and good food. The highlight was performances from anyone in the audience who wanted to come up and ‘sing for their rum’. Two performers were excellent. Our next destination was Norman Island. From Jost Van Dyke, you have to go to the west end of Tortola and past Soper’s Hole. We had a very brisk sail (25 knots solid) over to Tortola but you must always motor through this area due to heavy currents and narrow passage. On the south side of Tortola, we again experienced high winds all the way to Norman Island. We moored in The Bight and decided to go ashore for dinner at a newly-renovated restaurant where we were treated to a Tortola steel band. Both food and band were excellent. The next morning, our intentions were to go snorkeling at the Indians and then return to Road Town due to an early departure by our other two crew. However, the few moorings that you must use were taken. We instead opted to pull into Kelly’s Cove, which is immediately to starboard when you come out of The Bight. There are only 4-6 moorings but we were able to get one and spent one of the most restful days and evenings of the trip. The snorkeling from point to point of the cove was spectacular. We saw a turtle, nurse shark, rainbow moray eel, beautiful coral and large numbers of various fish. Since we were only 7 nm from Road Town, we decided to stay overnight and leave early the next morning. Leaving early in the morning for Road Town, we arrived back before the fuel dock was opened. This resulted in jockeying our sailboat around other incoming and outgoing vessels for 30-40 minutes. Once fueled, personnel from our marina boarded us to put us stern to in our slip. If you’ve never seen this done, it’s an experience. Mind you they have done this hundreds of time before but they never slow down to a normal docking speed—full speed astern! Jan and Ron Marburger S’Wonderful
April/May 2007Edited By Pat Hershey From the Helm . . .Mike DeBettencourt, Fleet CaptainSeizing the weather window that opened on Saturday, I coaxed Treasure from its winter hideout at Harbor View Marina. Along the watery path to its summer slip in Middle River, I bent the sails on but continued motoring in the fluky, light winds. Other sailboats were ghosting along, but I needed to make the dock before 5 PM when the rain and wind was supposed to appear with a vengeance. Not a lot of boats, either motor or sail, were out on the Patapsco, but I could not blame them given the expected storms heading our way. Treasure and I basked in the rare mid-day sunshine, still clinging to our time table. This was a delivery, pure and simple, but ultimately presaged the warmer, slower summer sailing ahead. Yes, it can only get better! Fleet 3’s spring banquet was held at the Granary Restaurant in Georgetown, Maryland. There is always a kind of excitement at the spring luncheons when we plan the seasonal events. Currently, there are eleven events – one in May, two in June, four in July, one in August, and three in September. Joyce and Andy Stefancik reap the reward for the southernmost event since they are planning on a June raft-up in the Rappahannock. Rock Hall will also be in the limelight this year. This waterfront bastion is celebrating their 300th birthday with fireworks on July 3, coinciding with our own Day of Absurdity. As a matter of fact, for those Fleet 3 members who cannot get enough fireworks for our great nation, Barbara and Jeffrey Banks will be hosting a raft-up near Oxford on July 1. Members can then sail from that raft-up to Spring Cove Marina for a fireworks double-dip! Special congratulations go to Ted Simpson for his rapid updating of our website. Your new Charter is there, as are the pictures from the spring luncheon, and the summer events. I don’t know whether you have been keeping up with the adventures of Anita on the website, but, if not, read the articles and view the pictures. I have read them all at least twice, since, I hope someday to follow in Ann and Bob’s wake. Maybe we can get them to give us a presentation of their travels at our fall meeting. If anyone has an impromptu or last minute event, please orchestrate it through Mike Harrison, our Vice Fleet Captain. This is just to avoid situations of overlapping events as happened last year. The rain has ceased, but the wind is now whistling through the mast and spreaders. The boat is heeling 5 degrees to leeward, and the internal wires and halyards are slapping with increasing frequency. It is time to go home, but it will not be long before I will see you on the water! Mike, Treasure
From our Vice Fleet Captain, Mike Harrison:Well, it’s April 16, and winter projects are complete.(except bottom paint) Now it looks as though I might as well start a new list, the way the weather is going. Actually, since I like to believe the 10-day weather forecast, it looks like we might hit the water in 7-8 days, with mid 60 degree temperatures. Speaking of winter projects, I have a couple that have me pretty excited. Not long ago I saw Morgan Freeman (actor/sailor) being interviewed on TV. He was asked what his favorite sound was. His response was “the sound when you shut down the engine”! That’s when I decided to try to upgrade our engine compartment insulation. McMaster-Carr was my source for 1” thick, foil faced, adhesive back foam sheeting. (About $13 per ft x 54 in. wide) I also used ss screws and fender washers to secure it. I would like to offer the following 2 tips if you want to do the same: First, if you don’t wax or grease the screws they grab the foam and twist it like crazy. Second, some parts of my engine had only about a half inch of clearance before applying the insulation. I either cut out or compressed areas by the alternator, water pump and crankshaft to prevent interference. We haven’t tried it out yet. I’ll let you know how it worked in the next issue. I also stripped and refinished our sole boards using “Ultimate Sole Gloss” finish. They look fantastic; I’ll let you know how they hold up later in the season. Our 2007 raft schedule follows. Please plan to join us when you can. Also, don’t hesitate to contact me with suggestions for a location or event you think would be interesting, or if you would be interested in hosting: (856) 794-828) Seven years ago when Carol and I started sailing we were more inclined to sail to a marina destination, with a nice secure and cozy slip, than to venture to some “strange” location and drop anchor. However, since joining the Fleet, we have come to know what a great experience a raft weekend can be. The nature of a raft event is so relaxed and casual that even when you have never met the others it is very easy to make quick friends and thoroughly enjoy the rendezvous. Since Carol works in retail we often find ourselves going
out mid-week. On those occasions, when we were alone, we have found one of
our favorite spots to go is Weems Creek, in West Annapolis. It’s up the
Severn R., past the Academy just south of the Rt. 50 Bridge. It’s a very
quiet and scenic creek with 10+/- feet right up to the shore. It has many
moorings that are private, public or Naval Academy (for hurricane hiding).
Let’s hope the weather is good to us this season. Mike Bonnie Dew
UPCOMING EVENTS (See the complete Fleet III Summer Activity Schedule here) The Annual Memorial Day Raft Up, May 26-27The Jack's will be hosting the Annual Memorial Day Wine Tasting Raft Up on the West River on May 26th. If weather and time permit, we will make it a two-day event. On Saturday, the Sally J will be anchored in the West River in the early afternoon and we will monitor channel 72. This is a great way to kick off the new sailing season, so bring a bottle or two of your favorite wine and join us! There are three restaurants in Galesville making dinner ashore a possibility. We look forward to seeing lots of Fleet 3 members and hopefully with better weather! Bill and Sally Jack, Sally J
St. Michaels – June 16-17One of our favorite annual events on the bay is the Antique and Classic Boat Festival at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. This year is the festival’s 20th anniversary! The Festival will take place Friday, June 15 11am-5pm, Saturday, June 16 10am–5pm and Sunday, June 17 10am-2pm. Over 100 antique and classic boats, boatbuilding demonstrations, classic Rolls Royce automobiles, maritime craft vendors, food, and more will be present. In addition, CBMM will hold its’ first Moonlight Mixer Concert Saturday evening on Navy Point beginning at 7:30pm. Merlin will be anchored on the outside off Parrott Point (to port as you head into St. Michaels) from noon Saturday until noon on Sunday. Look for our pirate flag in the rigging. As always, channel 72 is the hailing channel as you approach. In addition to the traditional sundowners and shared snacks on Merlin after the Festival Saturday, we can join the Moonlight Mixer or have a walk into St. Michaels for dinner. We hope you can join us for this great weekend at one of the Bay’s more special places. Please RVSP to vailte@msn.com or give a call to 302-383-4064. See you in St. Michaels! Tom & Wanda Vail, Merlin
Cruise South to the Rappahannock, June 19-July 1Catnip will be leaving Severna Park, MD on or about June 19. We hope to overnight in the Rhode River, Solomons, somewhere in the Northern Neck of Virginia, and then head into into the Rappahannock. We will be spending the night of the 24th in a room at the Tides Inn on Carter Creek. (We found booking a room on-line is cheaper than calling the Tides directly. Go figure.) Upon heading north, the tail-end of the cruise could coincide with one or both of the Raft-ups at Oxford and/or Rock Hall. Keep in mind the destinations (with the exception of the 24th at the Tides) are subject to revision! Anyone interested in joining us can contact us at: 410-647-7052. Come sail with us! Joyce and Andy Stefancik, Catnip
Catalina East Coast RendezvousThe Catalina East Coast Rendezvous will be held in Mystic, Connecticut from August 10 - August 12. The events will be based at the Mystic Seaport Museum. For those attending by boat contact Bob Fleming at rjflemming@aol.com. Bob is the slip coordinator and will provide information on reserving a slip at the museum. People staying on boats will be able to roam the grounds even after the museum closes to the public. I haven’t seen information on registering with Catalina for the rendezvous. We will put it in the newsletter when the registration information is available. There are three boats from our fleet that I know that are tentatively planning on attending. Please let me know if you are considering attending. Also, I may be looking for an additional crewmember. Let me know if you have any interest. If there are people with experience traveling to the area or around the area, I would appreciate you sharing your knowledge about marinas, anchorages, currents, charts for either the Long Island Sound or Block Island route, including New Jersey shore area. Ron Marburger, ‘s Wonderful610-293-9592
TECH NOTES PROP PREP RECIPE1. Clean the prop and shaft thoroughly burnishing it with bronze wool or sandpaper until it gleams. 2. Apply one thin coat of Interlux Prime wash, undiluted. You'll only need a few ounces each year of this two-part undercoat. 3. After at least one hour, but within six hours, apply one coat of Interlux Ultra-Kote. 4. Allow the paint to set at least 24 hours before launching. At next haul-out, you'll be amazed how growth-free the prop and shaft will be! I use this system every year and am very pleased with it. Andy Stefancik, Catnip
Stove Cover/Cutting BoardA cutting board (we use a Farberware brand that we found at Giant), a file and some sand paper to fine tune the fit, a little bit of elbow grease, and VOILA you have doubled your galley workspace. This is an inexpensive solution to your workspace limitations. Leave it in place for food prep until you’re ready to cook and then just pop it out. After 12 years (and several replaced boards) we cannot imagine cooking on board without it. Pat and Tom Hershey, Solstice
Galleys Ashore NORTHWOODS FINE CUISINE in West AnnapolisHaving discussed one of our favorite anchorages, Weems Creek, in my article I would like to recommend a nearby fine dining spot to cap off your stay in the Creek. Just a couple of short blocks from the dinghy beach, up Tucker St. and right on Melvyn Ave., puts you at Northwoods. This is an elegant upscale restaurant with an intimate atmosphere. Although you might see a tie and jacket here and there they, on one occasion, welcomed us clad in our boat casual attire without any problem. The prices are moderate, I would say, ranging from $6-10 for appetizers, $24-29 for entrees and $7 for desert. However, they offer a special that we find interesting. For $32.95 you can have any appetizer, salad, any entrée and any desert. Some of our favorite dishes have been Escargot stuffed mushrooms with a killer sauce, Clams Casino and Seafood Bisque for starters. Entrees cover pretty much the full range of steaks, seafood, veal and chicken. We have enjoyed Beef Wellington and Seafood Rockefeller among others. The Crème Brulee is a great way to finish off the meal. They have a very extensive wine list that goes as low as $16 a bottle and high as you can bear. On our first visit we were very well served by “Rainy”, who remembered us months later on a return visit! Although it is not a waterside location, it is a nice quiet location with outdoor dining as an option if the weather suits. I think Craig LeBan might give it three bells if he ever got out of Philadelphia to eat! Bon Appetit! Mike and Carol Harrison, Bonnie DewNorthwoods 609 Melvyn Ave. Annapolis, MD 21401 410 268 2609 www.Northwoodsrestaurant.com
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