The Cruiser

August-September 2007

From the Helm . . .
Mike DeBettencourt, Fleet Captain

It would be an easy beat across the bay in 5 – 10 knots of wind from the north east. I left work early this Friday night to get a head start to Fairlee Creek, before all the crazies come out for Saturday night during the summer. I was by myself but Treasure is pretty easy to sail single-handed. It was just for the one night, and I would sail home before noon Saturday.

Both the main and jib were up pulling us forward at 4 knots. The breeze stayed closer to 10, which is good for my 135% jib. Besides, my racing days are over, right?

Off to starboard, just making Pooles Island light, was a pretty white sloop on a starboard tack. I watched it and knew that, on its present course, it would come close to me, but there was no sense of collision, just two boats sailing along.

Wait! What the hell are they doing? They tacked right over to my course. Omigod! It was a newer boat and had a 155 deck-sweeper. I knew then that I was in a race and it was not looking good. My shoal draft and a 135 against the newer boat and bigger sails - not fair, but then I was not going to give up. Their crew did a good job coming about on the tack, and this one did not look easy. Their helmsman sailed like a champ, not pinching or giving way as the luff on the jib kept pulling very evenly.

Tighten the main until the tell tales are flying off the leech straight back – check. Make sure the tracks are set so that the upper tell tales on the jib are set to the same angle as the lowers – check. Leave a little play in the jib for the light winds – check. Tighten the jib leech line to stop the flutter – check. But nothing I did was staving off the advance of the other boat. It was pulling ahead, and my only chance was that the wind would increase so that their boat had to reef. This would (theoretically) make my unreefed 135 a better sail for the conditions. Yes, there it was. No, there it went – it was only a puff. Victory was theirs as we sailed to the Eastern Shore.

When you read Harvey Paskin’s article for the Liar’s Cruise on September 28, note that it will start with a round the buoys race on the Magothy. Last year, this event was stopped because of Tropical Storm Ernesto. I envision two classes – pretty simple. One will be for the stretch 36’s (Catalina 42) and then one for the 36s. There will be no spinnaker class this time, since I want to keep it simple. One or two of our members race their boat occasionally, so this should be a learning experience for the rest of us. If you do not want to race, come anyway and be the committee boat which starts and ends the race. Maybe even crew on another boat - it really adds to the fun.

And what type of boat was I was “racing”? It was nothing less than a Catalina 36 MK II, with a hull number in the 1800s. By the way, it looked great from the side as well as from the stern.

Mike
Treasure

From our Vice Fleet Captain,
Mike Harrison

What a great season we are having so far. Great weather and even quite a few days with decent wind. However, we have encountered a couple of those nasty little squalls in our travels! On one late afternoon we were entering San Domingo Creek, after spending 2 days in Solomon’s, when the black wall of evil approached (dark clouds). While we came out unscathed, it was nevertheless, a rather unpleasant 20 minutes of pelting rain and hail, 30+ kts wind and zero visibility. One thing I learned was that even though it was 80+ degrees before the storm it can get really cold before it passes. I also learned that putting on foulies when the wind is over 30 and you are also trying to steer is nearly impossible! So we chalk up another one to experience. The storm had passed and we made our way up to the top of San Domingo to find one boat at anchor. Go figure, it was one of ours, Serenity with Gary and Linda Trigiani aboard. It felt really good to see friendly faces just after our scare. Later, after setting anchor(3 or 4 times!), we joined them for a relaxer. Gary showed me his recent equipment acquisition, a 19” digital LCD TV. What was particularly interesting was a digital broadcast out of Baltimore. It was full screen, full time, live weather radar. Since we don’t have radar on Bonnie Dew, this was rather interesting to us.

So, our next move was a stop a Wal-Mart for the Sanyo TV (Just under $300), a call to Hinckley to order the Hinckley Halo antenna ($110) and a stop at the local hardware for 75 ft of cable($18). My Windex was mounted in a 5/16 hole on the mast top. I removed it and made an extension bracket of aluminum flat stock to which the antenna and Windex were mounted, then installed that in the existing hole on the mast top. Holes were drilled in top and bottom of mast for the cable. A fish line was dropped in and retrieved at the bottom, the cable taped to it and fed part way down until it jammed! I was able to retrieve the cable but the fish line remained stuck and eventually fell in. I dropped a new, heavier, fish line and this time was successful. By now I had been up the mast for about 2 hours in the Top Climber and my feet were getting numb from the straps! For some reason the first fish line eventually fell free and was retrieved from the bottom of the mast, what a break! Once in the bilge it was a snap to rout the cable to the entertainment cabinet. There are existing conduits available to get there. (thank you Gerry Douglas) What was surprising is how many digital and analog channels are received with near perfect picture clarity. (from Rock Hall we get about a dozen of each) It is funny, the digital channels, when reception is marginal, are still very crisp picture but the motion stops momentarily now and then. The analog channels, on the other hand, just get fuzzy when reception is poor.

Carol is a fireworksaholic so this year we made the rounds to all available displays. Sat. we headed for Oxford, planning to anchor on the way in Harris Creek, just after passing thru Knapp’s Narrows. Go figure, when approaching the Narrows, we see another of our own, the Marburgers, on S’Wonderful. We agreed over the radio to meet and anchor for the night in Dun Cove. Again, how nice to meet up with friends when unexpected. Sunday we moved on to Oxford for the first show. The Banks hosted a very nice dockside gathering at their marina for the attending 6 or so Fleet members. (thanks very much Jeff and Barbara) In the morning we headed out with friends who had joined us in their 2 yr old 386 Sabre. We had great wind and sail across the Choptank to the Narrows. However, when our friends engine wouldn’t start we opted to sail south around Tilghman Island. While John attempted to diagnose the problem Noel sailed the boat. They then proceeded to run aground at the southern tip of the island! We immediately heaved to and prepared to drop the dinghy so we could go to their aid. It was no sooner than I got the dink in the water that I noted that they had broken free. Oh well, good practice. Off we go to Annapolis for the night. As we approached the Severn R. I suddenly heard a thump under us and felt the engine bog down briefly. We now had an alien vibration that got worse with higher rpms. We were not in a trap area so I didn’t think we had caught a float line. Since we were able to continue without undo problem we proceeded to Weems Creek and grabbed a Naval Academy mooring. Just as I hit the water to check the prop a large wad of plastic sheeting floated out from under the transom. It scared the bleep out of me because it looked like a 3ft long jelly fish! The next day we, uneventfully, sailed back to Rock Hall for round 2 of the fireworks.

On Tuesday the 3rd, in the afternoon, Roy and Laura did a great job hosting the Day of Absurdity event. We later took Bonnie Dew out to anchor just outside Rock Hall harbor to get a birds eye view of the fireworks. The show started a bit late, then proceeded for about 30 minutes and stopped, without the usual finale? About 20 min later it began again. After another 30 min of so there was a finale to what was a great show. (It turns out that there was a tree fire on land near the launch site that had to be doused before they could complete the show!)

The next morning Tom Vail had an impromptu thought, let’s sail over to Baltimore to see their show. The forecast was lousy for the 4th so I allowed as how I would prefer to get a slip if possible, in lieu of anchoring in Baltimore. We called Inner Harbor East about 8:30 and were told they had no slips but might get cancellations due to the bad weather forecast. We called back about 9:00 and were able to book a slip for each of us! Although it wasn’t very pretty out we got to Baltimore without any foul weather and got secure in our slips. Later that afternoon there were reports that tornadoes had been spotted outside of Baltimore and that we could see some violent weather. Fortunately we only got some rain showers which subsided in time for the show, and what a show it was!

The fireworks were shot from a barge right in front of the marina. It was fantastic. By the way we even got a big discount on the slip because of the construction that had the bath and office facilities in portable trailers.

What a great 5 days. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves as well.

Mike
Bonnie Dew

UPCOMING EVENTS

Liar’s Cruise
September 29- October 5 (or beyond…)

The ever- popular “Liars Cruise” will be upon us before we know it. This year’s plan is to rendezvous in Eagle Cove (the bay between Holland and Purdy Points) on the Magothy River on Saturday, 29 September. For those who want to lie about making the entire trip, join us on the Magothy for the weekend. On Saturday evening we will have a salsa tasting event. Bring your favorite salsa and chips. Prizes will be given for the hottest, best
tasting, and most unique salsa.

We will have a short around the mark race on Sunday to sharpen our sailing skills before heading out to our next destination. Continuing the stress-free tradition, we will only take short sails each day, and will stay in the area of the Choptank, Miles, and Wye Rivers. Potential anchorages on the Choptank include Davis Creek, Reed Creek, or the Corsica River. Locations on the Miles include Lloyd Creek, Hunting Creek, and St Michaels.
Departure from the cruising grounds for homeports will be at the cruiser’s discretion. I will be departing for home on Friday, 5 October.

Once again, we will be swapping sea faring experiences and playing Liar’s Dice and Bullshit. For those unfamiliar with these games, you should study and memorize these rules, and practice your “straight faces” . No coaching once we are on the water.

Liar’s dice is played with five dice and a dice cup. The game is initiated when one player rolls the dice under the cup, looks at them or not, and then calls a poker hand to the player on the left. The player on the left has the choice of believing that there is at least as good a hand as called, or not. If he believes the hand is there, he must pass on a higher hand to the player on his left. He may re-roll some or all of the dice, and may remove from under the cup and show as many of the dice as he chooses. The game continues in this manner, each hand being called higher than the previous one. When a receiving player chooses not to believe the hand passed to him, he picks up the cup to reveal the dice. If the hand was there he loses, if it was not the passer loses. The game reveals the risk tolerance of each player, and his ability to maintain a straight face while lying through his teeth. Losers sit out the next round. The game continues until one person, the winner, is left

Bullshit is played with a deck of cards. The entire deck is dealt out amongst the players. The player with the ace of spades places in face down in the table. The player to his left must place, face down and declare at least one deuce. Each player, in turn, places one or more cards face down and declares at least one of the next higher card (no suit designation required). At any time, any player can call “Bullshit” if he does not believe the declaration of the player making the discard. If the discard was a lie, the discarding player must pick up the pile of cards on the table. If the discard was as declared, the player calling “Bullshit” must pick up the cards. The object of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. The player who does so first wins.

We will gather for hors oeuvres each evening, and will have a potluck dinner one evening. Come prepared to share your chow and good company.

Please let me know if you would like to participate in some or the entire cruise.

Harvey Paskin
L’Chayim
HMPLCHAYIM@verizon.net
(410) 268-9013

FALL MEETING: October 27, 2007, 11:30-14:00
The Rockfish
400 Sixth St.
Annapolis, Md. 21403

Come enjoy a new venue for our Annapolis meeting. Griffins is now the Federal House. Changes in their organization and pricing have prompted us to select a new spot. The Rockfish is in Eastport, just over the bridge at the first light. They offer onsite free parking, great décor and hopefully great food and service.

We are also going to try a little different approach with the menu. This one will be a Brunch menu featuring Smoked Salmon, Almond French Toast, Muffins, Fresh Fruit, Scrambled Eggs, Apple wood Smoked Bacon, Sausage Links, Potatoes Lyonnaise, Bagels with Cream Cheese, and coffee and juice.
There will of course be the traditional cash bar available. Cost will be $20 per person.

Door prizes will be distributed and we hope Fawcett’s will again offer their one day discount. (by the way the discounting was substantial last time!)

The highlight of the meeting will be a discussion about cruising to the Bahamas, headed by Ann Miller. She and Bob Halter recently returned from an extended trip to the Islands aboard Anita and I am sure can offer quite a lot of interesting and useful information. Roy Gillam will be presenting the Day of Absurdity award also.

New officers will be officially elected at this meeting as well.

Please let me know if you plan to attend, by October 15, or if you have any questions or comments.

Mike Harrison, Vice Captain
Fgharrison3@verizon.net

EVENT FOLLOW-UPS

Day of Absurdity, July 3

This year's DOA (don't you just love the alphabetical coincidence..??) continued the slapstick tradition of last year's gathering, also held at Spring Cove Marina (outside of Rock Hall). SCM again proved to be a comfortable and accommodating destination for Fleet
III, providing perfect weather for our July 3rd land-based party. Rock Hall's fireworks provided a spectacular closing.

Perhaps the most absurd aspect of the DOA is that last year's winners, Roy Gillim and Laura Wharton, serve as this year's hosts, as Ann and Bob Miller did in 2006. The year long interlude gives the hosts ample opportunity to devise a series of (absurd) events with a convoluted and
impenetrable scoring system all designed to test the dexterity and stamina of the seasoned two-person teams. The six teams who were courageous enough to step to the line included Our Fearless Leader (Mike de B) who returned this year with his brother Bob.

The tests of Olympian competition included a balloon race (run with a balloon between knees), a Frisbee accuracy toss (using a light weight, 24" diameter disc), a
variation on the old carnival game of tossing a ball through the holes of a target, each hole having a different numerical value (which again proved that
sobriety in competition is definitely NOT an asset !) and, finally, EVERYONE'S favorite, the Raw Egg Toss (this had to be seen to be believed !!).

While all the teams remained in close contention throughout the competition, Ron and Jan Marburger narrowly claimed first place (perhaps they did not
understand the onus of 2008 that accompanied their triumph) and will receive their hallowed, oaken "trophy" at the fall meeting.

Roy Gillim,
Troubador

Mystery Cruise, July 14, 2007

HOW THEY FOUND THE “DEW” ON THE WATER

We couldn’t have had a more perfect July day to host the Mystery Cruise on The Chester River. On an earlier outing we scoped out the area, decided on our location, and took notes of various landmarks coming and going. We then consulted our charts, GPS, Cruising Guide and notes to put together the clues to our secret hideaway. Thanks to Carol the Clues were actually written in rhyme. Cleverly hidden in the rhyme were the names of many of the Fleet 3 boats. There was also a 10 question quiz to be answered by those that made it to the raft.

By noon on Saturday the Bonnie Dew was anchored in Eagle Cove off Langford Creek, with the Cell phone charged and VHF monitoring 16/72. At 1400 hrs Phil Mueller on Lady, Too appeared. But what a surprise to us, as his C36 is the only one in the world with a bright red hull! Shortly thereafter Merlin arrived with Tom Vail and substitute mates Bill Gore and friend. (sorry we forgot the other mates name) Then came Solstice with Pat & Tom Hershey, Reverie with Ray Harris and Susan Gore, and Dreamcatcher with new members Gary & Helen Stewart. Anita with Ann Miller & Bob Halter and HMS Fox with Barbara & Jeff Banks were in the area and called on the radio for the location as they had not gotten the clues. We reluctantly gave up our location so they could join us, and enjoyed their company as well. Moonstruck with Susan & Pete Econ and Ragtime with Jane & Alan Maunus were the stragglers. Apparently they had trouble finding their way. (I had hoped at least one boat would get lost!) They, however, made it in ample time to join in on the Cocktail and Snacks hour which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. A little later, about the time nobody cared, we revealed the answers to the quiz questions. Ray Harris and Susan Gore took the Grand Prize, a small bottle of Drambuie. (it has to do with the name Bonnie Dew). Phil Mueller won a bottle of wine for getting there first and the Econs took the Mountain Dew (booby prize) for giving us the most aggrava---um fun. I’m pretty sure we all had a good time. Thanks very much to all who made it.

Mike and Carol Harrison
Bonnie Dew

Fairlee Creek Raft-Up, July 28 - 29

Where O Where Is Nipper's Clipper?

The weather forecast was for HHH, hazy, hot and humid with a good chance of late afternoon and evening thunderstorms, severe perhaps. We on ANITA, decided at the last minute that we would take the chance with the weather and travel north from Rock Hall to Fairlee to spend some time with our Fleet III friends. Knowing that Carol and Ted Simpson on Nipper's Clipper were hosting the event, we tried to hail them on 72 as we approached the anchorage. We weren't alarmed that they didn't answer; we were early and could easily drop our own anchor.

By mid-afternoon, we were joined by Bill and Kathy on Legacy and Al and Colleen on Mariah who were hosting Colleen's sister and her husband. Moonstruck came a few minutes later and anchored near the trees. All sailors noted that they, too, had tried to contact Carol and Ted with no reply. As the clock ticked on, it was decided to try a connection by cell phone. Ah, success...As it turned out, Carol and Ted were anchored in Turner Creek prior to Saturday. They had difficulties with their engine and, when they were finally able to get it started, they decided not to take a chance with it and continue farther south, but to turn-to and head for a safe haven in their own slip at Tidewater. OK. All are safe. It was no wonder that Nipper hadn't contacted any of us; none of us had contacted them with plans of joining the raft-up that day! (Note to members: It's a good idea to contact the raft-up hosts with your intentions, even if they are tenuous.)

Somehow, without Carol and Ted, we were able to carry-on with Happy Hour on ANITA, the usual noshing and imbibing, chatting and chortling. It is worth noting that Colleen's brother-in-law is a farmer in Michigan. He brought celery with him to share (one of his major crops) and we compared it to the Lancaster County celery that we just happened to have on ANITA. I have to say, I believe this was the first "Celery Tasting" raft-up of Fleet III. Hmmm, I can picture it now: a "Veggie Raft-Up". I'll have to think about that one...

We were fortunate that the weather remained calm for our stay, receiving only a few sprinkles from the ominous clouds on Sunday morning. Some counties received torrential downpours that weekend, so we considered ourselves very fortunate.

Thank you, Nipper's Clipper for choosing the spot and the time. Sorry you didn't make it; we missed you. Still, a good time was had by all.

Ann and Bob
ANITA

TECH NOTES

FREE DOPPLER RADAR ON THE BAY!

Perhaps some of you read the article in “Soundings” a couple of issues ago about Terrestrial Broadcasting and how (for a very minimal investment) a boater in the Chesapeake could pick up HD TV without being hooked up to cable or satellite. Well, it works! As the article stated, most boaters are led to believe that in order to pick up these signals, a very expensive ($3000.00-5,000.00) antenna must be professionally installed on your boat. Then, you must pay a monthly and yearly fee in order to subscribe to the service. With the number of Terrestrial Stations in the Bay area, we are able to receive at least 15 HD channels and many of the basic stations. We have the best reception in Rock Hall and when we are away from the western shore areas like Annapolis, Baltimore, and Havre deGrace. The best reception is on the bay and at many of the favorite anchorages! Here’s how it works: The Terrestrial stations that I mentioned broadcast the HD signal much like a satellite would. Instead of needing a special “dish” antenna or cable, all you need is an omni directional UHF, VHS, FM powered antenna. Our neighbor at Spring Cove (Glen and Carol Albright, Catalina 350 AND also the brain child behind our installation!) uses a basic UHF antenna that they hang off the back of their boat! Most of you have seen (and many already have it) the dishlike antenna at the top of masts. In fact it’s called a UFO (because it looks like one!) It’s been so long since we put ours on Serenity that I forget the actual name, but we purchased it at West Marine for about $250.00. For years, we used it strictly for basic TV and FM reception. Now the cool part! We bought a 19” Sanyo Flat Screen LCD 110 AC HDTV (with HD QAM Tuner receiver built in) at Wal-Mart for $296.00. For those of you interested, the model number is DP19647. They also make a 15” for about $245.00. Simply put the TV in your boat, hook up the antenna connections and “Voila!” HD TV that really works! Granted, you won’t get the kzillion channels that you will with cable or satellite, but than again you won’t be spending an arm and leg with the installation, pricy antenna, and monthly/yearly fees. You’ll get plenty of channels to keep you busy. You can even hookup a DVD or VHS player directly to the TV and have HD all the time. Now the even cooler part! As sailors, we spend a lot of time on the water on days where the weather could get a little dicey in the pm. With this hookup, you can monitor Doppler radar continuously for the entire bay! What we usually do is check out the radar a couple of times so we’ll know if anything is brewing AND in what direction it’s moving. During our last trip from Cambridge to Solomons, we were able to make a detour to San Domingo Creek once we saw the severe storms approaching from the DC area. Anchoring in the creek kept us on the fringe of the storm instead of sailing directly into it. NOAA gave warnings, but it’s so much nicer to actually see the storms AND the direction in which they are moving. A couple of times this season, we were able to avoid storms while we were in the middle of the bay, simply by knowing the direction before hand and adapting our course accordingly. Let’s face it, our boats don’t go fast. So the more information about the weather we have, the safer we’ll be.

Gary and Linda Trigiani
Serenity 1583
Spring Cove Marina
610.258.7078

Treasurer’s Report (Barbara Fox)

Checking Account Balance 6/15 $1503.34

Checks Payable:
Pat Hershey Newsletter $118.78
F.J. Harrison Stamps&Labels $166.82

Dues Received $125.00

Checking Account Balance 8/20 $1325.49

Fall is coming and so is the Annapolis Boat Show!

Once again, I am coordinating the owners booth in the Catalina Yachts display and I need your help to meet and greet the hundreds of owners and friends who drop by each year. I need volunteers for five days, Thu-Mon, Oct 4-8.

Volunteers work the booth for 1/2 day and enjoy the show for free the rest of the time. If you are available more than one day, even better. Be prepared to meet Frank, Sharon and Gerry and many of the "Catalina family members". Please contact me direct if there are any other questions.

Show hours are 10-7 most days (5pm on Sunday-Monday). Volunteers take turns at the booth and walking around the show. I like to keep 2-3 volunteers at the booth. Honor system enforced!

Questions?

Max Munger
maxmunger@verizon.net

June-July 2007

Edited 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

Fgharrison3@verizon.net

(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 Bahamas

Windancer 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 Islands

We 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 2007

Edited By Pat Hershey

From the Helm . . .

Mike DeBettencourt, Fleet Captain

Seizing 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 300^th 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:

Fgharrison3@verizon.net

(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).

The Annapolis Harbormaster has advised us that (except those marked “private”) they are free on a first come first served basis. There is also no need to contact the Harbormaster, just tie on. There is a public boat ramp and dinghy beach at the southwest corner just before the first bridge. A couple of blocks away is Ridgley Ave., which goes into town. We have heard that there is trolley service into town along Ridgley but haven’t ever used it. If, as we have rarely seen, the moorings are all filled it is possible to anchor in the creek as well. This may require going out near the creek entrance to get space, but it is still a great spot.

Let’s hope the weather is good to us this season.

Mike Bonnie Dew

The Annual Memorial Day Raft Up, May 26-27

The 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 16-17

One 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 1

Catnip 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!

Joyce and Andy Stefancik, Catnip

Catalina East Coast Rendezvous

The 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 Wonderful

PROP PREP RECIPE

1. 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

3. After at least one hour, but within six hours, apply one coat of Interlux Ultra-Kote.

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 Board

A 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

NORTHWOODS FINE CUISINE in West Annapolis

Having 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!