Rhonda Liz

Today was splash in and boat moving day. We came off the hard at Ferry Point Marina and moved to Whitehall marina. It was a 3hr passage. At first we thought it was going to rain all day and be too windy so we were going to push to tomorrow- then the rain stopped and it looked like tomorrow would be too windy. So we took the weather window. It was still overcast and raw, and I thought there is no way the sun could come out today. Jesus loves to surprise us and Adonai loves to see us smile! Wouldn’t you know it? About 15 min after we left the dock, the clouds parted and the sun shone down. It only lasted for 5 min, but I knew it was a G-d wink! One of those moments where He breaks through and says, “Girl, I got you”. I had been nervous about moving bc the last time we went out we had some engine trouble. Well everything went fine. They got us in the travel lift and they let us stay there while Steve changed the oil. The coolant did not appear to be leaking. The engine started right up! We hired a captain from Chronic Sailing named Steve. I felt like we might need an extra hand and as insurance that it would go well. It worked! Steve motored out of the slip (once we were off the bottom😉). Ferry Point’s well is only about 6-7’ deep and the tide went out while Steve was changing the oil. Plus it was a North wind so blows out the water too. So when they first let the slings loose we didn’t move. So they put us back in the slings and moved the lift out about another foot. Then we were able to move. Steve and I motored the whole way. The captain just hung out. Now just off of Cape St Claire beach there was a boat fishing in the channel after we passed him, all of a sudden we started to slow down. We were going a good 5.5-6.0 knots then down to 3.3kts. The engine was still at 1800rpms and the engine temp at ~160. So that’s when the captain made his money- he said “slow down, no neutral, now kick it in reverse.” Then as soon as we went in reverse a crab pot popped out of the water behind us like a duck surfacing! We snagged a crab pot and it slowed us down by half our speed! Good thing we figured it out otherwise the line can get wrapped around the prop. We thought we had dodged them all. The captain said we may have but sometimes they tie them together and you think you went in clean water between them but there is a line between them. We will have to watch that in the summer. It isn’t even crab season yet! The rest of the passage was smooth sailing! We carefully negotiated Whitehall bay, and the channel is skinny we have to watch the depth very closely. There are shoals on either side that go from 10’ to 2’. There are several ‘S’ turns to make and we’ll get used to where to point the more we go in and out. Then docking went very smoothly. That was what we really wanted the captain for and he helped keep us calm and was another hand for lines. It really helps when you’re docking to have 3 ppl- just so there are deckhands in port and starboard and someone at the helm. We slowed down, and backed it in - just got to get lined up good. The wind was out of the north but it was calm when we got up the creek. Bay Dreamer really loves her new home!

Last day. I took Marty J out of the Bight towards Road Town. Sir Francis Drake channel was bumpy. We raised the main to the second reef which really made the boat much easier to steer. We motor-sailed because we needed to get to Road Town to turn in the boat and go to the fuel dock. Weather was squally but we didn’t get wet while underway.

Departed North Sound, Virgin Gorda. We raised the sails and did some drills in the sound, specifically “crazy Ivans” as a manuever to avoid collision in an emergency. Then we sailed out of North Sound and almost immediately sailed into a squall with up to 30 kts wind and rain. The squall lasted about 30 minutes, then we settled into a pleasant close reach sail with double reef main and single reef jib (we meant to double reef the jib but it pulled out to single). We rotated different tasks on the boat including helming. I found the boat easy to handle with that sail plan even in 20-25kts of breeze-only needing a light touch of 1 hand to steer. Seas were 4-6 feet with some ocean rollers coming through but the boat and crew handled it with ease. After negotiating the tricky channel to the anchorage, I was the morning ball “hooker”. I was able to hook the line but was unable to unhook it (it got caught on the float buoy). The boat hook got pulled forward and caught in the anchor. But other than a broken boat hook, no other damage to the boat or crew.

Motored from The Baths to Bitter End Yacht Club at North Sound, Virgin Gorda. The crew decided to motor because the destination was straight upwind and there is a large reef at the entrance to North Sound. So we motored. I helmed the boat most of the way and was on the helm when we picked up the ball.

Motored across the Sir Francis Drake Channel. We motored because we wanted to get to the Baths early before the crowds. We were also worried that the beach would be closed due to rough surf. But, we arrived and the beaches were open and there wet enough mooring balls for the whole flotilla. We dingied in then swam in, toured the Baths, which were incredible! After about 2 hours onshore, we got everyone safely on the dingy, then safely back on the boat. As we slipped the mooring, 2 boats that were circling converged. So it was good that we got there early!

Annapolis Christmas Boat Parade on Annapolis Sailing School’s Sabre 34 “Lightsaber”. Ian Morrison was the skipper. Under power the whole time. We went up Spa Creek loop twice-after going through the Eastport draw bridge. Then came out and did the loop by Naval Academy and went down ego alley twice! Temps were in the low 30s. I was on the bow the whole time. Winds picked up by the Naval Academy. I was cold!