Rome to Brewerton, NY



Eastern Erie Canal

The weather has been absolutely fantastic on this leg, another cool clear day with little wind, just great for traveling on the waterway. We have two down locks today taking us from 420 feet above sea level to 370 feet above sea level. This is the first time we have negotiated locking down and it is quite different than going up. Going up the lock begins 12 feet deep water flows in from the upper stream and creates turbulence in the lock. The down lock is like pulling the plug in bathtub water flows out from the bottom and creates little turbulence. Due to the smoother ride, lockmasters can open the gates wide and we lower somewhat faster than rising.

Oneida Lake Eastern Entrance

Then, across Lake Oneida about 15 miles long and running east and west. Generally, 40 feet deep and very similar to Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. Lots of boaters enjoying the water and sun, fishing, sailing and boating. We arrived at Winter Harbor Boatyard, our home for the next two weeks, about 1:30 PM a bit earlier than we planned.

The western part of the Erie Canal has a clearance of 15’ 6”, in normal travel position we have an air draft of 17’ 1”. Jim and I re-measured the boat and confirmed the overall height. The radar dome and the anchor light are the two highest objects on the boat. The arch that supports the radar dome folds down, so we folded the arch removed the dome and set it on the aft roof. That gets the arch area down to 14’ ½”. Next the Bimini Top is the highest point and although hard to measure exactly also will not meet the 15’ 6” restriction. The normal stowed position for the Bimini Top is forward resting on the forward cross rail and supports. But the stowed position is too high as well. Laying the top on the windshield obscures the view from the upper helm. By folding the top aft and resting it on the folded radar arch we measured 15’ 0”. Then if we put the aft most braces back in place it raised the top about 3”. So we have a comfortable spot at 15’ 3” and an absolute minimum of 15’. We will be able to take the western section of the Canal to Buffalo, NY.

Winter Harbor Boatyard

Jim decided to return to Milwaukee a day early and I used the Marina provided car to take him to the Amtrak station in Syracuse. I will remain an additional day to do maintenance tasks reading for the next leg.

This leg has been a real learning experience, a large water passage on the Delaware Bay, two ocean passages, entering NYC harbor and visiting the Statue of Liberty, enjoying the Hudson River to Albany and traversing the Eastern half of the Erie Canal. I have much appreciation for the help from my crew mates, Daughter Debi DeBattista, Doug Timmel, and Jim Abele. Thanks to all of you for making this leg safe and enjoyable.

Radar Arch Folded and Dome Removed

Fonda to Rome, NY

Leaving Fonda Wall Tie

Another beautiful weather day, sunny, cool most of the day, warm when we stopped, little wind, it does not get better than this. Departed the dock this morning at 7:00, 20 minutes to the next lock and once again up we go. By the end of the day, we will have climbed to 420 feet above sea level.  Some of the up bound locks can be a bit tricky especially due to the construction and general maintenance. The water bypassing the lock flows over the dam and flows into the lock approach. So there are some difficult cross flow currents and then bounces off the hard walls. Once inside the lock the water is calm and the next step is to select a position on the wall. We have been locking starboard to the lock, however, Lock 17 everyone westbound must lock on the port side, since the water only flows from the starboard. We entered lock 18 today only to be followed by a tour boat as we locked up I listened to the commentary and learned there are 30” discharge tubes placed about every 40 feet on both sides of the wall. The lockmaster can open the gates by thirds and lights on the surface display the amount the valve is open. We had some very gentle lifts and when I thanked the lockmaster for the gentle lift. He told us that one of his valves was plugged with algae or seaweed and that the maintenance crew had a portable industrial sized air compressor they would use to clear the intake screens.

Efficient Water Flow

Lock 17 is quite a unique lock with the largest lift (40 feet) on the Erie Canal. Instead of hinged barn door type gates this lock has a vertical lift door. Needless to say when you pass under this door the boat gets wet. This lock only has ropes, as the water enters the lock it is turbulent and currents move both side to side and fore and aft. Having only ropes tied to the top of the lock to control the motion of the boat takes a fair amount of exertion, so we are getting our exercise.

We stopped for fuel today at the St. Johnsville City Marina and Campground. The marina is run by the municipality and we purchased diesel for $3.25 per gallon. I would get out plastic garbage bags and filled them at this price. We have paid $4.01 per gallon. I know $0.75 per gallon does not seem like a lot but when you purchase 138.3 gallons it adds up. I will post messages to other boaters.

Jim preparing for a lock

The lock masters are great, in the morning they asked if the two other boats at our overnight were up and moving. I was able to tell them one had their generator running and the other did not plan to leave today. Later in the day, they ask if we are moving on through the next lock and then call to tell the lockmaster that we are coming. The canal is open from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm this time of year; however, we have no intention of traveling at night. Today 7:00 am until 7:00 pm, from lock 13 through lock 20, and mile marker 48 to 114. A great travel day!

Beautiful Scenery, lots of transportation modes

Wall Tie at Rome, with Waterfall and Park

Waterford to Fonda, NY

We began our journey thru the Erie Canal this morning. Very over cast that quickly cleared providing a clear sunny day but cool for this time of year. The climate here is much like upstate Wisconsin this time of year.

Lock 3, The Flight

We entered lock 2, there is no lock 1, behind a trimaran sailboat and our two boats began the flight. The flight is a series of 5 locks in 1.5 miles that raises the boat about 160 feet above the Hudson River. The lockmasters are coordinated and provide for both east bound and west bound traffic. Two boats of the 14 at the dock the night before preceded us and we were next. Learning to enter a lock carefully is a trick especially in some windy conditions. I really appreciated the experience I gained at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, since in many ways maneuvering Reunion is much the same as a keel sailboat with a small sail. Tiller position and applying the proper amount of thrust whether with the engine or sail I found to be very similar. All the principals of physics apply in both cases. Our time in the locks is quite busy and it is difficult to take pictures and manage the boat.

After the flight, we were in the Mohawk River system a very well-marked river with no commercial traffic. The Erie Canal is now primarily used for recreational boating.  As the day progressed we completed an additional 6 locks and are currently positioned behind the Canal Maintenance facility at a free dock and we are able to use the free electricity as well.

Electricity is important tonight because the battery that powers our bow thruster has gone dead. All the close maneuvering required much use of the bow thruster and we determined tonight that this battery is only charged when we are on shore power. That error in judgment will be remedied soon.

How did we get to the Dells?

When we figure travel time on the Erie Canal it is suggested to plan ½ hour for each lock and transit time at 10 mph. We don’t quite make 10 mph at 7 knots but close enough. So today we traversed 11 locks and traveled 48.2 miles a good travel day.

Reconstruction after Irene

To night we met a lady that is single handing a small sailboat. She walks with a cruch and came over to help us with our lines when we landed. She is going to Chicago and then plans to ship her boat to Seattle.  Wow, a very capable person. I spoke with her about how she is managing the locks and was quite impressed, she runs a line bow to stern and then uses the slack in the line to wrap around the lock pole, cable or in the case of separate ropes she uses the recessed ladder in the lock wall. Well done!

The Canal Authority has done a fantastic job repairing the canal. Pictures we saw last year showed this 1800's building falling into the river. The grass and lot infront of the building was the river.

The Town across from our tie up tonight

Esopus Creek (Saugerties) to Waterford



Bristol Red Tug

We raised the anchor and left our cozy anchorage to a very grey sky with showers on the radar, our plan was to move to Albany, Troy or Waterford the start of the Erie Canal. A pleasant ride today with a tide push speed over ground (SOG) 8.9 knots at times generally over 8 knots all the way. Great sights along the way, old light houses, tugs, barges, nice countryside views.

Cool Lighthouse

We did not have good paper charts for the Hudson River so at times we were not sure of our position. All the commentary is listed in statute miles but there are no mile markers on the charts. So as we passed a long dock in Troy, NY we surmised that it was the Troy Dock mentioned in the guide books. When we saw a dam we figured it was the troy lock. We contacted the Troy Lockmaster, he was about to lock a south bound boat and our wait would be about 15 minutes, then another north bound boat called to lock through as well. A strong wind began to blow from the south directly up river and of course that was followed by a bit of rain. It cleared some as the locks were opened, the wind from our stern pushed us around a bit but we were able to secure to the wall. This first lock is fairly new and has pipes in recesses in the lock wall. We wrap a line around the pipe amidships and bring the boat close to the wall; again everything that floats is affected by the wind. After exiting the lock, very quickly we were at the turn for the Erie Canal and docked to the stone wall at the visitor’s center.

 I was a bit concerned since we do not have full registration with the State of Wisconsin and documented boats must display their state sticker. I registered with the State and received a 21 day temporary license; Carol was standing by to run to the DNR in Sturtevant if necessary. We met a very nice lady at the welcome center and printed our temporary State documentation and then off to the lockmaster for permission and purchasing the permit. For a boat 39+ feet long the permit is $20 for two days, $50 for 10 days and $100 for the season. Since we will be leaving the boat in Syracuse for two weeks we needed the season pass. The promised rain began just as we were leaving the lockmasters office. The lockmaster mentioned that the first bridge is 17 feet, a bit unexpected since the advertised height for this end of the canal is 20 feet. We will do some close measuring in the morning.

Albany Capitol Building

There are 14 boats on the wall here this evening many of them “Loopers”, I expect locking through in the morning will be busy. Everyone is undercover since it as begun to rain quite steadily.

Walking through the little town here at Waterford reveals a long history of life on the canal. We needed a few things for locking, throw away gloves and plastic garbage bags to cover the fenders. We found an estate sale shop that had one type of glove and two types of garbage bags. With everything in hand we returned to the boat, cool now and raining, we will shower and settle in for the evening.

River sights

Half Moon Bay to Esopus Creek (Saugerties)

After doing a tour of the boat with Jim and normal startup activities we departed Half Moon Bay about 9:00. The river had a few wavelets and we began to move north, the tide would be against us most of the day but it was the only thing to do. We were able to maintain about 6 knots most of the day and toward the end of the day 7 to 7.5 knots. We decided to take the second anchorage available and traveled to mile marker 51 on the Hudson. The entrance to the Erie Canal is 51 miles away. We arrived about 6:00 our travels today routed past West Point, Poughkeepsie and smaller upstate towns. Very pretty travel on a river about a half mile wide in most places. The river is beginning to narrow now. West Point is a fortress with what appears to be staff housing overlooking the river. Lots of history.

West Point

Tonight we were surprised by the closeness of the anchorage. We are anchored in the middle of the river on a fairly short rode and as the wind blows we move from shore to shore. Small upstate New York town, very friendly people that directed us to the anchorage and keep us from moving toward shallow water. People on shore are enjoying a nice summer evening, laughing and partying. A nice place to be, starting to cool off now that the sun has set.

 

Staff Housing



Enticer

Close Quarters at Anchor

NYC to Croton on Hudson, NY



Manhattan in the morning

We left the Statue of Liberty anchorage at 8:00 and headed up the Hudson a very interesting ride. I am overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the city; we noted that 5 or 6 apartment buildings in NYC equal the population of many cities in the Midwest. Many complexes are truly huge, about half the population of the State of New York. As we cruised up the Hudson under the George Washington Bridge we discussed how Sully landed the Airbus on the river, truly an amazing accomplishment.  We went on line and watched the reenactment of the landing with the live flight recorder discussion between the air traffic controllers and Sully, really amazing. Then further up the river a creek joins the river from the right and makes Manhattan an Island. Yonkers is just beyond Manhattan 17 miles from downtown. The river generally is about a half mile wide and about 60 feet deep and is tidal all the way to Albany. We goggled many interesting facts about the river and the history. Just before the Tappan Zee Bridge there is Dobbs landing, Cornwallis tried to move his troops across the river and a group of patriots held them back with 4 cannon and a howitzer. George Washington thought the river was so important that he commissioned a fort at West Point to stop the English invasion. I am no historian but I found much of this information quite interesting as I saw the places on the river. Then just before our marina was Sing-Sing Prison, very well kept lawns and prisoners have a good view of all the festivities on the river. That might be cruel and unusual punishment. We landed at Half Moon Bay Marina about 2:00 and Doug Timmel got a train back to NYC and then a bus back to Allentown. It was really great to be with Doug this week; he provided much support and wise counsel. We enjoyed boating together and are planning a trip to the Abacos Islands in a couple of winters. Thanks Doug for all your help. 

George Washington Bridge

Jim Abele boarded the Lakeshore Limited Amtrak train Saturday evening about 9:00 and arrived a bit late about 6:30 PM on Sunday. We did some grocery shopping and washed a few clothes and settled in for the evening.

The end of the day was quite warm and humid; we were able to use the air conditioner in the boat at the Half Moon Bay Marina.



Moving up the Hudson

Metedeconk River to New York City

Early departure to catch the outgoing tide, up at 5:00 underway at 5:30, Point Pleasant Canal runs a 4 knot current so even with the engine throttled back we proceeded at 9.2 knots. At 6:00 am there are lots of fishermen heading for the ocean, all of them faster than us. There is a railroad bridge just inside the inlet with a width of under 25 feet; boats cannot pass in this area. So just like a one way area in a construction zone boats firs proceed out bound and then inbound. The problem is no flagman and the bridge blocks the line of sight for boaters due to a curve in the channel. Just the other side of the bridge is a marina entrance and more boats join the parade. We were following a sport fisherman that had decided to go slow through the area and as we reached the end of the inlet he increased speed and we increased speed. I looked back to see 30 fishing boats behind us of every shape and size.

A small part of the fishing fleet

Once on the ocean the fishermen went in various directions but generally congregated in pods. We saw kayaks, center counsel open bow boats, and 50 ft. sport fishing boats all in the same area. In one spot the bait fish jumped and splashed about so much I thought it was a rapid current flow. On very interesting fisherman had a peddle powered boat with a diving flag, he was wearing a diving suit. As he slipped over the side he grabbed his spear fishing gun and disappeared.

By Sandy Hook we had passed the fishing fleet and began to see commercial traffic leaving the city. Lots of barges and tugs, many carrying petroleum products.

After the Verrazano Bridge

It was a hazy morning, but through the fog at Sandy hood we could begin to see the skyline of New York. First Coney Island, then the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, then Manhattan and the harbor. Busy place with tour boats, ferry boats, commercial traffic, water taxies, sightseeing boats, fast catamarans similar to the one on Lake Michigan. Then all the recreational traffic, sailboats, trawlers, anchored fisherman, and sailing school dingys.

We were headed for Liberty Harbor Marina, from the north side of the entrance we needed to cross through all the craziness to the other side. The marina is located in Jersey City and provided a two hour tie up free for lunch. We went to the marina, pumped the holding tank and then proceeded to a slip. Lunch was wonderful with linen covered table cloths and a great view of Manhattan. I had a roast leg of lamb sandwich and Doug chose the lobster sandwich. I could eat half of mine, Doug’s lunch came with potato chips that were potato slices earlier in the morning, 4” long 2” wide and very tasty.  All in all a fine meal, we left the slip for our anchorage behind the statue of liberty. A bit busy here in the bay but the only anchorage for 50 miles and slip fees here is $4 per foot per night, we decided to rock and roll a bit.

Spoke with Jim Abele my sailing buddy from Milwaukee and he is coming out on the Amtrak train leaving tonight and will arrive tomorrow about 5:00 pm. The Amtrak Lake Shore Limited route from Chicago runs across Indiana, to Toledo close to Lake Erie, to Erie, PA, Buffalo, NY and then follows the Erie Canal to Albany and down the Hudson to NYC. This will be our primary method for return travel the balance of the trip. The train takes a bit longer but there is a marina about 10 blocks from the train station, very easy.

Tonight anchored behind the Statue of Liberty is very special and I expect the city lights will be spectacular. The best sight is the new World Trade Center building now towering over the city and the Freedom Tower next to it. Both are under construction and there are lots of stories about the building process and the connection to the survivor families.

The New Towers Under Construction

Barnegat Bay to Manasquan

We’re voyaging again!!!! Parts came in about 9:00 am this morning and after a discussion with the marina owner, he agreed to lend me a bench to do the rebuild. Chad one of the mechanics immediately said he can use my bench. I will clean it off. I followed Chad to the shop and he not only cleaned off his bench but also offered his tools for me to use. That kind of hospitality is unheard of in other places.

Doug and I disassembled, install the new seal kit in about an hour and went to the boat to install the cylinder. The reinstallation went quite smoothly in another hour and then we needed to bleed the air from the hydraulic system. That took another hour and a half adding about 3 or 4 ounces of fluid, pumping it through the system, bleeding air at the cylinder, operating the lower helm to pump the fluid through the tubes, adding more fluid at the upper helm station and so on and so on. A very tedious process. While under way, I went to the aft cabin to check on the steering system and it was dry as it should be. All seems to be well!

We pulled out of the slip about 2:30 PM moving to the gas dock for some added diesel, very reasonable at $3.74 per gallon. We should have enough fuel now to reach Albany. As we motored to the bay there was a stiff wind from the South and a 2-3 ft. chop on the bay as we headed north. We decided to stay inside since our local knowledge folks assured us that the channel was deep enough for our boat to reach the Manasquan Inlet. There is a very narrow channel as we end the inside passage call the Point Pleasant Canal the current is reported to be 4.0 knots at flood and ebb. We have reviewed the tide tables and believe we need to leave our anchorage at 5:00 am tomorrow morning. It will be a short night. We are anchored in the Metedeconk River this evening, had shrimp for dinner and are enjoying some relaxations after dinner. Time to do the blog, answer emails and call home, then off to bed you sleepy head we plan an early morning.

The repairs and stay at Key Harbor Marina went better than we expected. Fred Brueggemann and his staff, their hospitality and extensive knowledge went a long way toward solving our problems. I cannot recommend them highly enough to other boaters.

Doug and Kathy's summer estate or maybe Jon Bon Jovi's house

We're pretty sure, Jon Bon Jovi's house

Another wonderful Sunset

The Point at Key Harbor Marina

Barnegat, NJ

Today is a non-travel day; we ordered parts for the steering cylinder from Vetus in Annapolis. There are three rebuild kits for the cylinder and I will own two of them tomorrow. Randy the parts manager, John from Jerry’s Diesel Service, and Tim from Vetus have helped a great deal and we expect our parts before noon tomorrow. Fred the manager of the Marina is the best, providing assistance and lots of local knowledge. He assured us the passageway from here on the Intercostal is fine. So tomorrow we rebuild the cylinder and install it in the boat.

Very well manufactured solid brass cylinder

I was able to do a bit of cleaning around the boat, but every time I started washing it started raining. So then I would have lunch, the sun would come out, I would start washing and it would start raining.

Things learned recently, Doug suggested tying off the anchor chain when anchoring to relieve the strain on the windless gears. Good suggestion. I learned that Hull Cleaner when properly applied needs no scrubbing, just wait a while and the stains disappear. Who da thunk!

It seems a breeze builds late in the day here today it is from the south at 10-15 knots. Now storms are rolling past and it has cooled again.

Hope to be back on the voyage later tomorrow.



Doug workin on his iPad getting Tide Tables

Cape May to Barnegat Light

Sun Rising over the Atlantic

Our first ocean cruise started early when Doug got up and said “Dennis let’s get this show on the road.” It was 5:30 and reveille had not yet been sounded at the Coast Guard training center, however, I heard chanting as we pulled out. Windless morning with two foot swells, no white caps but a rolling sea that raised and lowered 2 feet every 5 seconds. Not the most comfortable ride but our friends on “Castoff” assured us it was pretty good for the ocean.

We passed Atlantic City by noon and continued on. The next favored inlet at our speed was 10 hours away, so we looked for another place to stop. We found Barnegat Light Inlet on the charts and read about the inlet in the cruising guide. It stated that we must call on VHF 16 to gain local knowledge for accessing the inlet. Doug had heard it was the worst inlet on the east coast under many conditions. Even with local knowledge, going outside the marked channel toward a bunch of rocks make a hard left behind the standing wave at R6 then follow the channel markers exactly since much of the bay is only 2 ft. deep. With some help from locals we were able to traverse the 3 mile passage to the point at Key Harbor Marina. We will do some repairs here tomorrow, and hopefully move to NYC on Friday.

Atlantic City all grown up since I last saw it in 1968

All and all a good day covering 84 nm in about 12 hours. A warm shower felt really good this evening and we had a fine meal at the Marina Restaurant. Doug had red Snapper and I had Seafood Pasta. This particular restaurant is a BYOB and they cork your wine and provide glasses free.

First Mate Doug Timmel  Boat Shopping

Chesapeake City to Cape May, NJ

After getting totally confused with the tide tables, viewing conflicting tide tables, we decided to leave Chesapeake City between 8:00 and 8:30. Our route through the C&D Canal showed an outgoing tide to the Delaware Bay and we knew once in the Delaware Bay the tide would be adverse for sometime and then become favorable. Our trawler will run very comfortably at 2000 RPM and about 7 knots. The tide in the Delaware Bay can be as much as 2.5 knots, so our 7 knots could be 4.5 knots or 9.5 knots. It becomes very important to have a favorable tide.

We were first and slowest of the traveling boats to leave. By the time we reached the Salem Nuclear Power Plant, Freedom the 104 ft. Trumpy, passed and later our friends in Castoff passed and called that they had taken a nice picture of our boat and offered to email it to us. They planned to pass through Cape May and continue up the coast overnight to NYC.

The day was cool and we screamed out of the C&D Canal at 8.9 knots, reached the Delaware and slowed to 5.4 knots. The North wind began fairly strong, with a following sea and diminished as the day passed. A sprinkle toward the end as we entered the Cape May canal and we were looking for our winter gloves. Earlier we had layered up with tee shirts, sweat shirts, and wind jackets. Quite Cool! Very unusual!

As we entered Cape May Harbor, Doug noticed a Grand Banks that looks like our friends. A closer inspection with the binoculars confirmed it was “Castoff”. We called them on the VHF and asked if they had changed their minds about traveling north. They confirmed the wind was from the east and quite stiff, they now plan to leave at midnight when the east wind moderates and becomes southeast.

We plan to leave early and are hoping for calm seas in the ocean.

Tonight we are anchored near the Coast Guard training station in Cape May and can here the recruits doing their work and answering their leaders with “Sir, yes Sir” loudly in unison. The bugle announced the retirement of the colors and we remove our flag from the stern.

All in all a great cruising day!!!

I am very happy to announce that Jim Abele my sailing friend from the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center has agreed to accompany me on the third leg of the voyage beginning at the end of June.

Sassafras River to Chesapeake City on the C&D Canal

Last night rain storms passed each hour, Kathy mentioned she was awake from 2 AM to 4 AM as the storms rolled through. Very unusual weather for this time of year. Today, it was overcast and cool with 30 knot westerly winds, fortunately most of our trip was protected from the west as we moved north and east to Chesapeake City. Quaint little town with lots of specialty shops, restaurants and ice cream parlor.

The C&D canal was sponsored by Benjamin Franklin and removes 300 nm for the sea transit from Philadelphia to Baltimore. The canal is run by the Army Corps of Engineers and allows commercial vessels to 886 feet.

Freedom, Newport, RI

We arrived midafternoon and after a walk through town settled in at the Tiki Bar to see a 104 ft, 1926 Trumpy pull into the pier T. This boat is a sister ship to the Sequoia  the FDR presidential yacht and was refit in 2009. Currently, traveling from a winter in the Bahamas to their home port of Newport, RI. Absoulutely beautiful boat.

Tomorrow down the Delaware bay to Cape May and the Ocean.

Dennis and Debi on the Fly Bridge



Reunion on the Sassafras





The Tiki Bar, Thinking of you Eliot

Herring Bay to Skipjack Cove Marina, Sassafras River

We were the last to leave the anchorage this morning at 7:30 am; in fact everyone was gone when I first poked my head out at 6:30 sailors like to get an early start. Wind from the west as forecast 10-15 clear skies and 2 ft. seas after 10:00 am. Lots of commercial boat traffic, from Japan Switzerland and other exotic ports. We could see the Bay Bridge from the anchorage and about two hours later we crossed under the bridge. Fishermen use a rig similar to the planer boards Pastor Dave uses in Lake Michigan.

Really interesting weaving between the large freighters anchored near the Bay Bridge. Bulk haulers, car haulers and container ships that work their way up the bay to Annapolis. Much of the rural countryside could be Wisconsin, lots of large trees and a few farms with barns.

The Sassafras River is a real treat with 7 marinas and more boat than you can count of all shapes and sizes. Many sailboats at moorings, power boats rafted up just like on Lake Winnebago. Tide was at our back and so was the wind we came down the river made a U-turn and landed at the tee dock at Skipjack Cove Marina. Four dock hands were there to meet us and the Dock master Kevin. They tied us off and hooked up the electricity very efficiently. A really great reception! Doug and Kathy Timmel and their friend Jim were there to greet us as well. They all came aboard and Jim brought a bottle of rum. The reception party had started.

After showers, Tom, Alya and Adam arrived for a boat tour. Adam wants to be a captain soon. We toured the boat from stem to stern, even the engine room. Dinner at the marina restaurant featuring crab cakes that were absolutely delicious. The kids like clams and Doug treated them to a bowl of Sassafras River mud with worms, a delicacy hereabouts. (Chocolate pudding, Oreo cookie crumbs and gummy worms.) Then off to the playground here at the Marina. A storm cloud approached and we quickly left the playground, while the temperature dropped 15 degrees, the wind shifted and very dark clouds appeared. A visit to Doug and Kathy’s boat was next and they were very gracious in letting the kids visit every nook and cranny and again including the engine room. I guess us boaters are proud of our engines.