It has been a long busy winter and spring aboard Magnolia. We had the mast pulled and re-built essentially from the metal up. We made a number of modifications to enhance our ability to manage the rig. It is essential that Annette and I can safely and easily manage the sails and running rigging. The safety aspect is self evident but the more subtle reason is the more we will use them! It is all to easy to reach down and turn the ignition switch to start the diesel!

In addition to the rigging we installed cabling and antennas for VHF, Television, Cellular and Single Side Band (SSB -”HAM Radio”). The cost of installation while the mast is already out of the boat is insignificant compared to trying to do anyone of them while the mast is installed. The VHF (Very High Frequency) radio is constantly in use as it is our primary means to communicate with boats around us and to receive weather reports. Its range is limited to 10-15 miles. Its importance is of such significance that we have a second, completely separate installation below at the Nav Station with the antenna mounted on the aft davits. In addition we carry a hand-held aboard Blossom our dingy. You never know when the Admiral Annette wants to add an item to the grocery list! The Television antenna is self explanatory though not sure how much we will use that. The cellular antenna will vastly extend cellular coverage particularly outside of urban areas. We also have the ability to obtain internet access through this means. We have a portable WIFI antenna as our primary access which has given is ranges of over 2 miles on WIFI! Longer range communications will be done through SSB. As with VHF we can talk to other boats but at much greater ranges, hundreds of miles and in some cases thousands of miles. This radio also allows us to send text only emails and receive weather maps to the computer.

It seems with any contractor there are delays. Our rigger got behind a few weeks but the quality of his work is impeccable. Late one Saturday afternoon our rigger was making winch mount for the reefing winch. It was a couple pieces of shaped aluminum held together with clamps etc. The next morning on our return there was this beautifully crafted mount. The craftsmanship was unbelievable and it would look right at home installed in one our missiles, well minus the winch of course!

Annette and I had made a commitment to meet the Pentagon Sailing Club in LaTrappe Creek, MD about 45 miles away over the Memorial Day weekend. Annette and I took re-delivery of Magnolia about Friday noon spent the afternoon and evening getting settled in. The next morning our friends and crew Patricia & Brian Peters came aboard and we were off! Straight from the shipyard to sea! As Captain Ron said, “if its gonna happen, its gonna happen out there!” Thankfully the weatherman’s forecast of no wind was wrong and we had a wonderful 44 mile sail. We shut down the engine and raised the sails at the end of the dock and we were off! It was a great weekend away.

(Patricia Peters at the helm as Annette enjoys the sail!)

This and next weekend are heavily laden with chores! This weekend was getting the Nav Station all wired up with VHF, Sailing instruments and the required stereo. We used a sacrificial piece of plywood to test fit everything. This week will transfer all those cut outs in the wood to our final piece, a very nicely finished piece of teak. After that we move straight into installation of the auto-pilot! As you can see, it never ends!

Truthfully we have no reason to complain about this winter, at least so far! Most know this is our “big work” winter on Magnolia. We had the mast un-stepped for the rigger and sails hauled off to the sail loft for the winter. The rigger is giving the mast and chain plates (wire shrouds tie the mast to the chain plates attached to Magnolias hull) a winters full of attention. Every piece of hardware, wire and screw has been removed and the mast stripped of paint down to bare aluminum. The mast will be painted with 3 coats of paint and updated hardware, rewired and new low energy LED lighting installed. As far as the sails, the sail loft looked at them made a few minor repairs, cleaned them and they are ready for hanking on as soon and the temperatures climb! (and the mast is stepped).

Shrink wrap support frame goes up

Shrink wrap from the outside and inside below. The goal is simply to keep snow from piling up in the cockpit though it does get incredibly warm “inside” even in the middle of winter.

Annette and I have our own list which is, knock on wood, is going along pretty darn well. Going into the fall we “thought” we were going to have to install new water lines to the forward head. After some additional investigation we found we that a little re-routing was all that was required. Annette is as usual behind her sewing machine. She made a cover for the outboard motor and a new wind scoop for cabin hatch. On those nights when at anchor and the wind is not blowing quite enough the wind scoop will hopefully get us there. In addition for fun she makes these bags made from retired sails. These bags are righteous! They are in-destructible, highly water resistant and as cool as boat stuff gets! The one below (shown in progress) was made for a raffle the Pentagon Sailing Club was having.

As you can see Magnolia is resting comfortably on her jack-stands. You can also see her mast is not stepped but on saw-horses before her.

Over the winter the mast will be completely refurbished, hardware updated and chain plates inspected. While our rigger, East Port Spar & Rigging is doing their thing, Annette and I will be doing a number of chores onboard as well!

On Thursday Annette and I brought Magnolia from St Mary’s, MD to Solomons Island, MD, a passage of about 35 miles. Friday we arose expecting an easy departure followed by favorable west winds to carry us to our next destination, Dunns Cove on the eastern side of Tilghman Island on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Sounds good, huh?

Just after raising the anchor and preparing to depart the anchorage the engine died. Not good, but not the end of the world. The engine on a sail boat is called an Auxiliary Diesel for a reason! After making a quick assessment that vessel and crew were safe the trouble shooting begins. We measured remaining fuel last evening and decided to change over to the “other tank.” Bad fuel…hmmm added fuel from same same pump to both tanks and first fine, fuel should be fine. We have two fuel filters on Magnolia that we can swap in and out with a couple of valves. Whatever was in the fuel lines was now in the filters because the first one was completely clogged and the second was right behind it. We nursed Magnolia over to the fuel pier about 1/2 mile away and just before getting lines across the engine dies again! Crap, luckily we were on a good trajectory and Aelous *god of wind” smiled on us and gently nudged us pier side.  Annette did do a hell of a good job keeping us running head on to the pier. After a quick filter swap out and a couple more gallons of fuel onboard we are underway out into the Patuxent River for our trip out to the Chesapeake Bay. Note: We carry 10 spare filters onboard for just this type of situation, bad gas is just part of the experience!

As we approached the Chesapeake Bay a left turn would take us north towards home but as Annette suggested a right turn would take us…

As expected westerly’s did fill in nicely as we sailed along with a single reef in the main and half the jib out. As we sailed north lines of rain squalls began moving in from the west. The first got us with heavy rain and wind though we did decide we had too much sail out. As soon as the squall passed we reefed down to and rolled the jib only to watch the second to pass in front of us in the distance. The third and strongest got us square on. It was exciting but Magnolia and crew did just fine. The only troubling aspect was the loss of my 15 year old Bahamas Fast Ferry baseball cap. It is really sad because the hat had become appropriately worn and broken in after all these years. Luckily the “Yahoo News” ball cap has been in hot standby. Magnolia ended the day anchored in the Rhode River right near our home port at Galesville, MD with a rainbow.

Where is Magnolia Chart??

It’s 7:30 the engine is idling the only problem, okay that might be too strong, is there is a bit of fog. We usually have coffee and a bite to eat after we get underway but today we will sit tight for a bit. It has been a busy week this far and have we have really enjoyed the anchorage here across from St Mary’s College.

Magnolia has been sailing in the company of S/V Second Sally (Greg & Marie Rodgers) this week which has been great fun.  We all went ashore yesterday toured the grounds and enjoyed lunch in the Student Commons at St May’s College. We had a nice walk around the campus. I did not know it but St Mary’s was the first Capitol of Maryland. In 1934 the State reconstructed the original statehouse and some of the surrounding grounds as a historic attraction. It is quite nice and on being on this beautiful river only adds to it!

 

The one thing Annette and I are still getting our arms around is…when we go ashore and look out to the anchorage and see Magnolia out there, we simply have to shake our heads and ask how lucky can we be?

 Sadly Magnolia and Second Sally will part ways today as Annette and I start our trek back north and Greg & Mare head south eventually back to the Bahamas. We are going to charter a boat in the Bahamas this winter so hopefully we will at least catch up there.

Assuming we can safely get underway this morning we will make a 40 mile back up to Solomon’s and anchor there is a beautiful cove we found while taking the dinghy around there earlier this week. The weatherman is calling for winds out of the south and that anchorage will provide us good coverage for that as well.

Magnolia and crew had a very pleasant “motor” (no wind) in the company of S/V Second Sally down from Galesville. Departing Galesville in simply beautiful fall weather there nothing of note with the exception of two A-10 Warthog aircraft deciding we look interesting to over fly and the mouth of the Little Choptank where the the fishing boats were lined up close enough there was no need to build a bridge! Just hop one to another! We will be heading on to Solomon Islands on the Patuxent tomorrow.

Route Map                          Pictures

Starting Saturday Annette and I start our year end big sailing trip for the season and boy are we ready to go!

Our friends Greg & Marie Rodgers dropped anchor last night in the Weems Creek off the Severn River in Annapolis MD. They arrived in from a late summer trip to Maine to pick Blueberries followed by a stop in Connecticut to purchase anchor chain. I only partially jest!. Friday all 4 of us will be working at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in the Seven Sea Cruising Association booth. Saturday morning Annette & I will get Magnolia underway and rendezvous Second Sally (Greg & Marie) somewhere down the bay for dinner. We will continue south into next week where Second Sally will continue her journey south and Annette & I will return to Washington….hopefully only for a couple more years! We will be posting regularly through the weekend and into next week so follow along if you care too!

We had a planned a weekend sail with our friends the Tennar’s but unfortunately they had to cancel. In spite of the rain and cool temperature and Annette and I got underway on Saturday for a run across the bay ending up at an anchorage in the Rhode River near our homeport in Galesville, MD. In spite of overnight temperatures in the high 40’s Magnolia kept us perfectly warm. Granted we fired the gas stove oven to cook dinner, fired the 8.5Kw generator to run the hot water heater and the furnace for a few minutes before bed. We had a lovely dinner and comfy night.

Though the picture does not do it justice we were rewarded with a spectacular morning run back to our homeport in Galesville. It was a great weekend in spite of missing our friends Jack & Kathy.