Norfolk, VA
To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.
Last year, we — sort of — lead a cruise for Labor Day. We learned about Dog-Stopping. This year, we learned a little more about racing and light-air sail handling.
This year, we decided to participate in the Annual Billy Heinz Regatta at WRSC.
We left the …
Saturday was a beautiful day. It wasn't great for sailing, but the beauty of clear air and light breezes was spectacular. Did I mention the light breezes? From almost flat calm to about 5 kt was all the wind we had.
I (finally) started moving the cars for the yankee …
The two are unrelated.
Saturday, we packed ten guests onto Red Ranger, and sailed around Herring Bay. Pictures? Sorry. Too busy schmoozing to actually take any pictures. It was hot and sunny with wind that barely reached 8 knots. We drifted around pleasantly. Gybed once to avoid the fish traps …
For years, we turned the helm over to our trusted crew member, Midshipman, Mr. Benmar.
While he was rugged, reliable, and patient, it was always a kind of crap-shoot to see what Mr. Benmar had in mind. Roll the dice. Perhaps you were on course, perhaps not …
The West River Sailing Club membership has a number of benefits. Crabs being one of them. Of course, we had to get there, and get back in time for work on Monday. And square away the Auto-Pilot.
After stuffing our faces with crab, slaw, corn …
We took CA's Yoga Teachers cohort sailing on Saturday. Winds 10-ish (and dropping) from about 090°. Sunny and 25°C air temp, so it was — perhaps — one of the most perfect possible days for sailing. Can I say perfect without invoking Poseidon's wrath? It was essentially perfect.
There was two …
Previous years began around Memorial Day. This year, we had a late start.
CA's Side Project has been Yoga Teacher Training. 200 hours of classroom time is a lot of work.
S.Lott's Side Project has been an Anchor Alarm.
The core concept is …
The hull paint was chipped in some places. Down to a thin layer in others.
We touched it up.
The bulk of the bottom paint is in good shape. We hope this little touch-up will reduce barnacle and algae damage for another …
The Whitby design has a fairly large number of through-hull fittings. They let water in (and out) of the boat in a controlled fashion. For fittings below the waterline, we have huge bronze valves — sea cocks — to be sure we can close off the hole in case a hose fails …
We've moved the deck drain hoses. The Whitby has wonderful bulwarks that trap water running over the decks. The original Whitby design had hoses that ran from deck drains to through-hulls below the waterline. It's an elegant idea that keeps the cockpit dry and makes sure dropped tools don't always …
Red Ranger uses "raw" water for a number of things: flushing the forward head, rinsing in the galley sink, cooling the engine, washing down the anchor. Once upon a time, it also had air conditioners, a fridge, and an aft head that used raw water also.
All of the raw …
House batteries were nearly dead. See House Batteries for their last days.
I have a theory that ice in the bilge may have frozen the switch in the on position, and the motor's overheat protector kicked on and off over a period of weeks, running the batteries down in the …
The house batteries date from September 2011. We've gotten a hair over six years of service from batteries that are normally replaced every five years. They're not stone dead. See Sudden Death—Joys and Concerns for details of the last time they died.
They're not dead. But. They're barely …
When we lived aboard, we didn't winterize. Winterizing is a potentially big job. But we think we're getting a grip on it. Except for one thing. And this year, it was a problem. So we had to do some diagnostic work.
Here's the …
The whole story is kind of complex. The bottom line is that we have a counter-top issue in Red Ranger's galley. A serious "Concern". Or maybe Concern in bold.
There are two strategies available. (Three, if "Ignore It" is a strategy.)
Replace the counter top with a new counter top …
The Whitby has a dozen opening portlights. Plus three hatches.
In the bright, tropical sun, it can get warm. Really warm.
The previous owner had curtains. We took those out because they're dust and mildew catchers.
We tried to make window shades from HDPE board. If you're careful, you can …
It was a weekend of contrasts. Two dear friends came down to visit for the weekend and sail. We've had some drive-by visits where a quick sail on Red Ranger can be worked out. This visit was a stark contrast to those. These were folks looking to sail.
To make …
When we bought Red Ranger, we bought more than a boat. We bought a family. This year's rendezvous involved six boats at the West River Sailing Club dock, and almost 30 people in the various presentations.
CA put together an epic program and party.
Our trip up on Sunday was …
The West River Sailing Club Autumnal Equinox cruise involved a number of firsts for Red Ranger. It's difficult to count the number of firsts we enjoyed.
The first of the firsts was visiting Harrison Creek and Dun Cove. This is about two miles north of Knapp's Narrows. It's quiet, and …
The bottom of the Chesapeake involves silt. A lot of it. Anchoring in silt is kind of fun. You barely have to think about it. Except, of course, for the silt that stays with your anchor chain.
When we first started sailing down here, we heard an old salt explain …