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.
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 …
Overnight in the Rhode River.
Here's where we anchored.
There's a big open creek with a bunch of low islands. Very salt-marsh. Many other boats because it's very pretty and accessible.
It's a few hours south of Annapolis. A few hours north of Herrington Harbour.
Here's something …
The West River Sailing Club Labor Day cruise involved a parade of rain showers on Saturday, leaving a lot boats on the dock. We ventured out Friday and learned a new word: "dog-stopping."
The cruise had two destinations. We'd been told about La Trappe creek. "Lovely," "Quiet." Those sorts of …
Yay! After posting my story, Cheryl sent pictures of Rob.
And her feet.
We might post a picture the painting Cheryl gave us. Here's the real deal, though. Her online portfolio: http://cherylwilsonart.com/index.html Enjoy.
Finally got cousin Robert and his wife Cheryl out on Red Ranger. We tried last summer, but there were complicated family issues, and our schedules never aligned.
This weekend was perfect. Light breezes. Not too hot.
And this
The US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. On it's way to …
This weekend, we went to West River Sailing Club for a party. The actual location was about 0.5 nm away from the club as the crow flies. Google said it would be five miles driving around the creeks of West River.
What's important is that unlike our last big …
We invited our neighbors, Dan and Jen, to the boat. The weather was deep into the realm we call "sporty" — wind was about 15 kn, gusting into the low 20's. It was supposed to slack down to 10 kn later in the day. Summary: 15g20>10.
Sporty conditions aren't for …
We used to carry two spare anchors on deck. We have two on the bowsprit, ready for use.
Yes, that's four anchors. If we need to stay put, we can.
On the left is a CQR. ("Secure", get it …
She's a boat — there are always things to do. We have enumerated the jobs using Trello. There are 51 things on the backlog. Okay. It's not a million. Some are really complex. Others are a trip to Home Depot to find the right gasket for the faucets.
Instead of work …