While waiting for another set of brackets to be manufactured for us by the Yanmar boys, we got the broken one repaired by a local welder. The friendly but lax way of doing business gave us a taste of a laid back Delaware that reminded us of some countries south of the border: “How much is it going to be?”. “I don’t know, 40 or 50 bucks, I guess”.
When we came back to pick up the bracket the welder proudly presented the piece to us claiming that it was “as strong as before”. We had to reexplain that it broke because it wasn’t strong enough. “Can you make it stronger?”. “I guess, if you want”, he said.
Lewes is a lovely town and Lewesians are very friendly. During our longer than anticipated stay we made new friends, and also shared several meals with old friends that moved to Delaware 12 years ago. They kindly lent us a car, and Bob supervised my first ever oil and filter change.
Since the Yanmar people were taking their time (waiting for the boss to come back from vacation), we took our chances and decided to sail through open seas to the Chesapeake Bay with the repaired and reinforced bracket in the port engine and the original one in the starboard engine. They didn’t fail on us, which was fortunate because we really made good use of both engines.
We departed early morning when the forecast called for moderate winds, even though the wind direction was not going to be ideal. Well… the forecast wasn’t quite right. What was supposed to be a 25-hour passage ended up being a 35-hour washing machine cycle. Instead of 15 knots we had sustained winds of 20 and sometimes 24 knots, always straight on the nose. Making progress in those conditions was painfully slow, under sail or engine, and life in the cockpit was brutal with all that beating against the waves.
To make matters worse, Oliver made it very clear he wasn’t happy. He’d stagger down to the port head (i.e., bathroom) where we keep his litter box. He’d then stagger back through the companionway emitting a loud meow with the most annoying pitch he’s capable of, while looking at us with an expression that unmistakably meant “How in the world do you expect me to pee if I can barely keep my balance?” After a few repetitions of the same scene we moved the litter box to our head in the starboard hull. The starboard head, being aft, is more stable than the port head which is almost all the way forward. Judging from Oliver’s change of mood, that seemed to have made the trick. He then discovered that the captain’s seat was a great place to spend the rest of the night.
By sunrise it wasn’t even clear we would make it to our destination before the second night. With no safe harbor in the Maryland coast, a bad forecast for the next night, and the unappealing option of making landfall at night, we run both engines almost full throttle for the rest of the way. We dropped the anchor in Willoughby Bay, VA, right when the sun was setting.
Note to self: Enjoy the blog but do NOT watch attached videos that may cause seasickness!
I detect much smooth sailing ahead; Oliver will become a happy passenger.
After being out of town for several days when my dogs Birdie and Bogey and I walked around the Lewes docks this evening and saw that Nandu was no longer tied up I was hopeful that an update to your whereabouts would soon be posted. It was with great interest I read your Cat Blues posting and learned of your venture into the Chesapeake.
Although not an experienced mariner, it is my understanding that the Delaware Bay, and especially the fierce winds that are frequently present, can make these waters challenging for even very experienced sailors. From the descriptions of your trip both to and from Lewes, it would appear to me you now know first hand about just how treacherous the waters can be. Did you cross into the Chesapeake via the Chesapeake & Delaware canal or by sailing around the tip of Delmarva at Cape Charles?
BTW, the lax way of doing business that you experienced here in Lewes and so aptly described, is what the locals proudly call being “LSD” culture. Not a reference to illicit drug use but to Lower, Slower, Delaware.
Be safe.
Hi Tim.
We took the Atlantic route around Cape Charles. And yes, according to one of our cruising guides “with a broad mouth and a 50-mile northwest fetch that can create a mix-master effect, especially when the wind collides with an incoming current, the lower bay can be more than bouncy”. However, the bay was really tame when we left; things got bouncy once we were in the open ocean.
Oh my gosh! One of these days you are due for an easy and relaxing sail!
Juan and Kat,
All hail your adventurous spirit and fortitude! I just caught up with all your posts and subscribed so I would not be so far behind. I forget a coastal sail is all about inlets, outlets and tidal shifts. The word confluence brings new meaning on a sailboat. Your courage is inspiring. I can imagine you are speaking so sweetly to each other between bouncing about in the cabin, feeding the fish and cursing your alternator brackets. Thank you for sharing. Love to you both. Kimberly and John