Sheet Music Winterized, On the Hard til Spring

All good things must come to an end. Sadly, Sheet Music is winterized and on the hard for the winter. She's at our dealership for some warranty work.

We would love to be heading south again this winter, but it wasn't to be. Maybe next year.

Come on spring!

Anchored in Aberdeen Creek off South River, Annapolis

Sheet Music made it to the Aberdeen Creek anchorage, off the South River, just west of Annapolis. The Chesapeake Bay was full of debris and we were dodging 6 and 8 ft. logs, lumber and trees all day long. And, of the course, the usual crab traps!

We missed our friends and the annual 'A Dock Lobsterfest' today at Viking Yachting Center, our home marina.

We saw lots of tugs and barges. They are digging out high spots in the channel in two places. Barges were lined up ready move the spoilage. The operations were unlike the dredging we saw on the last trip.

Our friend, Ron Pence, who runs Singles on Sailboats, is here with 18 sailboats rafted in a circle. We anchored near them and, after dinner, took the dinghy over. We had to lie down in the dinghy and go under a catamaran, which is in the center of the raftup, to get to Ron's boat.

This photo was taken before the last boats arrived and completed the circle.

We met Ron's new friend, Dunya (pronounced doon-yah). They were having a chili cookoff and people were climbing boat to boat to try the different entries. Tomorrow morning the prize will be awarded for the best chili.

We plan to pull anchor and may head to St. Michael's, weather permitting. I LOVE it there and would like to visit again.

Fair Sails,
Kathy & Chuck
S/V Sheet Music

Sheet Music Heading to Annapolis for Sailboat Show

Sheet Music is on the water again, this for a short two-week trip. We're heading to Annapoils, Md., for the World's Largest Sailboat Show. This is our seventh year attending this show.

We left home port on Tuesday, Sept. 28, around 4:30 p.m. and hooked on Ken and Debbie Wescoat's mooring at the Black Hole in Brigantine. After about 3.5 hours of sleep, we were up at 2 a.m., checked the weather online and readied the boat for the journey.

Waves were 6-8 ft. and I have to admit, I was less than thrilled going in the dark with that wave height. I get seasick in the ocean, so I had to lie down in the cockpit. Chuck had on his new raingear and I was wearing my peacoat and covered with a blanket.

We arrived in Cape May at Utsch's Marina and refueled around 9 a.m. Wednesday. We picked up a part Chuck had ordered (unfortunately, it was the wrong one) and an hour later, frustrated, we got back on the water.

This time, the wind and current were in our favor and our trip up the Delaware was very pleasant. We were making around 8 knots SOG all day and the wave height was less than a foot.

We pulled into Summit North Marina at 5:45 p.m. and prepared for the storm. It's a hurricane hole, so we were very protected from the winds there.

We stayed in the boat most of the day Thursday with lots of rain. Nature gave the boat a good washing. The winds and rain were still hanging around on Friday morning, so we opted to stay another day to see friends who used to dock with us at Viking. It was great to see Jim and Ruth Edwards (Naut Home II), Larry and Kathy Goldman (After Seven) and Wayne and Marlene Miller (Miller Time).

We went to dinner to Jim and Ruth while we were waiting for the others to arrive. As soon as we stepped out of their vehicle, we ran into our friend Betty Luderitz who lives in Newark, Del. Wow, how lucky was that?!

Last night, when we left After Seven (thanks for the yummy dessert, Kath), we checked out e-mail and found a message from our friend, Ron Pence, who lives in Annapolis. He is running a trip of an 18-boat raftup in Aberdeen Creek today and invited us to join them for a Chili Cookoff.

So, instead of Annapolis today, we're heading to Aberdeen Creek on the Sevens River near Annapolis, to anchor with them.

It feels great to be traveling again and I wish we were heading south for the winter. Maybe next year!

Fair Winds,
Kathy & Chuck
S/V Sheet Music

Getting Back into the 'Swing of Things' at Home

Well, we've been home a week and we're still trying to get back into the swing of things.

Chuck got a haircut after much teasing about how long it got. I wanted to snap a photo, but he slicked it back before I got a chance!

We heard from Bob on S/V Illusion on Tuesday who was in Atlantic City for a few days. We picked him and his friend, Tom, up and took them to Harrah's to see the casino. They dropped in a few quarters and Tom won $25.

Then we went to the Hi-Point Tavern near our house for a wonderful dinner. Chuck took them to the supermarket to pick up a few things, then took them back to A.C.

We finished unloading the boat mid-week and Chuck is working on getting the brown mustache off the hull. We found the water line! It was missing the entire trip, we were so loaded down. LOL.

Meanwhile, we filled the hot tub yesterday and I'm busy cleaning out drawers and closets. If we could live on a boat for 7.5 months, we certainly don't need all the stuff we've got!

It was not a nice weather weekend, so I didn't feel bad not going to the boat.

Hopefully, it will be nice next weekend and we can spend time with our friends at Viking!

We're Home! Well, at Viking Anyway

We left Utsch's Marina at 6 a.m. Winds were 16-18 knots. SOG was 6.2 knots and SOW was 7.1. We motorsailed with a reefed main and full jib at 000 rpms. It was bright and sunny this morning.

Highs were supposed to be in the 70s, but it was cool on the water!

We had to reef the jib. There was too much wind. It was coming from the NW over our beam.

We saw Wildwood off our port side. Winds were 22-23 knots with higher gusts. Seas were 2-3 ft. and there were white caps. SOG was 7. SOW was 7.7.

The kids kept texting us for an ETA. At 9:05 a.m. we were 17 miles from the Atlantic City Inlet and could see the skyline. We were six hours away from our dock. So close, yet so far!

At noon, we went under the Brigantine Bridge.

When we entered Great Bay, the winds were 26 knots! We pulled in both sails. We saw white caps in the bay and it was too much.

Joe, Eva and J.J. met us in their boat and followed us in. Nick was playing with his cousins at the campground. At 2:30 p.m, Ryan called and asked us to switch to VHF 72. One of our dockmates, Faye, wanted to tell us that the kids were patiently waiting for us at the dock and wanted to know how close we were.

We got to the dock around 3 p.m.  All three kids (Sandi, Joe and Ryan), our daughters-in-law (Eva and Catherine), grandsons Jesse and Jeremy, Ryan and Catherine's friends Greg and Lucy, and lots of dockmates were anxiously awaiting our arrival. Sandi was so glad to see us. She grabbed her dad and cried, then grabbed me and cried some more.

It's good to be home. This was such an adventure and we had a blast. I'm ready to do it again, but it will have to be in a couple of years. Maybe on a bigger boat. And next time, we'll have to fly home for the holidays. Chuck won't be away from the kids at Christmas again, he says.

We're exhausted and staying at the dock tonight. Tomorrow, we'll start packing things up and give this poor boat a break. It's loaded down! Then we'll take the trip home in Chuck's truck that Ryan drove to the marina today.

Thanks to all who have supported us on our awesome seven-and-a-half month adventure. We appreciate it more than we can say. We've met so many wonderful people and saw some beautiful sights!

We're in Cape May; Tomorrow: Home Sweet Home

Last night we had a wonderful dinner with our friends, Betty and Fred Luderitz.


We left Chesapeake City's free dock at 5:45 a.m., motoring through the C & D Canal at 2900 rpms. SOG was 8.8 knots and SOW was 6.5 knots.

We were heading for the Delaware River and Bay and praying it would be a calm day. We started out in long sleeves, a nice change from four layers we wore the last few days at the start of the day! Chuck boosted up the rpms and we hit 10 knots.

At 7:15 a.m., we entered the Delaware River and the coats went on. It was colder in the bigger body of water. By 7:30, we were pulling out the main for better steering and a little speed. It stops the boat from pounding so much, creating a smoother ride. We were "bouncing" through the waves.

At 8 a.m., we pulled the main mostly in and let out the full jib sail for speed. We kept a little of the main sail out for steering.

We passed the Salem Nuclear Power Plant. There was a U.S. Coast Guard boat guarding the power plant. Jazzy was on my lap under two blankets. We were "hobby horsing."  SOW was now 6.8-7 k and SOG was was 5.7-6 knots. Winds were 8-9 knots and wave height was just one foot. The winds were from SSW and the tide was coming in. It was looking to be a smooth ride.

We passed lots of big ships, but stayed out of the main channel. Here's a photo of Bum's Rest passing the ship.

After the tide change, there was no wind, just two knots. Sails were just swaying in the wind, so we pulled them in. Woo-hoo. Our prayers were answered. It was a nice, calm day on the Delaware!

At noon, we saw 9 knots of wind, so the sails came back out. It got hazy and we took a different heading than Bum's Rest, so we couldn't see them.

At 2:40 p.m., we were a few minutes from the ferry terminal and heard Bum's Rest on the radio and five minutes later, we were right behind them.

We pulled into Utsch's fuel dock at 3:30 p.m.  This is a really nice marina and they give you a bottle of Cape May wine and a goodie bag of local items. It's a nice touch.

Patti's parents were here waiting for them to arrive. Jazzy was so excited to see Sailor's mom-mom and pop-pop. Then Ryan and Catherine arrived to go to the Lobster House with us for dinner. She was going crazy jumping around. It's like she senses that we are almost home.

Tomorrow we'll be back at our home dock...Viking Yachting Center...home sweet home! All three of our kids and some of the grandkids will be there to greet us. We've sure missed them!

Thanks to all who have faithfully followed our blog. I hope you have enjoyed it. We'll blog our other travels. We hope to take a few small trips this summer/fall.

Feel free to e-mail me:  kathymcgowan1@comcast.net.

Birthday Wishes to Mom, Lynn and RJ! Chesapeake City Tonight

Happy Birthday to my mom, Florence Bradley; my niece, Lynn Leite McKenzie; and RJ Amato!

As soon as the coffee was done percolating on the stovetop, we pulled the mooring lines and were on our way from Annapolis to Chesapeake City, Del.

Winds were North 13 knots when we left. SOG was 6 knots and SOW was 6.3 at 3000 rpms. We went under the William P. Lane Jr. Memorial Bridges...really neat.

It's so cold and damp today. It's overcast and dreary. We pulled out the main sail and increased SOG to 6.4 and SOW to 7 knots.

Wayne called to say they saw Steve Pressman on his blue hull powerboat and he was heading our way. He and Amy used to be at Viking on "A" dock with us. We saw a boat that we thought was him in a distance, but weren't sure and didn't know his new boat name to hail him.

Winds decreased to only 6 knots when the tide and our direction changed. So the sails were put away and we were motoring the rest of the way.

We arrived at the Chesapeake City Free Dock around 3:45 p.m., where we joined Bum's Rest.

Our friends, Fred and Betty Luderitz, from Newark, Del., live about 20 minutes from here. They are meeting us for dinner. We're taking them out because we missed Fred's 80th birthday party while we were gone.

Only two more travel days to home port. Tomorrow we'll brave the Delaware River and Bay to Cape May, NJ!


More photos of the area:

Took A Mooring in Back Creek, Annapolis; Tomorrow: Chesapeake City, Del.

Wed., May 12:  It was overcast when we left around 6 a.m. with Bum's Rest this morning. We were heading to Annapolis. They were heading to Rock Hall.

I made breakfast while we were underway, but it got rough quickly. Aside from the crossing to/from the Bahamas, the passages from Virginia to home port are the roughest, I think. I don't want this trip to end, but if it has to, I just want to get on with it. I don't like being on the water when it's cold...thermal underwear and pea coats and all.

We've been fortunate, as far as weather is concerned. We've had very little rain this trip. Although we were "tucking in" out of the wind alot, especially in the Bahamas, at least we weren't wet!

The morning started out with windswept white caps. The tide was going out in the Chesapeake, while winds were at a right angle to the waves. Occasionally, we got splashed with a wave hitting the port side. Winds were 22-23 knots from the Southeast, gusting to 27, so we were heeling over quite a bit. When the wind increased, our speed was cut down. Seas were 2-3 ft. and choppy.

Chuck forgot to put his clip on his hat and lost his new Beaufort, NC, hat.

By 8:30 a.m., the sun was out and the seas calmed down. By late morning, the wind changed direction and was coming from the Northeast at only 8 knots. Now we were looking for wind. It went from one extreme to the other and we had 18 miles to go.

It was getting hazy. I went downstairs while it was calm and took and shower and washed my hair. It was getting warmer, so I put on cropped jeans and a l/s shirt. That didn't last long! It got cooler again and I dug out a sweatshirt.

We went past the Thomas Point Shoal bell, a lighthouse.

At 2 p.m., we stopped to top off the fuel at Annapolis Landing Marina. Then we took a mooring ball in Back Creek. It's right off Severn House where our friend, Ron Pence, lives. We're going out to dinner with him tonight.

This is where Ron lives. His boat is also a 323 and is at the far right.

We put the motor on the dinghy and took Jazzy to shore for a nice, long walk.

This is the pet-friendly apartment complex where I walk Jazzy when we're in Annapolis.

Tomorrow we hope to meet with our friends, Betty and Fred Luderitz, in Chesapeake City. They live in Newark, Del. We missed Fred's 80th birthday party while we were away.

Solomons Island, Md. Tonight; Tomorrow: Annapolis!

We pulled out of Deltaville Marina at 6:50 a.m. I had to put thermal underwear on under my shirt. Damn, it's cold! We wore our pea coats and gloves today.

The sun was very bright and glaring, which caused a problem for some boaters leaving the channel this morning. Frank from S/V Kyria said the sun was in his eyes and he missed the marker and went aground. All the sailboats leaving had to go around him as he was taking his anchor line by dinghy to pull himself into the channel. What a way to start the day!

                          Below, Wayne looking at the grounded boat.

We motorsailed with the full jib out. SOG was 6.5-7 knots. SOW was 7.2 knots. Winds were 18-20 knots from the Southeast. The Chesapeake Bay was 1-2 seas and choppy, coming over our starboard beam. It wasn't long before seas were 3-5 ft. Two waves came quick, one right after the other and as they hit Sheet Music and I swear there was a 6 ft. wave!

Even Jazzy, who hates it outside when we're underway, jumped on the bottom step to come outside! I took half a Dramamine first thing this morning and gave her the other half, since she was sick yesterday. She laid on my lap under the blanket most of the day.

When it started with light rain, since the waves were calmer, Jazzy and I went downstairs and took a nap. We pulled up to the fuel dock at 3:30 p.m. and into our slip at 4:15 p.m. We have electric here, so the heat is on to help dry out the boat. Tomorrow we'll probably be on a mooring ball, so I'm enjoying the heat while we have it.

Patti cooked tonight: steak with mushrooms and onions, baked red potatoes, peas and salad.

Tonight, the four sailboats that traveled together: Bum's Rest, Sheet Music, Mystic Rose (FL), Illusion (IL). We say goodbye to our new friends tomorrow, as we're leaving earlier than they are. Hopefully, we'll see Bob on Illusion in Atlantic City. We'll take him to Shop-Rite to provision his boat and maybe have a drink or two. Mystic Rose is staying in Maryland.

Tomorrow, Sheet Music is going to Annapolis to visit our friend, Ron Pence. Bum's Rest is going to Rock Hall to visit friends.

May 9: Happy Mother's Day! Fun Day in Norfolk with Friends

Sunday, May 9:  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my mom, Florence Bradley, and Chuck's mom, Patricia McGowan. We love you both!

We had a fun day in Norfolk. Hey, if you have to be stuck somewhere, Norfolk is a good place to be. There's lots of places to see and lots of great restaurants.

We spent a good part of the day at Nauticus, the Naval Museum. Part of the museum is the U.S.S. Wisconsin. The inside of the ship is closed off due to asbestos and other contaminants that haven't been removed yet. Their literature says it is sealed off to keep the humidity level up for preservation.

Chuck looking a one of the many models in the museum. Notice the long hair...it's been months since he had a haircut.











The view, below, was taken from the U.S.S. Wisconsin.

Chuck on the U.S.S. Wisconsin.

We were done touring around 4 p.m. and walked a few blocks to Jack Quinn's Irish Tavern. We had an early dinner and drinks. An Irish band was playing on the second level and the band members were wearing kilts, as were the bartenders and waitresses. The band member on the left is a physics professor at a local liberal arts college.

Dinner was delicious. We walked to the supermarket on the way back and picked up a few things we couldn't carry back the other day. I took Jazzy for a good walk when we got back.

From left, Janet and Darrell from S/V Mystic Rose (FL), me, Chuck, Wayne, Patti and Bob from S/V Illusion (Illinois).

Tomorrow we hope to go to Deltaville. I think we have five more travel days to get home, but with the weather, it may take us longer to get there.

Left Norfolk; Settled in Deltaville

Monday, May 10:  The alarms went off at 5:30 a.m. and we pulled out of Waterside Marina in Norfolk by 6:50 a.m. Brrr, it's getting colder and I don't like it! It's in the low 50s when we get underway in the mornings now and the wind chill is much colder. Highest temp today: 61 degrees.

We saw a steel cruiser with a car on it, but Icouldn't take a photo because we were surrounded by Navy ships. There were big ships everywhere you looked in Norfolk: military and commercial.

We were leading three other sailboats.

The gongs and bells on the big buoys sound so neat. I love the sounds they make.

Chuck pulled out both sails to the reefing line. Winds were 15-17 knots. SOG was 6.5-7 knots and SOW was 6.5 knots. It was a 50+ mile day.

There was deep water everywhere, so we got out of the big shipping channel because there were so many huge ships. Unfortunately, that means crab traps and you have to keep an eye out so you don't catch one...and with two foot seas, they're not easy to see!

Winds went to 19 knots with higher gusts, so we had to pull in the sail. It was cold, so I went down to make hot chocolate.

By 11 a.m., seas were 3-4 feet and we were plowing through. Both sails were out now and we were tacking, which slowed down our forward progress, but helped cut through the waves easier. Around noon or so, we had to pull in the sails because we just weren't getting any closer to our destination. Ugh.

By 1 p.m., winds and waves died down considerably.

It was nearly 4:30 p.m. when we arrived at Deltaville Marina. They have a self-service fuel dock and pumpout and had several boats coming in at once, so we got ourselves docked and took care of that.

Then we went to our slip. We were told to go next to Bum's Rest. First we pulled in on Wayne's starboard side and tied up. Then we realized someone had power cords and hoses there, so we backed out and went to the other side of him.

I had to do three loads of wash because Jazzy got sick all over the bed. Poor baby.

It was my turn to cook: Tacos and fresh strawberries with cool whip for dessert.

Bum's Rest with Sheet Music in Norfolk; Waiting for Winds to Subside

Bum's Rest joined us in Norfolk this afternoon. We were going to leave for Little Creek this morning, but the winds were blowing with gusts to 40 mph predicted, so we stayed at Waterside Marina. The highest we saw was 36 knots (41.43 mph). It is still blowing hard as I write this.

Chuck and I walked around the riverwalk and took Jazzy for a good, long walk. We looked at all the monuments at Wisconsin Square, a small park on Norfolk's Elizabeth River waterfront, opposite the museum ship berth of USS Wisconsin. The park contains memorials to seamen lost while serving on United States Navy ships homeported in Norfolk.

The Square also contains the ship's bell of USS Norfolk and a copy of The Lone Sailor.

We went back to the boat, had lunch and waited for Bum's Rest to arrive. They got here around 1:30 p.m. with three other boats that they were traveling with in the Dismal Swamp.

The U.S.S. Wisconsin.

Then Chuck and I walked around town and saw some of the beautiful, historic buildings and artwork in the city. (See photos below).

Norfolk must have received a LOT of stimulus money...there is construction everywhere you go in this city. They are putting in a light rail system and lots of new infrastructure.

The new park on the waterfront is beautiful and Saturday mornings there are vendors selling their crafts. I bought beautiful strawberries from a vendor this morning.

On the way back, we stopped at The Market, a big supermarket. I wish I had my cart. I need more than we could carry back.

When we returned, I took Jazzy for another walk and she had fun socializing with all the kids around the riverwalk. She loves the attention and gravitates to kids.

Patti and Wayne, Chuck and I and Tom and Diann from Noah Genda went to dinner at Freemason Abbey Restaurant and Tavern. It used to be a church, built in 1873. The food was wonderful, as was our server.











Chuck and I had our our little table overlooking the first floor. Chuck had a Caesar Salad with Seafood Fantasia, shrimp and scallops over fettuccine alfredo and topped with lump crabmeat. I had their famous crab cakes with wild rice and asparagus. Yum.

This was our view in the restaurant.

There's a mermaid public art project, Mermaids on Parade, all around Norfolk. They are really neat and I took photos of several of them (see below).

It looks like we may be here another day...the winds are really blowing and we're going to Deltaville, which is about 50 miles, so we don't want to go if there are high winds and/or rough seas. If we stay another day, we will go to the Nauticus museum. I'll try to get back to the supermarket too.

After laboring for nearly 60 hours, Felicia Smith FINALLY had her baby tonight at 10:23. JT arrived weighing 8 lbs., 2 oz. and measuring 21 inches. Mom and baby are fine. Still waiting to hear if it was a boy or girl. The initials are JT no matter what.

More photos from today:

This mermaid is my favorite. She is at the Waterside marina. Her hair is twisted brass.

Sheet Music in Norfolk; Bum's Rest in Dismal Swamp

Sheet Music is at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk tonight. Bum's Rest is staying in the Dismal Swamp.

We left Coinjock at 7 a.m. Winds were from the Northeast and calm, and we were soon motorsailing with just the jib out. Winds increased to 23 knots in Coinjock Bay and through Currituck Sound. Water was splashing over the bow onto the dodger window! Soon we were in the North Landing River.

Seas were 2 ft. over the starboard beam and it was rough. It certainly was a far cry from the Dismal Swamp and Chuck was having a blast.

At 9:25 a.m., we crossed the Virginia state line. As we crossed Statute Mile 35, leaving the big water, the winds died down to 10 knots and it was like a lazy day on the river.

We saw lots of sunken boats. Wanderer's Rest called us on the radio and said they liked our boat name. The are moving a friend's trawler from Stuart to Philadelphia on a six-week trip.

We passed a fuel barge that was filling up on our way to the next bridge.

We arrived at the Centerville Turnpike Bridge about five minutes after the noon opening and had to wait for 25 minutes for the next opening. We were waiting with S/V Shining Star and talked to them as we circled around. The bridge tender called us at 12:30 p.m. and told us he was waiting for the fuel barge to arrive before opening the bridge. Fifteen long minutes later, the barge arrived and we followed him through the bridge.


Then we pushed on to get through to Great Bridge, only to wait again for the barge to go through the lock alone.

A big motoryacht, Lady Barbara, offered for us to tie up to them. The gentlemen were so nice. They were from Erie, Pa., and go to Trump Marina twice a year for a few days on their way to/from Florida.

The lock opened for us at 2 p.m. and four sailboats and four motorboats went in. There's a 2.7 foot difference between Albemarle Sound and Chesapeake Bay, so the gates closed, the water dropped, and the gates opened to let us proceed. The next bridge was 2.8 miles and opened on the hour, so we had plenty of time to get there for the 3 p.m. opening. The Dominion Blvd. Steel Bridge is a double bascule. Then there was a 65 ft. bridge and a double bascule, which closed 3:30-5 p.m. for rush hour, so again we were off to the races to get there, which we did.

There are lots of railroad bridges in Norfolk.

We saw a scrap yard for big boats.













At 4:10 p.m., we arrived at Waterside Marina. It's right where the action is. We can hear music from the boat.

We are still waiting for Felicia Smith to deliver her baby. Poor girl has been in labor since 11:30 a.m. yesterday and is only 1 cm dialated, so they don't expect her to deliver until tomorrow. Her brother, Neil, came to Sheet Music to visit for a couple of hours. It was good to see him. We're looking forward to his and Julie Probst's wedding next month.

We saw Red Head, a boat that was at Coinjock with us. It looks like an old military boat that was made into a cruiser. They are here at Waterside too.

I noticed that the sail cover is torn on our main sail now. Guess we'll have to get out the old rescue tape. We'll send it out to be cleaned at the end of the season and get a Captain's Navy sail cover to match the new jib. Luckily, it's in-mast furling, so it's only a small triangle of suncover needed.

The name of the sailboat next to us is Varmint. I took this picture for Wayne. He calls Sailor "Varmint" all the time.

I made Caesar salad and steamed U-peel shrimp for dinner.

Tomorrow we hope to meet up with Bum's Rest in Little Creek.

More photos from today:

The Great Bridge before the lock.

Inside the lock.                                                                

The Great Bridge before the Great Lock.