Two weeks on the Chesapeake on Quetzal

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Quetzalsailor
Master of the Arcane
Posts: 1100
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:53 am
Boat Name: Quetzal
Boat Type: LeComte North East 38
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Two weeks on the Chesapeake on Quetzal

Post by Quetzalsailor »

We boarded on 17 September, daysailed with friends on Sunday and finally set out Monday morning to go to Annapolis. Weather was predicted to be pretty windless but we had an nice sail from Rock Hall to about a mile south of the Bay Bridge. Wind went flat so on with the Yanmar and the refrigerator. Just a few minutes later, clouds of smoke and burning rubber smell poured up and out the companionway. Ahh, well, a quick change in the alternator belt was called for, after I verified that the Balmar was still free to turn. Searched high and low for the spare belt, but to no avail. So, I tied the dinghy to the quarter and installed the 2hp Suzuki. We got up to about 3kts, drove into the Severn and picked up a municipal mooring. I caught a watertaxi and went to the Yanmar dealership and bought a couple belts. At the same time, Sue took the dinghy ashore and walked to Weems and Plath with our defunct 'economy' bulkhead clock (the reason we'd gone to Annap in the first place). D'ja know that Weems and Plath products are guaranteed for life? They handed us a new $135.00 clock.

Each succeeding day was forecast to be rainy, dreary and essentially windless. Each day turned out to have some reasonable wind and an occasional rainy period. We sailed for Tilghman Creek, Claiborne, on Tuesday. On to the Little Choptank, Wednesday where we discovered that the potable water pump was cycling more than normal. Tracked it down to a failed pressure relief valve on the HWH. We anchored out both nights. Continued to Solomons Island on Thursday where we made new friends of the folks in the next slip. These folks drove us to a Lowes where I bought a perfect replacement, for an ordinary residential HWH. Friday was yucky as predicted so we anchored out up a crik near the marina. Saturday, off to the mouth of the Potomac and up the first creek, Smith Creek, and anchored out. Sunday drove the boat up the St Marys River, toured the restored/recreated first capital of Maryland, back down to anchor out in a different branch of Smith creek.
2011-09-25 Fall Cruise 029-r.jpg
I don't fit in the stocks...
2011-09-25 Fall Cruise 030-r.jpg
But Sue does.

We caught the 7AM tide up the Bay on Monday and back to Solomons Island. We docked at the Calvert Maritime Museum and toured. Well worth it! Anchored out up a different crik in Solomons. We caught the 8:00 tide up the Bay on Tuesday and did so well that we continued up the Choptank and Tred Avon to anchor out in Plaindealing Creek. Both these days were predicted to be rainy and windless...but not. Wednesday was predicted to be really lousy and thunderstormy, and looked lousy, so we crossed over to Oxford and took a slip. It was perfectly lovely after we paid for the slip. Thursday was predicted to be rainy and windless but, as usual was just fine and we sailed down the Choptank, motored through Knapps narrows and up to Lloyd Creek off the Wye River. Friday was predicted to be a dandy South wind and rainy, but Saturday was predicted to be a honkin' Northwester and more rain. So, we upped anchor and motoring out of Lloyd creek, put Q hard aground on the shoal that Shellenberger, in his book, says that he cannot understand why anybody would hit.
2011-09-30 Fall Cruise 007-r.jpg
So, we sat under full sail, with a taut anchor line led to a genny winch and a foot less water than we needed. Sat for about 5 hours and departed for points north at 4:00. By this time the wind had dropped to nothing, but turned to the NW as we approached Kent Island Narrows. We went through the drawbridge with about 4kts of tide at 6:00. We were spat out on the north side into an increasingly blustery NW wind, gusting to 25kts, against the tide. Interestingly, the channel on the North side has shoaled so that there are temporary marks to the east of the intended channel. Not to mention the rain in the face! Got clear of the channel and unrolled 2/3 of the genny and we took off. The sleighride only lasted a short while, the rain quit and we enjoyed a lovely rainbow and sunset.
2011-09-30 Fall Cruise evening 002-r.jpg
2011-09-30 Fall Cruise evening 007-r.jpg
And what better way to end a long day?
2011-10-01 Quetzal Fireplace-r.jpg
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Rachel
Master of the Arcane
Posts: 3044
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:59 pm

Re: Two weeks on the Chesapeake on Quetzal

Post by Rachel »

Ditto! Thank you.
Tom Young
Skilled Systems Installer
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:57 am
Location: Rockport Maine

Re: Two weeks on the Chesapeake on Quetzal

Post by Tom Young »

Yes thanks, I love to see threads like this.
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