Block Island to Delaware Bay to Annapolis, Maryland

     It`s a long one! It`s been a while since I`ve had the chance to really sit down and recount the previous days. While out on the water writing often seems unthinkable. So now that we`re at a nice, calm dock I will give it my best effort. Hope you enjoy!

     I’ll begin with the night of October 4^th. The roaring wind outside our safe anchorage made Mom anxious as we prepared for a night passage. With input from the rest of us we decided to look into the option of leaving the next morning. I had a bad feeling in my gut and have learned to listen to this feeling over the past few years...it usually means trouble. So I was relieved after Dad talked to Patrice over the radio and they decided on a 6 am departure. It’s a good thing we left the next morning, because despite the delay we entered Delaware Bay on Thursday October 6^th as originally planned and did it with only a one night passage instead of two!

     Back to the passage itself; Leaving Block Island through the narrow bay entrance we encountered large waves and a 20 plus knot wind. The waves weren’t as big as I’d pictured on hearing them from inside but still uncomfortable. The day was long and tiring, spent with muscles tensed against the constant pitching of the boat. Sarah got sick early and Mom felt the effects throughout the day and night. I ate little but crackers, a soft apple and some pudding all day. As night approached we were set on a downwind path and the side-to-side rocking set in. It’s hard to sleep in this. I tried to brace myself between cushions but ended up with my head flopping around anyways. The only solution is to give in and just flop all night hoping that sleep will come despite the discomfort.

     While on a sunset watch Mom and I had birds landing on the deck around us. First a small one like the one we saw outside Halifax landed on the wheel in front of me then flew down the companionway to check out below, leaving a small “gift” on a sleeping bag before Sarah coaxed it out. A second larger bird chose us as its ride for the night perching on the dodger and fluffing up before settling to sleep right beside the stairs. After dark it was hardly disturbed at all as we passed only inches away going down below and coming up to change watches. In the morning it took flight in the opposite direction as us and we hoped it wasn’t too far off course from its destination.  Mom looked it up online and it turned out to be a Northern Flicker, a type of woodpecker that lives all over North America and migrates south for the winter. None of us can recall ever reading about birds acting like this on ocean passages, but it must be pretty common. They would after all need somewhere to rest if they find themselves out over the ocean.

A quick snapshot of the Northern Flicker

     The waves seemed huge in the moonlight that night as they rolled up behind and then under us. I decided early on that looking back was a bad idea because they just seemed to loom over my head in a scary way. Some of the larger waves caused us to surf forward with them. One even propelled us up to 15 knots−not an easy feat for our sailboat! Thursday the sun shone as we left the tiring swell behind for Delaware Bay. There were a few good dolphin sightings that morning, including one just ten feet off the starboard side! These ones are bigger than the dolphins further north and had a lighter gray colouring.

     Thursday night was spent at a peaceful anchorage with more sailboats that we’ve seen in weeks. Everyone seemed to be converging on the Boat Show in Annapolis. Friday we traversed the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and saw many bridges, a passing barge, other sailboats and a large yacht with a light blue paint job and matching “dinghy” with three outboard motors. Sitting on the deck watching for crab pots in Chesapeake Bay I noticed how salt has coated everything. The deck is covered. Running a hand over the newly inflated dinghy it comes away covered in white salt that is partly powdery and partly in small crystals. This is such a new experience for people who are used to fresh water lakes and rivers.

A yacht on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

     We managed to find slips at Chesapeake Harbour Marina for two nights. It turned out to be a beautiful marina with nice facilities including a pool, tennis courts and a long stretch of beach with fishing piers. Surrounded by condos the docks are so tucked in that it must be the perfect hurricane hole. The docks are shorter than the boat is long and several feet off the end are large wooden pilings where you`re supposed to loop a stern line as you come in. The slips are so tight and with our bow thruster not working we had to back up and go forward several times then push off the pilings and the neighbouring boat to manoeuvre in safely. Back home at Collin’s Bay we are among the largest boats; here we seem among the smallest.

     Today we caught the marina shuttle to downtown Annapolis for the boat show. Although the morning was cool the day heated and the gorgeous sun beat down all day long. Tonight we’re all sunburned. It hasn’t been strong in so long that sunscreen never even crossed our minds! Downtown the buildings are a combination of old school brick and bright nautical siding. A city with a history dating back to the 1700s, Annapolis is very picturesque, has a large presence of uniform-clad students from the Naval Academy, and is dominated by the largest number of boats I’ve ever seen. A local travel magazine claims that the narrow Spa Creek, which leads from Chesapeake Bay straight into downtown Annapolis, “is to boats what Route 66 is to classic cars.” It seems to be the boating capital of the world!

     The boat show was packed with people and had endless booths advertising everything nautical. We found everything from boat loans to rope making displays to charters in the BVIs to a booth selling bags made from reused sail material. After so many days not seeing people it was overwhelming and sort of refreshing at the same time. We checked out many swanky, roomy boats including a huge spacious catamaran. Dad bought a wind generator since he’s tired of having to turn on the motor during passages to recharge the batteries. There were a ton of Canadians at the show and Mom and Dad even met up with two separate groups of friends from Collin’s Bay Marina!

Annapolis Sailboat Show

     This evening, with heavy legs and feeling scorched we snuck in a grocery restock session. It was well-needed since we last bought groceries in Halifax! But Mom managed to stock up so well then that we didn`t run out of meat until just last night. So kudos to Mom!

Until next time,

Nicole.

J’aime Quebec!

“My favourite thing is to go where I have never gone.” Diane Arbus.

Port of Quebec Marina in Quebec City offers a view of a city filled to the brim with beauty and history. On one side is a grain elevator where a historic light show is projected nightly, on the other a view of old Quebec expanding uphill towards the Chateau Frontenac and the Plains of Abraham. We will be staying in Quebec City two more nights for which I am very thankful because it gives me time to play tourist in a city that I have wanted to visit for quite some time now. And I must say it is a city that impresses well on first acquaintance! Not only do we have the chance to get off the boat and stretch our legs, but walking around old Quebec and up the trendy Rue St. Jean is helping me remember all the reasons why I love travelling. Stepping onto the streets of Quebec City you truly feel like you are in a European city complete with cobblestone streets, art galleries and fancy shops, lush gardens, statues and fountains, historic stone buildings, and the allure of a language other than English.

We arrived in the afternoon on Monday after sailing under spinnaker and motoring our way from the marina at Trois Rivieres. Dad wants me to mention that our spinnaker run was memorable and awesome, especially as we passed the Richelieu Rapids. On the way we experienced the usual stresses of navigating an unfamiliar waterway, but Mom provided some comic relief by accidentally pulling the cord on her inflatable life jacket while we were raising the spinnaker. 

We timed our arrival so that currents were in our favour all the way from Trois Rivieres and so that we’d get to Quebec City shortly after low tide. Entering the Port of Quebec Marina presented a unique experience, requiring us to pass through a lock used to control the water level in an area largely impacted by tide. The marina here is quite large and filled with an assortment of power and sailboats. There is also an extensive indoor market between the marina and the city where we plan to restock our fridge with fresh veggies, fruit and bread before the next leg of the journey. They even had a crepe stand that I had to test out for a late lunch! Also, on our long meandering walk in the city we visited a chocolaterie with a museum (Choco-Musee Erico) and gave our taste buds a little treat.

Tomorrow night we plan to enjoy a nice dinner in the city. Despite what you might think about the many difficulties and inconveniences of living on a boat we have not been eating badly by any means. It’s strange but boat meals always taste more delicious than meals back home...maybe it’s because by the end of the day we are always exhausted! But anyways, it will be nice to eat something different and not have to cook it ourselves.

Hope you’ve been enjoying the posts so far!

Nicole.