Hanging out in Annapolis

Up again at 08:00 today just in case the Boat Yard staff were going to do anything to our boat. They said it would only take a day or two once they start, so we were in no hurry…as long as we`re done by Friday…nothing started today either. We`re enjoying the free dock with power and unlimited water!

One thing we have observed that is different to sailing on Lake Ontario is the use of the VHF. In Toronto, 99% of the time people use channel 16 (the emergency channel used for distress or hailing other vessels that you need to be certified to use - $50 and a test) properly and move to another channel to have their conversation. This is not what we have experienced since NY State. They use it to give other boaters crap about something they are doing wrong and then the banter goes back and forth insulting each other; fishermen will sometime use channel 16 to express their excitement of having a fish on the line…sometimes humorous.

Sept 24 – Up again at 08:00 in hopes they would come by to start work…no cost estimate on the work as yet, starting to get worried that the work won’t be done by Friday. By 13:00, I stop by the office for an update on my way for lunch (Julie took a cab to a nearby mall)…yes, they just finished the final quote…I signed off on the quote, went for lunch and then finished installing the transom (very back wall of the boat that has steps down to the water) shower that is used for rinsing off after swimming in the sea. 

The winds were very strong today, bad weather approaching, flood warnings for the area…we prepare the boat by using extra dock lines and securing other items. By evening, the rain was coming down and the winds were howling…we played another game of Scrabble.

Sept 25 – Wind and rain all night; up again at 08:00 thinking they would start work….nothing all day. The people at the Boat Yard have been very friendly and professional and as mentioned, we have enjoyed the dock with power and water; so the delay is working in our favour.as long as they can get the work done by Monday!

Julie walked to a local mall as she was told there was a grocery there…no grocery, but there was a liquor store and she brought back a delicious meal. In an email today, a friend - Richard, mentioned I need to find the prefect rum. Today, Julie brought back a great rum, Plantation Rum from Barbados, 5 year old for $20…a cheapy but very very good. The following day, we stocked up on Plantation Rum.

I researched the web and made a few calls...arranged for solar panels to be delivered to a local stainless steel fabricator who would make the necessary custom brackets to mount them. They arrive on Tuesday and should be in the end of next week.

Friday morning, Jay, from the Boat Yard, arrives to start dismantling the exhaust and heat exchanger as they have all the parts to complete the job. I helped with the dismantling  and when I asked, he said he should be done by the end of day...we made a deal to stall until Monday so we can stay at the dock over the weekend while they are closed.

In the morning, we walked over the draw bridge to the town of Annapolis...

Tourist boat here for a few weeks

Spa Creek where we will stay for a couple weeks

Main strip in Annapolis

Saturday evening we took our dinghy across the harbour, through the mooring ball field and up Ego Alley, walked the main strip and stopped for some sushi. Annapolis is the sailing capital of North America with lots of history, it once was the Capital of America. It is the home of a large naval academy, so lots of young sailors in uniform walking the street.

**Since we will be hanging out in Annapolis -  no sailing for a couple more weeks, I will keep the blog posts to a minimum and will send an email blast out once we start moving again.