Food, fixes and notes from the casual coastal sailor.

[Ajax]

After a completely fruitless season, the crabs have had a little run. We managed to harvest a couple dozen in a few days.
My wife steamed them up and we hosted @Elegua and his crew for a traditional Chesapeake crab boil.

Sadly, temperatures are dropping here. I think that was summer's last "hurrah."

 

[Jim in Halifax]

Sadly, temperatures are dropping here. I think that was summer's last "hurrah."

Does that mean you're going to change your avatar? (...please God, yes!)

 

[Ajax]

Does that mean you're going to change your avatar? (...please God, yes!)

Sigh...if you insist.

 

[Kris Cringle]

Alright class, @accnick, @Cruisin Loser, @Kris Cringle, who am I forgetting?…

Anyway, my wife and I are taking a quick trip to stonington/brooklin for the weekend. Dinner for Friday is taken care of, as is lodging for the night. Any good thoughts to grab breakfast or an amusing side trip.

Going by car, so water suggestions are sadly out.

I've driven to Stonington once, but on a mission to drop off a transmission. But then sailing around the coast of big Deer Isle this season, I was amazed at how vast that island is.

My takeaway was, I wish we had set a little time aside to explore the island by road. So that's my suggestion, explore a little by road.

We did anchor for the night off the Tennis Loop Preserve. Didn't get ashore but it looked like a nice coastal preserve with views, etc.

I noticed that the outdoor lobster shack is closed as of last week, so that's out. Looks like you have great weather for it.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

Sandy's Cafe in Blue Hill does a good breakfast.

 

[Elegua]

I’ve discovered that cruising full time is like buying a used car. The use pattern of the boat changes and so despite replacing a lot of things in anticipation, lots of other things suddenly need replacement. Burned through a good portion of my spares and had to order more. On my second forward hatch bedding exercise despite having it professionally done this winter. I figure it’s a skill we’ll need. Actually much of the work done by the yard has needed some kind of re-work from bad grounds, to cables too close to the AP, fuel in the oil…etc… I’ve also learned factoids like my black water tank vents to the chain locker. I’ve also learned that Sandy Hook and Lewes are great stopping points. Welcome to cruising, I guess.

Thanks to @Ajax and his spousal unit for being patient with our loads of mail order, lending tools, feeding us, caring for us and generally going way above the call of duty in a way that it will take me a long time to work off the karma. I’m indebted.

The jump for heading South is not far off and I have a bit of anxiety about it. I’ve already experienced how far off the forecasts can be just going up the Delaware Bay. 10kts from the West was 20kts on the nose. I’m planning to jump off from Beaufort to stay below the storm track and get across the stream as fast as I can.

 

[mgs]

Unfortunately @Elegua, your yard experience is part of a trend I’m seeing in the local area, and I’m not sure what to correctly attribute it to

 

[Cruisin Loser]

The Barred Island Preserve trail on Deer Isle is lovely, as is the Edgar Tennis Loop trail. Under no circumstances consider the Harriman trail near Brooklin. I've never seen so many biting flies.

The Blue Hill trail is nice, too.

It was eye opening to be at Safe Harbor/NEB trying to get service. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it.

A couple of years ago I had some overheating near Frenchboro, so I sailed onto a mooring in SW Harbor and cleaned out the plugged seacock, then pulled the impeller. It was missing 3 vanes, with a little work I found 2, then couldn't find the 3rd but worried it would find it's way to the heat exchanger and plug it, so I called Hinckley, where I had paid major bills for 7-8 years with my prior boat. The service manager said he was easily 2 weeks out on getting me a mechanic, even just for an hour. Basically "fuck off and don't bother me".

Called Brooklin BY. It was afternoon by then, they close at 3:30 on work days. A mechanic was in a truck in 1/2 hour, I picked him up at the town dock and he found the last vane right at the heat exchanger. He did a little other stuff and put us back together. It was 5 then, well past quitting time. One of the girls on the boat rewarded us with nice drinks for "that manly shit you two just did". We sat in the cockpit for a little bit and I took him back in.

I can't possibly say enough nice things about BBY service. Maybe it's because they're employee owned, but I've never seen a yard where making the customer happy seems so important to everyone. Steve White has built a great work culture there. They should put him in charge of an airline or the IRS.

 

[Elegua]

Unfortunately @Elegua, your yard experience is part of a trend I’m seeing in the local area, and I’m not sure what to correctly attribute it to

I think it’s a skill base issue. I see fewer and fewer sailors at boat yards, not to mention people who do more than coastal cruising. Then current labor and housing shortage isn’t helping.

 

[accnick]

I’ve discovered that cruising full time is like buying a used car. The use pattern of the boat changes and so despite replacing a lot of things in anticipation, lots of other things suddenly need replacement. Burned through a good portion of my spares and had to order more. On my second forward hatch bedding exercise despite having it professionally done this winter. I figure it’s a skill we’ll need. Actually much of the work done by the yard has needed some kind of re-work from bad grounds, to cables too close to the AP, fuel in the oil…etc… I’ve also learned factoids like my black water tank vents to the chain locker. I’ve also learned that Sandy Hook and Lewes are great stopping points. Welcome to cruising, I guess.

Thanks to @Ajax and his spousal unit for being patient with our loads of mail order, lending tools, feeding us, caring for us and generally going way above the call of duty in a way that it will take me a long time to work off the karma. I’m indebted.

The jump for heading South is not far off and I have a bit of anxiety about it. I’ve already experienced how far off the forecasts can be just going up the Delaware Bay. 10kts from the West was 20kts on the nose. I’m planning to jump off from Beaufort to stay below the storm track and get across the stream as fast as I can.

Cruising is fixing your boat in strange and often inconvenient places. Get used to it.

If you are within a three-hour sail or two-hour drive of a good chandlery, you are not yet in the third world.

 

[mgs]

I think it’s a skill base issue. I see fewer and fewer sailors at boat yards, not to mention people who do more than coastal cruising. Then current labor and housing shortage isn’t helping.

That’s an interesting line actually…thinking of it, the yards with more sailors (or just boaters in general, if one prefers) working at them do seems to have a different overall vibe to them.

 

[Ajax]

Cruising is fixing your boat in strange and often inconvenient places. Get used to it.

If you are within a three-hour sail or two-hour drive of a good chandlery, you are not yet in the third world.

Hey, my little dock is VERY convenient. (Yes, it's a little strange)

 

[Elegua]

Hey, my little dock is VERY convenient. (Yes, it's a little strange)

It’s a great slice of the world.

 

[Elegua]

Cruising is fixing your boat in strange and often inconvenient places. Get used to it.

If you are within a three-hour sail or two-hour drive of a good chandlery, you are not yet in the third world.

We haven’t gotten very far yet; only Mariland. Remember, I’m a cack-handed repair man. These are all new skills for me.

Also, the way people look at me as I walk along the road to the laundromat- like I’m some meth-head - also new to me.

 

[Ajax]

Also, the way people look at me as I walk along the road to the laundromat- like I’m some meth-head - also new to me.

Around here, the assumption is that you've lost your license for some bad reason if you're walking. Walking, especially carrying something like a bag, is regarded as "uncool." Walking is for fitness reasons. You need to wear some sort of ath-leisure clothing if you don't want to get sneered at.

 

[Ajax]

Thanks to @Ajax and his spousal unit for being patient with our loads of mail order, lending tools, feeding us, caring for us and generally going way above the call of duty in a way that it will take me a long time to work off the karma. I’m indebted.

This is all practice for when I purchase and operate my own "real" marina. I'm practicing my customer service protocols.
You're not nearly demanding and asshole-ish enough to present a real challenge.

 

[chester]

Around here, the assumption is that you've lost your license for some bad reason if you're walking. Walking, especially carrying something like a bag, is regarded as "uncool." Walking is for fitness reasons. You need to wear some sort of ath-leisure clothing if you don't want to get sneered at.

Ath-liesure clothes, wireless headphones and obviously referencing your Fitbit takes walking from pitiful to power move.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

View attachment 543502

Straight across from where you are is where @Willin' s old boat is moored, just north of the bridge. Lookin' good.

 

[accnick]

This is all practice for when I purchase and operate my own "real" marina. I'm practicing my customer service protocols.
You're not nearly demanding and asshole-ish enough to present a real challenge.

Hold my beer. I'll be right there...

 

[Ajax]

Hold my beer. I'll be right there...

I do not have the services, skills or tools to replace an engine.