Slip Sliding Down Bay

Less than a week ago Imagine was still on the hard.  Today the familiar sound of the diesel engine chugging its own tune accompanies Imagine as it slides down the Sassafras River, then through the

Imagine on hard in October

drawbridge in Georgetown where the bridge tender cautions about the new fall opening schedule.  Imagine continues towards the mouth of the river, around the first of many crab floats and into the choppy Chesapeake Bay.

Under the quickly moving heavy clouded skies, Imagine’s mainsail is reefed just in case the predictions of 15 to 20 knots winds with higher gusts prove true. There is a chill in the air, but not cold enough to make it miserable.   We are layered with sweaters, hats and gloves. It may not be sunny, but we are underway.

After a long summer of boat maintenance and repair, Imagine has joined the flotilla of migrating boats heading to points south. Overhead Canada Geese fly in formation.  They seem to honk knowingly, “About time, about time.”  

Ed tells me to go down and stay warm.  I fall asleep only to wake in time to make sandwiches for lunch.    That is when I learned that the Genoa would unfurl no more than eight feet.   It also didn’t want to furl back.  Ed managed to get all but one foot furled before we moved out of the channel and began to we dodge crab trap floats as we headed into the Rhode River to anchor for the night. 

The colorful floats attached with long lines to crab pots sitting on the bottom make it easy for crabbers to spot their lines.   For sailors, the floats can prove quite annoying as they bob and weave on the grey green waves.  As the sun rises and sets it becomes harder to spot the floats as they become lost when the sun reflects off the water.   Missing a pot and getting the line entangled in prop can quickly become a nightmare for a sailor.  

On Imagine we exercise caution and are always on the lookout for a sign that pots are about.  While annoying, crabbing is part and parcel that proclaims the heritage and character of the Chesapeake Bay.   Long before pleasure boaters claimed the Bay as their own, fishing families have made their living from the denizens of the Chesapeake, fish, crabs, eel and oysters.  That tradition continues today from the Sassafras all the way down to Norfolk.

It was a great day to sail down bay.  Late fall sailors heel and tack. The white tell tale sails of sailboats stream from Baltimore, Annapolis and the Rhode River.  Boats raced, sailing back and forth, enjoying what might be a last chance for a Sunday sail before putting their boats to bed for the winter.

On Imagine, a new anchor swivel replaced a shackle that caught in the bow roller each time I released the anchor over the last four years became an instant hit.  No longer do I have to lift the shackle and 40 pound anchor up and over the roller.   Geez!   Why did we wait so long to replace that darn shackle?

At anchor Ed unfurled the Genoa and sprayed the drum with lubricant.  As we play with the furling mechanism and sail I notice that the furling line has some substantial wear spots.  It will be replaced when we get to Beaufort N.C.

As we clean the decks and go below, Final-Lee enters the anchorage and anchors abaft of Imagine.  The 45-foot Benateau belongs to Bruce Bognaoff, and his soon to be bride, Rhonda.  They hail from Gregg Neck marina and are heading to the Bahamas for the first time.  It seems as if it is the year for Gregg Neck boaters to head south.  River Dance, Chesapeake and Adamas DeMaris have also headed south with Imagine.

It’s 6:00 p.m. and a celebratory “we are sailing again” dinner of stir-fry, mashed potatoes and filet is over and the dishes put away.  Within the hour we are both asleep…. Three hours later I wake to the sound of what I think is the bilge pump going off every two minutes.   Instantly alert, I wake Ed to realize it is only the shower sump with residual water that wouldn’t entirely suction out.   Each time the boat rocked the sump would try to pump out leftover shower water.   While he was up, Ed checked the stuffing box and all through holes.   We weren’t sinking!

Year five of Imagine’s journey has begun.  It hasn’t been without a few unexpected adventures, but we are definitely on our way.   It won’t take long to transition from land to sea.  As fall moves forward and the days become colder, Imagine will slide further south until the cold fall mornings are exchanged for sunshine and turquoise waters.