I’m back at Waterman’s Wharf in Solomons moored just inside the Sultana with my last research vessel design visible through the companionway.
The Pride of Baltimore II can be seen behind the Sultana if you look closely. With these two monuments to marlinspike seamanship close at hand, I figured the least I could do was an eyesplice. My anchor rode has been used more times in the last year than in all the time I’ve owned the boat and it is my second. It was getting a little long in the tooth around the eyesplice that my boat and a lot else rides on these blustery nights.
I got out my original rode, now used for the second anchor and actually in better condition than the one that is attached to my main anchor. I put a new eyesplice in the old bitter end. That half has only been wet a few times up in the deep waters and amazing tides of Canada so the rope is nearly new. In the shallow waters of the ICW, I’ll seldom be putting old rope overboard with it.
I then pulled the two rodes together hand over hand, removing the marker tags from the old one and moving the tags to the new one. The foredeck looks like an explosion in a rope factory for a while but the new rode was eventually stowed and the old one coiled down in the 5 gallon bucket which is carried in the cockpit locker.
Shortly after I finished, the Captain of the Rachel Carson called over and said, “Is that schooner you designed green? If so, she’s coming around Drum Point.” I walked over and watched her sailing up the outer harbor with a bone in her teeth visible even before I could make out her cabin top or other details. She rounded up, took in her sails, and I got to take another Long design twofer photograph with her just in front of the research vessel.
They say getting there is half the fun and it was. Jimm and I left Cambridge and motored directly into a cold stiff wind. It wasn’t too bad until we reached the Choptank River narrows off Castle Haven where the current funneling through the gap against the wind set up a nasty chop.
I set sail as soon as I was clear of the worst of the tidal chop and made the mouth of the Choptank in a couple of tacks under single reefed main and double reefed jig. I turned the corner and set off on a wonderful reach. It didn’t last long. The wind gradually eased, the reefs came out, and the last 15 miles to Solomons were covered under power.
My mechanic won’t be back until Monday so I’ll be hanging around here for a while.
Now, if I can just figure out how to get over to where the Susan B. Merryman anchored...
The Pride of Baltimore II can be seen behind the Sultana if you look closely. With these two monuments to marlinspike seamanship close at hand, I figured the least I could do was an eyesplice. My anchor rode has been used more times in the last year than in all the time I’ve owned the boat and it is my second. It was getting a little long in the tooth around the eyesplice that my boat and a lot else rides on these blustery nights.
I got out my original rode, now used for the second anchor and actually in better condition than the one that is attached to my main anchor. I put a new eyesplice in the old bitter end. That half has only been wet a few times up in the deep waters and amazing tides of Canada so the rope is nearly new. In the shallow waters of the ICW, I’ll seldom be putting old rope overboard with it.
I then pulled the two rodes together hand over hand, removing the marker tags from the old one and moving the tags to the new one. The foredeck looks like an explosion in a rope factory for a while but the new rode was eventually stowed and the old one coiled down in the 5 gallon bucket which is carried in the cockpit locker.
Shortly after I finished, the Captain of the Rachel Carson called over and said, “Is that schooner you designed green? If so, she’s coming around Drum Point.” I walked over and watched her sailing up the outer harbor with a bone in her teeth visible even before I could make out her cabin top or other details. She rounded up, took in her sails, and I got to take another Long design twofer photograph with her just in front of the research vessel.
They say getting there is half the fun and it was. Jimm and I left Cambridge and motored directly into a cold stiff wind. It wasn’t too bad until we reached the Choptank River narrows off Castle Haven where the current funneling through the gap against the wind set up a nasty chop.
I set sail as soon as I was clear of the worst of the tidal chop and made the mouth of the Choptank in a couple of tacks under single reefed main and double reefed jig. I turned the corner and set off on a wonderful reach. It didn’t last long. The wind gradually eased, the reefs came out, and the last 15 miles to Solomons were covered under power.
My mechanic won’t be back until Monday so I’ll be hanging around here for a while.
Now, if I can just figure out how to get over to where the Susan B. Merryman anchored...
