Off to Annapolis

We finally packed up enough of our new boat projects to start the 120 mile run up the Chesapeake to Annapolis, Maryland. This is part of my long term career plan of working my way down the career ladder: I’ve got a job working with the electricians who setup and tear down the boat show in Annapolis. This is the biggest sailboat show in the US – says the press release. They take over the town docks and cram boats and gear into the historic downtown. It is really two shows. The first is the sailboat show and then a 3 day break to tear apart the sailboats and move in the power boats for the power boat show.
 
I’m thinking that this will be a brief stop on my working career. Not sure what the corporate bennies are. I’m hoping for a free pass into the boat show and a new baseball cap. Maybe the T-shirt.

Navigating the Chesapeake is pretty easy with all these lighthouses leading the way. We only had one big bulk carrier ship call us on the VHF to let us know very politely that crossing his bow probably wouldn’t be a long-term healthy decision for us. We heeded his advice and took his stern.

Not sure which way this lighthouse wanted us to go.

Finally, got to sail the new boat downwind. She definitely takes a lot more sail cloth to keep moving in light winds than our J did. It’ll take a while before we really understand how to sail this boat well.

We did get some more projects completed. Here’s the new dish rack I built at our friend Steve’s cool wood working shop while we were visiting the west coast (thanks Steve!!). Now we’re just waiting for the stencil to show up so Chris can colorize it a bit.

Storage, storage, storage… critical on a boat. Here’s a new rack in the bilge to hold the milk carton with excess chain plus some space for cheap wine and beer. The necessities.

Gotta go. I need to prepare myself for a staff meeting tomorrow– and, oh yea, take the carb off the outboard and de-gum it.

Paul