Responding to sistership Aloha’s plea,
Yes. Sailing! Dottie and I and Itchen had a one of those rare mid-winter
sails on our first leg South. Left Solomon’s a bit before dawn on Monday,
had the Bay pretty much to ourselves all day and found a pretty little snug
anchorage behind Grog Island just N of Windmill Point. Temperatures were in
the mid-40’s but sunny afternoons made for pleasant going. Got started
around 6:30 next morn and by afternoon had a nice reaching breeze out of the
ESE (forecast was for W, go figure . . .) and made it into Ocean Marine
Yacht Center on the Elizabeth River (ICW MM 0) just after sunset. Nice
marina, courtesy car, floating docks – we rented a car and will take a two
week break and then continue on towards Florida, whenever there’s some decent
weather (i.e., not snowing). This was the first trip for us through Norfolk;
wall to wall aircraft carriers, shipyards and containership cranes. Not the
typical gunk hole experience but very interesting and enjoyable in its own
way.
The Yamaha starter is resolute in maintaining it’s own right of free will.
Works most of the time but once gain was in a sulk as we doused sail
approaching New Point Comfort. It seems most apt to be balky when the engine
is shut down hot after motor sailing and then restarted a little while later
while still fairly hot. Always (maybe always) starts when cold. I think we
will get a new starter & solenoid and then rebuild the old one to keep as a
spare. And check out everything else on Mart Chin’s list just to be on the
safe side.
Regards to all, and special thanks to Kate and Bernie (who convinced us to
get out of boat-looking & chartering mode and actually buy a BCC that was
ready to go and didn’t need a lot of work – and to Sumio who keeps new ones
in production and supports the older one’s with good advice and replacement
parts.
Scott & Dottie
Itchen (BCC #73)