 |
| Fiery sunset at Cape Charles |
When the weather changes around here, it puts on a marvelous
display to announce it! Saturday, after
we had returned to Cape Charles Town Harbor, we enjoyed a mid-70s afternoon
washing the salt spray off Kite, and settling back in to marina life. That evening the wind calmed down (as
forecast, but much later in the day) and we were treated to one of the most
fiery sunsets I have ever seen. It was
further enhanced by its reflections off the glassy water’s surface.
I guess the fire burned out though. Sunday started out a cold 46°F and
didn’t warm up much, reaching a high of 54°F with strong NE wind – we were happy
to be in a protected harbor. We sat
outside for 30 minutes in the morning “Skype-ing” with Laura, Rob and
Zack. Back at Kite we warmed up and
planned our next destinations. After
lunch Peter performed regular engine maintenance - changing the engine oil and
filters. A pool of oil had collected below
the engine and he traced the leak to the new oil pressure switch he had
installed during our stay in St. Simons Island.
Tightening it up didn’t work, because the leak was in the switch
itself. He’ll try on Monday to get a new
one at the local hardware store, or at least get a plug for the hole until he
can replace the pressure switch later. We
spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the sun in an area on board Kite
that was sheltered from the wind but exposed to the sun. Lyn prepared a salad for lunch consisting of
mango, avocado and black beans, plus a little of her secret dressing. Dinner was rice with chicken, grapes and
almonds mixed in, and she made homemade apple crisp for dessert after dinner. Still eating like royalty!
Our next destination is going to be Onancock, MD (uh-NAN-cock) on the eastern side of the
Bay. If the weather forecast holds, we
will leave Wednesday morning to travel the 40+ nautical miles up the Bay from
Cape Charles. After that, our tentative
plan is to visit Crisfield, MD and then on to Solomons on the west side of the
Bay. Of course that is all subject to
change for numerous reasons, but that is what it looks like now.
 |
| Crab boat headed out to work |
Monday: Peter woke up
at 06:00, just in time to see the crab fishing fleet departing. It was a chilly 44°F and the wind was just a gentle breeze
at that hour. Still, that is very cold
to be heading out into the choppy waters where the wind would surely increase
and create 5-foot waves in the process. Those
fishermen work hard for their living.
 |
| Inside Watson's Hardware |
After a nice warm breakfast, we walked over to town so Lyn could check
with the Medical Center about getting a routine blood test done and the results
sent to her doctor, and Peter could visit the hardware store to see if they had
an oil pressure switch (or at least the right size plug) for the engine. Lyn struck out with the Medical Center – they
wouldn’t do it, and Peter failed to get the pressure switch, but did get the
right size plug. The hardware store
looked like it was from 50 years ago – narrow aisles, old inventory, subdued lighting
and a few chairs by a wood burning stove for just chatting with the owner. It was the kind of place you didn’t browse
in, because it was not organized enough for that. Instead you asked the employees for help and
were taken directly to a selection of items that you requested, if they had any
in stock.
When we got back to Kite, Peter plugged the oil pressure switch
opening, ran the engine for a while to check for leaks, cleaned up the puddle
of oil under the engine, and jury rigged a connection for the wires so that the
alarm would not drive us crazy whenever we were motoring. Now Kite is good for another 100 hours of
engine running until the next maintenance interval. Hopefully, since we are in the Bay we will be
doing more sailing and have less time on the engine than in the last month.
There was no sunning in the cockpit today. It was raining lightly most of the early
afternoon and the cold wind is still howling.
We took a walk to the Post Office about a half-mile away, to take care
of some business and fortunately the rain was very light during our time
outside. Most of the crab fishermen had
returned by the time we got back to Kite, only a few stragglers were still
coming into the harbor.
Love the Watson's Hardware picture--and the pace it suggests. So, what does Lyn do now about the medical thing? XO
ReplyDeleteWe changed our destination for today to Crisfield, where they have a hospital that will take Lyn's blood and send the results to her doctor. Plan to do that tomorrow.
Delete