Greek's Folly on the Great Loop

Friday, May 26, 2017

Deltaville, Va. to Onancock, Va.

May 18-19 Onancock VA

Tom arose first and went to the Corner Bakery, a local place, for donuts, which we all enjoyed. Tom and I spent the morning on the boat, arranging the cabin, finding things we needed for cruising, doing small projects and just getting reacquainted with the cruising lifestyle. In the afternoon, the girls biked into town and visited the few shops, and eventually ran into Tom and Mark (Mara Beel)

at the hardware store. Small towns have unique things and one of those things for this town was 3 men who get together at the town square gazebo and play music (tuba, violin, and banjo). There were 11 people in the audience listening and they were all cruisers from the marina. After the performance in the park, we walked up to the Blarney Stone restaurant for a sandwich and a beer. Nice Day

First beer of the season on the boat

The three musicians in the park

The boat people

The reason we spent an extra day in Onancock was to take the ferry over to Tangier Island. It is small island about 15 miles from the eastern shore. It is a community unto itself with 3 major families inhabiting it.(The Parks, the Crocketts and the Pruitts) The residents are notably proud of their island and their heritage, but island life is not for everyone. The school has about 70 students, with many of the children going on to college and then never returning to the island to live. The population is diminishing as well as the island is slowly eroding. It is a waterman's community in which most of the men make their living on the water or in water-related jobs. We enjoyed a short golf cart tour of the island, walking around, talking with the friendly locals and meeting the famous dock-master Milton Parks - 83 and still in charge of the docks. Tourism is a necessity here to supplement the wages earned by the watermen in their challenging and sometimes dangerous way of life.

Taking the ferry over to Tangier Island

Fish Shantys as you approach Tangier harbor

The famous Milton Parks ( second on left) quite a

character

The death of a waterman. Edward Charnock (70 yr.old) had recently drowned

when his boat sank in the Bay. His son survived the sinking and was rescued.

If you buy a house on Tangier Island you might get someone

else's relatives buried in your front yard

Capt. Mark Crockett (white shirt) our ferry boat driver

He used to be a waterman crabbing and oystering but converted his

boat into a ferry to the island

Capt. John (Short Vacation), Mark Mathers (Mara Beel), Capt. Crockett, me

Eve, the 17 year old goat on the island

2017-The beginning of another crruising season: Canada or Bust

May 2017

With anticipation, we arrived in Deltaville VA after wintering in Jupiter - (A CLOD - Cruiser Living on Dirt). Greek's Folly needed some basic prep work - washing, waxing, cleaning, canvas up - as well as mechanical and electrical work needed to be finished by the boatyard. The emotions ranged from excitement and eagerness to anxiety and frustration. The spring weather in VA varied from 3-4 days of sunny and warm to 3-4 days of wet windy climate. The weather was the obstacle we could do nothing about other than enjoy the hospitality and comfort of our dear cruising friends Harvey and Mary Helen Morgan who graciously let us stay with them while making boat preparations. Finally our to-do list was completed and the boatyard's to-do list was completed too. We took the boat and the mechanic on a sea trial to complete the fine tuning of the engines Then it was the first mates job to move the car up to Syracuse NY, with the help of our friend Pam Short, provision the boat and ready it for departure. The first night sleeping aboard made it feel like we were finally boating again.

For those of you who are boat owners some of the projects we wanted the boat yard to do started innocently enough with getting the props scanned and balanced. Simple enough, but when the yard pulled the props they noticed the cutlass bearing were worn so lets replace all six of those and we were off to the races. In the end we had new cutlass bearings (6), new shafts (2), new spurs (2), new zincs (2), new engine mounts (8), and new damper plates (2) on the transmissions. And that friends is how you spend your children's inheritance in a boat yard.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Washington D.C to Colonial Beach with Peter and Sara

Friday-Monday, September 16-19. Boat travel with Pete

Our youngest son, Peter and his girlfriend, Sara arrived in DC and will be cruising a few days with us to experience our boating lifestyle. Tom and Pete first moved the car to Colonial Beach in the morning as that is the end of the cruise for them, and they will need the car to return to the DC airport. We left Gangplank Marina headed to an anchorage on smooth water. Sitting on the bow of the boat, we saw military planes heading south, Ft. Washington, Mt Vernon as well as a enjoying a refreshing nap before reaching Mattawoman Creek to anchor. Pete assisted me in setting the hook before he and Tom jumped in the water for a refreshing dip. Appetizers and drinks were shared and enjoyed. Sara brought cheese curds and sausage from Wisconsin which we goppled right up-a great hostess gift. Tom and Pete experimented with crabbing- adjusting the crab pot, adjusting the float, moving the line and retrieving the pot-all of which resulted in a water logged chicken neck and no crabs. That was ok because Tom made a low country boil dinner, complete with salted caramel ice cream for dessert.

The anchorage got very busy in the morning as the local marina was sponsoring a "Pirate on the Hook" party as 20+ boats began to arrive. We decided it was time to move on before we got sucked in to the mayhem. We continued heading south on the Potomac and enjoyed a nice ride towards Port Tobacco anchorage. With a south wind, we altered our plans and anchored outside of the channel, close to shore, just south and west of the anchorage in 12 ft of calm water. Munchies and drinks were again served as we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings and the company. We watched the moon rise over the treetops and used the binoculars to get a closer view. It is amazing to see to craters and the texture of the moon's surface. Pete and Sara laid on the bow of the boat and continued their star gazing. As we retired to bed, we all fell asleep immediately-it must be the fresh air and wonderful company.

The chef prepared eggs and ham for breakfast and then the young couple went for a dinghy ride. A slow morning was enjoyed by all before the anchor was hoisted and we traveled to our final destination. After arriving in Colonial Beach, we dropped the dingy and cruised through the harbor, checking out houses, marinas, and other boats. Some personal down time was enjoyed by all - naps, reading, computer time. Tom again cooked a wonderful dinner of sautéed fish fillets -white perch from the Yecomico River. We retired to the boaters lounge to watch the Packers football game and play a game of Sequence.

We rose this morning to rain-and it rained all day. Sara worked in the morning, Peter read his book and tutored his parents in shortcuts, file management and use of the computer. The rain continues so out to lunch we go to a local place and enjoy crab cakes, shrimp and oyster combo plates. Sadly, it is time for Pete and Sara to leave. They enjoyed the boating experience and say they now understand our lifestyle and why we enjoy it soooo much.

We have had many enjoyable times on our adventure but spending time with Peter and Sara is one of the highlights. It was sad to see them go but they have their lives to return to. It was wonderful to share some time with them.

Our friend's boat, InSpeyered 2 , Al and Jane Speyer

Two buddy boats at Gangplank Marina, Washington DC

There were some cool boats in the marina. A lot of house
boats and pontoon boats like this. With such expensive
rents in DC this seems to me to be a great idea.

Peter on the bow departing DC

Gangplank Marina. A good deal in downtown DC. $ 2.00 per
foot per night plus $10 for electric. A cheaper way to
see our Nations Capital

The view from a mooring ball. Even a better deal,
$35.00 per night and use of the marina facilities.
A great view to wake up too every morning.

Capt. Tom heading out

Rotating winged aircraft

The intellectual....

Just chillin', Peter and Sara

How many crew members does it take to anchor one boat?

Cookin' dinner

Pirates on the Hook Celebration for Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Sponsored by the local marina.

Hey, I'm an engineer, I can figure this out. It's
only a crab pot.

Star gazin' on the bow. It really gets dark
on the river away from towns and cities.

Aiding the Capt. with navigational issues.

Washington D.C. Sept. 11-15, 2016

Sunday, September 11th, Washington DC

Church at a Methodist church started off our busy day. As we strolled along the Mall of our nations' capital, a constant reminder of September 11th was visible in all the flags were at half mast. We decided on lunch from a food truck, as they line many of the areas and on the Mall. On a Sunday afternoon, this is a very busy place, filled with families, couples, dogs and owners, sightseers, local residents, and us- first time visitors. We walked the length of the mall and enjoyed the sights of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. Seeing the many memorials to the founders of this great nation and those who fought to defend that freedom is awe-inspiring and inspirational. On the walking route back to the boat, we passed the open fish market and Tom was mesmerized by the fresh fish, crabs, and oysters. Once back to the boat, we had a planning session to organize our visit here in DC to be sure to see the things that interest us. I'm excited!!

Monday thru Thursday, Sep 12-15, Washington DC

The boat was on a mooring ball for three nights in the Washington Channel. Early every morning the helicopters start making shuttle runs to the airport. They vary in size and kind but all fly low over the water and are very loud. The waterfront is also under construction and renovation so other sounds include trucks, cranes, motors, hammering and pounding. There is a lot going on here. One morning about 645am, a skulking team paddled by. Another day there was a run which was in the park parallel to the boat. Each day seemed to bring something new.

Each day different things were planned, usually in different geographical areas. One day we landed in the northwest quadrant and visited the Ford Theater ( where Lincoln was shot), the National Portrait Gallery ( with portraits of each president) and walked to the White House ( which we could not view because of an auto accident). Another day we went on a personal tour of the Capital building escorted by an intern, Aaron, of Congressman Adam Kinzinger( this was a great tour thru the many underground tunnels to the House of Representatives chamber); then into the Library of Congress and saw Jefferson's personnel book collection. The nights were busy too. One evening we enjoyed a baseball game at the Nationals Park; with the next night being spent on a tour thru DC seeing the sights light up at night. They were beautiful. On a third day we went into Virginia to Arlington National Cemetery. The highlights were visiting the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Here there is a 24 hour guard and we watched the changing of the guard. The procedure is very patriotic, solemn, and honorable. It is respectful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our country. The cemetery includes the many tombstones, it took our breathe away, as well as the Kennedy gravesites. On our final day of sightseeing we did the Smithsonian Museums. The Air and Space Museum was outstanding. The advancements which have been made in the air and space programs are unbelievable; from the Wright flyer to the Spirit of St. Louis to the drones of today; from the Mercury capsules, to landing on the moon, to privately funded rockets. What is next?!

During our visit, we developed proficiency with the Metro system as we used it for the ballgame, our trip to the northwest quadrant, and to the cemetery. The other form of transportation was our two feet as one day we walked over 10 miles with a five day total of over 36 miles. It was always nice to rest and put our feet up at the end of the day! Washington DC is a great place to visit. We have planned for this visit from the beginning of the trip and are pleased things worked out so well.