The Solomons!

Weather: Overcast gives way to partly cloudy in the PM; Temp 81; E @5-10 knots; seas <1’

Comment:
0700 We’re awake and moving slowly again!
0730 Out of bed
0745 Adjusted dinghy bridle – The dinghy is going to ride on the davits today (it’s first time and our first time using davits).
0845 Overcast, periods of drizzle and fog forecast for this morning. So far, it’s overcast (ED. NOTE: We never did get drizzle and the fog was off in the distance along shore.) The afternoon turned out partly cloudy with big patches of blue sky. It was warm (81 degrees) and the air was light air).

We met our first cruisers on the dock this AM. It was a couple and a dog aboard “Wings” and brand new Gemini 105 Mc. They’re headed for the Bahamas, but not before stopping at the Solomons tonight (and perhaps a few other stops before jumping off)
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0900 Motors on and away we go!
0915 It’s up sails and off engines. We’re making 4.5 mph.
1000 We’re sailing @ 2 mph so it’s on engines! We make about 6.5 mph under power.
1200 We both struggled to stay awake since turning on the engines! That means it time for some boat maintenance. I scrubbed the helm area and cockpit while Anna Marie turned her attention toward the starboard side of the boat which still had some tape residue from the window replacement project.

After cleaning a bit, Anna Marie went below to make lunch.

1300 In the past hour, we had lunch and did a little more fiberglass cleaning. While at the helm, I noticed that the wheel would get jammed on occasion. It wasn’t serious, but it wasn’t normal either. It dawned on me that it might be a good idea to pick up some hydraulic fluid for the steering at the next opportunity.

As it turned out, one of the rims for the auto pilot had become dislodged. Once I snapped it back into place, the steering returned to normal.
1400 Temp is a balmy 81 degrees. We’re still purring on our way to the Solomons.

1530 Anchor down in Back Creek almost near the head of the harbor. We used the little anchor again as the winds are predicted to be light.

1600 We’re in the dinghy and headed toward the “Naughty Gull” to watch the Phillies in game 1 of the NL division series (ED NOTE: The Phillies lost 4 – 2 to the Colorado Rockies). This marks the first post season play for the Fightin’s since 1993!

On the way in to the “Gull,” the dinghy stalled out twice. I got it running the first time, but not the second. It was row, row, row your boat all the way to the dinghy dock. Part of the problem is that the on/off fuel switch label is unintelligible. Secondly, I found that the switch itself was defective. The switch did not properly engage the valve. With the valve in the off position, all the cranking in the world wouldn’t start the engine.

For the ride home, I removed the helmet and manually set the valve to open. The motor ran fine the whole way. No rowing this time!

Once we got the motor back on the boat, I reinstalled the switch to valve connection. It’s working, but doesn’t seem very sturdy.

Speaking of the engine, it’s pretty cumbersome to get it on and off the dinghy. We’ll need to get an engine harness or perhaps an little crane to help lift the load and make the operation safer.

On another note, the dinghy seemed to be happy riding on the davits. We didn’t notice and chaffing or other problems. We have it tied down fairly well. There is no front to back motion at all and the only time there was side to side motion occurred when we were rocked by the wake of a passing motor boat.

Tomorrow, we may try to make Deltaville, VA.

The evening provided a calm, serene view of the anchorage. The twinkling of the anchor lights and their reflection on the water made for an idyllic scene.