Day 188, Year 8: Windbird’s Trek to Cape Cod, Day 11
Date: Friday, May 10, 2013
Weather: Sunny and Warm, Winds SW 5-10, Temp Lower 80’s F
Latitude: 39 08.086 N
Longitude: 076 14.777 W
Location: At the Public Free Dock in Rock Hall, Eastern Shore of Maryland

Captain’s Log for Friday, May 10:
“First thing after breakfast Lee and I hauled the six group 31 AGM batteries (maybe 65 pounds each) up through the hatch over our bed. The battery compartment is under the bed, so we used the main halyard on a winch to lift them one at a time. It was slow, hard work getting each battery onto the bulkhead we are docked at. We spent the rest of the morning waiting for the delivery of the new 4D AGM batteries—bigger and we hope better. A couple calls to urge a little more urgency (we had a noon appointment to look at the boat Lynda and Lee are interested in) and they were finally delivered. And the most amazing thing. The young delivery man picked up each battery, one at a time, and carried them down from the bulkhead we are docked against onto Windbird, then ducked under the dodger, stepped down into the cockpit, around the wheel, down the companionway steps, down the hall to the aft cabin, and then up and over the cabinetry and down into the space under our bed where the batteries will stay. He did all this without once setting them down. And they weigh 133 pounds each!!! We all just stood with mouths agape watching. And he wasn’t a hefty built young man. Ah, youth!

Batteries in, Lee and I started the process of hooking them up. Then noon came and the yacht broker arrived so we quit to look at the boat. She was beautiful, but Lee and Lynda have made no decision on whether or not they are going to buy her. After that we had a quick lunch and went back to work wiring the batteries. We completed that job–no problem. Then we switched gears and worked on the very slowly draining sink in the galley. This has been a perennial problem so I wanted to see if we could really clear out the drain hoses this time. We had tried a bit yesterday and I poked the handle of the plunger right through the plunger bulb. So today I borrowed one from the little store next to the bulkhead where we are docked. And we plunged and we plunged. Finally only clear water came up (well, as clear as the water in this basin gets). We’ll have to see how long it lasts this time.

This evening I decided it was time to cook a favorite of mine – a thick soup of sausage, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions. We’ll have enough for at least one more meal. After a bit of discussing the weather and our options for the next few days, I decided to walk to the store. Lynda was told it was two miles away and I was ready for some exercise. Lee decided to accompany me. When we got close to town we heard music (good stuff from the 50’s) and saw that a street was blocked off. It turned out to be an antique car show – with a few souped up dragsters included. We walked the street examining all the cars. It seemed the whole town was out. We ran into the broker who showed us the boat earlier. Couples were walking kids, folks stopped for ice cream cones . . . a lot like life in the 50’s. Rock Hall seems to be a great little community with a strong orientation to the boating life.”

130510 Day 188 Passage to Cape Cod–Day 10, Rock Hall, MD

Here on Cape Cod, we are having beautiful spring weather. I hung out with Ollie again today while Heather and Jed went to work. They both came home in the early afternoon and after school we all went to see the baby lambs at Peterson Farm. This is one of the oldest farms on Cape Cod and was purchased by the town of Falmouth in 1998 to keep the land from being developed. A local veterinarian keeps her sheep there along with a lone llama named Scamp and a few goats. The town wants the sheep there to keep the grass cut and it is a wonderful place to take children in the spring. We walked through the fields surrounding the fenced pastures and enjoyed the magic of springtime in New England. Then we came home and had Florida grown corn-on-the-cob (delicious) and grilled pork chops. We ate on the deck and Sam set the table with the best linens and silverware. He was so cute wanting our first outdoor dinner of the season to be so fancy. Then we walked down the street to Smitty’s to have ice cream. It was a beautiful day.

130510 Day 188 Cape Cod, USA–Peterson Farm and Swimmy's Visit

I just talked to Mark and he is really conflicted about what to do. The weather continues to give him fits. They will leave the Chesapeake tomorrow and spend tomorrow night in Chesapeake City in the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal. From there they could head on out into the Atlantic. But the winds are supposed to be from the NW, NNW, and sometimes N in the next few days. Mark would prefer to have S winds, but when they come later in the week, the winds will be stronger and the seas bigger. So the decision will be to go with light to moderate winds on the front quarter or much stronger winds on the aft. I wish him luck with his decision. It is never easy.