Great Wicomico River, Chesapeake Bay, VA
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Sat 10 Nov 2007 12:45
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37:49.314N 76:18.871W
Thursday, 11/8 - Another chilly day and a mostly
motor sail 40 miles or so down the Chesapeake Bay toward Norfolk. Along
the way we had a chance to reflect on why sailing and anchoring out in 30, 40
and 50 degree temperatures is pleasant.
Top ten reasons why sailing and anchoring out in
30, 40 and 50 degree temperatures is pleasant:
10) Instead of just taking up space,
those ski hats we brought have turned out to be useful.
9) Our chocolate supply is nice and
firm and not all 'melty'.
8) The fruit we keep in the basket on
the kitchen counter keeps quite nicely in this semi-refrigerated
environment.
7) This experience is valuable for
potential future trips to the Arctic Circle and/or Antarctica.
6) No sun block is
necessary.
5) The six or seven layers we are
wearing means that our clothing lockers are nearly empty and now quite
roomy.
4) The refrigerators and freezer run
less often, resulting in less strain on the batteries - meaning they don't have
to be charged as often or as much. (Unfortunately, our two methods of heat
- electric and reverse cycle air conditioning - both require running the
generator. However, since the batteries are not under stress, there is
less reason to run the generator to charge them. Therefore, we run the
generator for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night - not so much to charge
the batteries as to run the heat. With all of that said, I'm not sure that
any of this is all that pleasant!)
3) Sleeping in 3 layers of clothing and
under 4 blankets is sort of, maybe a little, in some fashion, remotely
pleasant.
2) The anchorages in the Chesapeake are
not crowded. No one is out here except us and a few other slightly crazed
boaters.
And the number one reason why sailing and anchoring
out in 30, 40 and 50 degree temperatures is pleasant:
1) No need to shower. Who wants
to get naked and shower on a boat when it is only 50 degrees in the cabin?
With all of these layers on, what does it matter anyway? No one can tell.
Don broke down and showered today (Friday). I'm holding out until we get
to Norfolk tomorrow and can shower in a nice, warm marina. That will be
day 4 without showering for me. A new record.
The picture below is our anchorage in the Great
Wicomico River just south of the Potomac. Note the sailboat that probably
contains several slightly crazed boaters (aside from us, that is).
Anne
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