Yr 2021 Sailing Adventures: Heading Southward.

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"....Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?" - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

The year 2021 will be our fourth season sailing Second Star. After previous years making two trips north to Maine and lots of cruising around Chesapeake Bay, this is the year we hope to travel south to the Bahamas. There has been a lot of planning, even more dreaming. 

Then there is Covid 19....

In the fall we optimistcally thought to wait and see, hoping for a decrease in infection rates and a world moving towards normal.  Instead January brought  staggering infection rates and a rapidly rising death rate.  Should we stay or go?  After much consideration we are leaning towards going with the realization that living on the boat will be the best and most isolated way of living.  We preferentially seek quiet beaches and lonely anchorages. We are, however, leaving open the opportunity to change plans at any point if we find ourselves in a situation that feels irresponsible.  

And so preparations have continued.

There has been the usual making of lists and checking them more than twice. The dining room table is groaning under the weight of chart books, galley gear, food and provisions.
In October 2020 we pulled the boat out of the water to perform routine maintenance, including a fresh coat of bottom paint and realignment of the rudders. The rivers along the Chesapeake are notorious for fostering buildup of barnacles below a boat's waterline, and our home river is no exception. We scraped large stinky barnacles off the hull ourselves over 3 days, then paid the marina to apply the new paint. Second Star scoots along the water much happier now without the drag of those hitchhiking pests.

Brent has been busy installing a desalination unit (a "watermaker" in sailing jargon) that will will remove salt and impurities from ocean water, making fresh water safe to drink and cook with. We carry 60 gallons of fresh water in two tanks, and in years past water has been our most limited resource. We don't like having to make a big detour to find a marina to refill water tanks, or be forced to leave a beautiful anchorage because we're running short. In addition, since we're in the midst of a pandemic, being able to make our own fresh water will greatly reduce the number of times we must stop and interact with possible sources of Covid infection. An added benefit is we can relax our water rationing slightly, and maybe have a 4 minute hot shower every night. Luxury! 

We have added a portable freezer unit (again, sailor jargon: an "Engles Unit"). It looks like a mild mannered cooler with an electric cord, but while previously we had 1/2 Cu Ft of freezer space in the refrigerator, this unit will add 3 Cu Ft of additional freezer capacity. Three cu ft may not sound like much, but it will greatly help us space out trips to shore for groceries, minimize virus exposure and allow us to bring more goodies from home. 

Amazon and USPS have been busy delivering supplies for the trip several times a week. But before we set a firm departure date we have been waiting on one more delivery in Tennessee: Our son Tim and DIL Emilee have a new son, Tristan and we are very excited. He is our second grandchild; we have a granddaughter, Violet, in Kentucky.


As we write this our anticipated departure timing is approaching, but the exact timing changes with each update of the weather forecast.  The to-do list is shrinking and the boat is just about ready.  The biggest hurdle left is the hardest moment of any voyage: the final decision to push off the dock. 

You're invited to come along as you read about our adventures and share a cup of tea.

-Second Star
Brent and Lois

Comments

Jane said…
So looking forward to taking this journey with you! Be safe and make sure to share all of your adventures!
February 18, 2021 at 12:41 PM
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