Cast Off Those Lines Already!
“….and take them with you.” Yes, we left the dock!
We left the dock on Tuesday June 6, 2023, on Cheryl’s dad’s 91st birthday—quite fitting since he’s the one who ignited her passion to sail.
At times it felt as though we would never leave. Getting the boat ready for a 100+ day journey, and our house ready for a 100+ day absence, were full-time jobs for both of us. This also meant we only had two occasions to sail Belle Bateau since she was splashed in early May. With no time for proper shakedown cruises, we tested as many systems as we could at the dock and are hoping for the best.
Last fall, we anticipated and contracted major improvements that could be accomplished over the winter and into spring, including: service to our Westerbeke diesel engine; painting of hull; replacement of zincs; new standing rigging; new running rigging; inspection and washing of all three sails; recertification of 4-person liferaft; and additional coats of Epifanes to brightwork.
Professional riggers at work this spring while Belle Bateau was still on the hard.
In late March, we made an extensive to-do list with tasks assigned to each of us. This 5-page single-spaced guide was edited and re-prioritized regularly. Besides downloading and purchasing updated navigational charts and guides, here are some examples of items on our joint to-do lists:
Cheryl is chief medical officer, so she completed a CPR course, re-inventoried our medical kits, replenished kits, assured any prescribed medicines were ordered (including those that we might need but may never use, e.g. antibiotics), and purchased wet suits and accessories for chillier northern waters.
We replenished the Marine Medical kit, and added additional items.
Dudley is chief mechanic, so he re-inventoried parts, ordered more spares, tested systems, communicated with manufacturers for substitute parts when original parts were no longer available, schemed a dozen more improvements (including an extra 2.5 cubic ft. freezer and automatic LED lights to illuminate lockers), and fixed at least three things per day.
Testing the watermaker.
Cheryl is chief safety officer, so she inventoried required signaling devices, checked expirations on fire extinguishers, tested carbon monoxide detector, researched floating dry bags to serve as ditch bag, determined contents needed for ditch bag, stocked ditch bag, and prepared an action list to do in case of emergency.
Ditch bag, stowed at nav station near companionway.
Dudley is chief communications officer, so he researched communications options, deployed former Garmin InReach unit, determined exact size of largest TV we could accommodate in existing entertainment center (replacing original 26-year old unit), prepared PepWave cell/wifi unit for installation, and was hoisted in bosun’s chair to complete its attachment onto starboard shrouds.
Dudley was hoisted in the bosun’s chair to install the PepWave cell/wifi unit.
Cheryl is chief provisions officer, so she prepared a spreadsheet of foods and paper goods that will be needed for this leg of our journey, inventoried foodstuffs and spices from home to take to BB, purchased umpteen plastic bins and containers that would exactly fit locker spaces, located and recorded food items across five lockers on BB, prepared shopping lists for both captains to provision, vacuum sealed variety of foods, designed and sewed bags to hold space-saving boxed wine, and tested new thermal cooker that we hope will conserve propane.
Boxed (bagged) wines have improved over the years, and we are able to carry them far easier than glass bottles. Cheryl designed and sewed a few fabric bags to carry and help dispense bagged wine. Friends think she should sell these. Her sewing machine and spare fabric are on the boat (mostly for canvas repairs but hey, wine bag fabrication is a possibility).
Dudley is chief house administrator, so he contracted mail forwarding, designed new boat cards, communicated with neighbors, added more home security cameras, reviewed house with local friends who will check on our residence periodically, communicated with landscaping maintenance crew, and prepared automobiles left at home for long-term storage.
The deer will probably nibble on that beautiful hosta now that Dudley isn’t around to spray the leaves.
Cheryl is chief historian and social butterfly, so she researched and secured a website provider as well as domain name sailingbelle.net, created separate FaceBook page for BB, agonized over creating BB’s Instagram account (not intuitive), wrote three initial blogs, finally launched BB’s website, and created custom BB sailing log to hand-record daily journeys.. And, she created a 3-ring binder for grandchildren to file forthcoming postcards, mark maps with BB’s ports of call, and create artwork to help document Mimi’s and Dudley’s sailing adventure.
Here is Sam receiving the 3-ring binder. She agreed to be the “captain of the binder” and will help document Mimi’s and Dudley’s sailing adventure. She will also read postcards to her younger sisters Quorra and Pepper and then file the postcards into plastic sleeves.
At last, on Tuesday June 6, we took an Uber to Pier Seven Marina in Edgewater and threw off our lines (but brought them aboard)! With nice westerly winds, we sailed to Swan Creek near Rock Hall MD, and anchored just a stone’s throw from the subject of Cheryl’s article, High and Dry on the Fourth of July, published in this month’s issue of Spinsheet magazine https://issuu.com/spinsheetpublishingcompany/docs/spinsheet-magazine-june-2023/38
Pages 38-39 in the June 2023 issue of Spinsheet magazine.
How poetic! And just like that, our epic journey has begun!