Following The Geese!

The month of October has been the usual “hurry up and wait” scenario. We returned to the marina in Pasadena, MD to remove and replace our leaky fuel tanks, which reside underneath our cockpit. This required removing all the items stowed in our stern, removing all our clothing from the cabinet above the tanks so it could be removed, taking out the wood structure surrounding the tanks, pumping the 90 gallons of diesel fuel into barrels for storage, and unhooking all the fuel supply lines. All this without disturbing the multitude of wires leading to every navigation instrument, solar panels and radio antennas we carry. Once everything was cleared, the tanks had to be lifted though the small opening (where our clothing cabinet was) in our berth, then stood on end, slipped out the cabin door, then up the companionway and out! Even empty, each tank weighed about 75 lbs, and it was no small feat wrangling them free. We lined all the woodwork and floors with cardboard, both to protect the wood, and to catch any dripping fuel.

The next chore was to deliver them to the manufacturer in New Jersey so they could be replicated. No simple rectangles for us – each tank has angled walls so that they will sit directly in the bottom of the boat. Shipping them would have been expensive since they had contained a hazardous material, so we rented a pickup and drove the 4 hours to the shop. It felt a bit like going backwards again, since the shop was very near Barnagut Bay, where we had been towed in that fateful night in September, 2021!We got a nice tour of the facility and the building process, and left with positive vibes.

The following weeks were spent working on small projects, meeting up with friends at the Annapolis Boat Show (and even running into a few Traverse City folks), making provisioning runs, and hanging out with others at the marina who were also prepping to head south. Lisa enjoyed sailing as crew on Oasis, a C and C 36, for a few Wednesday night races. A special highlight was being invited to sail on the yacht Witchcraft, a 66’ wooden yawl. Built in 1903 to race on Lake Champlain, it was now owned by folks just around the point from the marina. On the hard when we were here in July, we had watched the launching and were amazed at the amount of water taken on (over the floorboards!) before the wooden hull swelled shut – 3 days!! We spent a beautiful afternoon on the Patapsco River, and Lisa even took the helm for a bit. We admired the craftsmanship and details of this vessel, and now you can too, because she is going to live at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD, where you can book a ride next spring!

Fifteen days after the drop-off, the new tanks were delivered. These are much lighter since they are made of aluminum instead of the black iron (steel) that had served the boat well for 36 years but had finally rusted. They also have an epoxy and paint coat for added protection. We were able to place them into the boat without assistance! It took several more days to plumb the tanks and rebuild the interior around them. Our stern holds two small portable generators, a water maker compressor and tubes, extra anchor and rode, warp line, parts, more parts, cleaning stuff, spare deflated fenders, snorkel gear, and folding chairs. Most of this had been placed on the cabin top under a tarp – folks asked if we were having a yard sale! Closet contents resided in cloth boxes on the dinette seat, making it easier to simply wear the same thing several days in a row, rather than trying to dig through the boxes. This also made it harder to retrieve any items stored under the seats (a whole other list of things!). So it is with great relief to finally have everything back in order.

Today we are bleeding the fuel lines of air to ensure the engine will run well, and sitting out a light rain. We have watched friends depart, and hopefully tomorrow we will finally join them and the geese and head south.

Fair winds, Fred and Lisa