Recreation of a Screwpile Lighthouse in Cambridge
September 2, 2013
It may seem like we have dropped off the face of the earth, but we are still alive and well. We have recently experienced several mile stones besides not being in a school system for 3 years. One mile stone was traveling 10,000 nautical miles since we bought the boat in 07. We have also put 2,000 hours on our new engine. (We are not sure if that is good or bad!)
When we left Washington, we were on our way to Baltimore. After receiving a call informing us that Francie’s mother’s house had sold, we made our way to Cambridge, MD where we rented a car and drove to Chicago and Indiana.
We started a journal entry on July 17, 2013. . . . . . . .
Hello from Cambridge, MD, a historical town on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We arrived here two days ago. Cambridge like the rest of the country is experiencing a heat wave. Each day we thank Deltaville Yachting Center for the fine job they did installing our air conditioning. This morning despite the heat, Mike went for a bike ride in the country. On the edge of town there was a church and on top of it were 4 vultures looking out at the road. He said he is glad that he doesn’t believe in omens.
Last week we spent the week in Solomons, MD on the guest dock of friends we met in the Bahamas. First thing Sunday morning, Mike checked the engine room for some reason and found water in the beneath the engine. We found a small leak in our fresh water system. We spent the next few hours repairing it even before we had our morning coffee. After working for at least a half hour, Francie notices that the air conditioning was no longer working. The water pump had sucked up a jelly fish. Yuck!!! It was the second time we sucked a jelly into the strainer. We kept switching between both jobs like a choreographed dance. After a couple hours, it was time for coffee in a cool boat with all systems restored. Just another day in the life of a cruiser.
Here are the highlights of the past month in Cambridge:
The last time we were in the Chesapeake, we met Mike, a friend of Francie’s cousin, John. Mike lives in Cambridge. He volunteers at Ruark Boatworks and arranged a tour. The volunteers build and restore wooden boats. The work they do was just incredible and the tour was fascinating. The boatworks is connected to the Richardson Maritime Museum which celebrated the life of Capt. James B. Richardson and the rich tradition of wooden boat building.
Mike also arranged for us to go out on the skipjack Nathan for a training sail for the crew. What a treat!!! Nathan whose overall length is 63 feet was built by volunteers between the years 1992 and 94. It was the last skipjack built. Nathan was built to be an oyster dredge boat. While we were out, the crew practiced dredging for oysters. They counted the live oysters and returned them to the water. When the captain told Francie it was her turn to take the helm, we were both shocked. Shortly after, Mike took his turn at the helm.
Not only does Dorchester County have a rich boat works history, Harriet Tubman was also born in Dorchester County. We spent an interesting afternoon at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, and later came across a historic general store in the area where Harriet Tubman worked as a slave. It was at this store that she was hit on the head and began to experience narcolepsy and powerful visionary experiences.
It may seem like we have dropped off the face of the earth, but we are still alive and well. We have recently experienced several mile stones besides not being in a school system for 3 years. One mile stone was traveling 10,000 nautical miles since we bought the boat in 07. We have also put 2,000 hours on our new engine. (We are not sure if that is good or bad!)
When we left Washington, we were on our way to Baltimore. After receiving a call informing us that Francie’s mother’s house had sold, we made our way to Cambridge, MD where we rented a car and drove to Chicago and Indiana.
We started a journal entry on July 17, 2013. . . . . . . .
Hello from Cambridge, MD, a historical town on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We arrived here two days ago. Cambridge like the rest of the country is experiencing a heat wave. Each day we thank Deltaville Yachting Center for the fine job they did installing our air conditioning. This morning despite the heat, Mike went for a bike ride in the country. On the edge of town there was a church and on top of it were 4 vultures looking out at the road. He said he is glad that he doesn’t believe in omens.
Last week we spent the week in Solomons, MD on the guest dock of friends we met in the Bahamas. First thing Sunday morning, Mike checked the engine room for some reason and found water in the beneath the engine. We found a small leak in our fresh water system. We spent the next few hours repairing it even before we had our morning coffee. After working for at least a half hour, Francie notices that the air conditioning was no longer working. The water pump had sucked up a jelly fish. Yuck!!! It was the second time we sucked a jelly into the strainer. We kept switching between both jobs like a choreographed dance. After a couple hours, it was time for coffee in a cool boat with all systems restored. Just another day in the life of a cruiser.
Here are the highlights of the past month in Cambridge:
The last time we were in the Chesapeake, we met Mike, a friend of Francie’s cousin, John. Mike lives in Cambridge. He volunteers at Ruark Boatworks and arranged a tour. The volunteers build and restore wooden boats. The work they do was just incredible and the tour was fascinating. The boatworks is connected to the Richardson Maritime Museum which celebrated the life of Capt. James B. Richardson and the rich tradition of wooden boat building.
Mike also arranged for us to go out on the skipjack Nathan for a training sail for the crew. What a treat!!! Nathan whose overall length is 63 feet was built by volunteers between the years 1992 and 94. It was the last skipjack built. Nathan was built to be an oyster dredge boat. While we were out, the crew practiced dredging for oysters. They counted the live oysters and returned them to the water. When the captain told Francie it was her turn to take the helm, we were both shocked. Shortly after, Mike took his turn at the helm.
Not only does Dorchester County have a rich boat works history, Harriet Tubman was also born in Dorchester County. We spent an interesting afternoon at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, and later came across a historic general store in the area where Harriet Tubman worked as a slave. It was at this store that she was hit on the head and began to experience narcolepsy and powerful visionary experiences.
Oyster dredging.
Gravestone of Capt. John Jones, veteran of Revolutionary War & War of 1812. Old Trinity Church Cemetary
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Mike at the helm.
Old Trinity Church in Cambridge
circa 1675
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Flag at Fort McHenry
Since we were not going to Baltimore by boat, we rented a Mini Cooper to visit Gettysburg and Baltimore. The audio car tour of Gettysburg helped us to visualize the battles. The magnitude of the losses of human life was emotionally moving. We left the Civil War behind and drove to Fort McHenry in Baltimore. It was here that Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star Spangle Banner after witnessing the long bombardment of the fort during the War of 1812. Francie felt an infinity with the author after spending a lifetime hearing, “Oh, Francie Scott, any relation to Francis Scott Key?!” Baltimore looked like a fun city to visit. Maybe someday we will visit by water and get to know the city.
Fife and Drum Reenactment honoring Marines at Fort McHenry
On our return trip from Chicago, we continued our Civil War education by visiting Harper’s Ferry, whose history is much larger than just the place raided by John Brown for which it is most famous. Its history dates back to George Washington who surveyed the area and Thomas Jefferson. In October of 1783 Thomas Jefferson stood on a rock overlooking the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers and declared this “one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature”. Mike declared the same thing after climbing to the top of the same rock! Our second stop was Antietam, another massive Civil War battle fought prior to Gettysburg. The loss of life at Antietam and Gettysburg is difficult to imagine as you gaze at farms and fields that are dotted with monuments.
We experienced a “first” in Cambridge. As Francie was climbing over the lifeline to get to the dock (?#*! those short docks), we heard a splash in the water. Her phone disappeared into the murky water. After three years living aboard and many more years sailing, we had yet to lose a phone! Thanks to our insurance, a new replacement phone arrived the next afternoon. That was the easy part; she spent the next 10 hours reloading apps and getting it set up.
Annapolis
Before beginning our southward journey, we sailed across the bay to Annapolis. We have friends that are staying in a marina on Back Creek and we grabbed a mooring ball near them. We took the dinghy to a dock near the Naval Academy and spent half a day touring the grounds, some of the buildings, and their museum. Lunch and a milkshake at Chick & Ruth's topped off the day!
This trip north has been unique for us. We have been able to visit places that were familiar like Washington and new places like Cambridge and Annapolis. More importantly it has given us a chance to renew friendships with many of the people we have met over the past 3 years, as well as make new friends that we hope to see again as we travel the waterways.
After spending a few days in Hampton we are headed south toward Myrtle Beach where we will spend a month. Our winter stops will be St. Augustine and Stuart, FL.
After spending a few days in Hampton we are headed south toward Myrtle Beach where we will spend a month. Our winter stops will be St. Augustine and Stuart, FL.