http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/I-Wanda/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from I Wanda en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:10:44 +0000 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:10:44 +0000 It was the perfect trawler day not a puff of wind on the Chesapeake turning the Bay into a luminous pool that looks like oil as you slip through it. Your bow makes a vee shaped slice in the water that reminds me of the flight of geese and ducks as they migrate South. There is not a cloud to be seen in the cerulean sky which fades to pink lavender and peach at the horizons. I Wanda is not a tra http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maryland/blog-447879.html We were just preparing to leave Penobscot Bay to begin our migration South when last we wrote. That does not mean we were ready to leave MAINE however. We still had a bit of Muscongus and Casco Bays to traverse and more family visiting in Portland ahead. One of the sailing groups we belong to is the Ocean Cruising Club. They were having a gathering in South Bristol so we were heading that way as http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/blog-435517.html I have always loved the word Penobscot since it was used for the obnoxious guy's name on MASH. Turns out it is a really lovely part of Maine that straddles the more 'civilized' or at least populated parts of the state with the more remote. So sometimes your cell phone works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you can pick up WiFi from the boat and sometimes you can't. Mostly you can't though th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/blog-429026.html July 23 2009When last we wrote we were dealing with fog and had just experienced the coldest wettest June that the Northeast has ever seen. We were hoping that we would find the Maine we love when we headed down east and we haven't been disappointed We arrived on the 4th of July and have been enjoying mostly sunny days since with the occasional magnificent fogs and pouring rainOur passage f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Casco/blog-421749.html There was a fun interruption to our summer cruise more on that later but we have been anxious to get going towards Maine. Lauren doesn't work on Sundays so it would be nice to be in Portland then. The weather has been AWFUL in New England and this week it has been 60 degree temperatures with rain and drizzle which is not dangerous but certainly unpleasant. Then came the thunderstorms a boater k http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Massachusetts/blog-414882.html June 21 2009To celebrate the first day of summer we are hunkered down in Beverly MA listening to NOAA the weather gurus warn of an unusual gale center heading our way with 45 knot winds 15 foot seas rain and fog. Well all righty then When we wrote last we were already getting less desirable weather than we had experienced up through the Carolinas and the Chesapeake. While in New York the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-410833.html June 10 2009We have been enjoying an easy slow cruise North this Spring and marveling at the mostly GREAT weather not too hot or humid no big storms hardly any bugs cool for great sleeping... just what we like. Still you keep your eye on the forecast and try to get your weather from more than one source. When our time in the Chesapeake was winding down I began to download weather for the D http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/blog-407710.html June 1 2009Once we crossed the Potomac River there was no going back Plans to return to Reedville and Tangier Island were scuttled as there was WAY too much to see and do in the Maryland waters. We found ourselves sliding ever so slowly into the old think that we will catch that on the return trip. We know that some things never come by again and it is a shame to pass up things you would lik http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maryland/blog-404372.html May 16 2009When last we wrote we were preparing to discover some small out of the way places on the Albemarle Sound Columbia and Edneton. We had anchored well inside the Little Alligator River a feat that we would not have attempted without a chartplotter at the helm or someone with a lead line sounding from the bow The river is quite wide and not buoyed. The charts show adequate water for I http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Virginia/blog-399816.html May 7th in the Alligator RiverWe often wonder why it is called the Alligator River as we have never SEEN alligators here... but we always lookWhen last we wrote we were enjoying Charleston one of our favorite cities made all the more fun by having our daughter Andrea to guide us to the best places. This trip was no exception and we enjoyed both time out and about and time at her house watching http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-397787.html Most of you know that we had an exciting period of gremlin chasing before we actually got underway to leave Georgia. It took Christian a couple of days to straightened out the radio problem. This is especially important since we use the radio to send and receive email including weather when off shore or in anchorages where there is no WiFi. The transmission was dripping a bit and we decided we http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-397774.html Easter Monday TuesdayWhen last we chatted things were looking much better No tranny leaks and radio nirvana. Still prudence dictated a more serious test before making the let's go decision. We upped anchor and headed out against the current towing the dinghy so we could put some serious effort on the engine and transmission. The good news was that the speed was normal. A powerboat friend ha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Georgia/blog-397772.html Easter Sunday in St. MarysIt is nice to say that progress has been made even though we are still in St. Marys We have departed twice of course... only to return because it was the sensible thing to do. We returned to St. Marys FIRST to get parts needed to make the SSB talk properly to the antenna tuner which is important for sending email and for getting weather whenever we want it. The return http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Georgia/blog-397771.html I Wanda a nicholson 40 pilothouse sloop built by Camper Nicholson in 1979 re launched in early March after nearly a year and a half on the hard for a refit. After cruising full time for over 10 years and over 50000 Nautical Miles we wanted to spruce up the interior and upgrade a lot of systems. We were excited to get launched and ready to cruise again. Launch went smoothly on March 2 and we h http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Georgia/blog-397768.html