Memorial Day Raft Up - 2010

There was a lot going on with the Brothers of the Chesapeake Bay table in late May: Ailing family members, a boat out of water, a damaged limb and other similar impediments or obligations resulted in a small turnout for this year's first warm weather three day holiday weekend. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing.


The crews of Casual Class, Orza (including Brother Boats and Tricia) and Talisman met a School Neck Point in the Severn River (a tributary of Mobjack Bay) on Saturday, May 29th for rest, relaxation & comaraderie. Casual Class was first at the anchorage. Upon arrival, there was an engine problem that the other boats were made aware of as they arrived. A threaded joiner piece of the wet exhaust systems plumbing had sheared just where it entered the mated end. But no one wanted to delve into it on Saturday. After scheduling repairs for Sunday morning, dinner was prepared and served. The crews mellowed as they danced into the night.



The next morning, four brothers assessed the situation and assembled available resources for the repair. A four inch piece of wet duty, high pressure, flexible piping was fitted into place with appropriate sized pipe clamps. The engine was started and exhaust was again ported out of the boat in the normal fashion without leaks. While we toasted our success, we realized it was now approaching noon. We had discussed moving the raft to the East River but after assessing the peaceful anchorage, we decided to stay put. Swimming, dancing, eating, drinking and napping consumed the rest of the day. It was, indeed, a restful day.

On Monday morning, after breakfast, we broke the raft to head home. Casual Class left first, deciding to motorsail against the southwesterly breeze. Later in the day, Casual Class contacted Talisman and ORZA (who - as usual - was the first back to the marina). Their repairs had failed and they needed help getting in from the lower bay area, just outside Ft. Wool. Fuego was dispatched for the tow. But they hadn't calculated on how much fuel they would need for the task. As Fuego approached Fort Wool with Casual Class in tow, they placed a call to Talisman inquiring about fuel. Talisman had five gallons of gasoline on board which would insure Fuego's return, if needed. As Talisman grew closer, she pulled in behind the connected boats as backup. Casual Class was given a temporary berth at Rebel Marina until more durable repairs could be affected. The weekend had been a success!

Spring Fling 2010

The Chief Blogger apologizes for the inactivity on the site in recent months: I've been out of town on business for most of the spring. May 21st was a homecoming for me. I had been working in Connecticut for the previous two weeks and was scheduled to come home briefly for the weekend. Coincidentally, there was a Tip-a-Few scheduled to begin about the time of my arrival. Junebug picked me up from the airport and we were on our way to the home of Matt & Gracie.

The party was already underway on the back porch: appetizers were out and the grill was full of barbequed delights that would soon be ready for consumption. It had been a warm late spring day and the warmth lingered as the sun made its way toward the western horizon. Brothers and captives were busy catching up with one another while the dogs ran around everyone's feet.

The top of Matt's grill was opened to reveal that dinner was ready. Slowly the assembled crowd made their way indoors to select the items they would dine on. One of the dinner conversations centered on Matt's Fat Boy motorcycle in the garage. We all agreed there would be a show & tell right after dinner. Everyone was impressed with the stock chopper in the garage...the fat rear tire aft of the dark red gas tank and trim that surrounded the large chrome engine. Junebug climbed on board to model the fine machine.

We talked about the upcoming inter-table raftup sheduled for the week of the summer solstice. Last year's raftup in Mill Creek was such a success that word had spread throughout the US Tables. As a result, many more Brothers will be attending this year's event which will be held in Dividing Creek, off of Fleets Bay. The group also decided that there will be a Memorial Day raftup on one or more of the rivers feeding into Mobjack Bay. The summer boating season had arrived and everyone is ready to get out on the water and celebrate their love of the sea.

December 26, 2009 – Boxing Day at the Chesapeake Table

[Contribution from Brother Cruz...]

One of the Chesapeake Table’s most popular Tip-a-Fews (Boucan) is the Annual Boxing Day celebration that takes place on the day after Christmas. This year, 29 Brothers, Captives and guests jammed into my condo to celebrate Boxing Day one more time. Boxing Day originates back in medieval Europe. It was a time when the royalty met with the servants to give them their Christmas gifts. In reality, they gave the servants gifts that they did not want so they may have been known as the first “re-gifters.” The Chesapeake Table, in keeping with this tradition, gets together for a party (go figure) and a chance to re-gift some of those useless little gifts that people give us throughout the year. I am sure that all of these gifts were given in good faith to the original recipient but you have to wonder what the hello-Pete were they thinking? Anyway, you know a Boxing Day gift when you first get one.

This Boxing Day started at 1500 on Saturday afternoon with folks bringing leftover food dishes from Christmas Day. Sherry Carraway made a wonderful seafood chowder and we also had a spiral ham. After feasting and drinking, we drew numbers for our White Elephant package selection. Now we do this every year so we had to add a couple of extra rules (guidelines) to the normal White Elephant procedure. First, you cannot bring a gift from last year. Second, you must take your gift with you when you leave as I sure don’t want all that crap left in my house. Well, I did not check that everyone took their gift when they left and it came back to haunt me. It seemed that Preston Carraway (a.k.a. Rocket Boy) went though my bedroom to the toilet and accidently dropped his gift which was a rooster crowing alarm clock. Preston told me the next day that he could not find the clock as it was dark in my bedroom. What do you know but that the rooster started crowing under my bed at 0420 the next morning? Next time I will make sure that I see everyone leave with their gift at the end of the party.

A fun time was had by all and we will definitely do this again next year.

Orza!

Scott AKA Cruz

Emergency Party!

What is necessary to qualify for an Emergency Party at the Chesapeake Table? Just the occasion of Brothers from another Table stopping by. It is that simple. That is all it takes.

With the 50th anniversary of the Brotherhood in the United States just celebrated in our nation's largest city and the founding of the first Table. Our Brother Heinz Scheel and his Captive Brigetta were stopping by to visit briefly with the Tables of Brotherhood USA as they headed south along the East Coast. Their U.S. travelling chaperons, Albert and Alise Seidl, were insuring their safe passage...at least to Savannah.

We gathered at the new home of our Captain, Cruz, perched high above the Elizabeth River and the Intracoastal Waterway's Mile Marker Zero. It had been two years since Heinz & Brigetta last visited the Tables of the USA.

With the full press of Old Man Winter's face against the window, boating activities had dwindled to almost nothing. We were all seeing less of one another as we were prepared to produce Thanksgiving and Christmas for our families. Our travelling Brothers gave us the opportunity to keep the fires of our friendship stoked for sparsely lit days of the year. We were glad they had stopped by on the lower Chesapeake Bay.

Ends of the Earth

[Nota bene - this is copied from an Email to the Brothers of the Chesapeake Bay Table and others in the sphere of Rob & Holly's affection.]

Hello everyone,

No we didn’t sail off the edge of the world, though our summer was not exactly as we had hoped for when perusing the brochures! We had put the boat in the boat yards for maintenance, had planned a short visit to England to see mum and family, had planned a boat trip to upstate NY to visit daughter and get out of the hot weather on Long Island Sound before heading back to North Carolina in September. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.

The boat yard went very well, and we started looking into flights to England. Commercial airfares were very high, so we decided to fly military and see where we got. There’s a large military airport in Norfolk and we hoped to get on a flight there, but no luck. Though they said they had some flights coming through, when we showed up they had been scrubbed, so back home we came. I called Dover DE and they said they had semi routine flights to Spain most days, so we headed that way and got lucky. We got seats on a flight heading out that night, heading for Rota Spain – yeh it does work!

From there we flew commercial to England and had a lovely couple of weeks with mum before Holly slipped down a couple of stairs and shattered her ankle –OUCH. So off we went to check out the National Health Service. Holly was admitted to the local hospital and waited for surgery, and waited for surgery, and waited for surgery – it took a week before they could get her fixed, apparently everyone had broken ankles that week. We spent another couple of weeks for her to begin recuperation before flying home. Because of her discomfort we decided to fly commercial, ouch again but this time in the wallet. One-way tickets were very expensive, so we got return tickets – for next July!

Obviously, Holly was in no condition to climb on and off the boat with a leg cast and our daughter invited us to upstate NY for a few weeks. She had a handicap accessible home and things were a little easier. We spent a month there, enjoying some lovely weather (for upstate NY), warm temperatures and blue skies and family. Unfortunately, her relationship was deteriorating and we ended up leaving there with her and heading back to Norfolk. Holly was in a walking boot with crutches at this time and able to at least get around somewhat, so was able to get on and off the boat if necessary. Daughter Reyna has decided to leave the frigid northlands and stay in Norfolk. She has a job (just started Nov 9th) and an apartment and is excited about being able to start anew.

We have been eagerly awaiting Holly’s recuperation and planning on heading south as soon as she was able, but again things didn’t go as planned. She is doing very well, walking without a cane or crutches; she’s not wearing a boot around the boat, putting most of her weight on her bad foot. Looking good. Our friend Rob was waiting for us before leaving on his boat and coming south with us. But it was not to be, after a couple of trips to the emergency room, he was scheduled for surgery to remove his gall bladder. We would not be leaving before a couple of weeks recuperation for him.

And we had some mechanical issues that had to be rectified before we could go anywhere.

It seems like we always have some issues when we get ready to leave and this year was no exception. I was tensioning the fan belt when I was looking around the lazzerettes and noticed some bronze filings on top of the fuel tank – oh dear. Further inspection showed it came from the steering system idler pulleys, being a little out of line. Not too bad, a little adjustment and we could be on our way. But no, as I was cleaning and inspecting the idler assembly I noticed a small crack in the stainless steel mounting bracket. No way to fix, so I ordered up another assembly. Edson got it here quickly and I proceeded to dismantle the old and install the new one. It was during this evolution that I discovered the second issue; this one could have been catastrophic. I was, again, in the lazzerettes installing the idler when I looked around me.

Now, for those who are not boaters, our masts are held up with some heavy duty cables, which in turn are secured to the boat at strong-points using stainless steel chainplates. I was looking at one of these and noticed some rust, so I got out my wire brush and cleaned it up, but no, below the rust was a crack – not too big but worrisome on a 33 year old boat. And it was in the backstay, which holds up the main mast. Well I finished the steering problem and managed to get it installed and working properly.

I took out the faulty chainplate and discovered that the crack went about ¾ the way through on the backside, the side I couldn’t see! If these had failed with the sails up we would have lost our mast and sails and may even have suffered serious injury if it fell down upon us! So we decided to check ALL the chainplates – all 12 of them. Some were OK, but 4 or 5 had cracks. We’re glad we decided to check them all. That project has been nearly completed. I need to install a couple of plates and then tension the rig. Yeh almost able to leave!

I was checking on the engine when we had the 3rd mishap. I had noticed an occasional over heating problem when we run the engine at higher rpms. I talked it over with our mechanic friend, Mike and he suggested that we flush the coolant system and see if that helped. So I removed the thermostat, emptied the coolant, and replaced it with flushing liquid. After running the engine I drained it out, flushed with fresh water, replaced the thermostat with a new one, and filled up with fresh antifreeze. As I was running the engine I noticed some coolant around the bottom end of the engine block. At first I thought it was some over filling, so I cleaned it up and looked to see if it continued. Alas it did. Oh dear, or some other similar expletive. I thought I had cracked the block or blown the cylinder head gasket, major problems. So I settled in for a head removal project, which entails removing the inlet and exhaust manifolds, the thermostat. bunches of hoses, and odds and ends of motor parts etc before I could get to the head bolts! Needless to say I closed the engine room door and headed up to the pub for a beer, I’ll look at it again in the morning, maybe the Perkins fairy would have fixed it.

But no Perkins fairies showed up that night, so I started removing some hoses and the thermostat housing. As I was looking at the housing I noticed that there was a small area where the seal didn’t seem to have held, maybe the coolant was coming from a leaking thermostat gasket. But as I was removing the valve cover I noticed some coolant under the cover, and an area on the gasket that was not sealed either. I was hoping that the thermostat had leaked and entered the valve cover area and had not caused major damage. I again called our friend Mike, and asked if he could come and have a look and give me an assessment, before I continued to remove the head from the engine. Luckily, he was in the area and had Dave with him – they would stop by and take a look. At last some good news, they agreed that the coolant came from the thermostat leaking and entered the valve cover gasket. The oil level was very high, indicating that coolant had mixed with the oil, but it looked as though the heads and gasket was OK and would not need to be removed and reworked. All I had to do was flush through the oil with a couple of oil and filter changes and the engine should be back to normal. Time consuming but easier than removing the head and having it reworked.

And so that brings us back to today Wednesday 11/11), we are just about ready to leave Norfolk and head south for the winter. We need to clean the boat, get in some supplies and food, plenty of beer and wine and we can get out of here. But wait, things are never that easy, Hurricane Ida was coming up the Gulf of Mexico and the remnants would probably head our way. Add to that a deep low-pressure system churning off the Carolina coast and we are going nowhere for a few days. Winds are forecast to get up to 50mph for Thursday and since we like to keep the pleasure in pleasure boating, we will stay until the weather clears and calms down to make travel pleasant. Hopefully we will be able to leave on Saturday or Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday or –well you get the picture. I’ll be back with some routine, periodic emails as we make our way to warmer weather.

See ya next spring.

P.S. - A quick update, as is usual when you get ready for a lengthy trip, there are myriads of things to get done before casting off lines etc; get wine and spirits, fill water tanks, fill fuel tanks, buy food, buy more wine and spirits, get spare jerry cans of diesel and gasoline, do laundry, stow all the goods we have bought, buy more wine and spirits, and a little rum as well, and being able to dry the boat out wouldn’t hurt either. So much to do we may not leave until next year! But no, we are hoping, weather permitting to leave on Tuesday morning.

Limey

Rob & Holly
S/V Hampshire Rose
Pearson 365 Ketch

[Editor's Note: Rob & Holley finally weighed anchor and headed south on Tuesday, November 17, 2009]

Autumn Bay Cruise 2009 (continued)

Day 4 - On to Annapolis

The crews of the Chesapeake Bay Table awoke at sunrise and left Solomons Island at 8:00 AM. There was little to no wind to speak of so everyone motored north up the Chesapeake Bay. Orza left Solomons late and arrived at Annapolis early. Fenders were out to form a raft when the rest of the fleet arrived. This is the time Incident No.1 occurred: just after Talisman had rafted with Orza, a large trawler - Sea Bear - came through the anchorage at about 12 knots, plowing up a good sized wake that rocked all of the boats rafted up to Orza and everyone else in the anchorage. Some heated words between myself and the Captain of the trawler revealed that the Captain had revenge on his mind. Apparently, Orza's wake had given the trawler some trouble off of Cove Point and he was in payback mode. His revenge was completely void of any consideration for the other boats at anchor.

Because this incident and the substantial amount of boat traffic in and around the anchorage, conditions were not favorable for a raft. Most of the fleet anchored around Orza and used their dinghies to transport over to the "Mother" ship. Tardis couldn't find a place to drop anchor as the schooner Dove II had just anchored and had warned Tardis off for being too close. Maybe this was a good thing.

A water taxi picked everyone up around 5PM for dinner at the Rockfish Restaurant. It was a fine meal and a great time for everyone. Then it was back to Orza for dessert. A short time after returning - before many of the other crews had arrived, a Captain from a neighboring boat came over to inform Orza that it was about to collide with the schooner Dove II that was, apparently, drifting at anchor. No one initially believed him. But he described how the bowsprit had bent the bow rail on his Amel 53 and implored the crew to have a look. This is about the time June and I were coming over in our dinghy. We couldn't figure out why this schooner had its bow alongside the port bow of Orza.

As we tied up and boarded Orza there was a certain degree of confusion while some sailors on Orza fended off the careening schooner and others tried to figure out a strategy for dealing with the long term problem as there was no one aboard the offending vessel. Bui and I went back to our dinghies to push the boat away. This was about the time we discovered there was no tension on the schooner's anchor line. Bui followed the line and determined the problem: an abnormal amount of scope had been deployed for a shallow, crowded anchorage. It was careening around the calm anchorage with currents determining its direction and speed.

No one wanted the potential liability of boarding another boat so the authorities were contacted. That proved to delay things even further: The Harbor Masters Office was closed for the day (during a boat show weekend??!) and the Coast Guard referred us to the Maryland DNR. Finally we contacted them and somewhere between a half hour and forty five minutes later, a single officer showed up in a large inflatable boat to deal with the situation. He got the help of the Amel Captain who boarded the schooner and pulled in approximately one hundred fifty feet (150") of anchor line before there was enough tension on the line to hold the boat in place.

With that situation dealt with, everyone turned their attention toward a dessert of chocolate chip cookies. Later on, the Captain of the schooner returned and apologized profusely. He related as to how his inexperienced crew was to blame. That point fell on deaf ears as he is the captain of his vessel! Fortunately, he had adequate insurance.

The next morning, we saw some paint and physical damage had been inflicted on Orza so their were subsequent conversations with the Captain of the schooner.

Debutantes

Like the ships of old where each ship had its own culture, protocols and rules, each table of the Brotherhood has its own culture, protocol and rules. When the brothers of the Chesapeake introduce an engagé, there is a gathering and celebration. When the brothers of the Solomons Table introduce an engagé, it is more like a debutante being introduced to society. So was my experience during the Columbus Day weekend as I and other brothers from the Chesapeake Table gathered at Solomon’s Island while en route to Annapolis during the Autumn Bay Cruise.(see "Autumn Bay Cruise" blog entry.)

The whole affair started innocently enough. In 2008, Go-Go, of the Solomons Table detected what he thought was an intruder and was preparing to defend his territory. In actuality, the intruder was Cruz, of the Chesapeake Table, trying to slip, quietly and undetected, through the Patuxent River area without notice. But before the canons could be made ready, Go-Go recognized the flag of the intruder to be that of the neighboring Table and ordered his crew to stand down. While the two brothers where glad to see one another, Cruz was reprimanded and told that due notice should be given in the future to avoid any type of friendly fire.

Not wanting a similar situation to occur, as a part of coordinating the 2009 Autumn Cruise, I sent a simple Email to Sea Devil that brothers from the Chesapeake Table would be sailing the territorial waters of the Solomons Table. A response came that Go-Go would coordinate a reception with details forthcoming. With some discussion, the Solomons brothers put a two evening affair together including dockage and support for the visiting fleet. It was decided that Saturday’s evening event would also mark the introduction of the Table’s first engagé’s. It was only fitting in light of the fact that the Chesapeake Table had been so involved with the formation of the Solomons Table.

So, we gathered at the home of brother Easy along the Banks of St. Johns Creek with passenjeros John and Dennis. A larger crowd gathered this evening, including Blue Stache, who had arrived earlier in the day by land. Ceremonial tricorns were worn as crews from all three Tables - Snapper King was representing the Marathon Table - settled in to a dinner of barbequed rockfish and cobia, hamburgers, hot dogs and various side dishes. Easy’s bar was well stocked with (the demon) rhum and was well attended by the brothers.

After a fine meal, Go-Go, representing the Table in the Captain’s absence, called the group to order. Snapper King was asked to relate the history of the Solomons Table, of which he played such a large part, for the new engagés and their captives. Parson Fish Monger was asked to say a few words and related an inspirational, albeit ribald tale of the marriage of an old man from his home on Smith Island. Then Go-Go called upon the new engagé to read aloud the Octalog to the assemblage. Upon completion, they were awarded the black bandana of the Solomons Table. Thereafter, Rhum was rationed and the traditional Andanada was issued to aid in its consumption.

The Chesapeake Bay Table congratulates the new Solomons Engages and wishes them the best of luck as they endeavor to attain the the status of Brother.

Autumn Bay Cruise (formerly "Up The Bay with Carraway")

DAY 1 (Oct. 8, 2009):

The fleet of three Brotherhood boats - Fresh Air, Talisman and Tardis - along with guest boat, No Problem, leave Hampton Roads just after dawn. Strong NW winds persisted from a front that crossed the area on Wednesday. We took a course heading of 30° (magnetic) which kept us from pounding the waves and allowed for some sail power.

Our destination was the Ingram Bay area, a 60 nm run from Hampton Roads. We spent most of the day slogging to the NE in 3 - 4 foot waves. Then, around 2PM, the wind died, the seas calmed and we took a direct heading to Cockrell Creek (Reedville) where Shanty was waiting for us to arrive.

We arrived in Reedville around 5PM. Talisman transferred Shanty's Captive to her Captain. Bui and Upwind set about to some hatch maintenance on Talisman while the Ladies worked up the dinner plans. No Problem had clogged fuel filter problems during the day and joined the raft after dark. There were still left-overs waiting when they arrived after 7PM.


DAY 2 (Oct. 9, 2009):

While at anchor, the winds shifted to the SW and had continued to build overnight. We broke the raft down in record time (under five minutes) and had four sailing vessels leaving in a line just before 9AM (Tardus had stayed with friends up the Great Wicomico River but came through to check on us).

As we left Cockrell Creek, it became apparent just how strong the SW winds were: 15 -20 knts with gusts up to 25 knts. It would be another day at the wheel. As we made the turn north, some adjustments had to be made as a number of the boats rounded into the strong gusts. Shortly thereafter, everyone but No Problem had balanced their rigs for the day's conditions. No Problem couldn't seem to find a good balance and ended up turning back toward Reedville as the rest of the fleet progressed north.

The gusty conditions lessened as we crossed the wide mouth of the Potomac River. By early afternoon we were crawling along slowly with 6-8 knt winds. While it was nice to let the auto pilot take the helm for a while, we weren't making good speed to our destination for the day: the Pawtuxent River. The motors came on briefly before the winds reestablished themselves. The fleet arrived in Solomon's in late afternoon. We were made welcome by the Brothers of the Solomon's Table.

After freshening up, everyone met at the beautiful home of Brother Easy for a dinner of oysters, crab soup and chili. We were a bit worn from two days of pushing hard up the Bay but were happy to be in the company of our brethren in the mid Chesapeake Bay region.

Day 3: (Oct 10, 2009)

After pushing hard for two days, we took the opportunity to sleep in and relax. A late breakfast, washing salt off the boat and, generally, taking stock for the next leg of the trip on Sunday. In the early afternoon, the crews of Talisman and Fresh Air took their dinghies over to the Calvert Marine Museum for the Patuxent River Appreciation Day festivities. Free admission to the museum and with Arts & Crafts Vendors as well as food & music. We watched and were fascinated by the speed and grace of the two River Otters. It was a good day for soaking up the culture and the nautical history of the Patuxent River area.

Then it was back to the boat to get ready for the main event of the evening: the introduction of the Solomons Table's first Engages!

[nota bene: Details of the engage introduction, "Debutantes", and continuation of the Autumn Bay Cruise can be found is subsequent post]

5th Annual Labor Day Raft-up & Tip-a-Few

Labor Day comes just before the peak of the North Atlantic Hurricane Season so attention must be paid to the weather. We were checking the weather regularly since strong northerly winds persisted after a high pressure system had arrived earlier in the week. Thursday night, the weatherman predicted beautiful weather with diminishing northerlies. Everyone agreed the more distant, primary location was a "go" for the upcoming three day weekend


Wanting to get an early departure from Rebel Marina, Blue Moon, Talisman and Fuego made a quick jaunt five miles north and rafted in Hampton River on Friday evening. We were joined by the crew of Cat Nap who keep their boat at a nearby marina. With the help of (demon) Rhum the crews started decompressing from the week just finished.


On Saturday, in accordance with the plan, the fleet made its way up the west side of the Chesapeake Bay headed for Mobjack Bay. The first days anchorage was a cove just around the corner from School Neck Point (37° 19.542' N, 76° 26.704' W). The raft formed just after 3PM with Blue Moon serving as the anchor boat as Orza and crew would not be joining until Sunday. We settled in to our quiet environment and started preparations for the evening's meal. In usual fashion, no one went hungry. Cool temperatures made for a great nights sleep.


The morning arrived with blue skies and some promising wind from the northeast. After a communal breakfast, we broke the raft and headed for the East River, another tributary feeding into Mobjack Bay. Our large anchor boat, Orza, was headed north for a Sunday rendezvous. Two boats took advantage of the 1o knot winds from the northeast while the others motored for the 11 mile trip. As Talisman rounded the green "15," the raft came into view. But something was amiss - there appeared to be a bright red object on the raft. Upon closer inspection, we discovered the object was actually two porch umbrellas mounted to the back of Orza.


The East River is a more active river than the Severn. It is quite popular on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends a good deal of boat traffic. This Holiday weekend was no exception. During the afternoon, many visitors stopped by to say hello and tip-a-few.

Late in the afternoon, El Maestro and AJ arrived by land. El Maestro had hyper extended his right thumb Friday night and was unable to operate his boat. However, he was able to lend a hand in the kitchen.


Rudely reminding us that it was late summer, evening came far too early. After another fine meal, instruments were deployed as four of the Brothers took to entertaining the raft. Star gazing was limited as low clouds moved into the area...a developing Nor'easter was moving slowly up the coast with the promise of strong winds and rain for Monday.

Monday morning was grey with winds out of the northeast. Reports from Norfolk told of heavy rains...it was inevitable we would get rain cruising home. But it was still dry, it was a holiday and no one was in a hurry to head back. After a casual breakfast, we broke the raft and headed south to Norfolk. Hardly out of the river, the rain started. Fortunately our boats are water resistant. Back at Rebel Marina, we made a communal dinner from the weekends leftovers before heading home.

August 14, 2009 Tip-A-Few

[Nota bene: A contribution from Brother Cruz...]

The August Chesapeake Table get together was a pot-luck dinner held at the home of Ann and Scott Ripley at Chic’s Beach in Virginia Beach. The theme for this event was the “Foods You Grew Up On” or rather just some of the foods your parents fed you as a child. Each couple was told to bring a dish or two that they remembered eating as a child. This event really grew legs among the Captives and the Brothers. Instead of the usual one dish per couple that we expect to see at a pot-luck dinner, almost every person brought their own dish. Even Scott Rogers made his own dish of ground baloney and relish sandwiches with Miracle Whip on Wonder Bread (builds strong bodies 12 ways). It looked pretty scary but actually tasted very good.

As we sat down to dine, Scott and Ann called on each person to talk about their dish and the usual atmosphere surrounding its consumption. People really got into discussing the ingredients and how they had to check with their mom or dad to make sure that everything in the preparation was authentically correct. Then it was “we used to have this dish every time Mom and Dad went out for the evening” or “we had this dish every Friday night because we were Catholic” or whatever. Upwind actually brought his mother but she couldn't remember what she used to make and neither could he! Everyone seemed to really enjoy sharing their past experiences growing up with the group.

After dinner and several rounds of (demon) rhum with many ORZAs, the party broke up and everyone went home. Everyone except Mark Eller who ended up spending the night as he was overserved in all of the excitement.

Gettin' Together!

[Nota bene: A contribution from Brother Piper]

It is a good thing that we here at the Chesapeake table get along so well, because we sure have been seeing a lot of each other this month. June started out with a welcome home tip-a-few, for Brother Limey and Captive Holly. A large crowd met down at Paradox Restaurant at Bay Point Marina, which if you remember, until recently was the marina for a number of Brothers. The well ordered yet slightly unruly group started the evening at one large table on one end of the covered deck, but soon we took up half the place as people broke off into groups, swapping stories, jokes, and drinks. The waitress did a great job with keeping the beverages flowing but resorted to just bringing out the food and asking if anyone knew who had the fish and chips. After a couple of hours with our bellies full, we wished Limey and Holly another Bon Voyage as they would be continuing their cruising up the Bay.

About a week later the Table rallied again, This time Brother Boats and Captive Trish invited everyone over to their Tiki bar for a true hot dog eating event. Grill Master Boats threw five different brands of dogs on the grill. Numbered yet unnamed. We, the willing, ate our fill and after much educated discussion voted for the “Best Dog in the House”. It is always humbling to find that the dog you would normally buy was not the dog you picked as best in show. I believe that everyone is looking forward to another round with new breeds to discover.

Let me see...that was on Tuesday. That Friday we all met at Rebel Marina, to see Brother Scorch (Dave Sowers) and his lovely Captive Miriam who were up from Fort Lauderdale visiting family in Virginia. Brother Piper and Captive Maria hosted the table for hamburgers on the deck. I would like to thank everyone who provided side dishes. As always there was plenty of delicious food on the tables. Rebel Marina is now the home to 7 Brothers. The next event started the very next day but as I was not able to attend this historic event I must leave the telling to another.

PIPER

Memorial Day Raft-up - 2009

It wasn't an official event. The Memorial Day Raft-up was just an ad-hoc group of Brothers from the Table that wanted to get away on their boats for the holiday weekend. We discussed the location on Friday night, after appropriate libations, and determined that Schoolhouse Point, in the Severn River, off of Mobjack Bay, would be the best bet for a weekend.

Saturday turned out to be as good as the weathermen had said it would: deep blue skies, some high clouds with lower clouds appearing over land. The wind swung from the SW to the SE in the early afternoon and filled in nicely, propelling the sailboats to their northern destination. Cat Nap had left the day before and called down the Bay when the rest of the Brotherhood fleet got within radio range. He was in Mobjack's East River and requested our company in his own unique way. Word was passed down the line so everyone knew of the new location.

As Talisman arrived, Tardis was rafted with Orza. Blue Moon was a mile behind us and Bumboo a mile further. Soon the raft was formed, along with Mortar Offer, a friend of Cruz and Floater. Libations flowed while friends got reacquainted and the evening meal was prepared. Dancing and singing started to an "oldies" playlist Upwind had created. At one point, the ladies formed a chorus line for a rousing accompanyment of Johnny River's, The Poor Side of Town. The summer cruising season was underway.

We stayed rafted all day on Sunday with many dinghy trips to various parts of the river. The ladies kept everyone fed and the second day of the holiday weekend was declared a success. The exuberance of the previous evening couldn't be matched as everyone retired early. On Monday, the raft disbanded just before noon. With no appreciable wind, the sailboats motored south across Mobjack Bay. Later in the day, a breeze established itself from the southeast. The motors were turned off and the sailboats made their way home via wind power.

Once back at Rebel Marina, the raft up continued as most of the Chesapeake Brothers keep their boats there now. El Maestro and AJ, who couldn't make the trip, were on their boat when the fleet came in. They were able to join their Brothers on the final day of the holiday weekend.

They're Back!

A call came in late Sunday as June and I were getting ready to leave our boat and head for the (land based) home. It was Brother Limey. They were in Virginia - Pungo to be precise. They would be in Great Bridge on Monday. With no second thoughts, we invited Limey and Holly to our house (about two miles from the Great Bridge Locks) for dinner that night.

I picked the cruising couple up from the "Locks" around 4 PM. We shared a bottle of wine and some nuts while we waited for June's arrival. A quick and delicious dinner was prepared and subsequently enjoyed as our friends told of their winter in the Bahamas.

Limey and Holly will take up temporary residence at Bay Point Marina. Hampshire Rose is scheduled for some time on the hard at Cobb's Marina. They will be in the Bay at least until the Summer Solstice Raft-up in late June. If Holly is not scheduled to work this (Memorial Day) weekend, they will join us in Mobjack Bay.

Bon Voyage

We came together for three reasons:

First - the departure of Brother Brise-Galets: Despite the loss of his First Mate to a broken leg, Brise-Galets had a cruising schedule to meet if he was going to make Sydney by March 2010. He managed to scare up a crew so that he could leave port on his departure date - May 15th. So, for our Brother, we assembled to say Bon Voyage!



Second, was to decide which Brother would lead our Table in June of 2011.

Third - we enjoy each others company.

We met on the rickety piers of Portsmouth Boating Center where Papy Jovial stood ready for her voyage. Brise-Galets welcomed us with cold drinks and open arms. Pizza magically appeared via a uniformed messenger. The Brothers relaxed together, allowing the camaraderie to wash over them. Somewhere in between the last piece of pizza and the rhum, Captain Rocket Boy distributed the ballots and collected them when marked. The resultant tally revealed that Country Boy will Captain the table from June 2011 through June 2013.

Many of the Brothers discussed activities for the Memorial Day weekend. A loose plan to proceed to some destination in the rivers of Mobjack Bay was discussed. Some will leave on Friday, others on Saturday. The first night's location will be determined by Cruz, Captain of the anchor boat.

With the business of the Table concluded, the Brothers disbanded as the shadows of the late afternoon grew along the mudflats of the creek. We bid adieu to Brise-Galets, knowing that the gods of the seas will care for him. We will miss his company.

Break a leg!

"Breaking one's leg is not a good thing to hope for - therefore - by some superstition - if 'good luck' causes bad luck, then the perceived bad luck of breaking one's leg causes good."

The planning had been long and meticulous. They were going cruising at last! Two Brothers and one Sook (a.k.a. Captive) on a two+ year cruise around the globe with the half-way mark in Sydney for the next International Zaf. They were hoping for good luck and while no one said "break a leg" that is what happened.

Brother Blue Stache had just put his home and boat Casual Class up on the hard as he and Diana had been making plans to retire and take up their around-the-world-cruise with Brother Brise-Galets in mid-May. But a fall on Casual Class badly fractured the tibia of Blue Stache's right leg in late April.

With their boat recently in storage and his inability to live on it even if it were not, Brother Boats came to the rescue and, in the true spirit of the Brotherhood, has offered living quarters to Blue Stache and Diana. Shortly after his release from Hospital, Boats and Tricia invited the rest of the Table to their house for an Emergency Tip-a-Few where everyone could gather to check on our founding Captain's health and welfare.

With obvious disappointment, Blue Stache has taken the setback in stride as he allows his wound to heal. The reformulated plan includes travelling to Australia in early 2010 for the Zap and, if he is physically able, picking up the cruise with Brise-Galets from that point on.

Consolidation

Many of the Brothers in the Chesapeake Bay Table have boats on which we frequently gather. Before 2009, the boats were kept at various marinas in the area. At one time, Bay Point Marina in Little Creek claimed the largest number of brotherhood boats at four. But our boats were dispersed over six different marinas: One brother was way down the Elizabeth River - it took him two hours to get up the river to the Chesapeake Bay. For the Brothers at Bay Point Marina with access only to the Bay, it was messy when the Bay was rough with weather coming out of the north. And, frequently, activities were to the west of Fort Wool - whether the event was in Willoughby Bay, down the Elizabeth River (in between the downtown areas of Norfolk and Portsmouth) or up the James River. So, as is always the case, things changed.

What really set the relocation off where changes going on at Rebel Marina. One of the last family owned and operated marinas, "Rebel" - at the tip of Willoughby Spit, just off I-64 and already the home of two Brotherhood boats - installed floating docks. The new configuration of the docks would give Brother Cruz the kind of room he needed for Orza so he made the move. That got the two Brothers left at Bay Point Marina thinking: there were the location issues; prices there continued to climb while services were diminishing; and parking had become an issue with patrons of the new marina restaurant filling up the parking lot with proximity to the boats. Brothers El Maestro and Upwind contacted Rebel Marina's Dock Master and made arrangements to move.

Meanwhile, Country Boy decided he wanted to come up from the Elizabeth River to be closer to the Bay. There was a flurry of activity in the late part of the winter and by April, everyone had made the move. With the three Brothers already resident there, Rebel Marina is now home to half of the Table's Brothers and their boats. Other boat owners at the Marina are left wondering about the frequently heard "Fuego!" and "Orza!" that emanate from gatherings aboard the seven boats of the Chesapeake Bay Table.