Toilets, Hoses, Smells
When we took possession of our boat, it was equipped with two manual toilets with which you pumped the waste into either an on-board holding tank, which periodically had to be pumped out, or overboard. The overboard option for untreated sewage is only legal if you are far enough offshore (3 miles). Both toilets functioned […]
Decorative Plaque
When we bought the boat, there was a hole cut out of the base of the starboard settee that appeared to once house a stereo speaker. We needed something to cover the hole, and asked Paula’s dad to be imaginative. The result is a lovely little plaque with both a compass rose theme as well […]
Sillery Bay
The weather forecast showed two nice days in a row in the middle of the week so we decided to take a short trip out to Dobbins Island to stay overnight and do a little swimming. The wind was light that day so we decided to go past Dobbins Island and out of the Magothy […]
Rhode River, Wye River, Annapolis
June 14th-On the morning of the departure of our first multi-day shakedown cruise, we had a good omen in the form of violent splashing off our stern. At first, I thought we were seeing shark fins! On closer inspection as the splashing continued, it became clear that we were seeing skates-rays that live in the Bay, […]
Storing and using a vise on-board
I’ve always found a bench vise to be a very useful tool. Its uses on a sailboat are every bit as great as in a home workshop. For a long time however, I couldn’t get past a couple nagging problems when using a bench vise on our boat. First, it’s big and awkwardly shaped making […]
Level of Effort
As new liveaboards, Tom and I wrangle daily with the increased level of effort that daily tasks require on a boat compared to an apartment. This hit me most recently during a hot Sunday morning grocery trip. Formerly, I would shop without thought of available storage space in the refrigerator/ freezer/ pantry as space was […]
Adding a Fireplace
I apologize in advance for the length of this post. I wanted to include enough details and pictures for other Island Packet owners who may be considering a similar upgrade. There were two main reasons we wanted a “Fireplace” onboard the boat. The first was practical – to be able to heat and dry the […]
The Murderous Drakes of Dividing Creek
Having long held the common perception of Mallard ducks as beautiful and benign denizens of the Chesapeake Bay, representatives of innocent nature, kinder than man, I was gobsmacked to learn that right in our marina lived a nocturnal roving band of fowl thugs. All seemed peaceful at first. During rainy spring mornings, I explored our […]
The Significance of Unregarded Sounds
My life on land carried with it the luxury of being able to ignore small noises. A squeak in the hall while I’m trying to concentrate on a patient’s chart? Not important, tune it out. A couple of low thumps outside our apartment late Saturday night? Probably some party goers returning home. Roll over, resume […]
Osprey Behavior
In our marina is a baby osprey who is a fledgling. He is trying to learn to dive for fish, but instead of diving straight down decisively and snagging his fish as the adults do, he skims over the water like a thrown pebble, and makes two or three tentative grabs at the water surface-never […]