Tammy posting here...
Doug and I have spent a fair amount of time down here at Haven Harbor Marina so coming around the breakwater at Swan Point was a fairly welcome sight, especially since we had 22 knot winds which were kicking up the Bay something fierce on our trip south from Still Pond yesterday. We got a really early start from Still Pond and even saw the sun rise again, all in an attempt to beat Mother Nature (both weather and tides) - if there was any question, MN is winning but we're learning!!
We first saw Gypsies last September when Colleen, John, Doug and I did a long weekend road trip to DC and various points in Maryland in search of the "perfect cruising boat". Anyone who has ever been boating knows there is no such thing - all boats are compromises! However, when the four of us walked onto Gypsies it was love at first sight - the "virgin berth," as the second stateroom has been affectionately named, is one of those compromises! (Secretly I think John and I were just unwilling to cross what has become known, at least to us, as the "freaking Bay Bridge" again! Those of you who have gone over it, know what I'm talking about - this bridge is so high and long that someone has even developed a business to drive people to the other side who get part way and freak out!! That's just not right!!)
Doug and I came down to Haven Harbor several times last October for the marine survey and the sea trial, and then again in December when we also got to see the Patriots beat up on the Baltimore Ravens on a very brisk Monday night - I think we're in for a really long season this year! Back to Rock Hall for us in February to talk with the marina guys about upgrading Gypsies' electronics, and putting in both a water maker and a fuel polishing system - our cruising plans have always involved places where you can't always count on good water or fuel so these were a must. Doug and I also drove here in April bringing with us the first of many loads of gear to begin to make Gypsies our collective home and checking on the progress of the marina guys. Another trip down with a U-Haul for two weeks in May with yet more stuff and more checking on the work in progress! By the middle of May, Gypsies was ready for her trip north which Colleen and John joined us for (except for the water maker which had been back ordered so we decided to have them put it in when we came back in October) - by then we were on a first name basis with many of the mechanics here in Haven Harbor!!
So here we sit at the marina as Randy puts in our water maker! Knowing we would be here for 3 or 4 days, the Gypsies crew decided to take advantage of the time to get lots of work done on the boat and to provision before heading out into the Bay for the rest of the month and then south down the ICW. Yesterday after we got here, Colleen and I cleaned all of the silver on the outside of the boat - we're talking rails, cleats, davits, hinges, rails (oops already said that one, but if you saw the boat, you'd know why I said it twice - there's a lot!!) Doug was the grease monkey down in the engine room (or the holy place as he calls it - now I know why I don't go to church!) - doing maintenance on the various engines, the generator and other systems. Meanwhile John had grill cleaning duty. Finally around 2:00, we borrowed Haven Harbor's courtesy car (how cool is that?) and went to the hardware store and of course our home away from home, West Marine, for supplies. A quick hit at the grocery store for more beer and wine and we had a very productive day!
But you know what they say about all work and no play....happy hour at the Harbor Shack was calling out to us and lest we ignore such a call, we found ourselves seated at the bar overlooking Rock Hall Harbor enjoying $1 bud light cans (ugh, did I really drink that??? and even worse, did it really taste that good???) Several coldies later, we decided to also take advantage of the Shack's special sandwich night and it was BBQ pork sandwiches and fries all around. The total damage for all the beers and dinner was a whopping $36 - I love the south!!
Today was another day of work for the Gypsies crew, although I managed to get in a great walk around town this morning where I just so happened to come across another place, the Main Street Bar and Grill, advertising you guessed it, happy hour! We all need our inspiration... Colleen and John worked on the brightwork all day (to you landlubbers that means varnishing the wood railings) while Doug and I dealt with more engine maintenance, waterproofing the canvas bimini and covers and miscellaneous tasks. When happy hour comes, I think we'll all be ready! This cruising can be tough work, but somehow I think, all in all, the fun scale is still tipping pretty heavily in our direction...
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