Pre storm

Last night Ken and Irene from Interlude had everyone over for a pre-storm baked ham dinner.  We could smell it cooking as we walked down the dock.  MaryLou had made her spaghetti squash casserole and Mike did his baked-stuffed potatoes to add to the meal.  Hank baked an apple pie for desert and used his alter-ego name SaraLee to neatly package the pie.  The dinner was great and we sat again telling stories untill nearly falling asleep (8pm).

Like everyone else we've been watching Sandy closely and adding protection to Dalmatian.  We removed the loose items, brought in the flags, and added extra lines.  It has been very calm at our marina but a flurry of activity of people tending their boats or hauling them out.  Since the wind direction will change over the course of the storm, I added "Lee Boards" to keep Dalmatian off the pilings.

Capt Mike also suggested we add a line from the pilings to a winch onboard so we could pull the boat closer if we want to use the shore facilities during the storm.  If shore power is interupted we still have the onboard generator so we're better off than many on shore.  The oddity of the Chesapeake is the wind-driven surge + or -.  If the wind direction drives the water up the bay, it can add 5-6 feet.  The opposite is true if the wind blows toward the south the bay can have lower water levels of as much as 3-4 feet.

We've checked our depth and we are in 12 feet of water at low tide.  Not to get stuck in the mud is pretty important since we draft 7 feet.  12-4=8.  Sounds like a non-issue except the full moon effect which causes higher and lower tides.  So to all our family in the Baltimore/DC area, please flush your toilets regularly during the low tide cycle.