Chesapeake Bay - Climate Change

by S.V.Taipan on 18 Oct 2015 As we motor sail south down Chesapeake Bay we are accompanied by a fleet of yachts also seeking the elusive warmer weather. We have been in Chesapeake Bay since mid September and on our arrival the temperatures were around 32+C but during the past six weeks they have plummeted to around 4 C water temp has gone from 30 C to 18 C.

This time last year we were still camping in Maine. Winter has arrived earlier this year and we've sold our trusty Cadillac so we can't make a quick exit to warmer climes, like we did in 2014. Today Taipan is stolidly steering south but it will be a while till we warm up.

Chesapeake Bay. Well the first thing that struck us was the dirty water. There are many rivers emptying into the bay carrying with then tons of sediment, so the water is brown and cloudy, staining the hull and dingy. The Spectra Watermaker managed approximately 100 Gallons between filter changes so we were on tight water rations.

The second thing we soon discovered was how super friendly the locals are. Our base was Galesville on the West River just 2 hours sail south of Annapolis. We had the Cadilac ashore for land adventures and pretty soon our social calendar was jam packed. Several meals at Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club with friends new and old were followed with dinners at Pirates Cove and Thursday's, all just a very short dingy ride away and all to be recommended. Our new best friend Tom Rodgers took care of our car so that it didn't get towed away by the local authorities. Beautiful John and Rhonda Griffith adopted us as fellow Australians and we partook of their generosity on several occasions. The worst thing about cruising is leaving new friends behind. The best thing is having the opportunity to meet them in the first place.

The third thing about Chesapeake Bay is the Annapolis Boat Show. Its one of the largest boat shows in the world and has a very impressive line up of everything you can think of to do with boats. The Sailboat Show ran for five days and just three days later The Powerboat Show opens for another four days.

On Thursday, opening day, we attended the Sail Boat Show. Now we probably shouldn't have done so, given that 14 years of cruising lifestyle doesn't contribute anything to the coffers! However what it does do is convince you that anything is possible and stuff for the boat is 'necessary' no matter what the bank account looks like. We managed to keep all our hands in our pockets for just five minutes. The first booth we came across was selling Marriage Saver Headsets. We have been planning on a set of these since meeting Estrellita in 2012. We bought a pair. They are already proving indispensable as when anchoring we don't have to yell and get frustrated buy the inability to hear each other which can rapidly escalate into a near divorce every time! David also spotted a cabin heater which runs off the engine coolant, much the same as a car heater. It will of course only work if the engine is running, but is better than nothing and it was a good price. Our intended heater, Webasto Diesel heater has gone to the back burner, pardon the pun, because funds from the sale of the trusty Cadillac were insignificant enough to extinguish that plan!

Carefully concealing our hands in our pockets again we ventured on. We managed to pass all the fuel cleaning systems and Watermakers and anchors, although we came close at the Spade Anchor display. All was going well until we got to the Sailrite display. To be fair, this was several hours later. Three generations of the owner and founders family were in attendance and all charming and skilled seducers. We fought off the desire / need until after lunch and then folded. Defeated, we returned to tell Zack the charming grandson that he had a sale! In 1976 when I was heavily into horses, I gave a sewing machine company in Perth $400 deposit for a Sailrite machine. The Perth company disappeared along with my money so now, finally, I have a Sailrite. You realise of course though, that this machine will be put to work fixing stuff! No trifling with nonsense, creative, fun projects here! This is strictly work!

Well the rest of the day progressed without further damage and we came home loaded with free samples and brochures for all the stuff we would have liked to buy. The credit card has gone into shock! Just as well we didn't look at any of the numerous new boats on display!

After recovering from shock ourselves, we spent a couple of days redesigning the stowage to fit our purchases and provisioning the boat then closed Taipan down and drove to Madison in Virginia for a weekend with cousin Judith an her husband Bob. Fabulous weekend as usual fine food fun company and beautiful, if chilly, weather. Fall is definitely here. The leaves are rapidly turning and there's a chill in the air.

We did a tour of Monticello, the plantation home of Thomas Jefferson, on Sunday. What a beautiful place. He was very into gardens and agriculture and the trust which manages this National Heritage site runs a comprehensive nursery dedicated to preserving all the old plant varieties. The slave tour was fascinating and both the garden and slave tours were extremely informative and well presented. Interestingly, several specimens of one of my favourite trees, probably the first tree I knew the name of, was growing well on the mountain. They call it Chinaberry but we know it as Cape Lilac. It is also known for its excellent timber.

After farewells at Galesville we sailed north to Annapolis to say hello and goodbye to some Kiwi friends we met in the Bahamas last winter then the n Wednesday 15th commenced this passage south, stopping at Solomons last night. Tonight we will find yet another anchorage as it's just too cold to night sail.

This article has been provided courtesy of SV Taipan.

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