 Cruising Update - From Annapolis - October 3, 2001 Our last cruising day (Tuesday, 2 October) from Lake Ogleton to Solomons was uneventful and beautiful - - it was a 70 degree, sunny day with 1' waves. We did notice a lot more freighter and barge traffic on the Chesapeake Bay than we remember, however. We found the house and lawn to be in much better shape than we expected. Needless to say, we are very happy about that. Even Brian's old Tracker started right up! Several people have asked for a summary of the trip. The following are some potentially helpful (and some random miscellaneous) facts and observations that other cruisers (and non-cruisers) may be interested in: Trip
break-down by days by area: Number
of days the trip lasted: Number
of miles ran: Average
number of gallons of diesel used per hour:
Number of times we ate out (including meals, ice cream visits, Happy Hours, etc.): 65 Number of times we paid to dock/moor (not including canal walls and parks): 32 Number of times we shopped for groceries (including food stores, fruit/vegetable stands, etc.): 56 Percentage of time Jeri ate instant oatmeal for breakfast: 70% Percentage of time Brian ate anything for breakfast: 1/2% Percentage of time we remembered to take our daily vitamins: 84% Number of bags of ice purchased: 8 Number
of small propane bottles used (for the grill): 5 Number of times we did laundry: 10 (twice/month)
Items we used more of than expected: coffee, cereal, jeans, sweatshirts Items we used less of than expected: tuna, canned vegetables and fruits, soups, sun block, bathing suits Items found along the way: Two dinghy fenders A handful of tie wraps, Numerous stainless screws, washers, and nuts A piece of aluminum (used to re-enforce the dinghy motor mount bracket) Approximately $3.20 in change Lots of new friends Items lost along the way: One large fender A pencil sharpener Our cruiser virginity Number of actual keel-hauls performed: 0 Number of near keel-hauls: Brian will not say Number of times Brian "retreated to the bilge": Lost count Number of inches of rain seen: 18.4" Number of times the mast was put up and down: 2 Minutes it took to put the mast down: 30 minutes Minutes it took to put the mast up: 20 minutes Number of times the bimini was put up and down: 1 Minutes it took to put the bimini down: 90 Minutes it took to put the bimini up: 30 Percentage of time we used the inside helm station during the first half of the trip: 10% Percentage of time we used the inside helm station during the second half of the trip: 80% Number of post cards sent: ~25 Number of rolls of 35mm film taken and developed: 10 Number of times Jeri got seasick: 4 Number of times Mr. Owl "ate paint": 0 Number
of nice people met along the way: too many to count Number of evenings Jeri missed writing in the boat's log: 5 Number of evenings Brian missed performing his morning and evening boat checks: 0 Number of souvenirs bought: 1 sweatshirt, 1 decorative chart, 2 books Number of hurricane tracked: 1 If anyone has any questions or would like to talk more about the planning of the trip, the cruise itself, or the places we visited along the way, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Until the next cruise (she says optimistically), Jeri and Brian
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Engine
and maintenance-related activities:
Number
of cases of beer bought (and drank): 10 Number of bottles of wine bought
(and drank): 16 Number of times we missed our self-imposed 4:00 Happy
Hour time: 9
We
would like to thank each of you for your support and friendship over the
past months. The trip was all that much more exciting and enjoyable by
having you all to share it with through e-mails and calls.
