Captain Murph

Part-time Cruising Again, June 23, 2012

Next week Kelly IV will once again be in the water, if all goes according to plan, and you are welcome aboard.

This summer Kelly IV will be doing part-time cruises in the Chesapeake Bay out of Annapolis, Maryland. You are welcome to sail and/or crew, just call or email me.

Since the last Trip Log in September 2011 a lot has happened. The winter was spent at home in Pittsburgh with the highlight of “sail-a-brating” with many of our sailing friends and crew at the annual “Sailing and Suds” in February 2012. Kelly IV enjoyed a milder-than-most New England winter in Warwick, Rhode Island. And I ended up with a new job! Almost on a whim, a resume was sent in response to an internet posting which led to several phone calls and Skype interviews.  Now I'm a yacht broker for The Moorings and Leopard Catamarans, based in Annapolis, Maryland.

The new position started April 2 with four weeks of training at the brokerage's main office in Fort Lauderdale. A spacious Leopard 46 in the marina was my expansive abode while learning the ropes of the new trade. Since Kelly IV is to be home in Annapolis, she had to be trucked there. Good friend Don Hekler of Annapolis oversaw the delivery when Kelly IV arrived in Annapolis as I couldn't be there in person. Thanks to Don, Kelly had a great sailor and friend to watch over the folks driving the truck and unloading the precious cargo.

Bob Zimmerman did a yeoman's effort by spending a week in Annapolis sanding Kelly's bottom to help prepare her for spring commissioning. It was very difficult and dirty work, yet Bob slaved away while I set up shop at my new line of work. Bob was able to enjoy the evenings as they cruised the restaurants around Annapolis enjoying Davis' and Cantler's to name a couple.  While Bob was in town, we had a surprise visit from Captain Paul Deltete, a friend and classmate of mine from the Annapolis School of Seamanship.

Captain Jim Clark of "Maggie's Mate" spent a couple days in Annapolis and pitched in to re-install the motor mount for the dinghy motor.  This is the board on the stern pushpit that the motor attaches to while Kelly IV is underway.  With the sanding done, it was merely a wash, wax and paint activity for Kelly to be ready for splashing.

Except for that phrase, “while we're at it,” that is. While the mast was down for the first time in a few years, it made sense to finally redo the wiring in the mast and compression post. That work will be done on Monday so Kelly will have her mast stepped and she'll be launched by Wednesday.

Kelly IV's new home is Annapolis Landing Marina on Back Creek in Annapolis. It is a beautiful marina complete with swimming pool, gourmet restaurant (breakfast and lunches only), fuel dock, dinghy dock, water taxi and much more. With Kelly conveniently located at the mouth of the Severn River, she can make it to many mid-Chesapeake destinations within a daysail, including Kent Island, Thomas Point, Lake Ogleton, Round Bay, South River, St. Michael's, Oxford, Magothy Bay, Chester River, Rock Hall, and many more. Literally hundreds of other destinations are within a week's sailing vacation, which explains why The Moorings has opened their newest charter base here. In fact, I share my office with the base manager and get to show his boats to interested buyers.

The new position is a full-time proposition, so my sailing time will be trimmed accordingly. For the foreseeable future, Kelly and my cruising will be one and two-day trips, much like we used to do on Lake Erie. The biggest difference being the huge number of anchorages and destinations now available on the Chesapeake Bay. Also, the drifter and the air conditioning will see a lot more use. :-)