As promised, we were up and ready to leave at 8 am. As the other boaters gathered on the pier, information was shared, and we actually had until 10:00 am to leave. We left around 9:00 when an opening in the pier traffic appeared, and headed to Baltimore Marine Center for diesel and a pumpout. The wind was blowing from the NE like sink," all the dock hands comment. There was probably 20-30 knots of wind pinning Maja to the fuel dock. Which was fine as long as we were taking on fuel and disposing of fluids, but no one was quite sure how we were going to get off that dock.
Docking is all about handling the dock lines and pivoting as Maja slowly takes up the right speed and direction. With 2 dock hands and Dan on the dock (yes, leaving me at the helm!), I have the boat in reverse while they push Maja to the end of the fuel dock (which is shaped like a big "L") so the wind will help push our stern out and away from the dock. Minus a few near misses with the bow sprit and a piling, the plan worked perfectly.
Until Dan jumped on board. No sooner than he got into the cockpit than there was a very LOUD sound ... an intrinsicly not-good LOUD sound ... kinda like a snap, or crash (did we hit something?), or no-time-to-worry-about-that-now because I have no steering at the helm. The wheel moves but it has no bearing on the way the boat is chosing to move.
This cannot be good.Thank goodness, Captain Dan to the rescue. I gladly hand over the helm and within seconds he expertly diagnoses the problem: holy shit, we don't have any steering. With that call to action, I ran back to the bow of the boat with the spring line and started yelling for help from the dock guys who, fortunately, were still standing around the fuel dock watching our exit. Dan put the boat into forward and used what heading we had to aim the boat back to the dock. As he brought the boat in, help had arrived on the dock and the two guys wrestled Maja to the dock. Whew, back again, 500 feet from where we worked so hard to leave!
We are on a face dock, no services and no protection from the wind and boat wakes.
Our view into Baltimore Inner Harbor.
Yep, giant war ships sitting right there ...
Our neighbors.
The Baltimore Marine Center was the best place for this to happen to us. The people were so helpful and concened, and we got a 24-emergency stay on the face dock (a la free!). Once we were settled at the dock, and Dan was able to get out his leatherman, he was able to figure out that the steering chain had broken (located in the pedestal that supports the steering wheel). Getting that baby out was no easy task!
Coupled with the handy pedestal/steering specs Dan had on file, off we went to West Marine, which was both a logical first place to start and just one block away. West Marine did not have the steering chain, but they did have a very helpful saleman who let us use his computer and telephone to contact Edson Marine, who manufactures the chain. From there, we were lucky enough to get an even more helpful customer service person. Thank you Ken for doing such a great job! And thanks to FedEx, we were able to get next day, Saturday delivery of the part (can't imagine what that perk will cost us!).
With the boat drama settled for the movement, we got a surprise call from a friend in Annapolis who offered to pick us up in Baltimore and have dinner at his house in Annapolis. Bill and Donna own a Bayfield 40, Moonraker, as well, and Dan has been an email contact of Bill's for several month because Dan used Bill's plans and pictures when replacing our holding tank. We had planned to stop for the night at their community dock because we have wanted to see another Bayfield 40, but our boat repair delay derailed that plan. Until Bill's offer that is! As a true boater, Bill and Donna invited us for dinner with another boating couple, and told us to bring our laundry! They have a beautiful boat -- just like us! We had a great dinner discussing sailing plans with both couples; Bob and Janice retired and started sailing full-time in August, from New York. Yah for newbies!
Saturday, October 2
Knowing that FedEx won't arrive until mid-morning means that we get to sleep in and then read in bed. Not much to do but wait until the part arrives ... except worry that maybe the part won't arrive, and then what will we do? Stay at this marina for 2 more nights (at $150/nite?)?? Hence, the reading in bed.
But as promised, FedEx delivers, and at 11:30 we had a brand spanking new steering chain.
The repair got underway about noon ... and since Dan was sure it would be much easier to put the chain in than it was to get it out, he estimated about 1 hr for the job ... which I automatically multiply by 3 ... and we were both wrong! 5 hours later -- after learning that it pays to read at least the parts of the directions printed in bold and all caps -- the chain is finally installed the right way, and Dan has fixed the problem! However, it was too late to leave so we're still on the fuel dock at Baltimore Marine Center ... a very nice place.
Step 1. Take apart the compass to get to the inner workings of the pedestal.
Step 2. Unload all the gear stored in the back locker so Dan can access the steering quadrant.
Steps 3, 4 and 5 involved threading the chain down the pedestal and aligning it to the spockets in the pedestal. Repeat Steps 3,4,5 twice because it does help to read the directions! By 6pm, Dan was enjoying his first beer of the day, with a headache but a working steering station.
We came to Baltimore expecting to stay 2 days ... and here we are a week later, determined that we will leave tomorrow! We are heading 40 miles south to Deale, MD, where we have high hopes that we'll track down Ed and Connie Dooley (s/v Surprise) and stay at their marina, Shipwright Marina.
And to cap off the night the Boy Scouts were having a camporee at Fort McHenry this weekend which concluded with fireworks just 1.5 miles away across the harbor. It concluded with one of the greatest fireworks finales we have ever seen "...and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there..." F.S. Key, 1814 What a great way to celebrate our last night in Baltimore Harbor!
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