Our Nation's Capitol...

Our family loves to go to D.C. With so many special places to visit we always leave thinking that if only we had more time...



Ivy was a dear and treated us all to very inexpensive rooms at the Marriot between Washington and Dupont Circle's so we all could celebrate Carter's 11th birthday. This location is fantastic because it is so close to the Metro Station at Foggy Bottom and I love to say, "Foggy Bottom". As we walk from the Metro to the hotel and back, I imagine that all the people eating or enjoying drinks in the many restaurants we pass are laughing and saying, "Foggy Bottom...ha, ha..."



Of course, there were many highlights during Carter's birthday in D.C. including a visit to the Udvar-Hazy Center which houses the expanded Air and Space museum, Capitol Hill, the Newseum, the Botanical Gardens, the National Portrait Gallery, the cafeteria in the basement of our Congress, the Library of Congress, a wonderful dinner at a Chinese place and a South African restaurant a few blocks from the hotel and much, much more...



One of us walked to the Lincoln Memorial late at night to commune with the "Great Emancipator" surrounded by the lights of the nation's capitol and the words that he spoke...a real treat to be sure.



Don't fret, our nation's capitol, we shall return and soon...

On the Road...

Carter and I pulled into Green Point Landing around 7 a.m. on what turned out to be a very busy day. Winsome was scheduled to get pulled out of the water, have her mast removed and then put on a truck that would take her to Reuwer Boat Works, her home for the winter. Next season she'll be sailing with refinished woodwork and a new cockpit!

Pulling up to the dock on a gorgeous December morning.

Carter was a big help with taking sails down, removing rigging, getting the mast ready for transport as well as documenting the entire day with the camera. Great job, Carter!

Winsome getting lifted onto the trailer...

And away she goes...

Carter has been up since 3 a.m.

Fairlee Creek welcomes Winsome and Crew

After an awesome breakfast with Uncle Rusty and Aunt Alison, Winsome's crew headed out the creek for yet another great weekend on the Chesapeake Bay! Reports on baby Diana's recent ramblings and Josh's studies at medical school were accompanied by first-hand accounts of Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and Fairlee Creek? "Mind the markers!", says Alison. And so we did...
Dad took the helm all afternoon, tacking across the Bay while Carter sequestered himself down below reading and doing galley duty. Refreshing tea and crackers were sent up to the cockpit as well as some really fine ham sandwiches. A northwest breeze made for good time into the Fairlee Creek channel.
There was plenty of water inside the sand spit and we anchored next to a 38' yawl tucked in for the evening. Warmed by the woodstove, the crew fell asleep in the cabin reading...

Anniversary Sail!

Deb takes the helm with gusto! Here we are close-hauled heading south for Rock Hall on our 12th Wedding Anniversary. The weather was awesome with winds from the southwest gusting to 20 mph, clear and sunny skies and the sailing was fantastic. Winsome behaves very nicely when reefed early and here we have two reefs in the main and a working jib set. The boat is very balanced with virtually no weather or lee helm. We sailed from Worton in the morning and arrived in Rock Hall (for the first time ever) in time to walk to the local dockside joint for a wonderful dinner together...



















We had a lovely time...

The girls spent Tuesday walking the lovely and very seasonal grounds of Longwood Gardens. Yes, that is a real pumpkin that Debbie is leaning against! The staff were busy getting holiday trimmings in place as well as planting tulip bulbs in anticipation of the Spring season. The ladies had breakfast with Melissa and then dinner "out" after the tour. They all came home smiling...

Ben has moved onto a new project that has been underway for about a year now and will probably take another to finish. There are lots of curves both inside and out that are going to make this one a great project to jump into!

Times have changed...

This guy here was photographed lurking around the snack line on the ferry in the summer of 2002! Times have changed, huh...

Winsome to Annapolis!

After an exhilarating rainstorm and double rainbow, Grandma joined the crew of Winsome for dinner and a restful night at the Worton Creek mooring. Carter and Grandma shared the forward cabin and didn't fight much! Winsome anchored off Button Beach the following day for some great swimming and beachcombing and lunch under the cockpit awning. What fun!

Off to Annapolis! With winds coming from the northwest, it was hard to resist heading south down the Bay. Winsome made six knots for the thirty some miles to the Severn River and Annapolis. After tying up to a mooring just off the Naval Academy grounds, the crew took the water taxi to dinner and the closest ice cream shop! The next day we made our way to Bacon's (used boat supply store) to replace a broken dingy oar and to shop for miscellaneous gear. While waiting for the bus to take us back to the waterfront, the earth decided to shift tectonic plates! How's that for excitement!

After another night in Annapolis and a favorable wind now mostly from the south, we headed back out into the bay for the return trip to Worton Creek. A single reef in the main was required after clearing the Bay Bridge and Winsome made the return trip in only 5 1/2 hours. In the adjacent photo, Carter is going up the mast to try and clear a jammed halyard.

S/V Winsome tacks South

While Carter was busy having fun with friends, Mom and Dad sailed Winsome down the Delaware River, through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and down the Northern Bay to Worton Creek, otherwise known as "Paradise".

The weather in Philadelphia had been really hot and so this made a night run down the Delaware River very appealing. By the time slack tide rolled around we were fueled up and provisioned. Winsome slipped her mooring around ten o'clock at night and we quietly motored out into the river.

The helmsperson took one hour tricks navigating through the minefield of tugboats, buoys, tankers, power boaters and city lights. This was a very exciting stretch of the trip and not soon to be forgotten!

After an anchorage at Delaware City, a leisurely motor through the Canal the following day and an exhilarating sail from the Elk River to Worton Creek, we picked up a mooring at Green Point Landing Marina and settled into swimming, dinner on the grill and cocktails in the cockpit.

The top photo is Green Point Landing taken by Carter in a Bosun's chair at the masthead! Don't tell his Mother...

One Hell of a Summer

Carter has been living large courtesy of his cool Mom. Between Cub Scout camp, tubing down the Delaware River, having friends down at the creek, a trip to New Orleans with his sister, and a visit to Kutztown Folk Festival, we are hoping that when he gets older there won't be much room for complaint! I did make him stack firewood a couple of times so that when he does get older it won't be so much of a shock...

Winsome in the Water

Debbie and I had a wonderful day at the marina watching Winsome get wet once again. We motored to her mooring and had a nice dinner together. It was very exciting and a little nerve-wracking. We had a list of chores to do on the boat and somehow, once she got in the water again, the list has doubled! Beautiful new bluish vee-berth cushions are now gracing the forward cabin. Carter and I have had a bunch of work weekends and a couple of really nice sails on the Delaware River.

Curved Concrete Stairs

The forms held for this concrete pour. It only had to hold a few tons of the stuff!

Projects Aboard Winsome Abound!

We dove right into getting the boat cleaned out and are now going through all the systems to make sure they are ready for launch this spring. Debbie is working on fabric to replace the vee-berth cushions while Carter and I have worked on various projects including re-caulking the chainplates and eating cookies. This weekend I brought the engine up to speed and ate cookies and took a nap in the snug cabin...

The Shakedown Cruise planning committee is discussing Cape May as a destination. June?

Pack 334 Blue and Gold Banquet

Carter recently celebrated the beginning of his final year as a Cub Scout! After that, its the Boy Scouts as a Tenderfoot going on more camping trips and adventures! Friends Tommy Greer and Liam Treacy join him with their broken arrows.

Barn Renovation Underway

2nd floor frame complete

Curved concrete staircase form continues

Concord Welcomes Craig Family

The cousins don't know it yet but there's marinated steak for dinner!

Barn Renovation Underway

This 18th century barn is Ben's current project. Recently, windows were cut into the 18" thick stone walls and the 2nd floor framing is progressing.

Financial Ruin Afoot!

This unsuspecting child was found rummaging about his parents new boat while they fretted about delaminating hulls in the vee-berth...