Owl Moon Returns to Regent Point

After considering options, we decided to take Owl Moon back to Regent Point to have the sail drive pulled.  They could also work on getting the centerboard to work better (we have an idea for that).  There is a weather window for several days of warm enough weather to make the sail south look like a good excuse for a late fall cruise on the Bay.  Our friend Tom is coming along to lend a hand.

November 15, 2016

Leaving the dock at 7 AM, there was a rainbow over Annapolis.

We were leaving at sunrise in order to make the most of the day, planning on arriving in Solomons, MD before sunset.  We were the only boat out as we headed into Annapolis harbor.

Annapolis at Sunrise with the mooring field empty.

Heading out into the Bay at sunrise.

Sailing by Thomas Point Light.

The discussion about using the pole to hold out the jib I had with Greg a few weeks earlier at the boat christening came in handy as we had about 10 knots of wind from behind us.  We found that putting the small jib out as well gave us about another half know of boat speed.

Wing and wing heading down the Bay with the small jib out as well.

We made Solomons just before sunset and had plenty of room to anchor outside Zahniser's moorings.  It was a lot less crowded than when we were in Back Creek on our way north to Annapolis the end of September.

November 16, 2016  Up early again to be ready for a sunrise departure, we had another beautiful day forecast.  Today we will head for Mill Creek on the Northern Neck Peninsula.

Heading out into the Patuxent River at sunrise on a chilly morning.

It was chillier than it looks...Diane took her warm hat off for the photo.  We had a nice reach down to the mouth of the Potomac and 3/4 of the way across before the wind died.  We hadn't been motoring long before it came up out of the SW.

Approaching Smith Point Light.

It was great to have Tom aboard for the trip.

We made it into Mill Creek just before sunrise and anchored in the first cove around the bend.  One other sailboat was also anchored in the creek...the next cove up.

November 17, 2016  We have a shorter leg for our last day of the trip.  However, Diane needs to be back in Annapolis for a meeting this evening so again we were up early to be ready for a sunrise departure.

Heading out of Mill Creek.

We made it to Regent Point Marina before noon and took Tom to Merroir for lunch.  After lunch, Tom and Diane caught a ride to Enterprise in Gloucester to get a rental car to head back to Annapolis.  I stayed aboard Owl Moon to do some winterizing jobs.  The most difficult of those was changing the engine oil as I almost destroyed the filter getting it off.

Diane drove back down on Friday to help with winterizing.  We got both of the jibs off and the bimini frame collapsed on Saturday.

The dodger and main sail are still on, but all other topside preparations for winter are complete.

By Sunday afternoon, a cold front was moving through and it had become windy and cold.  We left Owl Moon in the slip for the boatyard to haul later.

Now the dodger is off.

Sarah's First Sail on Owl Moon

November 13, 2016  The weather and Sarah's schedule finally came together and we got out for an nice sail on the Bay.  It was great to finally get out with Sarah on Owl Moon.  Almost mid November, but it has been a relatively warm fall so far.

Later it cooled off and Sarah bundled into a blanket.

A friend out for a sail at the same time took this photo of us under sail.

The Bilge Won't Stay Dry

Over the summer, one of the improvements to Owl Moon was installation of a counter for the bilge pump.  It had been staying at zero, but now the bilge pump is running several times a day.  I spent some time trying to identify the source of the problem and found that the fresh water pump had a slow leak on the intake side.  Okay, that is a relatively easy fix.  I replaced the pump, but I still couldn't keep the bilge dry.  Checking further, I realized water was coming forward into the bilge from the back of the boat.  I found there was a small trickle of water coming out from under the engine.

Video showing leak

All was dry aft of the sail drive.  After more checking on the sides of the engine and throughout the aft section of the boat, it seemed the most likely source of the leak is somehow associated with the sail drive.  It is impossible to actually see where the water is coming in because the engine is mounted on a pan that is installed onto the hull along with the mounting "donut" for the sail drive.  I am not able to see the front part of the sail drive and its mounting structure, only the sides and aft.

After consulting with several people, it seems that the action we need to take is to pull the sail drive and investigate further.  We had planned on keeping Owl Moon in the water over the winter, but now it looks like we will be having her hauled.