Printable View
Attachment 60326
It's that time of year again. Suzanne and I are off to explore the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, and Albemarle Sound.
She's writing again and her blog address is:
https://sailinggracefully4.wordpress.com/
My traveling squadron consists of an Indiaman, the Constitution, a pair of 38's, a Concorde, 2 Amazons and some sloops. I'm ready for foul weather sailing - on the tabletop.
Great news Dobbs.
You know I always enjoy following your exploits via Suzanne's Blog, and your own skirmishes with your smaller ships.
Rob.
Attachment 60327
We found this on our way up the Potomac River to Washington DC. Fort Washington
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Washington_Park
With that info and the plan of the old fort Warburton Dobbs, are we about to see yet another wonderful model for your 1812 squadron to protect against those confounded Limeys?
Rob.
I'm thinking so. Maybe the burning of Washington will have a water feature in my history.
Suzanne is working to find us a slip at a nearby marina later this week so we can tour the fort. More to come!
Attachment 60328
We found this in Alexandria, just south of DC. She's a reproduction of the sloop Providence. I imagine that there will be a bowsprit on her in the near future.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Providence_(1775)
Attachment 60333
Here's our home for the next few days. The Smithsonian Institute is about 7 blocks away. We went for a walk through the cherry blossoms and checked out the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.
Attachment 60332
Suzanne approaches (in the red coat). Big!
Attachment 60334
Tall! 555 feet, 5-1/8 inches (169m).
Lots of pictures I hope Dobbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobbs
Rob.
A very interesting article Dobbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobbs
Thanks. Rob.
Attachment 60335
Attachment 60336
Turtle Power!
We found this in the Spy Museum lobby as we were walking to the American History Museum.
Apparently some engineers decided to see if the sub was practical. It was. They had footage of this one being put through its paces.
Legend has it that it was scuttled when the Americans abandoned NewYork. I keep hoping that someone will find it like a tiny Mary Rose.
Ah! Mr Bushnell's invention in the round as it were Dobbs.
Rob.
Attachment 60337
Yesterday afternoon we explored a corner of the American History Museum. They had a nice collection of commercial sailing vessel models.
Attachment 60338
Attachment 60339
When talking about American merchant vessels, you can't leave out privateers. Talk about cutting out the middle man.
We want a picture of the gundalow "Philadelphia" !!
Here is one to be going on with Eric.
https://sailsofglory.org/attachment....id=60340&stc=1
Rob.
Garr! It was upstairs. There's just so much to see!
I took this especially for you, Rob.
Attachment 60341
Ape House, Apiary, what's the diff?
Even riding the Metro (English translation - Tube) is a treat
Attachment 60342
This was a perspective shot of a moderately long escalator down to the trains.
Looks like you used the tube to get to the bottom ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobbs
Attachment 60343
Here's another one for you, Rob
An ice cream shop just up from our boat has these cow-ches (couches) out front.
:hmmm:And there I was hoping:pray: that the Apiary joke was going to be the Bee all and end all of these puns.:erk:
Bligh.:surrender:
Now you have gone and milked it for all it's worth. Have you no sailing to be getting on with?:steer:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobbs
Rob. :wink:
More sailing, Aye, aye! Today is a day of victualing and watering. We sail in two tides.
Good luck sailors.
Rob.
Attachment 60344
Random acts of Piracy
Sunday morning we left Washington DC and moved down the Potomac to George Washington's house, Mount Vernon. We anchored off his dock, and the park folks actually gave us permission to tie to the above sign.
George lived on a bit of a bluff, so we got to gaze down on Grace from his backyard.
Attachment 60345
A very lovely view of the river from the slope Dobbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobbs
Not only did George live on a "A bit of a bluff" it seems that using a bit of a bluff was employed several times to enable him to run rings around the British Army for years! :happy: Just glad that he was not an Admiral.
Rob.
Looks like it was a beautiful day at Mt Vernon!
Coincidentally, I got an e-mail from Model Expo advertising a sale on a Model Shipways "Philadelphia" gun boat wooden model, "only" $199 on sale!
https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-S...ALE_p_996.html
Garr! 3 days of riding out gales at anchor. For the last one, the wind veered unexpectedly and left us on a lee shore. The picture just doesn't describe it (land immediately behind me with surf sounds and wind in trees all day) .
Attachment 60346
I was hoping to get in some gaming, but neither of us felt much like it with the boat jumping.
The weather has improved and we're off again tomorrow.
At least you did not need to do any club hauling to get off the lee shore Captain. I look forward to your next log entry.
Bligh.
Yep, Magnificent Hayes is a hero of mine. Here's an excerpt from "Seamanship in the Age of Sail".
Attachment 60347
Attachment 60348
The last few days, Grace did heel a few times like that bottom picture, but I am happy to have an engine to extricate myself from situations like Captain Hayes confronted (Grace also sails a little closer to the wind than a two deck squarerigger).
Attachment 60350
Today we moved a bit farther south. I believe that picture is before the small craft advisory arrived 3 hours early. We finished the day with the 2nd reef in the main and the first in the jib.
Attachment 60351
What a superb explanation of the proceedure Dobbs.
Engines are great when they work, but when they fail ! :help::fixit::steer:
Rob.
We've been exploring the Albemarle Sound for the last few weeks. It's challenging, but two days ago we had a ripsnorting sail east down the sound and arrived in Roanoke. Roanoke, North Carolina is the last known home of Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony.
Attachment 60357
The ship is the Elizabeth II a reproduction of one of the ships that helped found the colony. It's neat how primitive she looks compared to ship’s of our age.