Mobjack and a Repair

My nephew Noah and I sailed the Mobjack last week. Put in at Mathews town ramp 1100 Wednesday April 17 and motor sailed down the East River. We reached east on a N wind and got behind New Point Comfort Light for a few photos and then beat over to the beach attempting to go ashore. The tide was low and after bottoming out 50 yards off we turned and ran back across the bay south. I set up poles and we continued wing and wing toward the Severn River. By 1630 it seemed prudent to start for an anchorage and we chose the North River. With the wind on the beam Annie was giving her all. With two foot waves on the quarter and a decent wavelength she was making 6.5-7 knots over the bottom as the tide started in.

Noah at the helm

Crossing the bay again we worked up the North past Mobjack Bay Marina and found a quiet cove that I had anchored in a couple years ago. Noah got a sculling lesson, we cooked up the 'old go to' beef stroganoff, played a couple hands of rummy with a bottle passed, and turned in... me in my down below warren and Noah in the cockpit under Annie's tent. Great sailing day.

We headed back down river the next morning with less wind and a number of leisurely tacks. It gave us time to tell stories and to help him with sailing terminology and more about how the boat works. He was at the tiller a lot, we ran aground a couple times and I believe the bug started taking hold. As we broad reached back up the East River to haul out, we decided he would go on the upcoming North Carolina trip in May. I think it will be fun.

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Today I drove to Urbanna to check on Annie and replace the centerplate line. The line is made off on a drum that is keyed to an axle that is wrapped with webbing attached to the head of the plate. It went pretty smooth after I got the top of the trunk off. The line had worn thin and the cam cleat, that is mounted on the cockpit coaming, wasn't able to hold it from slipping. I'm feeling better about it now and looking forward to the upcoming spring trip.