Getting Medical Assistance

When you live on a boat, you bring your whole house with you wherever you go. In general, this makes life pretty easy. You don't have to pack clothes for a weekend away. You always have that kitchen gadget that someone else forgot. You have plenty of Band-Aids for the scrapes and bruises in life.

What do you don't have is an easy way to get help for a dislocated shoulder.

We were anchored in Fairlee Creek with three other boats for Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, Doug decided to go visit friends elsewhere in the basin. He borrowed the standup paddle board and off he went. As he approached their boat he reached out for the bow railing so he could stand and talk to them. Unfortunately, a gust of wind had other ideas. The paddle board went out from under him and he fell. I actually saw the fall. It didn't look like anything serious. We've all fallen off the paddle board. A couple minutes later I found out how wrong I had been. Our friends called to say that Doug had dislocated his shoulder while falling into the water.

LESSON NUMBER 1 -- Always sit or kneel down when approaching a boat while using a standup paddle board.

Doug had the good sense to get out of the water before the pain got too bad. By the time I got to our friends' boat Doug was in pain but "safe." 911 was called with a request for a medical team to come help. If you've been to Fairlee Creek on a holiday weekend you know that there are a lot of boats anchored in the basin. Identifying this boat from shore and getting another boat out to help was going to take too long. So we started the process of pulling up the anchor to bring Doug to shore.

LESSON NUMBER 2 -- If feasible get the injured person to shore as soon as possible. Don't wait for help to come to you.

The ambulance crew met us at the fuel dock at Mears Great Oak Marina. Doug's arm was secured and he was transferred to the ambulance for a ride to the hospital. Before getting into the front seat of the ambulance to go with him, I asked a marina staff member about shuttle or taxi service in the area. I knew we were in a small town, we were a couple hours from our vehicles, and we would need to find a way back later that evening. The marina did not have a shuttle and taxis don't run on Sundays in that town but he suggested I ask at the hospital. While on the way to the hospital, I asked the ambulance driver for transportation advice. He also suggested asking at the hospital.

LESSON NUMBER 3 - When in a small town ask everyone you can find for assistance.

We spent a couple hours at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. It was a small emergency room but everyone was kind. Doug's shoulder was stubborn but two doctors and a nurse worked diligently to get it back in place. If you've ever dislocated a shoulder you know that the immense relief felt when everything is back in place is akin to heaven (at least that's what Doug tells me).

This is where Lesson Number 3 comes into play. Knowing he would soon be discharged I asked the nurse about transportation options. Doug's room was near her desk so we heard the many phone calls she made trying to help us out. The taxi service was closed. The hospital bus didn't have anyone on call. The marina couldn't help us. The sheriff's office couldn't help us. The Uber app wasn't even registering our location. Finally, she found some good Samaritans willing to lend us a hand. I cannot even express how grateful Doug and I are to her dedication to helping us.

When we got back to the marina, one of the boats in our raftup pulled off to pick us back up at the fuel dock. Three-and-a-half hours after the initial fall, we were back on board. A storm was approaching so the raftup crew had zipped our canvas and isinglass back in place. They had dinner ready and waiting for us. They immediately handed me a glass of wine saying I deserved it. (Doug also deserved a drink but alcohol does not go well with pain killers.) They also explained that they had come up with an entire plan for helping me get the boat back to Baltimore if Doug had to stay in the hospital.

LESSON NUMBER 4 - Always be sure to surround yourself with amazing people.

So, there's our story. It probably raises more questions than provides answers but perhaps it will get people thinking.

LESSON NUMBER 5 - Know where you are. Know how to use the VHF radio to get help. You never know when you'll need that information.

New Dinnerware and a Memorial Day Double Raft-Up

After being onboard for an entire year, it was finally time to purchase new dinnerware so we could stop using the stuff left onboard by the previous owners. Ooh! China? Crystal? No and no! This is not the first class dining room of the Titanic. We need something durable. Something that won't shatter easily. And, of course, something fun (we are on Boat Time after all). Enter the Happy Chic line from JCPenney.

I wanted something "nautical" without being all anchors or knots so I was ecstatic to find waves and fish and, yes I know, anchors. The bowls are part of another set (the JCPenney Home Collection) but they fit the rest of my set so nicely. We've been using everything for a couple of weeks and love the entire set so far. Plus, the highball glasses and the salad plates remind me of the Norwegian Cruise Line fish logo which makes me think vacation thoughts.

There is one issue with so many of these types of plates -- they are not recommended for use in the microwave. Easy solution: keep a few regular plates around. This is where you say I thought you wanted plates that weren't breakable. Yes, but I also want to be able to microwave leftovers. So, I have a small set of microwave-happy plates stored in a drawer. To further protect them from an jostling that may occur when are underway, I kept the cardboard pieces that came with the set and they sit in between each plate. Since they aren't our everyday plates it's not much of a hassle.

This past weekend was the unofficial start of summer. And if it's Memorial Day it must be Fairlee Creek. We both took Friday off and took a slow cruise over. At 10 mph it took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there but that also allows for pictures of majestic herons in flight.

It also meant we were passed by our friends that left after us. But look how pretty Elisa's Ring looks out on the water.

We had a three boat raft-up for the night.

Bliss, Elisa's Ring, and Luv'n Life IV

Living in the middle of Baltimore, there is so much light pollution it can be difficult to see the stars. Fairlee Creek on the other hand is much darker. Knowing this might be one of my few chances this year to see a meteor shower, I set my alarm for 2 am, laid out on the bow, and watched the stars sit perfectly still. The highly anticipated shower was a bust.

Here's a fun storage idea seen at Fairlee. No room for your kayaks on board? Tie them onto your dinghy and tow them to your destination.

We stayed until 3 pm the next day then set off for Sue Creek for a raft-up with more friends. We were the first to arrive and it took a little time to decide on a spot large enough for the number of boats that would be coming. Sue Creek is a popular anchorage spot in Middle River. It's quiet, it's protected, and it's easy to get into. Because of this, there were already many boats and we were lucky to find a spot.

No sooner had we set our bow and stern anchors when our radio started blowing up with ETAs of the rest of the raft-up. We may have set a record for how quickly we grew from one to six boats (and then three more).

Serenity Now... Insanity Later, Let's Go O's, Bad Influence, Almost Home, Toy Yot, Luv'n Life IV, (unnamed), Grand Passion, and Vida Boa.

We had two more nights of "forced relaxation" before it was time to head home. (Or, in our case, bring our home back home.) Summer is taking off in the right direction.

The 2013 Clam Bake

The annual clam bake and raft-up (coordinated by the gracious folks on Almost Home) was held October 5-6 in Fairlee Creek. You would think each clam bake would be the same but there are always a few surprises.

First off, it was warm enough to swim. Yes folks, on October 5, 2013, I was wearing a bathing suit and I got in the water. I didn't stay in the water long but I did lay on the bow of the boat for a while. I'm so accustomed to bundling up for the clam bake that it felt strange to apply sun screen.

The warm weather brought other boats into the Creek for the weekend. We've had clam bakes where we are the only boats in the basin, not this year.

There was even a rare power/sail raft-up.

A fox visited the beach. He didn't seem very scared of humans so we steered clear of him. Perhaps people have been feeding him all summer? Perhaps he is sick? It was neat to see new wildlife but I worry about this little guy.

We had to set up a bit further down the beach than usual. Another raft-up beat us to the prime beach location (I guess they didn't get the memo that we had "reserved" the beach for our get together.)

 We're lucky everything cooked before the tide came in and washed out the coals.

Curious about the past clam bakes, check them out here: 2012 and 2011. (The 2011 post includes instructions so you can have your own clam bake.)

One last parting shot of the last raft-up for 2013.

A Subdued Fairlee Creek

Fairlee Creek is typically a hotbed of excitement -- from beached boats, to boats drifting into other raft-ups, to quiet clam bakes with a group of friends. This past weekend was a bit more serene than usual. Don't get me wrong, Jellyfish Joels was open, the drinks were flowing, the band was playing, and there were friendly cornhole competitions, there just wasn't any real craziness. Where was everyone? We did hear whispers of a Bumper Bash and it's possible people ventured over there. It doesn't really matter to us - anchoring out for the night is a great way to escape from the city and avoid housework. Sure, we can work on the boat anytime, but that would be rude when we have guests. 

We anchored on a single hook - something we hadn't done in a while. When we raft-up with a group we always set a couple stern anchors so we don't spin and get our bow anchors twisted. This past weekend was just us with a couple friends on board and we didn't want to fight with the stern anchor on Sunday. The bottom in Fairlee is soft and silty so it took two attempts before we felt the anchor had truly caught but then we were set for the evening.

We did see a Sharknado:

And THREE bald eagles in the same tree:

Look for the white heads and you'll see them.

We frequently see bald eagles in Fairlee Creek and I recommend that anyone looking for them checks this dead tree first. It is located across the basin from the marina and is a favorite spot for them.

Memorial Day Part 3

Sunday!

Our friends were able to get out of their marina and we had our first raft up of the season (and for this boat). It was still a little hairy getting into Fairlee Creek. Even boats inside the channel found bottom:

This sailboat got beached inside the channel which was abnormally shallow.

This boat was nice enough to try to tow the boat out of its predicament.

Of course, there was a crowd on shore watching the whole thing. We were part of the group watching from Jellyfish Joel's.

 

These helpers tried tying a line to the top of the mast to rock the sailboat out.

He did finally come lose. He then chose to turn around and leave Fairlee Creek.

Luckily we all had a safe trip and a fantastic time. Our helm became quite the gathering spot, especially for the pot luck dinner Sunday night - I was too interested in eating to get a picture - sorry. Just trust me, there were shrimp and beef kebobs, quinoa and black bean salad, and a green salad - and tons of food! Pot lucks are a great idea when you are rafting up with a group. Everyone only needs to find space for a small amount of ingredients. It brings everyone together. And everyone leaves stuffed.

We witnessed an amazing moon Sunday evening:

It was time to raise the anchors on Monday. We were the last boat to move and we knew our stern anchor was in tight from Saturday's wind. Doug attached a bunch of lines to the stern anchor line so we could pull the bow line before using the weight of the boat to pull the stern line. The bow line came up with no issue - the stern line was a whole other issue. We had a similar situation in the aftermath of the derecho last year. While I don't have pictures this time, you can get an idea of how we got the stern anchor up here. It took about 20 minutes and we think we may have been hooked on a tree stump but at last we were free. Many thanks to James, Sandra, Jerry, and Dawn who were also the last boats to leave and stuck around to make sure we were successful in our anchor retrieval.

After that it was an uneventful ride home and return to dock.

Memorial Day Part 2 - the near collision

Saturday...continued...

You thought all of Saturday was included in the last post? Oh no, there's more...

The wind subsided a bit as late afternoon approached. We were ready to simply enjoy the evening when we almost collided with a sailboat. Correction - he almost collided with us. I'm sorry to say that there are no pictures of this debacle, mainly because I was in full boat protection mode. Doug had gone down below for a bit and I was just minding my own business while relaxing with a book at the helm. I looked up at the end of a chapter to see a sailboat on course to hit us dead on or at least side swipe us on the starboard side. I like to have faith in other boaters so I simply watched for a few seconds thinking he must know what he is doing...until he looked up and was clearly surprised to see a large boat in front of him.

Quick aside -- if you notice you might hit another boat, what would your first instinct be? If you said, turn on a course away from the other boat -- ding ding ding -- you are correct!

This captain would not have won our game show folks. He turned directly in front of us then proceeded to run up to his bow and drop his anchor -- while still in front of us and very close to our bow. Again, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but the wind was coming from the front and I knew that was the wrong place to drop anchor.

Me: "Um, you do realize you are right over our anchor, right?"

Sailboat Man: "No I'm not, your anchor is over there." (points off in random distance somewhere) "Besides there isn't enough water in here to move a boat anyway."

Yes, Fairlee Creek was shallow that day. Yes, a sailboat has a keel and requires more water. But, this was a 30-foot sailboat dropping anchor 20 feet in front of my boat with the current going in my direction. At that point, I sprang into action having lost all faith in this particular boater.

"Doug, we have trouble," I yelled into the cabin as I ran to the stern looking for a boat pole to fend the sailboat off.

I got back to the bow just in time to see our all-chain anchor line save the day. He did swing towards us but the anchor line acted like a strong fence.

"Now I'm over your anchor," said Sailboat Man as he ran back up onto his bow, pulled up his boat, and motored past us. "Forgive me, I've been sailing alone since 6am."

Ok, I get it, you're tired (or high?), but that doesn't give you the right to be stupid. Just like driving a car, pull over and park when you get too tired. There are many, many, many good anchorage spots along the Chesapeake Bay. If he had been out since 6am, he had passed many good places for a nap.

The rest of Saturday was spent visiting our friends at the dock and making new friends. It turned into the fun, relaxing evening it should have been all along.

I promise you'll see Sunday in the next post...

Our First Raft-Up on Luv'n Life IV

Somebody call National Lampoon; I have a new movie for them and it's called Memorial Day. Only Clark Griswold could have seen/heard so many crazy things in one weekend. (Thanks to Elisa's Ring for the movie reference that has stuck in my head since we met up on Saturday.)

I'm going to switch things up a bit this week and write at least three posts about this weekend because there is so much to say.

Let's start with Saturday...

We had hoped to set out on Friday evening but the weather did not cooperate. Wind gusts of 35 mph and 3-4 foot waves would have made for a very choppy ride. Saturday's forecast wasn't much better but we knew we could leave super early and take our time getting to Fairlee Creek. The moon was still up and the sun was just rising when we left the dock:

 

One of the wonderful things about a motoryacht is that the ride is smooth enough to eat breakfast while we are underway.

Yes, that is Cocoa Krispies but the organic, skim milk makes it healthy. Anyone who has been on a cabin cruiser like our previous boats knows that we would be wearing more cereal than we ate if we tried eating while in motion.

After breakfast, Doug and his co-captain settled in for the trip:

Latte vegged-out in that seat for the whole ride. Unfortunately, Tigger got a little seasick and threw up twice on the ride over. At 13-years-old, this boat life may require a bit more of a learning curve for him. Don't worry too much about him though, it wasn't long before he was content on my lap:

We purposefully planned our trip so that we would arrive at Fairlee Creek as close to a slack tide as possible. For my non-boating readers, there is a short window when the water isn't going in or out, therefore there is very little current. Our Carver is big and heavy but the current at Fairlee's entrance can be downright unreasonable. Doug maneuvered her through the cut like a pro and we both let out a sigh of relief.

We quickly learned just how much havoc the weather was going to cause for our fellow boaters. In 2011, we had the misfortune of having a friend's boat get beached in Fairlee Creek. Unfortunately for the boat in this picture, it was already high tide. The wind was so strong that it was pushing the water away from the beach. He wasn't floating again until sometime Sunday.

We also had our radio on as we waited for the arrival of two other boats in our group. A Coast Guard announcement came across with a report of a 32-foot Carver on fire with two people in the water on the North East River. They were asking people to keep an eye out for the boat, contact the Coast Guard with any information, and to assist if possible. There was nothing we could do but listen and hope. But then the radio waves blew up with boats talking back and forth to each other. A group had heard the announcement and feared the boat in distress belonged to their friends. They had tried contacting the boat without success and none of them had a visual on the boat. We listened as they all tried to reassure each other. I could tell they all desperately wanted to help but they couldn't figure out a way without putting themselves in danger. A very tense few minutes went by before one of them got a text saying that the boat in question did belong to their friends but that both people had been rescued.

Both of the boats we were expecting were unable to get to Fairlee on Saturday. Correction - both of the boats we were expecting we unable to get out of their home marina on Saturday. It's very difficult to leave your slip with little to no water under the boat. One unexpected friend showed up but they took a slip in Great Oaks Marina rather than trusting their anchor in the gusty winds.

As of 5pm, there were 32 boats anchored in Fairlee Creek:

Let me repeat the above statement -- there were 32 boats anchored in Fairlee Creek on the Saturday of Memorial Day. This weekend is the unofficial start of boating season on the Chesapeake Bay. There should have been hundreds of boats in the basin with no way for me to get an accurate count. Our anchors were secure and the winds started to die down as the evening started and we prepared to settle in for a quiet night under the stars...

Annual Clam Bake

This past weekend Almost Home organized an annual clam bake at Fairlee Creek. Doug and I left Friday evening in order to make the most of our (potentially last) weekend on the water. There was much discussion about how we all love the many seasons of Fairlee Creek. There's the wild and crazy summer days and nights. Those are the days when anything can happen - bathing suits may come off, bands will play, and boats may collide. This weekend was the other side of Fairlee. This was the quiet, restful, and natural side of Fairlee. (Okay, okay, when bathing suits come off that is also "natural" or should I say "au natural.")

This is the time of year when you can easily get an anchorage spot at the beach. Check out the first image on this post to see how busy the beach can get during the summer. Since we were the first to arrive, we set both a bow and stern anchor. Hint: Use the stern anchor line as a tow rope for pulling the dinghy back and forth to shore.

The beach was clean and ready for us:

Friends were anchored in another part of the creek and we were able to visit with them for awhile. Then we had the pleasant surprise of friends we hadn't seen in a while.

Don't you love how their son gets to ride in the dinghy as it's being lowered into the water?

We built a bonfire for the five of us and spend the evening catching up on the summer's stories.


Doesn't this look like a perfect way to spend an evening?

The next morning, we scoured the beach for more driftwood. It was a cool morning and it felt more like a fall beach day in New England. I'm sure there have been a few bonfires already this year because the beach was picked through:

But, you never know what sort of "treasures" you may find along the way:

We were successful in starting a good pile:

And then we put the kids to work once they arrived:

The kids also built their own mini-bonfire. They built it in a clearing that wasn't visible from the "adult bonfire." Obviously, that wasn't safe (and a little too "Lord of the Flies"), so the parents made them move it to another part of the beach.

We had six boats and a yummy feast. If you are interested in how a clam bake works, check out my post from last year.

On a final note, who says the water around Baltimore is dead? Just look at what happens to a ladder left in the water around the marina:

Just Desserts 2012, Cruise Ship Drama?, and Remnants of a Fire

One of our boating friends plans a dessert weekend every year. Every boat brings a dessert to share and we gorge ourselves on sugar (of course, there is some other food). This year we had the gathering at Good Ol' Fairlee Creek. We arrived a little later than normal on Saturday and Fairlee was already hopping.

This is the line of boats waiting to pull in.

The weather was a little cool for August so I never got in the water. No worries. With so many boats there was always someone to talk to.

After dinner, the desserts came out. Silly me, I forgot to take a picture of the spread (maybe I was too excited about the treats?). We made Bananas Foster to share. Yes, you can make this delectable dessert on a boat. Here's the trick: Put a pan on your grill. Melt butter. Add brown sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Slice up bananas into the mixture. Add banana liquer. Cook a couple minutes. Add 151 rum and carefully light on fire. Wait until the fire goes out and pour over ice cream.

There was apple pie, rum balls, pineapple upside down cupcakes, Berger cookies...

I had a couple boating firsts on Sunday. Five boats from the middle of our raft up left early afternoon on Sunday. We were the only boat on one side so we pulled off to let them loose. I captained the boat as we rafted back up with our friends. (Normally, I'm the one handling the lines as Doug does captaining duties.) It wasn't pretty, but I successfully got our boat next to the raft up without any damage. I just need more practice.

I also captained the boat as we left Fairlee Creek. The entrance to Fairlee can be tricky. The sandbar seems to constantly change, the current can be swift, and there are always people watching. It was drizzling on Sunday so many boats had already left by the time we headed for home and the current didn't look to rough. All the conditions were right for my first attempt. Another happy success!

With ended up with two more adventures on Sunday. A Carnival cruise ship was leaving port as we were entering Baltimore.

This is a pretty regular sight so we didn't think anything of it until this boat came flying towards us.

It's a little freaky to be approached by a boat with a man on the bow with a very large gun. We figured we would be boarded but they simply told us to stay a certain distance from the cruise ship and then sped off to talk to the boat behind us. Phew!

It appears that there WAS something special about this cruise ship. Has there been a recent threat against cruise ships? Or was someone very important on this particular ship?

I know it's just an illusion from this vantage point but I'm still amazed that they fit under the Key Bridge.

When we got back to our marina we had a surprising sight.

I'm not sure how we didn't notice the burnt dock as we were leaving on Saturday, but a boat caught fire on a few slips down from ours on Wednesday night (articles here and here). We've heard through other boaters that the fire may have been started by a faulty power strip. Or, it had something to do with work they were doing on the boat. Either way, I'm glad no one was hurt and all other boats were saved. Just imagine what could happen with a fire and that much fuel.

As always, just another adventurous day in paradise.

We Have You Surrounded

Oh, Fairlee Creek. You never cease to amaze me. We have seen our fair share of drifting boats, beached sailboats, beached powerboats, water gun fights and upside down sailboats, but this weekend may have topped them all.

Doug and I and two friends ventured to Fairlee Creek (Mears Great Oak Landing) this past weekend for their Saturday fireworks display. As usual, we got there early and set our anchors. Has anyone else noticed that having both a bow and a stern anchor seems to be the norm now? I'm fine with it. It should make everyone more secure in their spot.

The marina had bouys out marking a safety distance for the evening display:

Everything started off nice and calm. We swam, we visited Jellyfish Joel's for frozen concoctions, and we watched the Creek quickly fill up with boats. There was also a smart businessman offering ice, ice cream, and trash collection:

We were next to a boat that was having a good time with their slide and advertising a wet t-shirt contest.

Unfortunately, for many people, the fun stopped around 7pm. Here is a quick rundown of the events with my best estimation of time. Pictures can be found at the bottom of the list of events.

• 7pm - The boat next to us (Bodacious) breaks free from both of its anchors. No one on the boat seems to notice.
• Bodacious starts drifting in the current towards a raft-up of 6-7 boats. The people on those boats notice the issue and start yelling over to the captain to catch his attention.
• The captain of the Bodacious attempts evasive action but it is too late.
• Crunch! Anchor lines are cut and there is a tangle of boats. Unkind words are exchanged between people on all boats involved. We learned later that the captain of Bodacious claimed to have more boating experience than anyone else there. We all make mistakes, but if you have so much experience why did this happen?
• DNR and the Coast Guard show up to supervise the detangling.
• 8-8:30pm - All boats are detangled. It appears that there is minimal damage to all boats involved. Bodacious sets up anchor again in their original spot. The Natural Resource Police pull up to Bodacious and the captain gets off to talk to them.
• 9:15pm - The fireworks start.
• In the middle of the fireworks display, Bodacious pulls up their anchor. Everyone assumes they are going to leave the area. Instead, they hang out in the channel for the rest of the show. Again, we assume they will leave as soon as the entry/exit to Fairlee Creek is reopened after the fireworks.
• 9:30pm - The fireworks end and Bodacious returns to their anchorage spot. No one is happy to see them return. I'm starting to get nervous because I'm not sure I can sleep with this boat next to us. Our anchors seem secure and it is much too late to try to reset.
• Another boat pulls up to Bodacious to take passengers to shore. This is when it gets interesting.
• Three Coast Guard boats immediately surround Bodacious. "We have you surrounded!" They instruct everyone on the "taxi" boat to get back onto Bodacious.
• 10pm - Three Coast Guardmen board Bodacious and do a full count of passengers and search of the boat.
• 10:30pm - Three more Coast Guardmen board Bodacious. One of them has a large rifle.
• 11pm - All Coast Guard leave Bodacious. Passengers start disembarking in groups
• 12 midnight - Only four people are left on Bodacious. They pull up anchor and move further back into the creek.

Starting to drift.

Crunch #1.

In the clear?

Coming in for another hit.

Crunch #2.

Crunch #3. The people on the water had joined the party from another boat and decided it was time to leave.

The captain is on the Natural Resources Police boat, however, the NRP boat is still in gear and almost causes Bodacious to hit another boat.

Doug takes the zodiac to help the raft-up reset their anchors.

So, here are my questions: Was the captain ticketed for something? I really hope so. I know that we all make mistakes but when you cause a car accident you receive a ticket. Why did the Coast Guard wait until after the fireworks (at least an hour after the incident) to board the boat? Were they waiting for back-up? Or did they finally board for another reason?

After all the drama, we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening and returned to Baltimore on Sunday. As an added bonus, the sunset and the fireworks were absolutely amazing! The fireworks were huge and were going off right over us. Great show Fairlee!