MAY 8-12                        Baltimore, Maryland

 

Our arrival in Baltimore coincided with the cessation of the thunderstorms that had steadily moved through the area since early morning.  The air was fresh, clean, and cool, forecasting a lovely day.  Joe Usher, our son-in-law, accompanied us and immediately assumed responsibility for any lifting and moving of luggage as we moved from the airport to the rental car.  Always very solicitous of David and me, Joe had insisted he would come with us and help provision and get ready the boat for our journey northward.

The Bottom Line was located in the same place we left it last October.  We were on an outside dock with a good view of the incoming traffic from the Patapsco River into Baltimore Harbor.  The boat’s exterior was clean, and to my delight, the interior was orderly and only slightly dusty.  With a little dusting, vacuuming, etc., and everything would be as I liked it.  This was very different from the filthy condition of the interior of the boat when we returned to it last year.

We quickly surveyed the pantry, made a list of needed items and left for Costco.  Our new GPS, a TomTom, proved to be very unreliable.  It took us on a long, circuitous route through residential neighborhoods and seedy looking areas.  Costco was only about four miles from the marina but we traveled for almost thirty minutes before locating it. 

 Bonefish Grill, located near Costco, was our dinner choice.  A chain family restaurant noted for seafood, it was perfect for a quick meal before we shopped. After an appetizer of coconut shrimp, we feasted on mussels, sautéed trout, and a seafood medley. The food was fresh, delicious, and well-presented. 

We returned via a direct route, ignoring the initial directions of the TomTom GPS, to the boat. Joe helped us unload and store two large dock carts of provisions.  We were well-stocked once again.  Tired from a long, busy day, we retired early and slept well to the gentle rolling of the boat.

Thursday was spent talking to the guys who re-commissioned The Bottom Line after the winter hiatus.  The railings, bow pulpit, and all wood on the aft deck had been stripped, sanded, and re-varnished.  The work was done well and we were pleased.  Weather and lack of help had prevented polishing the upper part of the boat’s exterior.  I may tackle this job myself!

Joe wanted to complete the projects that David could no longer easily do and was assigned the cleaning of both engine rooms.  He unloaded the myriad of tools, buckets, boxes, etc. from the floors, removed the oily pads from the wells below the engines, and replaced them with clean ones, and cleaned dirt from all surfaces.  Some of the work required him to lie prone on the floor in order to reach below the engines.  It was hard, dirty work and he volunteered for it!

After thoroughly cleaning the floors, Joe covered them with navy gray paint.  Lying on his stomach to reach a distant corner, he accidentally kicked over the paint bucket and spilled a large amount. This went undetected for a few minutes and necessitated some quick recovery work.  The project went well after that and the floors looked great.

David admits that organization is not one of his strengths and he appreciated Joe’s suggestions as they went through the tools, parts, and equipment stored in various parts of the boat.  David identified parts that cost a great deal of money and may be useful in the future.  Numerous tools were hung in places where they could be easily found or placed in tool kits.  Paint supplies were brought from above and stored together in a more accessible location.  We were now clean and organized!

After a day of hard work, Joe showered and went to the airport for Stephanie.  We toasted her arrival on the aft deck and dined on a delicious trio salad dinner.  Joe insisted she should be assigned a project and I graciously consented to allow her to dust the teak blinds on the windows in the salon.

Friday was a gorgeous day, and with rain forecast for Saturday, we decided to leave the boat.  We walked six blocks to the Blue Moon Café for one of their legendary breakfasts.  A long wait outside gave us good people-watching time before we finally were seated in the small, funky interior that is always filled with customers.  Serving only breakfast, the Blue Moon Café offers gourmet choices that are fabulous.  My favorite is the Captain Crunch coated French toast with fruit and cinnamon-flavored whipped cream.  Decadent!!!

Stephanie needed some shopping time to replenish her wardrobe for a June trip to Portugal.  We separated from the men (they were delighted) to peruse the shops along Fell’s Point.  Every small boutique seemed to have something she could use.  She bought two lovely dresses, a pair of shoes, and a sweater—all at good prices.  We had a wonderful afternoon.  Dinner was at Riptide on the Bay, a casual restaurant located in an historic building on the waterfront. Our leisurely walk back to the dock was interrupted by raindrops, which true to predictions, came with thunder, lightning, and wind.  We made it to the boat with only minutes to spare before the storm. 

The rain continued sporadically on Saturday but cleared enough in the afternoon for Stephanie and me to attend the local outdoor market.  David took us there in the dinghy.  Finding little we needed, we decided to walk a mile to Safeway.  After finishing our shopping, we called for David and the dinghy to bring us home.  It was fun to cruise in the harbor past the enormous naval vessels docked across from our marina.  Feeling pressure to comply with her responsibilities, Stephanie immediately tackled the teak blinds (an onerous task) and had them shining before wine time.  Dinner was prime steaks grilled by David with a delicious coconut pudding dessert. 

Sunday was horribly windy.  No dinghy rides today!  We aborted our plans to take the boat down the Patapsco River for a trial run before we start our journey later in the week.  We watched a smaller Hatteras vainly try to dock near us but thwarted by the force of the wind.  Unfortunately, the captain made one last effort, came in too quickly, and was pushed by the wind into an adjacent boat, causing damage to the bow. 

As a Mother’s Day gift, Stephanie had bought tickets for she and I to attend an Historical Homes Tour in Fells Point. We braved the strong wind to walk to that area (just outside the gates of the marina).  The first one, a townhouse, had been built in an old brick warehouse and was new throughout with wooden floors, marble bathrooms, a modern kitchen, and a balcony overlooking the water.  Only the exterior walls were old.  It was filled with beautiful art and lovely furniture, with walls painted in gorgeous pastel colors. It had elevator access to its fourth floor location. It was our favorite.

The four others we visited included the oldest house in Baltimore (1765), once owned by a sea captain and showing heavy use, another sea captain’s home, exquisitely restored, and several renovated commercial properties made into gorgeous homes.  All were small, well-planned, and required agile owners who could climb several flights of stairs.  We were reminded that colonial women had to be sturdy to manage so many stairs!

Needing a break, we called David and Joe to join us at Shuckers for a late lunch. The wind had lessened, the sun was brightly shining, and the Mother’s Day crowd was evident with many family groups, most accompanied by strollers and dogs.  We enjoyed sitting outside, watching people, and experiencing the ambiance of a wonderful city.  The evening ended with a movie and a delicious light dinner of pasta pomodoro on the boat.