Triangle Loop – Week 8 (Moving Again!)

June 17th to June 21st

Day 51 – Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 – To: Solomons, MD
Spring Cove Marina

• From: Hampton, VA
• To: Solomons, MD – Spring Cove Marina
• Start Time: 8:15 am
• Dock Time: 2:05 pm
• Time Underway: 5 h 50 m
• Miles Traveled: 91.4 NM (105 statute miles)
• Average Speed: 14.2 knots (16.3 mph)
• Draw Bridges Opened: 0 Locks: 0
• Weather: 71°-72° – Cloudy with light rain showers
• Winds: 0-10 mph – Waves: 2-3ft for first hour, then 0-1ft

We slept well back on the boat with our firm mattress and our own pillows. It did take a bit to get used to the boat sounds again, but they lulled us to sleep. When I woke up, the first thing I did was check the rudder post to see if the drip had gotten any worse or better. I was pleased to see that it had slowed down to almost nothing!

We had a band of heavy rain come through around 7:00, so we waited until it stopped before heading out just after 8:00. Our plan was to head to Solomons, Maryland, about 90 nm away. Most of the trip is in Chesapeake Bay, so we are able to run fast. We planned two alternates along the way in case we had any issues.

The first hour after leaving Hampton Harbor was a bit rocky as the waves from the ocean came in. We had 2-3 foot waves, with the occasional four-footer. We were taking them mainly on the stern, so the ride was not that bad. We kept our speed down until we passed Point Comfort and the waves calmed down to 1-footers, then ran at 17 knots (20 mph) until we got to Solomons.

There was only a bit of traffic, and we were able to give them a wide pass so that we didn’t have to slow down. There were a few light rain showers, but overall it was a good day. Brenda even got in a nap! The boat ran very well. Since we started the trip, I had been noticing a vibration at higher speeds and wondered if it was due to an out-of-balance propeller. We just had the props and shafts serviced, so I doubted it was that. With the rudder repair, the vibration has gone away. I’m now thinking that the vibration was the rudder moving back and forth!

We arrived in Solomons, MD, at 2:00. As we pulled into the harbor, we saw our friends on Breakaway. They are docked on the other side of the harbor, and we waved as we went past. The marina put us in a slip near the boatyard so the electricians don’t have to carry the batteries as far. We backed into the slip and settled in for a few days.

As I’ve mentioned, our house and starting batteries are 9 years old. They have been working okay, and we rarely anchor out, so they don’t get a heavy workout very often. When we were at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, there was no power, so we ran on the batteries overnight. By morning, I was receiving low-voltage alarms and 10-volt readings. We’ve definitely gotten our money’s worth out of them. I wanted to have them replaced while we were in Hampton, having the rudder repaired, but the boatyard was very busy, and even though we were there for a month, they never provided me with a price for the replacement. I knew that Zimmerman Marine was in Solomons, so I called them a week ago, and the batteries are waiting for us and will be installed tomorrow.

In the evening, we rode our bikes to the Ruddy Duck to have dinner with our friends from Breakaway. It was good to catch up with them!

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Day 52 – Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 – In: Solomons, MD

Wednesday morning, we got ready for the mechanics to replace the batteries in the boat. They were scheduled to arrive at 10:00, so we pulled up the floor to give them easier access. Brenda went up to the Boaters Lounge to do some laundry.

While I was waiting, I watched them haul out an old boat. I spoke to the owner, who was 92 years old, and he explained that it was a concrete hull boat. Built in 1975, he purchased it as just a shell in 1978 and has been working to complete it ever since. He hopes to have it done in the next few years!

At 11:00, the technicians had still not arrived, so I called the service manager, and she said that they had been tied up hauling a boat (the concrete hull one) and would be with me right after lunch. At 1:00, they arrived, and I gave them the rundown on the job. Then, since there were two of them and they didn’t need help, I went up to the Boaters Lounge. They replaced all 10 batteries, cleaned, and treated all the cable ends in about 2 hours. When they were done, they called, and I went back to the boat and checked on the work. Everything looked good. We reset and tested the battery monitoring system, then started the engines to ensure they were connected correctly. Everything checked out! Great Job!

This is the second time we’ve used Zimmerman Marine this trip, and I recommend them to our boating friends. In the end, they even credited me back $250 from the original quote because it didn’t take as long as they thought.

After the technicians left, I performed some cleaning in the engine room, checked all the fluids, and topped off the oil. It’s much easier with the floor removed, as you are not hunched over. Then Brenda and I put the floor back into the salon, which is a bit of a process to get it aligned, and finished putting the boat back together.

At 5:00, we rode our bikes to Boomerangs Original Ribs & Seafood for dinner. It looks like a dive bar from the outside, but the food was excellent! The bartender told us that on the weekends, they do “the most amazing breakfast in Maryland”, so we promised we would be there on Sunday to try it out!

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Day 53 – Thursday, June 19th, 2025 – In: Solomons, MD

Thursday was HOT! 97° with a heat index over 100°. We spent the morning on the boat doing some computer stuff. Around noon, a breeze kicked up, so we rode the bikes into town. The Solomon’s Maritime Museum, which is about 500 ft up the road from the boat, is having a concert tonight. Brantley Gilbert, a country singer, is playing at the Calvert Museum Outdoor Stage. We stopped at the museum, and they were setting up for the concert; we had to dodge the porta-potties they were bringing in. They were also testing the sound system, and it was so loud that we decided to head out, but not before Brenda scored a Geocache.

We rode to the end of the Island, stopping at a few shops looking for postcards, with none to be found. The breeze made the heat tolerable, and looking out into the bay, we were glad that we were in a sheltered dock, not out on the water.

We rode back to the boat and went to the Tiki Bar at the marina pool for some refreshment. We had hoped to eat dinner at the Tiki Bar, but they experienced a refrigerator failure and were out of most items. The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 (about the same time that the weather service was predicting severe thunderstorms), and we figured that all of the local eateries would be packed. We decided to order subs from a local sub shop, and I rode the bike up to pick them up. People were starting to show up for the concert, and the road to the marina was closed, but they let me through on my bike when I told them we were staying there.

The rain started just after I got back, and got really heavy around 7:00. 7:30 came and went with no music, and we wondered if they had cancelled it. However, at 7:45, the music started. It was loud enough for the bass and drums to vibrate the boat, but with the doors closed, it was tolerable. Country is not our cup of tea. I went to bed at my usual 8:30 and was able to fall asleep pretty quickly. Brenda says the concert wrapped up right at 10:00.

Day 54 – Friday, June 20th, 2025 – In: Solomons, MD

It’s been almost two months since we left Palm Coast, and over two months since either of us has had a haircut. We had tried to find a hair salon and barbershop while we were in Hampton; however, we couldn’t find anything appropriate. When we rode up to the Ruddy Duck on Tuesday, we saw a friendly hair salon with a barber pole in the window. Brenda called and got us an appointment for 10:30 today.

We rode our bikes to the hair salon, and both of us got much needed “doo’s”. Brenda got a cut and color, and I got a haircut and eyebrow trim. Feeling 5 lbs lighter and much cooler, we rode to the Annamarie Sculpture Gardens. We’ve visited here on prior trips to the Solomons, and it’s a lovely garden with paved walking paths through the trees and many sculptures tucked into the woods. They also have many “Fairy Houses” along the trails and in wooded glades along the path. It’s fun to walk along and try to spot them!

We walked around the grounds and the indoor art museum for about 90 minutes before riding to the local Weis Grocery Store to do a bit of provisioning and then heading back to the boat. We got back around 1:30 and cooled down before going up to the Tiki Bar at the Marina Pool to see if any Looper had come in. Sadly, there were no new Loopers.

For dinner, we decided to go to the CD Grill in town. I called and made a 5:00 reservation, and we rode the bikes there. We have eaten there once before, but it was more of a burger joint at the time. They have now upgraded to an upscale restaurant with a very unique menu. All of the food is locally sourced, and the dishes are a mix of Asian-influenced, Seafood, and Steak Options.

We started with a “Savory Cheese Cake” – A goat cheese round with a walnut crust, fresh herbs, and a sweet roasted red pepper sauce served with a fresh baguette. It was amazing! For dinner, Brenda had Shrimp Gnocchi. It was fresh gnocchi with large grilled shrimp in a red pepper cream sauce, accompanied by pancetta, snow peas, tomato, and Parmigiano. I had the Bangkok Scallops, which consisted of perfectly seared scallops and shrimp, stir-fried vegetables, fire-roasted Fuji apples, and jasmine rice. It was also amazing. This is one of the best meals we’ve had on the trip and a wonderful departure from the typical Pub and Seafood fare we’ve been having.

Very satisfied with dinner, we rode back to the boat for the evening.

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Day 55 – Saturday, June 21st, 2025 – In: Solomons, MD

Saturday morning, Brenda was not feeling well, so we went to the Quick Clinic just up the road from the marina. She was fighting an infection, and the doctor gave her a prescription, nothing serious. We rode the bikes up to CVS to pick it up, then back to the boat.

The day was hot again with temps in the 90s, so we just hung around the boat for most of the day, Brenda napping, and I worked on some articles for The Clever Boater.

In the evening, she was feeling better, so we rode over to the restaurant at the marina next door for dinner. It was their Prime Rib night, and aside from a bad baked potato that took 30 minutes to get replaced, we had a good meal.

Recap of the week

We traveled 105 miles this week, for a total of 924 miles so far. We traveled 1 day this week. The rudder post repair seems to be working well. The small drip we were having has stopped. We had our batteries replaced in Solomons and enjoyed getting readjusted to sleeping on the boat.

Next week, we plan to head north up the Chesapeake first, crossing to Oxford on Monday, then Havre De Grace, ending the week in Cape May, New Jersey, before heading out into the ocean toward New York City the following week.

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Thanks For Visiting! – Tom & Brenda