4th of July in Solomons, MD: Shopping and Swimming

We had an easy 2 days cruising down the Potomac to Solomons, MD. We managed to get the inside of the boat cleaned and got caught up with laundry. The outside of the boat however, is sorely in need of a bath! We had someone lined up in D.C. to clean the boat and a diver for the bottom and they never showed up. Not surprising in the boating world as many service companies have their own schedules.

Calvert Marina was our home for 3 nights and was a steal at only $1 per ft. so a 58′ boat is $58 + tax per night + $10 daily for electricity. Two other perks of this marina were a free Mercedes loaner car and a pool. You might be thinking, “Wow, marinas lend out a Mercedes?” The woman in the office described the car as having 110 million miles on it, no air conditioning, the gas pedal was a stick, and windows that don’t lower. She didn’t tell us that my passenger seat belt didn’t work and the trunk wouldn’t open. Scott estimated that it was built in the 70’s since the interior was thoroughly cracked, torn, and worn out. We were only allowed to use it for exactly 1 hour and had to keep it in the town of Solomons which was about 3 mi away. Although we have bikes on the boat but usually we walk to the store. This event provides a workout while each of us potentially carries 40 lbs. of groceries. The weather app showed the “real feel” temperature of 95 and it was a sunny day so walking wasn’t a desirable option. Despite roasting like we were in a sauna, we were so very thankful for the use of the marvelous Mercedes!

After lunch at Stoney’s with daughter, Allegra and her boyfriend, Brandon, we had a nice dinghy ride through the rather busy waters of Solomons. We missed the patriotic boat parade because Scott had been on a hunt for non-ethanol gas which is banned in Calvert county. He had been unable to find it in the D.C. area either. But, I digress, we were all sweaty after the dinghy ride so we decided to cool off in the pool. Something quite astonishing occurred, wonder of wonders – miracle of miracles…I learned how to tread water! I guess an old dog can learn new tricks! Allegra has been worried about me living in a boat yet unable to swim or tread water so insisted that we work on treading water in this pool. My Dad said I was a good swimmer growing up but I hardly think dog paddling in a ski belt counts. I had to hold my nose and squeeze my eyes shut to go under water. Now I am proud to say that I can use goggles to open my eyes, hold my breath or blow out my nose and truly swim. My legs haven’t quite achieved the perfect freestyle technique but Scott says I am very good at breaststroke which feels natural to me. The first time he saw me swimming I could only swim on my back and he rated it an F-! Not only did I learn how to tread, I also learned how to float. Somehow everything seemed to click and I no longer panicked. In fact, I loved the freedom of movement in swimming under water. I never would have thought in a million years that I would love being in the water! Now if only I could conquer my fear of sharks and other scary things in the ocean!

Later that evening we unboxed our new grill and attached it to the rail on the top deck, which I call the dance floor, and tried out vegan hot dogs. They were actually very tasty, especially with Old Bay seasoning on them. We have a joke that all foods in this area are served with Old Bay! So good in fact, Scott and Brandon ate 3 each! We had dinner while watching a fabulous 28 minute firework display from the flybridge. It was a pretty wonderful 4th of July.

The next day Washburn’s Boat Yard replaced a hose in the engine room and I removed the foam insulation that covered the refrigerator. I didn’t realize just how tacky it looked until I removed it. It had served a noble purpose of keeping the refrigerator cool in the tropics for the previous owner. When someone pointed out to me that no other boats have the extra insulation and they all work fine I realized I would go for aesthetics and could always re-install it should we ever live in the tropics.

Often I forget to stop enjoying the wonderful moments of life in order to take pictures of said moments. I think that’s a good thing. Thus, a refrigerator is my lone picture for today.

Next stops…Annapolis then Baltimore.