January 2018
Lots to catch up on, so I will do a quick overview of our remaining months in DC. We started the year at the Capital Yacht Club's "raising of the anchor", where we are staying. We've gotten to know a number of the members, since lots of members live aboard their boats at the marina. It's a very eclectic group, all ages and backgrounds, and mostly very friendly.
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| New Year's Eve, Capital Yacht Club, DC |
We were expecting cold weather here, but not quite as miserable as this! Robert made heroic efforts to winterize the boat systems and add supplemental heat, but after several snows and temps in the single digits, we decided we needed to shrink wrap the boat.
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| Sauvy B with ice on bow |
About half of the boats in our marina were adding shrink wrap and, despite the considerable expense, we realized it would help insulate our living space and make the area easier to heat. Here, Robert has added PVC pipes to form a support structure on the bow. The cover is a single, huge piece of plastic that is heated to shrink to fit. Ingenious!
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| Preparing to shrink wrap |
And here is the final result - a giant white cocoon! We did have clear "windows" inserted on the other side and end so we had nice views across the river from inside. We were finally able to keep the inside cozy and Robert could work on projects on the decks, since they stayed dry, out of the wind, and definitely warmer than outdoors.
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| Sauvy B - shrink-wrapped |
In addition to the shrink wrap, we added heated water lines (hoses with built-in heat strips), drained water lines we didn't need, added anti-freeze to engines, generator, etc. Since our reverse-cycle A/C doesn't work when water temps drop below 40 degrees, we had to heat with electric space heaters. We already had some aboard and borrowed more. We ultimately had to add a second power cord from the dock to the boat to enable us to run the heaters and cook on the electric stove at the same time. Wow - did we learn a lot of stuff we didn't really want to know!
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| Ice on Washington Channel |
The above and below views are from our dock. Yes, the geese are standing on a layer of ice. After the channel began freezing, we bought 2 ice eaters to hang below the boat in the water to prevent ice from forming against the boat. Had that happened, it could have damaged the fiberglass hull.
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| Sunset on an icy Washington Channel |
We were fortunate to have easy access to the DC Metro and the National Mall from our location, so we were able to visit many of the museums and monuments, despite the nasty weather. I won't detail everyplace we went, but will highlight some of the less familiar sites.
DC is divided into 4 quadrants, with streets named accordingly. We were in the SW district, the smallest, and an area undergoing rapid gentrification. The Yacht Club is in a brand new development called The Wharf. It is a mixed-use area with hotels, condos, restaurants, and shops. The businesses were slowly being completed and opened while we were there. Most were VERY upscale, in contrast to other parts of this district.
We have gotten to know 2 couples who live in the nearby condos. Both are boaters and we met them from our cruising blogs. We've enjoyed getting to know them better while here!
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| Jim & Darlene, Selene owners, too |
These guys have a Boykin Spaniel! They learned about Boka after reading our blog and couldn't wait for us to meet Ruby. So we got lots of "dog fixes" this winter!
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| Bill, Corrine & Ruby with Robert |
Bill & Corrine invited us to Blues Night, held every Monday at a local church. We greatly enjoyed the live blues and the very eclectic audience. Had planned to return for Jazz Night on Fridays but never made it.
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| Blues Night, Westminster Presbyterian Church |
February 2018
Mardi Gras! The Wharf organized a parade for the SW District residents. We had no idea what to expect, but it was a blast!
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| Mardi Gras Parade, The Wharf |
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| Mardi Gras Parade, The Wharf |
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| Local high school band, Mardi Gras Parade |
The parade was followed by live music along the waterfront and fireworks (a little too close for comfort).
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| Fireworks, The Wharf |
Houston friend, Corine, was in town twice on business during our stay, and joined us on board for some sightseeing afterward. Corine and I were business partners MANY years ago (and still friends <grin>) and it was fun catching up on our recent adventures.
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| Robert & Corine, National Mall, DC |
We visited the Smithsonian Castle, the main Smithsonian visitors center, detailing the history of the institution and all their research endeavors today.
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| Smithsonian Castle |
A quick tour of the Freer Gallery of Art to see the Peacock Room with the windows open. They are only open one day per month to minimize damage from sunlight, and today was the day! The room was designed by James McNeill Whistler, more famous for his paintings than interior decor, but the room is stunning!
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| Corine & Robert, Peacock Room at Freer Gallery of Art |
On to the Washington National Cathedral, a spectacular Episcopal church in the high gothic style. Completed in 1990, the Cathedral took 83 years to build.
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| National Cathedral, DC |
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The Cathedral is replete with hundreds of stained glass windows and ornate lighting.
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| National Cathedral, DC |
The exterior features hundreds of gargoyles, in addition to the ornate stone.
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| National Cathedral, DC |
More stained glass.
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| National Cathedral, DC |
Gorgeous mosaics with gold inlay.
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| National Cathedral, DC |
February 21, finally a glimpse of spring! We took advantage of a wonderfully warm day to bike all the monuments on the National Mall and Tidal Basin. Fun!
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| DC WWI Memorial |
March 2018
March 16 and still some signs of spring. Can the cherry blossoms be far behind?
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| Saucer Maglolias starting to bloom |
Alas, no such luck! March 21 and snow again! So glad the boat is still covered.
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| Capital Yacht Club, DC |
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| Washington Channel and East Potomac Park from Sauvy B |
Corine is back in town and we plan a girls' outing to see Marjorie Merriweather Post's fabulous home, now a museum.
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| Hillwood Museum, DC |
The flowers on the table are made of sugar; those in the background are real. What a lovely spot for breakfast!
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| Hillwood Museum, DC |
The greenhouse housed an extensive orchid collection. In addition, blooming orchids were on display throughout the home.
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| Hillwood Museum, DC |
The National Postal Museum had been recommended, so we made a quick visit. It is housed in a gorgeous building, once the main DC post office. Today it is mostly a museum, but still has a small retail window in operation.
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| National Postal Museum, DC |
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April 2018
April 2 - FINALLY it is looking like spring. (Note I am still wearing my newly purchased down coat, an essential wardrobe item here.)
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| Saucer Magnolias, Edith Haupt Garden, Smithsonian |
And a few days later, the cherry trees reach peak bloom! Hoards of people fill the walkway all the way around the Basin.
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| Cherry trees, Tidal Basin, DC |
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| Cherry trees, Tidal Basin, DC |
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| Cherry tree varieties in DC |
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| Cherry trees, Tidal Basin DC |
Most of the trees bloom white, some with a pale pink cast. Other varieties have more distinctly pink blooms, but we didn't see many of those.
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| Cherry blossoms, Tidal Basin, DC |
Spring has truly arrived in DC!
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| Bartholdi Fountain and Park, US Botanic Garden, DC |
Our plan is to leave DC April 16, heading to a boat yard in Deltaville VA for some pre-season maintenance before we begin our cruising season.
