Foreign Affair Sailing

Dwayne and Debbie took advantage of the sunny, warm day to tour the Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick, Maryland.    Debbie and her son participate in Civil War re-enactments and Frederick was only an hour drive from Columbia. The National Park Service has a good display describing the battle.  Although a small engagement compared to other battles such as that at Gettysburg, it was one of the most important and known as "The Battle That Saved Washington".  We were hungry after tromping through the fields exploring the battlefield.  A great find was the Black Hog BBQ.  They are highly ranked on food review websites and did not disappoint.  Dwayne had the Memphis Dry Rub Ribs which were better than most served in Memphis.  We took an auto tour of Frederick before heading to Baltimore where we met with the rest of the family at Michael's Steak and Lobster House for dinner.  Sixteen of us gathered to feast on the Monday Specials. Dwayne ordered the 32 oz prime rib which came with a baked potato.  He ate it all.  Michael's is definitely on the visit again list.  Once again, it was another great day in Maryland.

It was a big day for Dom and the entire family.  He was confident and composed for his baptism.  Everyone at the reception after the church service complimented him and his parents on his alert yet quiet demeanor.  Later in the day, friends and family gathered at Dom's apartment for further festivities.  It was a wonderful day and despite the cool temperatures, a number of guests enjoyed themselves on the patio.  Once again, it was a great day in Maryland.

Paige turned five and had a wonderful birthday celebration at the local ice skating rink.  Most of the adults tried to stay warm while watching the kids enjoy time on the ice.  Later in the day, the party continued with a crab and shrimp boil. When the table was cleared as the sun went down, only 3 crabs, a couple of ears of corn and a few potatoes were left.  Just enough for someone's lunch the following day.  It was fun day for Paige and everyone else who helped her celebrate turning 5.

It was a beautiful day to head back to Foreign Affair to check on the work being done on her keel and to bring the sails out to be bent on once she was in the water.  Debbie went along to lend a hand and all went well.  We used the outboard motor hoist to raise the sails to the cockpit and getting them below decks was not too difficult.  The marina's fairing expert, Kevin had already completed applying the G-Flex to the keel/keel stub joint.  We decided to have the torque on the keel bolts checked and redo the seal around the keel and keel stub because there was evidence of the original fiberglass seal beginning to de-laminate.  Catalina Yachts advised us this is not surprising for a boat our age and provided instructions on how to resolve this issue.  Once the keel work is complete, we will be able to apply bottom paint and Foreign Affair will be ready to launch.

After four days of hard work on the boat and knowing our launch would be at least two weeks in the future, it was decided that Carla could take a break and head off to North Carolina to spend time with her children and grandchildren.  Dwayne would remain in Maryland to celebrate a birthday and baptism with members of his family, as well as, continue to work on Foreign Affair.  Carla enjoyed a beautiful ride through the Shenandoah Valley and eastern North Carolina while Dwayne headed to Annapolis for boat parts.  Of course, Dwayne had to stop at a couple of his favorite places - Chick & Ruth's Delly and Bacon's Marine.  You never know what your might find at Bacon's.

We left Columbia around 10 to avoid the rush hour traffic.  By noon, we were at Foreign Affair and opened her up to discover she had weathered the winter well.  The shrink wrap did its job of keeping the deck clean and water out.  The boat was left with several hatches cracked and numerous packets of desiccant throughout the boat.  She smelled pretty good within an hour of our opening other hatches to create good airflow.  We accomplished much during the next four days.  We worked together removing the shrink wrap.  Dwayne washed and waxed the hull while Carla refinished the crib boards and nav station desk top.  The dual action rotary polisher was left behind.  So, Dwayne had to do the wash and wax job by hand.  Carla wiped down the boat's interior with cleaning towelettes. She also cleaned and waterproofed the bimini and dodger.  We are having new straps made up for the bimini as the old ones needed to be replaced due to old age and wear.  The batteries were checked, water added and then shore power was connected to activate the battery charger.  Several trips were made to the Dollar Store, hardware store and super market for food and supplies.  We did eat out once at Ford's where we enjoyed some great crab soup and crab cakes.  After four days of work, we returned to Columbia due to rain.

Bardstown is the second oldest city in Kentucky and was a center of commerce in the late 18th and well into the 19th Century.  Today it is a charming city of about 12,000 and the Bourbon Capital of the World.  Kentucky produces 95% of the world's bourbon and much of it comes from Nelson County of which Bardstown is the county seat.  Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Maker's Mark, Barton 1792 and Willett are a few of the distilleries operating in and about Bardstown.  We made a quick stop at Barton 1792 and purchased a couple of bottles of their unique Bourbon Ball chocolate flavored bourbon.  Tastes better than the bourbon ball candy.  From there, it was a short ride to Willett Distillery which is across the road from Jim Beam.  Willett is a family owned and operated, small batch distillery which was re-established after the end of Prohibition.  There were only four of us on the late morning tour.  So, we got to take our time and ask a lot of questions.  Willett has a unique bottle which is shaped like their pot still.  It was too cute to pass up so we purchased a couple of bottles of their fine bourbon.  Willett became our first stop on the Bourbon Craft Whiskey Trail.  Only 12 more distilleries to visit before our BCWT Passport is complete.  The rest of the day was spent driving through Kentucky, West Virginia and Maryland to Columbia.

After a brief sojourn in Kansas City, Dwayne and Carla departed for Maryland to launch Foreign Affair.  They spent the night at the Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky.  This former stagecoach stop was built in 1779 and has provided a comfortable resting spot for many famous personages over the past 239 years.  Of course, the place is haunted.  We slept well and heard no bumps in the night.  Perhaps, it was because we had a hearty meal at at the inn's restaurant and enjoyed a flight of bourbon as our night cap.  Our room was down the hall from the Jesse James Room which still has bullet holes in the wall from his last visit as a human.  His ghost allegedly periodically appears but not during our stay.  We have more to see and do in Bardstown.  Perhaps, we will stay there again on our way back to Kansas.  The old town jail has been converted to a B&B.  Maybe, we'll stay there on our next visit.

We had a leisurely breakfast before heading off for our behind the scenes tour of Churchill Downs.  It was a small group tour which lasted 90 minutes and took us to areas not seen by those on the standard tour.  We visited the jockey training and dressing rooms, the owner's suites and corporate boxes, the restaurants and got a great view of the track and paddock from the Millionaire's Row terrace.  The Churchill Downs Museum was informative and fun.  Trophies of all three Triple Crown stakes races were on display as well as the Triple Crown trophy.  Dwayne and Martin had a chance to try their best to win a couple of races as jockeys on the computerized riding systems.  Martin was in the money on both of his races.  Dwayne carried too much weight and finished at the rear with mud on his face.  The track was really busy with construction and painting being done in preparation for the Kentucky Derby which is run the first week of May.

We visited 5 distilleries in a marathon day of touring and tasting.  We completed our official Bourbon Trail Tour with visits to Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and Town Branch distilleries.  Buffalo Trace is not one of the distilleries among those sponsoring the Bourbon Trail; however, we were able to squeeze it in as both Eric and Dave put it on their high priority list.  We ended the day with a superb steak dinner at Tony's of Lexington where Martin devoured a 24 ounce Porterhouse.

Besides bourbon, Kentucky is also famous for its fine thoroughbred horsed.  We left Louisville early in the morning to arrive in Lexington to watch the last of the morning workout at Keeneland Racecourse.  A couple of dozen horses were still being put through their paces when we arrived.  From Keeneland, we headed to Magdalena Farm for a tour of Trainer Kenneth McPeek's breeding and training facility.  We grabbed a quick lunch at Hopcat before it was back to Keeneland for the races.  Unfortunately, we were delayed due to being rear-ended while waiting at a stop light.  The.damage was minimal and no one was hurt.  We missed the first two races.  Our first bet of the day was a $6 combo and returned $16.20 when our horse came in second.  Our last bet was a boxed exacta which went south when two 30 to 1 long-shots came in 1st and 2nd ahead of our picks.  The exacta payout for the winners was $1,780.20.  We left the track with our wallets intact and returned to Louisville tired but happy to have had another great day in Kentucky.

After breakfast, we drove to Clermont to tour the Jim Beam Distillery facilities.  "Jimmy" is Dwayne's primary bourbon for mixed drinks and can always be found in his liquor cabinet.  Jim Beam is sold worldwide and about 25% of all bourbon sold sports a Jim Beam label.  Jim Beam's 15 millionth barrel was filled on March 12, 2018.  Seven generations of Beam family members have been distilling bourbon in Kentucky for over 200 years.  The tour was comprehensive and the facility is expansive.  We bottled our own Knob Creek Single Barrel as a souvenir.

Our first day on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail took us to three distilleries:  Bulleit, Angel's Envy and Evan Williams.  During the day we learned about the process for creating bourbon whiskey and tasted a fair sample of the finished product.  Our first tasting was at the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery where we learned about Bulleit Frontier Whiskey.  Thomas Bulleit, Jr. began producing Bulleit Frontier Whiskey in 1987 by reviving an old Bulleit family recipe.  Bulleit produces high rye content Bourbon whiskey which has a bold, spicy character.  Construction of the Stitzel-Weller distillery facilities there began soon after the end of Prohibition.  This place looks like what you'd expect for a historic distillery:  old brick buildings surrounded by tall, black rick houses all of which are found in a low lying, trees covered hollow. 

 

Carla dropped Dwayne off at KCI Airport where he joined Dave who flew in from Colorado.  Together, they waited a few minutes for Eric to come pick them up in his car for the drive to Louisville, Kentucky where they eventually picked up Martin who flew into Louisville from Germany.  Eric arranged to rent a house for the week to use as a base while enjoying some of the finer things in life for which Kentucky is noted:  superb bourbon and spirited horses.  The objective is to enhance their knowledge and appreciation for that fine American beverage, Bourbon, by completing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Additionally, touring several thoroughbred horse farms and spending a day the Keeneland Race Track will make them wiser about thoroughbred horses (and hopefully richer).  Time permitting, a visit will be paid to the home of the Louisville Slugger where baseball history has and is still being made.  The rendezvous and travel plan was well executed.

Eric and Kelly were all smiles despite the very cold weather when their new to them boat was delivered.  Even their daughters rose early and rode along to the lake to check out the boat and claim their "space" for the summer.  Dwayne drove out to help move the boat to its slip and lend what advice he could with his limited knowledge of power boats.  The marine dealer who brokered the boat had it re-winterized due to the cold weather that arrived between the sea trial and delivery.  Luckily, the marina had a boat with an outboard engine which could tow the boat from the launch ramp to its slip so it wouldn't have to be re-winterized again due to starting the engine to move under its own power.  It was so cold, the marina had to move the boat doing the towing into the sun for a couple of hours to thaw it out enough to get the engine to start and controls to move.  Eventually, the new boat was moved to its slip and now rests secure until warmer weather arrives.

After church, Dwayne's kids and grandchildren gathered together a Carla's house for a cold but fun celebration of Easter.  Steamers flying horizontal with the ground whipped in the wind as they hung from the tree limbs and pinwheels spun furiously as snow fell on this April Fools Easter.  We stayed indoors to keep warm but did not let the weather ruin our festivities.  Dinner was a spiral ham, scalped potatoes, green bean casserole, cucumber salad, ambrosia, Hawaiian rolls, Reisling wine and for dessert, the lamb cake.  The Easter egg hunt was conducted indoors with the children taking turns hiding each others' eggs.  This was a big hit with the kids.  They also engaged in a "crack the egg" game which involved tapping the ends of hard boiled eggs against someone else's hard boiled egg to see which egg would crack first.  The winner of the game was the person whose egg was cracked no more than once.  We kept a roaring fire going in the fireplace to provided warmth and it seemed appropriate due to the falling snow outside.  Hopefully, next Easter will be sunny and warmer.