Pete on Aurora

[staehpj1]

I am cruising on the Chesapeake Bay this summer when ever I can get away. I also hope to do a lot of bicycling in various maryland ports using my folding bike. Aurora is a new to us 1974 Alberg 30. We recently moved up from a Catalina 22.

I am limited to a week or two at a time right now, but hope to be able to do some Carribean cruising in the not too far distant future.

I sail single handed a lot, but my wife and daughter join me when they can.

Pete Staehling
Baltimore Md.
Aurora (Alberg 30 #554)
Frog Mortar Creek

[Weyalan]

Welcome aboard Pete,

Congrats on your new boat...hope you are having a lot of fun learning her tricks and foibles.

[staehpj1]

Thanks. A new boat is always fun. She is a big move up in size from our C22, but seems more forgiving in may ways.

Pete

[CaptainK]

Welcome aboard, Pete.

Moving up to a bigger boat is alot of help. Since you mentioned about your extra passengers!!

I have a 1973 Catalina 27. So I know how much you're loving your new boat!!

Welcome aboard!!

[staehpj1]

So far we are very impressed with Aurora (Alberg 30 #554). She has a very seakindly motion and is faster for any of the conditions we have sailed in so far than we are used to. The extra room on deck and below is great. Perhaps best of all, she is beautiful to look at!

There has been a lot of work that needed to be done (as expected), but that has been fun too.

We hope to do a lot of cruising this summer. We also hope to do a lot of bicycling with her as a base camp. Anyone else here done any of that? Suggestions for rides that are near nice anchorages welcome. So far we are planning to do a Rock Hall to Eastern Neck Is. and back ride, a St Michaels - Oxford Loop, and St Michaels to Tilghman Is. and back.

Pete

[S/V Elusive]

Welcome aboard Pete!

Bicycling is a great way to explore and get around once you've arrived at a place. As I was cruising Coastal California, I would use my bike for errands and exploration. If I were going to spend any time at one place or another, I would use my bike to get to the local train station and take the train to the closest station to where I had left my pick-up. Ride to the pick-up, toss the bike in the back and then drive back to my new port.

Worked great and kept me in shape. I've also thought some about setting up a stationary bike arrangement in my cockpit, and hook a generator up to it. That is still a gleem in my knuddle, but I'm working on it.

Enjoy!

[staehpj1]

Glad to hear from someone who uses their bike in conjunction with the boat. This seems like a great idea and I look forward to putting it in to practice. Most of the ports on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake are ideal cycling areas. They are generally flat and have good roads with wide shoulders.

The peddle power generator sounds interesting, but I think that the output would be pretty limited. I bet you would never be able to come close to the daily output of a moderately sized solar panel unless you were in a cloudy climate. I haven't done the math though. OTOH: You would get some exercise and capture a little energy in the process.

Pete

[S/V Elusive]

Output is the result of size and rotation speed. Both are a concern. With a modern 18 speed hybrid (off road) bike, I THINK that with the right arrangement, about 2000 rpm could be achieved with only moderate resistance with a 75 amp generator. An hour would give me about 40 amp/hr to the battery and a good workout to boot.

Now ... will I ever get around to this project? There are too many more critical projects at the top of the list, so probably not.