News Flash: Tornado flattens Deltaville

Who would have thought it?  Certainly not us….. 

At 7.30pm on 16^th April  2011, Deltaville was struck by a tornado.  

It apparently touched down near Porpoise Cove Lane (near the 7-Eleven) and before making its way to the Rappahannock River, completely destroyed 28 homes in its path.  A further 21 houses suffered major damage and 31 minor damage. That is an enormous number for such a small village.  I am not sure at this time of any further loss.  We understand the marinas were spared, but have yet to hear. 

(Map provided by FBYC)

Our thoughts are with everyone in Deltaville, wishing them all a safe and speedy recovery.

All at Sea

Well, you were promised gory photos of our recent Sea Survival adventure.  Winds howled and waves rocked us in our little life raft.  Sharks surrounded us, waiting to pick off a juicy snack. 

Lifting into the Liferaft

Hmmmm…maybe not!  We were all at sea in the Warringah Aquatic Centre diving pool. Gerry Fitzgerald from Offshore Maritime Training Australia took no prisoners however and we were all expected to hold our own.  This was not as easy as it seemed, dressed to the nines in a full kit of wet weather gear, boots, life vests and harnesses.  Our first “swim” determined whether we naturally floated or would sink to the bottom like a lead weight.  GS bobbed like a cork, the Crew needed to be scraped off the pool floor and the Cap’n tried to hide his embarrassment.

Righting the Liferaft

We were all too wet and too busy to take photos so Gerry kindly let me use some of his stock.  You’ll be pleased to know that we are now all certified.  The Cap’n is still not sure we’ll cut the mustard…. So we have to go back for more training (radar, radio & first aid now) and then we’re under threat of several man overboard drills when we get back to the Chesapeake.

Windjammer’s Hearty Chowder

Maine Seafoods

Maine has at least 9 varieties of clam, most interestingly named, are the quahogs.  Sadly, we didn't get to do a tasting platter, our eyes were clearly focused on lobsters; pots when sailing and steamed while you wait on shore (served with heart attack inducing quantities of melted butter).  We also took a liking for locally made, thick creamy chowder, just brimming with seafood too. Perfect in that cooler Down East weather.

In an effort to recreate chowder at home recently, I chose a recipe, adapted it to Aus seafoods, then cooked and served it with some fresh (out of the oven) wholemeal bread. Yum!  

Chowder is a Maine staple, along with lobster, blueberries and cranberries.  This hearty soup can be made with clams or indeed any seafood but we wanted to try smoked cod (or haddock), which is readily available here in Aus.  And yes, we really did try this local speciality in Bar Harbor, Mt Desert Island ME. I can see why sailors of old would have loved it!

3 med onions, thinly sliced 1 tbsp butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2-3 bacon rashers, diced 1 tbsp flour 4 med potatoes, diced 2 sticks celery, sliced

1 can evaporated milk 2 ½ cups stock 2 tsp dried parsley 1 tin (420g) creamed corn 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 kg smoked cod (or haddock)

In a soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions over a low heat until transparent.  Add the garlic and bacon pieces and fry 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the flour and cook a further 1-2 minutes. 

Add the potatoes and celery and stir through for a further 2-3 minutes.  Add stock, parsley, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to the boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender. 

Add the corn and fish (in one large piece to break up when serving) and simmer for a further 15 minutes.  Add the milk and heat through.  Season to taste (it’s quite a salty dish).  Serves a crew of 4-6 and is hearty enough for a main meal.

(All I have to do now is sneak my bread machine on board while the Cap’n isn’t looking!  Making bread by hand - I don’t think so!!!)

Of course, if you're rockin' around on the briny, miles and miles from the nearest grocer, you can always do an "empty the fridge" cheat with a tin or two!