Although we don't mind cool weather, our plan for our first full winter of cruising was to seek warm climes. Along the way, and especially during the summer, Helen began to have sciatic nerve problems, which were confirmed to be due to a herniated disk. After arriving in Baltimore and seeing a specialist at Johns Hopkins, we decided to stay there for the winter to take care of this problem. Eventually this required surgery and an overnight stay in the hospital, a week in a hotel and a, fortunately, rather short time of recovery.
Seven Seas Cruising Association
Johns Hopkins Hospital staff lived up to their reputation, and we were very pleased. The doctors there even returned our phone calls promptly. (Earlier, several cruisers we had met, including Art and Mary Jane Clark on BREAKAWAY, had given us helpful advice and encouragement in dealing with Helen's back problem.)
We were apprehensive, in addition to the possible surgery looming ahead, as to what it would be like to live aboard in a cold climate. As it turned out, we thoroughly enjoyed the winter there. We found a spot in the Inner Harbor East Marina, with winter rates of $250/month plus electricity for a 45-foot slip and, by paying up front for our stay, that was discounted to $1,250 for six months. The marina had bubblers to prevent freezing, water was provided from a central hose twice weekly, and snowblowers were used to clear the docks. We did buy a snow shovel and some de-icing salts. We were encouraged by cruisers who had wintered there the previous winter. Fellow cruisers Roger Knapp and Denise Marx on PEREGRINE (whom we had known in Texas) and Janet Erken and David Heath on ALEGRIA were also wintering there. Public transportation is good in the city, but much of what we needed and wanted to do was within walking distance. WINGS has a reverse cycle 16,000 BTU Cruiseair AC. We were concerned that the heat pump would not work when the water temperature got too low but, although the surface occasionally froze, it worked well all winter. We rarely needed to supplement it with the two ceramic electric heaters we purchased from West Marine. We especially enjoyed the National Aquarium on the Inner Harbor. An annual family membership was $50, giving unlimited access, and it was such an interesting and enjoyable place, especially on a cold day, that we went there at least once a week. The nearby Barnes and Noble bookstore in the old Power Plant Building was another warm spot, open to 2300 every night. Helen also found a reasonable priced place to swim laps in the Harbor Court Hotel, which helped her stay in shape before surgery and sped her recovery afterward.
Our health insurance is with International Health Insurance Denmark, through United Plans, Inc. (1-800-611-7037) in Florida. We have full coverage with a large deductible. We found them fairly easy and prompt to communicate with, using email and a few phone calls. They paid for the surgery and hospital stay in accordance with the policy, although it has taken over a year to get all the loose ends tied up, mainly due to the complex way health care is billed. It pays to keep a spread sheet and make sure you and the insurance company are not being double billed for anything.
We are writing this at anchor in Baltimore, in Sept. of 2002. A new word of caution: one dinghy was stolen when left unlocked at midday on the dinghy dock just east of the Anchorage Marina. It was recovered several days later in Middle River, unharmed. Another attempted dinghy theft on a Saturday night from the same dock was thwarted by a cable lock, but the dinghy's contents were stolen.
First Published in the January 2003 issue of the Commodore's Bulletin, ©2003 Seven Seas Cruising Association