2020 Log
Note: Maryland had closed all the marinas from March 1st, and reopened them May 10th.
Thursday, May 14th
Laz drove the minivan, and I took the Volvo to Tidewater Marina, to leave the Volvo there. Then we took the minivan to Deltaville. Got to West Marine around 3:00 p.m., had all our stuff waiting in a cart, and picked up a few more items, like Simple Green cleaner and a deck brush, and a polypropylene line for the safety ring. Went to the Deltaville Market and found Lysol cleaner/spray bottle. Got to the marina maybe about 3:30, and loaded on. She looks amazing! Scrubbed the deck, as she had a lot of pollen on her.
Split a Talula's Farmhouse salad for dinner, adding extra beef chunks from our standing rib roast. It is odd to have so much space to store things. Brought too much food, but there are nice bins in the refrigerator. Had to make the bed...no easy feat with all the layers of mattress pads. In bed by 10:30 ish lights out at 11p.
Friday May 15th.
Laz up in the middle of the night as the spinnaker halyard was banging. Had hatches open and caught a nice breeze. Those silk comforters are really warm.
Had to get fuel, it read ½ tank, but we'd read that it is a V shaped fuel tank so you should refuel when it says ½ tank. Anton had to get another boat off the fuel dock so took a while to get there
We put 27 gallons of fuel in a 35 gallon tank! Definitely not half full. Left Deltaville at 10:15, a bit later than we wanted. Had a great wind behind us. A little difficulty getting the main up, things Laz needs to tweak. Decided to reef one due to 15+ winds. baji-naji sails beautifully, and she motor sails well too! Saw pelicans diving for dinner.. Ended up doing 8-9 kts, only 6-7 SOG due to current? Tide? Who knows because it was all day. Had a "hatching" of a thousand black flies...so gross. Broke the ancient fly swatter we brought and used the cardboard insert for the inflatable life vests as a fly killer. The cockpit looked like a bloody mess!
Got to Solomons Yachting Center at 7pm and pulled into the fuel dock as directed. I'd asked for fly swatters and spray and fly paper and they had a bag for us 2 swatters, 2 cans of raid and fly paper for $25. We cleaned the cockpit, again, getting the blood and fly ick off. The marina had bikes to borrow, and the owner told us where we could find them and the combination, and we took off for the restaurant area. We got to The Pier just in time. They were open for takeout for 15 more minutes. We wore our masks in, and got a delicious lobster roll and a chicken Monterey for Dan. Bikes back to the Yachting Center (slight downhill) and enjoyed dinner in the cockpit.
Got showers aboard; the shower is great! Tucked in bed by 11. Had the air con on.
The refrig is quite cold, and the milk and OJ were frozen! Had to adjust the setting to barely on.
Saturday May 16th
Woke about 4am and turned off the AC and opened the hatches for a nice cool rest of the night. For some reason I woke at 0620 and felt awake enough to get up and make coffee. We got on the water at 0740. Had to work a bit to get the main up and we were able to sail out of the Pawtuxent and for a ways before we had to turn North. It was glorious sailing, she makes great speed 6-7 kts in 12 of wind. I even turned the engine off. Then we had to turn North, some motor sailing but mostly motor all the way up to Annapolis. Got to Port Annapolis Marina at 3pm about 45 nm from the Solomon's. The dock we were told was open was occupied so we went on the other side of it. (D dock). Ended up pivoting on the stern as I was not confident I could back her in safely. Large boat on the T taking up a lot of room. The bow thruster was really handy.
Took a walk around the marina, it is huge! Got a call from Scott the manager. We met at the ship's store so we could pay our slip fee. Dan was able to buy some line for the fenders (so we can hang them from the dock, ours were too short) and I got a sponge for the boat, as well as a couple of free coozies for the marina. Took a walk to see the Dream Yacht charter and sales office, as well as Erin and Dave's office (Crusader Yacht Sales) and then a short walk out to the road.
Back for some relaxing, Laz fixing the fenders and dressing the mainsail. Then had the Talula's Table dinner… pigs in a blanket with a full mustard dipping sauce, chicken and fresh veggies and bow tie pasta. We walked the docks after dinner to see a 41ft Dufour across the way then wandered the docks closet and found a 40P and a 40E. Back to baji-naji with Laz fixing the aft AC. Then strawberry apple crumble with vanilla bean Chantilly cream for dessert!
Sunday May 17th
Up at 7:40, a nice sleep in. Due to TS Arthur headed our way, we decided we would go all the way to HdG, just in case. We could always go for a daysail around Havre. Got off the dock at 8:35am, easy peasy as the bow was pointing out. We put up sail outside in the harbor, even if we motor sailed I wanted the sails up going under the Bay Bridge. The wind picked up and we were able to sail from abeam of Green 2, off the entrance to Rock Hall, all the way to Tidewater Marina. Did a glamour pass at 3:45pm for Jeff Cook which he videoed. We were able to sail 7-8 knts in 14-16 of wind. Awesome sailing. Pulled up to fuel dock in the East wind which kept us on the dock. Jeff came aboard (with N95 mask and gloves on) to help us put her on a T next to his boat as it would have been seriously challenging to get her in her actual slip (#231, second one in from the launch ramp) in that wind.
Jeff was able to come by and say hello after his shift and I gave him the Talula's chicken pasta dinner as a thank you for helping us find docking space. We had rotini and my homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner and I made a smoked onion bread (club roll, onion powder, Bonfire sea salt, butter) as I didn't have garlic bread. Relaxed and enjoyed the lovely and spacious living area. Cool enough to sleep without AC and with the hatches open.
Monday, May 18th
Since the wind was only going to pick up to storm winds, we decided to move baji-naji ASAP. We went to the fuel dock for pump out, then I practiced driving in reverse out in the bay. It was not easy as I cannot reach the wheel, the throttle and the bow thruster all together. Plus a boat steers differently than a car. Laz explained it pivots on the keel, which makes sense. Anyway, I had a little bit of practice then went into try this. Bow into the entrance then was going to pivot the stern and back in. With Jeff's help we got her in relatively easily and he showed us where/how to tie. Spring lines should be tight and bow/stern lines loose enough to let you disembark.Lots to learn.
Jeff Andrews (marina manager) came by to say hello. He had noticed us coming into the fuel dock for pump out and thought it was a bit fast. He and the owner thought it was a transient, then realized it was us. His comment to the owner was "they're used to stopping on a dime with the catamaran!"
Load out was in part figuring out what we leave onboard and what we take with. Since the refrig stays in, we left some food.
Footnote: the previous owner is Wink: 704-798-3649 Oriental NC
Sat May 23, 2020
Headed to HdG by noon, after dance class. Went to the West Marine in Northeast, which was not too far out of the way. They did not have 4 long docklines in one color. We’ll have to order some. Got Dave Townley's discount card for future use. Got some boat cleaner and brought the Murphy's Oil soap for the wood as well as a large boat sponge, new Velcro line holders and new cup holders. Got to baji-naji by 2-ish and had lunch on the deck. Was going to work on cleaning up and Laz was going to work on the lazarette, but the sun was shining and there was a breeze. So we stowed what needed stowing and headed out just before 4pm. Decided to head over to the Sassafras to go anchor off Knight Island, up Back Creek. Raised sail in HdG, but needed to motor sail out. Wind was from the SE; had a lovely sail past Aberdeen and beyond, across to the Sassafras. Turned the engine on as it was running late and made our way up the Sassafras. Apparently Red "6" is missing. Ran aground right where it was supposed to be… suddenly there was only 3' of water! Luckily all mud there. Backed her up hard, pulled out of the muck, then was able to get back on course. Was in by 7pm. Went to the lovely spot across from the brown hut thing, off the docks on the side opposite Knight Island. Figured out how to drop anchor. Laz had to use the boathook to get the Code Zero rigging out of the way. We were good and snug in the mud. There was one motorboat there and then a pontoon houseboat came in. Lovely there once the motorboats and jet skis left.
Had Talula's shrimp risotto and part of a farm salad for dinner, with non frozen milk as a bonus. Still quite cold which is good. Left the forward and middle hatches open and closed the gangway hatch. It was delightfully chilly for sleep, with the comforter feeling like a sleeping bag. Got up about 0130 to check for stars, but too much cloud cover
.
Sun May 24th
Got up late..0930 or so. Chilly so closed the hatches and made bacon and eggs for breakfast. Leisurely morning and started pulling up anchor at 11am. Cloud cover still there. Wind was from NE, fairly steady so we raised sail and sailed out the Sassafras. On the way out noted that Green 1 is also missing. Decided to go to Still Pond to anchor out another night. Sailed all the way in, wind was gentle so furled the jib then dropped the main, circled back to pick a spot and anchored between a lovely ketch and a sloop. Lots of other motorboats snugged up against the south beach, and another sailboat came in after us. We settled into still pond around 3:00 p. I read on the deck while Laz worked on the lazarette. He also modified the Bimini, by pulling back the canvas and tying it so we could see up and see the end of the boom. When he was all done with his chores, we sat and enjoyed some chips and salsa and red on the deck. Dinner was chicken enchiladas and the Southwest chicken salad from Talula's. Went below for dinner, to avoid any bugs coming in. Turned it in around 9:30 p.m.
Monday May 25th (Memorial Day)
Chili overnight down into the fifties, made for great sleeping under the silk comforter. Slept in, and enjoyed breakfast up on the deck. Watched a couple on a Pearson set up sails at anchor and sail right out. Off the anchor at 10:00 a.m., and headed out back towards Havre de Grace. Laz put the code zero up, but the wind direction was from North-Northeast so we were not able to use it right away. Very light winds today, saw two barges going up river up towards the C&D, and one coming from the C&D. As we came in towards Havre, we're able to put the code zero up, which boosted the speed by at least a knot. It was really great to come in the channel past the spoil islands and then we had to furl her up, as the tide was against us. It was rush hour coming and going with the motor boats, but once we got up near Tidewater, I practiced driving backwards a little bit. Manage to get into the dock on the second try, something to work on. Tied up at the dock by 7:00 p.m. and made hot turkey salami and provolone sandwiches in the oven, which we enjoyed on deck, while watching the crane fish. The crane was named Ichabod by one of the guys at the marina.
Friday May 29th
Laz came down during the day to do pump out and refuel so we could stay aboard tonight. packed up after work and arrived at the boat around 7:00 after getting take out from La Cucina. Laz dropped me off at the Byng so I could say hello to Johnny. Apparently she almost sank because the strainers in the seacocks had been left out. Johnny managed to rescue her in time. Lots of water, maybe 18 in; insurance will pay and folks coming to dry out the boat. Got to baji-naji and had dinner aboard in the cockpit. Had a nice chat afterwards with John and Barbara who are on Mare Calmo, a Beneteau 2 slips in from us. Chatted until 9:30 then off to bed.
Saturday May 30.
Up at 0800, breakfast in the cockpit then checked the oil and fluids, got the water out of the aft wine rack, taking the wood out to dry. Underway at 0930 heading to Worton Creek. Great breeze 10-15 N-NW for a solid couple of hours, the wind died and shifted to due South. Had to motor a bit, then wind picked up again. Got into the inner cove at Worton and dropped anchor around 4pm. 4 or 5 boats when we got there 12 or 13 when all was settled. Met a lovely French couple, Ann and Vincent off the catamaran (Swiss Cat) Aurora who were in a dinghy heading to the beach. They live in Philly. Had a nice chat then they went off to the beach. I took a swim. The swim platform is wonderful and the swim ladder easy to put down and use.
Sunday May 31st.
Up around 0800. No one had left but the raft of 2 sailboats was no longer a raft. Off the anchor around 9:40am and headed back to HdG. Came out of Worton, tacked once and had one really long tack up. Went up the Elk partly to get a better angle on coming into the channel, partly because we'd never been and partly because a really large white boat was coming up the canal. Looked like some kind of working ship but no idea what it does. Sailed past Arnold Point and Veazey Neck I think, then tacked and came back towards the channel. Nice sail overall. With wind out if the North had to motor in the channel. Back in the marina around 3p. I was unable to back into our slip and asked Laz to take over - he bashed one piling which messed up the port side rub-rail.
Thursday June 4th.
Laz installed two more cabin fans in the main cabin and V berth. He went to West Marine and picked our new real spring lines and put those on.
Friday June 5th
Picked up dinner at Plaza Azteca, too delicious salads, a shrimp salad and a steak fajita taco salad, and got to the marina with everything stowed on board, and the AC turned on, just before the thunderstorms broke out. We had dinner below and a quiet evening.
Saturday, June 6th
Up around 8:00 a.m., got the coffee going and left the dock at 9:30 to go over to the fuel dock for pump out. Managed to dock at the inner fuel dock with no issues, did the pump out, and was out of the marina by about 9:45. Put the sails up right away, and had reasonable wind but not strong. Initially the wind was from the North. Had to motor because of a wind shift in order to get out and then we're able to sail fairly well out into the bay, but the wind was fading so we put up the code-0. We learned that we can attach the sheets afterwards and/or keep the sheets separate. Ended up furling it because we realized we would have to tack. The wind did a 360 despite a forecast of continuous strong NW winds. We were heading towards Middle River, hoping to hang on the hook in Seneca Creek. After passing Wharton point we decided to cut behind Poole’s island, which we've never done. There are a lot of crab pots back there! And you have to be careful of the 3-ft shoals. We made it through with some careful chart and GPS consultation. Wind picked up, so we were able to sail quite a bit of the ways from Poole’s towards Hart Miller island and then into up the Seneca. Dropped the hook in a cove just off the power plant. (Raven Power Crane station). We were just outside the privately marked channel, we settled the anchor. Took two tries to set. Had a lovely swim off the platform afterward. Showers then dinner in the cockpit (Lenape chicken BLT salad, yum) with a beautiful view all around. Lots of charming little houses, with docks. There is a marina farther in which may take transients. After dinner we have a front row seat of all the power boats coming back in. There was one that had a tow behind float with four boys hanging on the float. Ran the engine ~½ hr as I noted one battery was 12.25 and one 12.75. Lovely sunset! Only downside is a very bright light off a house off our port stern. Then saw a fire pit going across the way to the West. Saw a second one later. Then the first fire pit folks had fireworks!!! 🎇 Really nice ones too! Went on for around ½ hr intermittently. Bonus! Boats keep coming and going though, til nearly 10p. Regular thoroughfare here.
Other notes: tried the reef safe/biodegradable sun screen and body wash/shampoo. Not too bad.
Sunday June 7
Laura didn’t sleep well and thus slept late. Up around 8:30, with eggs for breakfast, and off the hook by 10:15. Wind was NW (as predicted - for once), which meant a good angle for most of the way home. Fussed with the best route past shoals, and reversed our path inside Poole’s Island. Need to run the engine for a short bit, as the wind shifted and tried to push us onto a shoal. Then all the way back to Turkey Point with just one pair of tacks. We made really good time, even against a strong tide. Went part way up toward Northeast before returning to the HdG channel and motoring in. The wind was still strong from the NNW, so Dan took the helm. Didn’t hit anything this time, though Laura dropped the first bow line, which added confusion and amusement. Our new long lines were very helpful.
Packed up and loaded out, but then stayed to chat with Vela and Mare Calme. Paused at the Byng to give Johnny some baji-naji cozies. Our timing was all messed up, so we grabbed McD’s for dinner. As bad as expected, but filled the need.
Fri June 12th
Left house at 7
Sat June 13th
Nap. N-NE winds. Knight Island anchorage. Spaghetti and rotini. Forgot pie, so tired.Heron fishing. Bright moon, some stars.
Sun June 14th.
Late start, lazy morning with quiche, bald and osprey soaring.
Off anchor 11am.
Sat June 20.
Worked too late to drive down Fri night. Thunderstorms predicted, ugly line on radar. Stepped the mast and rigged Sonja. Attended Lydia and David's wedding via Zoom at 4pm from salon due to rain. Laz forgot meds so had to run home. Had takeout from Tidewater Grille - crab bites yum! Generous serving of shrimp salad in greens for me, lump crab on spinach salad for Laz (hot bacon dressing!)
Went for a short sail (<1 hr) on Sonja...new sails are bright!!!
Tried ac on in aft cabin only. AC pump started without problem (shorter distance?). Was comfortable for the night. Fan squeaky...had to tighten bolt.
Sun June 21st.
Went for Father's Day brunch at Vintage Cafe in downtown HdG. Delicious eggs Benedict… hollandaise was excellent. Laz had a breakfast quesadilla and scrapple. Made snacks for the cooler, then took Sonja out for a long sail. Grabbed a shower aboard. Turned on AC as cabin hot hot hot, started with aft cabin and water pumped fine.
Need to check propane to see if we left it on.
Friday June 26th.
Able to get down to baji-naji by 7p. Had a Talula's Farm salad for dinner. Sat out as it was a beautiful night. Saw a couple of motor boats approach the fuel dock about 9:30pm. Heard a woman yelling "I need a dock hand!" We grabbed our masks and ran over. One motorboat had run out of gas and was rafted to another which had brought it in. The woman was very upset, her husband died a month ago. Turns out it was suicide, one of the young men aboard told us. And thanked us for our help tying off the boat to the fuel dock. When we were sure they were OK we headed back to baji-naji, read for a while then to bed. Got pinged by Francoise; her daughter-in-law was in labor and there were concerns that the baby would need NICU due to maternal chorio. Reassured Francoise.
We had left the propane on.
Sat June 27th.
Got up late, 8:45 but with a quick breakfast, off the dock before 10am. Motored most of the way out, S wind. The nav GPS plotting station would not boot up, kept cycling from Raymarine to Axiom. Booted once, sort of, then stopped. Power cycled multiple times both at electrical board and at station with no joy. Luckily Laz had an appt with the Raymarine guy on Monday. Put up the main on the way. Able to sail as we turned the corner after the spoil islands. Great wind 10-15kts, S-SW.
Found the mid-channel mark rather suddenly, was under the jib and we nearly ran it over. Tacked all the way to Still Pond. Seas were choppier with the wind and it was blowing to 20, so we got our new inflatable life vests on. Pretty comfortable. When Laz was making lunch, wind picked up more, so I asked him to come up and reef 1. Wind picked up to 25 at times, so good that we did that. Got into Still Pond around 3:30 and 4pm. Party central! Anchored aft of a beautiful red boat, Tempest. Many motorboats rafted, with kids playing and all kinds of floats, dinghies, rowboat. We both went for a nice swim. Just enough salt for buoyancy. I love floating on the horseshoe ring. I can always find my way back to baji-naji. Laz even got a nap! Although I woke him when I went for a second swim. An inflatable floating ring went by quickly carried by the wind. Not long afterwards someone on a paddleboard went after it. Luckily a friend or relative went to rescue both on a dinghy...would have been a difficult row home against wind and possibly current.
Heated up Molly's steak and gruyere in the oven. Yum!
Dessert was cookies. Gorgeous sunset enjoyed while chatting with the Jaffes. Francoise texted earlier: she became une grandmere at 4:52am. Gregory and his wife Mei Ling had a baby girl,Lily, who was in NICU due to maternal chorio. Reassured all parties, discussed lab work etc. Turns out the fellow agrees with me,oddly enough.
It had cooled down nicely so fans were adjusted and hatches open with bug screens. Woke up once for rain, but it was a light sprinkle which soon stopped.
Sunday, June 28th.
Awoke before 8am. Gorgeous sunny day! Made breakfast to have in the cockpit.
Mixed fruit (pineapple, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries), scrambled eggs with spinach, garlic and cheddar. Sadly Pete's bacon had gone moldy. Made toast with butter and parmesan cheese too, in the oven. Love this galley stove/oven! Raymarine chartplotter still not working. Noted the switch for battery one did not even light up. Not sure if battery was dead. Turned off refridge just in case.
Not much wind so Laz put up the code zero. Wind was not from the West,but from the North! Then switched to the East. Ended up sailing into Sassafras towards Betterton. Was going to tack but the wind subsided completely. Turned motor on. Wind picked up after passing first green towards HdG. Was able to sail much of the channel wing on wing. Wind had really picked up by the time we got to Tidewater so we sailed towards the swimming hole, doing 8+ on beam. Came back and then out again, then decided to come in to sail Sonja. Brought baji-naji into dock with minimal fuss. Battened everything down, started the air con, then out on Sonja.
Noticed a storm system, crazy good wind, out on the trapeze almost immediately. Max speed as per Strava was 14.2, with average of 7.9.😍.
Got back in just ahead of the storm. Started raining as we got her to the launch ramp. Rain was heavy by the time we had her up off the ramp and parked, getting the sail in the sail bag. Got aboard baji-naji and decided to put up dodger and bimini. Wow it became torrential with wind! Got everything battened down but we were like drowned rats. Or like we had been power washed. Dried off below and relaxed/read/ snacked/ called Raymarine guy while waiting for the storm to pass over. I got a short nap when it cleared and Laz went to straighten lines and take Sonja back to her parking spot.
Nonni's chicken wrap with fries and milk for dinner on the way home.
Thursday July 2.
Able to stop work at 5p, pack up and to the boat by 6:30p. Had a lovely chat with John and Barbara from Mare Calmo while waiting for dinner to heat up. Enjoyed Molly's Tomato Basil Mozzarella quiche. Took a walk after dinner and met the Scandinavian and wife (American) on Freya, a 1978 Pearson they were refinishing. Then headed over to the charter side where we met Red, his wife ? Annie and their two friends on the catamaran. Chatted for a while then headed back to baji-naji. Laz had made a nice custom screen for the aft cabin. We had the AC on for the night.
Friday July 3
Laz slept in until 8:45, amazing that I got up and out and was starting coffee before he woke. He had gotten up at 0600 because we were against the rub rail on the starboard side. It felt breezy in the marina, a North wind, so we were up and out to the dock for pump out (I made it there without hitting anything). We had a lovely North wind to sail out of HdG with. Wind died once we were outside so we decided to hoist the code Zero. Really wasn't enough wind for that either so we motored a brief bit to where the wind seemed to be. To find it had shifted briefly to NE then S-SW. Picked up nicely though, so we had to take a bit. Made it to Worton Creek and dropped anchor by 4:45p. Ran the engine ½ hr then jumped in the water for a swim. Scrubbed the waterline to get some of the brown off. Figured out how to use the shower aft, rinsed and relaxed on the deck. I had a small nap. Gorgeous sunset, nearly full moon also beautiful. Dinner was chicken Caesar salad. Warm night but the cabin cooled reasonably well with fans on high speed and using the new custom screen in the aft cabin.
Sat July 4th
Up around 8:30 am. Made French toast with Baily's eggs, cinnamon and nice VT maple syrup. Decided to head to Bodkin Creek, off the entrance to the Pataspco. Emailed with Lee B-D to let her know our plans and we got off the anchor around 10a and headed south. Wind had shifted around to the North overnight so had a bit of a downwind run before it died. Had to motor a bit but was able to sail when we reached the broad entrance of Pataspco. Kaimana came out to meet us, got some lovely footage, then we both headed to anchor at Bodkin. Took the first anchorage across from Spit Point. Lots of boats anchored. Took a few tries to set the anchor. Kaimana rafted, their starboard to our port. With masks on, I was able to give the B-Ds a tour, 2 at a time. Afterwards we made use of our nice swim platform and everyone went swimming except Daniel and Gil who both stayed aboard Kaimana. Noe had Charles the duck and Jon had a piece of floating bacon. It was lovely to swim after a really hot day, and even lovelier to be with friends and chatting as we floated about. We separated boats after swimming, just before sunset. Had dinner in the cockpit with another gorgeous sunset (enjoyed Talula's Farm Salad). Fireworks started before 9pm! To our amazement, we saw multiple sets all around us, some closer than others. At least a dozen sets, all quite good and with all the sets it went on past 10:30p! Went below around then and heard more going off. Was so spectacular to see! And so many more than we used to see in LI Sound.
Late to bed with all the excitement. I finished my book (Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith) after 1am. Hotter night, but did sleep some. Laz observed that our mattress and mattress pad is really warm. But very comfortable!
Sun July 5th
Up just after 8am despite late night as we had a long way home. Quick breakfast of yogurt with croissant to split later. Off anchor by 9am (has my coffee in the commuter mug) and headed back. Wind was S-SE to start and light so kept the engine on. We were just past the lighthouse out off the Patapsco when Laz noted a weird fin in the water, single fin, almost shark like. I had seen a similar fin the day before in the same area.. He circled around so we could take a closer look. We were wondering if it was a nurse shark, it was too small to be a dolphin, the motion wasn't right. . Finally we were close enough and I saw two fins together, which in the light turned out to be a ray!!! Later identified it as a Cow nose ray. So cool! And a first for us, to sight one in the Chesapeake. According to the Chesapeake guide they have been seen north as far as Kent Island. Wow!
Wind built as we passed Hart Miller but shifted to SW so jibe tacking. We were heading towards Worton Point and changed from code zero to main jib with building wind. After passing Poole, we noticed ominous storm clouds over Aberdeen. Quick radar check and lots of orange/yellow. Decided to furl the jib, with rain coming, dropped the main. Even got out on the inflatable life vests. Headed toward the Elk, and got some rain but never got severe rain or wind. As we headed in towards the green marking the entrance to HdG, saw sailboats going well so put up sails again and had a marvelous sail in. When backing into the slip I had trouble getting bow thruster on so ended up just steering. Thought I'd have to fend first starboard pier, but did not. Got her in without incident. Bow thruster seemed stuck with lights on but not working. I had turned engine off without checking it. Laz hit the circuit breaker and I was able to start it up properly, it worked, then shut it off properly. Enjoyed cheese and crackers and more hydration in the cockpit after getting in, got a cheer as the Julian Byng came in. Put away the Code Zero, did some inventory, then headed home after saying hi to Johnny and Tina.
Fri July10
Able to leave work by 5:30 and to the baji-naji by 7:30. Had the pasta with braised pork from Talula's and realized we forgot sandwich meats. Ran to Food Lion. Deli just closed so we got some from the regular case. Just turkey. Back aboard before 9:30p.
Sat July 11th. Got up late by 0830. Yogurt and scone breakfast then off on Sonja by 11 am for a lovely sail around the usual way. Wind was steady and built so could use trapeze for some of it. Back at 3p then took baji-naji out for a sail across and up the Sassafras to anchor out behind Knight Island. Had great wind SW, 12-15kts at times. Think we saw Vela out ahead of us by a bit. Had an amazing sunset, one of the best yet, and had great breeze blowing for quite a while. Still pretty hot with fans going full blast but did fall asleep eventually. Laz crashed out. Woke at some point to pee and found it still.
Sun July 12
Got up late again due to hot initial sleep. Made tomato cheddar bacon omelets, toast with raspberry jam. Yum. Wind was starting to build, raised anchor 10:15am then had lovely sail back. The Julian Byng passed us at one point going out but somehow we caught up because we came into Tidewater at the same time. Wind was building again today, oscillating a fair bit coming out of the Sassafras. Had a big empty barge and tug coming up the Bay. He stopped to turn the barge around. Apparently it was pushing the wrong end! Passed us around Green 2 coming into HdG. Great wind the whole way back. I took a cat nap coming in the channel. Got back and got her into slip. Wind was blowing us forward, so had to remember to keep us back. Remembered to put on the bow thruster before getting to the fuel dock. Put our things aboard, packed the cooler then off again on Sonja for a great sail past Carpenter Point across the Northeast then back. We considered going around, but saw a pop up storm so decided to come straight back. Cell cleared out so we could have gone around, but would have been a bummer if the wind died due to clouds/storm. Wind was due to quiet down anyway. Had a nice chat with Johnny, and Jeff Cook on our way out. Met Tina's niece Becky and her husband Jay who have a boat in hi & dry. First year for them
Picked up Brandywine Prime on our way home. Crab cakes and Filet and a lovely Tuscan flatbread. Caesar salad as well. Forgot to serve the mashed potatoes. Video chat with Ben, Yanessa and Tristan ended a great weekend. Tristan counted his blocks up to 6 (there were 6) unprompted and all by himself!
July 18-19
7/18. Decided to stay home Fri night as it was hot and I had lots of work finishing up. Got to Tidewater at 1ish, did pump out then off to Still Pond to anchor. Saw minnows off the swim platform in the evening.
Sail back on 7/19 and took Sonja out for a run to NE and back. Wind had built, so I was able to use trapeze a couple of times.
July 25- Aug 2 vacation
7/24. Out of work by 5:10, in the car by 7:30 picked up dinner at Landhope, decent Italian sub. Got to Tidewater, chatted with Fitz from Tranquility, found out he was part of Sweetwater round the world race 2019-2020. Gave him a card (wrong one, gave him the right one the next day) went to pack the fridge. Discovered I forgot to pack the sandwich meats! Laz went home to get them. Sigh. Need a checklist.
7/25 late start, busy boat ramp and inner fuel dock. Got to the fuel dock with no problem. No wind. Filled up the fuel tank as it read ¾ and 20 gallons went in. 40 gallon tank. Motored out and tried to sail after the last green. Played around for a while with code-0 but no real wind so motored. Got a nap. Wind picked up around 3:30p maybe 5kts so we were able to sail a bit. Anchored at Worton Creek. Saw Aurora but she did not take her dinghy out so did not say hello. Swam a few times, which was lovely with the heat, night 80s I think, but cooling to the 70s at night. Saw 6 bald eagles and osprey and vulture friends eating at a creek inlet. Had lovely chicken Caesar salad from Talula's. Stayed out for sunset and then for the stars. We think we saw the comet. And maybe the ISS. And Saturn. Definitely saw a shooting star at 9:50pm off port bow!!! Lots of stars. Stayed on the bow awhile to enjoy the stars and each other.
7/26. Up by 8:40, Laz up earlier. Aurora left before us and seemed headed back to Georgetown. We almost caught up with her by sail, then used the engine to say hello. Between the greeting and the tide, we had made no way after 1.5hrs on the water. Decided to motor. Once more wind picked up as we neared Rock Hall. B-Ds didn't get out til 2:30p or later and we'd promised to be in slip by 4p so did not meet up with Kaimana. Coming into Rock Hall going towards Can 3 from the outside, saw nettles and some cownose rays!!! Got into slip starboard tie D dock. Great breeze for sure! Walked into town to Scoops to get some Kilbys and walked back. In the 90s for sure. Met the couple on the boat in front of us, did not get boat's name. Read in the cockpit, enjoying the wind (bummer it was not there when we were out) and then walked over to Waterman's at 6p for takeout. Got rock fish tacos (amazing!) A seafood quesadilla with shrimp, bay scallops and crab (Laz said was really good) and I got my fried oysters with a killer cocktail sauce. Truly gorgeous sunset with multiple colors, kept shifting for an hour or more.
7/27 Mon
Up and out by 9:39 as there was breeze. Got out of Rock Hall past Swan Point shoal then breeze very shifty. Ended up back towards Baltimore. Saw a lot of jellyfish with beautiful long tentacles out and about. Decided to motor. Able to sail under the Annapolis Bay bridge and part of the way in. So many sailboats as always. Looks like summer sailing school is in session. Got into Port Annapolis Marina. Unfortunately their mobile pumpout does not run on Mondays. Went to see Sirene, a Dufour 390, owner Eileen, Dan met on Dufour FB page. Russell ? was working on the bowsprit. Talked to him for a bit, he met Eileen through Brad from Dufour sales. Asked him to come take a look at our rig for the code-0. Ran back to baji-naji as Allan from Eastern Marine Electronics came to install the Raymarine chart plotter that was fixed under warranty. Went back out, which meant pivoting on our stern with judicious application of bow thruster to turn us around. Glad we did as wind picked up to 10-15kts. Narrowly missed a container ship which on close inspection was underway. Great sailing out and back. Got her into Port tie C dock bow in without help from dockhands as they had all left. Went to the pool to cool off then back for showers. Dave Townley stopped by as we were having dinner (SW chix salad from Talula's) and we had a great chat. He told us about the troubles Tartan went through with the guy who was renting them the factory space… down to legal wranglings. Finally sorted 6 months after the guy locked the door on the factory. Dave is not a fan of PA boatyard, he feels they take too long and upcharge a lot. He also was not familiar with whomever took over Dufour, except that they may have a reputation for not playing well with others. We'll see. Gave him a couple of baji-naji cozies. Off to bed a little late, but nice to see Dave and hear stories. He looks much happier and more relaxed than in February.
Tuesday July 28
Late wake up again around 8:45 and went to Wet Dog cafe to get breakfast. Got a bacon egg cheese breakfast burrito to share as well as a coffee which was pretty good. Asked for help to pivot off the dock and then out to Annapolis Landing Marina for pumpout. $20!!!! Got to the fuel dock nice and easy with bow thruster help. Got out the same way. Off the fuel dock by 10:30. Reefed one as winds were 12-16kts. Great sailing all the way past Poplar Island. My right eye was still feeling annoyed, so I napped for a bit. Made RB(LB) roll ups for lunch at 1:30. Got into the Choptank and wind only 5kt, in stark contrast to last year. Got into Brewer's Oxford, now Safe Harbor just after 4:30p. Went and jumped into the pool which was quite chlorinated! Then walked to bathhouse for a rinse. Met a gentleman getting his steps… Jim Muldoon who was president of US Sailing at the time of the 2000 America's Cup. He was a serious racing sailor. Had black sails with a green shamrock on his yacht which he sailed until 2 years ago. Had a delightful chat with him before getting a rinse off in one of the big shower/bathrooms. Tap water was very tasty so we went back to the boat and grabbed our empty gallon jugs and came back to refill.
Walked over to Capsize for dinner. Had our wildlife sighting when Laz spotted a snake in the water! We ended up eating indoor as the storm was breaking. The tables were reasonably spaced. I had lobster roll, pretty good, and Laz had the seafood jambalaya which was outstanding. Had shrimp, crab and andouille. Saw some amazing colors in sunset/lightning storm with rainbow. Great blue heron flew right past us on baji-naji. Brought back some key lime cheesecake to share.
Note our little outside thermometer got a crack in it so no longer reads. Will need to replace.
Wed July 29
Light winds so decided to motor up to Cambridge. You can get a daytime tie up at the Municipal marina by the Choptank lighthouse replica for $10 for 4 hrs.some shoaling so need to watch reds and greens carefully. The dockmaster put us at the lighthouse and gave us some info about the town. Walked to the local supermarket, about a mile in, and got a 12 of diet coke, some OJ for Laz and some fresh guacamole. Bought the local whole milk to try. Stopped at Carmela's Cucina for an Italian sub to go and some caprese. Recommended by the dockmaster. Off the docks at 2pm and headed to Hudson Creek.
Not much wind so motored until close to Hudson Creek. Again some shoaling that greens denote.
Ran aground by the mansion. Got just a little too close to take a peek. Stuck a while, tried backing up, bow thruster, going forward. Was not moving at all, the last time tried forward and bow thruster port and managed to get off the mud. Anchored on the second try then settled in for a beautiful evening. Had Talula's Farm salad then some lovely time on the bow.
Hot hot hot night. Made the V berth up, didn't quite figure the sheets right, was good enough. Slept in the V with fan and Laz stayed aft. Did not need combined body heat as we were sweating in the bunks. Slept a bit better once we ☹️ were in separate bunks.
Thu July 30
Up around 0830, made bacon and scrambled eggs with cheddar, garlic and zucchini. Finished with some pineapple and cantaloupe. We both had coffee. Off anchor by 10:30am. Good breeze but waited until out of Hudson creek before raising sail. Wind was from S-SW and 10+. We were mostly on broad reach, jibe tacking so had the code-0 up. Lovely lovely sail across to Herring Bay and Herrington Harbor South. Arrived around 3:30 to T dock E. Dock hands were not super helpful, the guy worse than the girl. Went to see if we could rent the Hobie but that was for the sailing school. Resort had kayaks or paddle boards so I tried paddleboarding for the first time. A little tippy at first, but got the hang of it. The bountiful nettles were incentive to stay on the board! No desire to get in the pool; there were way too many people per square foot. Walked up to Ketch-22 outside and enjoyed a virgin strawberry mojito and Laz had fresh OJ and club soda, both perfect for the hot day. There was a local musician with guitar on the patio who started to play while we were there. Ordered take out: my favorite ahi tuna tacos with ginger, sesame, wasabi sour cream, peanuts, avo on top. Laz had the Burger Sabrosa sans guacamole. So good! Fed the local ducks some stale bread, watched boats come and go, saw a great blue squawk and land on a nearby piling, watched a fish jump out of the water three times in a row and watched a big thunderstorm roll in. Laz set out another fender and had checked the lines as the weather warning was for 60 mph winds. Filled up the forward water tank, then settled in to watch the light show. Rain on and off all night but winds died down.
Fri 7/31
Stayed up late reading again so not awake till 845. Walked to the Chesapeake Market & Deli for delicious breakfast sammie's on yummy biscuits. Coffee was good too. Rainy morning. Motored over to the fuel dock for pumpout. They have a mobile pumpout but only for liveaboards. $20 if you're a transient! Backed up the whole way and then forward and bow thruster to get in. This dock hand was much more clued and helpful with lines. Pumpout free there. Laz gave her a tip for helping. Motored out and saw a small pod of dolphin in Herring Bay! I was at the helm and spotted them to starboard! Later, when I was below Laz spotted another, bigger pod. Got some video of that. Laz marked it on the dolphin spotter app; a lot of dolphin have been spotted near where we saw the larger pod. Between two fish havens so a good spot for them.
Put up sail outside Annapolis on the theory that there is always wind there. Not so much. It picked up after we went under the bridge and we sailed into the Magothy. Found Eagle Cove, the entrance to that is truly narrow, barely big enough for two boats to pass, and found a Beneteau and some motor boats already there. Got there around 4p. Set anchor and relaxed for a while. There is a horse farm on one side and beautiful trees surrounding the cove, full of bald eagles, osprey and saw a couple of great blue herons as well. Noisy birds!
It had been a cold and mostly rainy day so did not swim, even though I did not see any nettles. Had a late dinner as we enjoyed crackers and cheese (the rest of the platter from Talula's) while relaxing. I had leftover ahi taco and Laz had salad with turkey and cheddar. Rain had stopped so we were able to leave the hatches open all night.
Sat Aug 1st
Slept late, til 0930, as I didn't fall asleep till MN+. Partly reading and partly Laz snoring. Made coffee in to-go cup and got scones and yogurt up for breakfast. Up off anchor by 10am and headed out. Very little wind so we waited until the South end of Poole's Island to put up the sails, and the code-0. Some small breezes but never really built. Finally off Worton we turned the engine back on and pulled into Still Pond at 3:30p. So many motorboats!!! Maybe 30? Lots of loud music and people swimming, having fun. We jumped in and swam a while, then came up to read on deck. Enjoyed cream cheese and Worcestershire on stoned wheat thins. Most of the motorboats left by dusk and the place was all sailboats. Had spaghetti and rotini and made garlic bread and roasted zucchini with parm cheese in the oven. Lovely evening with a light breeze. Moon is nearly full.
Sun Aug 2nd
Motored around Free Fall, a Beneteau 49 ish who is our across the way neighbor at Tidewater. Good wind from S, sailed out of Still Pond and jibe tacked our way up. Wind built all day to 15-16, which made for nice downwind sailing. Back to Tidewater by 3p and into her slip on 2nd try backing up. Went out on Sonja but waves were too high, great wind but could not really tack with those waves. Clocked 15 on the Strava on one tack, on the trapeze of course.
Went back to baji-naji to clean up, pack up dirty laundry etc and head home by 5pm. Lovely vacation!
Fri Aug 7
Big thunderstorm with flash flood warnings so had dinner at home (Talula's pork loin with peach/pepper relish, grits and a caprese salad) and left after the storm for baji-naji. Got there around 9pm. Put away groceries left hatches open with screens for a while, nice cool night after the storm ~70°. Enjoyed orange creamsicle cupcakes and the peace and quiet.
Sat Aug 8
Not much wind at all so motored out to mid channel mark, which somehow is now a day mark on a piling. Put up the code-0 for a little bit of a sail, them decided to motor up and into the Bohemia as we'd never seen it. Very pretty. Saw Veazey Cove, one spot mentioned in the book as good anchoring. Very exposed to the Bohemia with lots of wake and activity. Saw a couple of sailboats, but no one going very far. Marina on the N side with some sticks. Motored back out and down the Elk. Laz made sandwiches for lunch. Decided to go behind Knight Island for the night. Got a small amount of sailing in but again, not much wind. Anchored around 4p and enjoyed swimming and each other's company. Dinner was Talula's Farm salad with cheddar chive biscuits. Jacqui's are much better! To bed by 10:30pm. Warm, so put fans on high. Cooled down through the night.
Sun Aug 9
Received a voicemail from Megan (Mom L's friend in Emerald Pointe) last night re: her brother.
Did a 10am phone consult.
August 15-17
Worton well dug in
3 nights is too much for the head
Coming back in a storm. From Worton, check wind when you get out prior to putting up sail. Reefed one, then two. Life vests and Helly on!
August 23-24
Laura had too much work to come down Fri night.
Left 809 by 0930 Sat am, coffee in hand, and on baji-naji by 10:30. Noticed a beeping sound. Low battery. Apparently the power cord for shore power was loose and unplugged at the shore. Turned off everything but the bilge pump. Cleaned the fridge (mold in the upper hatch seal and Laz got one block and one bag. Out our stuff in, noted that batt 2 was even lower with fridge on so made lunch and then turned fridge off. Was able to turn on AC as that is a different plug. Took off in Sonja….awesome sail all the way around. Enough wind for some trapeze time. Multiple boats at/near our spot!!! Adjustments made successfully. Back on launch ramp by 4:30p then left dock on baji-naji at 5pm. Determined we did not need pump out or fuel this evening, motored out to spoil islands then when we had the angle, sailed. Good 5-7 kts and got across to Grove Neck them tacked. Around the mouth of the Sassafras by 6:30pm and put engine on as Sunset at 7:59pm. Headed to Still Pond. Saw gorgeous sunset on our way. Dropped anchor by 8:30 and had leftover Wegmans pulled pork with spinach thrown in and over a roll with provolone. Yum.
Sunday Aug 24
Determined that the holding tank had overflowed.
Sat Aug 29
Hurricane Laura...TS Laura..made its rainy way through, so we watched the FA cup at home then headed to the marina around 3p on Sat. Headed over to Knight Island and did get caught briefly in the remnants, so furled the jib, dropped the main and got the dodger up just before the deluge. After it passed we saw a beautiful full rainbow ahead of us. Motored the rest of the way to have a lovely evening at Knight Island.
Sun Aug 30:
One of the best sails of the year. Wind was steady from the Northeast. Clean sail out across the mouth of the Sassafras, then over toward Aberdeen. Tacked up along the channel toward the C&D. Came around and sailed all the way in to HdG on a wonderful tack. Wind died slowly so we had an easy entry to our slip.
Sept 4-7 Labor Day weekend
Sept 4th: Able to leave for baji-naji by 7pm. Everything on board as it should be, electric all plugged, fridge working, etc. Had to prime the AC pump again to get it to work. Had Talula's Farm salad and broccoli cheddar soup. In the bunk by MN.
Sept 5 - Saturday
Late start with late night. Had Entenmann's chocolate covered donuts plus yogurt at the dock watching everything go by. Jeff Andrews stopped by to chat. Had to do pumpout so waited a very long time for Docktails (large motorboat) to fuel and pumpout. Their holding tank seemed as large as their fuel tank!!! Finally our turn. Did not get stern in close enough on first pivot with bow thruster so backed up a little and got it on the second try. Pumpout was working meh, had to wait for it to cycle itself the was able to pump out and be on our way by 11:40 or so. Wind directly on our nose so we motored out quite a ways before we were able to sail. Good wind however, shifting from S-SE to S so had a couple of tacks to head to Worton Creek. Laz was (finally) able to set up a video chat via Google meeting with Gma Laz so she could see us under way. She got the full tour above and below.
Worton was crowded, but not as much as Still Pond
We were able to get a spot a bit further in than previous anchorages. Very lovely. Had TBM-B quiche plus asparagus for dinner and watched another spectacular sunset. Later able to see the moon and Mars together. One of the sailboats had blue lights up the mast, an interesting look. Great night sky, with Saturn and Jupiter up as well. Earlier to bed, although we spent some time talking about Laz's book.
Sept 6: Sunday
Made French toast with berries (razz & blue) with Pete's bacon. Checked my blood sugar an hour post meal and it was 193. An hour later was 92, so I was able to finish my cantaloupe and pineapple. Off the anchor around 11 am and headed out towards Baltimore. Wind was from S-SE again so motored out then sailed toward Poole's. Wind was 4-5, decent. Tacked back towards Eastern shore, then on next tack able to go all the way towards Hart-Miller. Wind picked up to 10 so some glorious sailing outside of Baltimore. Had a video chat with Ben Yanessa and Tristan on a tack heading out of Baltimore Harbor to give them a tour while under way. Pinged Jacqui and Oliver for the same and were able to do that on the tack into the Magothy. Really great wind/sailing. Sailed into the Magothy.
With downwind, crowds and dying wind, decided to furl the jib and motor in.
Made our way into Eagle Cove and found it was seriously crowded, like Still Pond. Found Kaimana and Valinor II just off the channel near the horse farm. Rafted alongside Kaimana's starboard to our port. Intended only to hang out til after dinner then find our own spot, as many of the motor boats left after sunset. Was talking to Jim, whose wife does not sail after a freak knockdown during a microburst. He is 77 and has sailed extensively. They also traveled in an RV all over the West but came back when she inherited her father's house. Jim had andouille grilled to share. Seriously overcooking the chicken marsala pot pie as it was in the oven nearly an hour while we were talking. At 20 min it was not hot enough, so I left it in a "little" longer. Not burnt and stuffed with chicken, not the most flavorful of pies. Ended up chatting with Lee & Jon until MN, somewhere in there getting Milanos for dessert to share.
With protection on all sides and light winds predicted, we ended up staying rafted all night.
Monday: Sept 7
Up and out early, as soon as the coffee was brewed. Had a lovely breeze coming out from the Magothy but it faded about an hour out. Motored a good way, was able to sail again off of Poole's all the way to HdG.
Sept 11-16 mini vacay
Fri Sept 11
Able to finish work by 5:10, packed up and left the house by 6:30. Picked up cheese steak wrap with fries at Nonni's and enjoyed it below with all the hatches open. New screens on side hatches so all were open! Did not need AC for dinner but put it on for sleeping.
Sat Sept 12
Up at 0730 so we could pump out before heading to Rock Hall. Off the dock by 0815 and off the fuel dock and sailing by 0845. East wind and we were able to put up sail fairly quickly out of the docks. Blowing 10-15, jib unfurled and we were moving quickly. Tide was outgoing which was lovely. We were doing 6-7 over water. Wind oscillated to S SE and back. We sailed all the way to Rock Hall in one tack. Went well past the entrance as there was a 1pm PEA '78 Zoom call which we joined. Turns out Kathleen Chakraborty knows Rock Hall well, she went to school here or lived here or something. Tacked and headed in after the call. Great wind the whole day. Got a slip at Haven Harbor South B-15 (B-9 was occupied). In by 3pm! Backed in with finger on port side. Yay bow thruster. Dockmaster came on board to help tie bow lines.
Haven Harbor South has complimentary bikes, so we took a couple to go into town. Seat did not go quite low enough for me, so was on tippy toes to ride. Went to Get the Scoop for ice cream (Kilby Cream!). Laz had black cherry, I had chocolate with caramel sauce and peanuts. Bought a nice Rock Hall sailboat dishtowel at one of the little shops by the ice cream place. Went to the grocery (Bayside Market) to get Laz more OJ and then biked back to the marina. Just over a mile each way. Haven offered their car for us to go to Waterman's for dinner. Delicious Chicken Chesapeake for Laz and Maryland Crab soup and shrimp Caesar salad for me. Yum.
Sun Sept 13:
Haven has hot coffee after 0900, so filled my travel mug there. Yogurt and mini Entenmann's chocolate donuts for breakfast. Leaving the dock was interesting. The starboard bow line had dropped in the water and got tangled in the bow thruster so I was unable to use it to maneuver out of the slip. Managed with forward and reverse turns. Laz was able to get the line up with some back and forth on the bow thruster. It was a bit chewed up, but he got all of it. And the bow thruster still works. Yay! Got outside of Rock Hall and the wind died and it started to rain. Not in the forecast nor was it on the radar. Hung out for an hour or more waiting on the wind. Notre Ceil sailed out just as the wind picked up, and we were parallel for a bit. The wind got stronger and we were able to sail to and up the Chester River to Langford Creek, East Fork. We anchored nestled into Cacaway Island just by the N end sandy spit. Absolutely gorgeous setting. Heron came to fish on a tree branch just off the sandy spit. Had knackwurst (done in the oven) in brioche buns from Giant as well as the potato salad with egg from Giant. Pretty tasty dinner.
Relatively early to bed with lights out 10:30p or so.
Monday Sept 14
Slept til 0930, wow. Made hard boiled eggs, with the gas stove on low x 12 min after full boil achieved led to perfect eggs. Made 4, and split a lemon ginger scone from Talula's. Wind was blowing with predicted 10-15 gusts to 20. Since we were going downwind the first bit we put out full sails. Awesome downwind run, but a bit much when we turned the corner into the wind. Ended up reefing 1 and later reefing the jib. Had to tack a few times out of the Chester then had one long fast run to Baltimore light and the Magothy. Headed to Magothy Marina for pump out ($5+tip) and to meet Chuck O'Malley, Lee and Jon's sailmaker to discuss tweaking the jib so the skirt is a bit shorter. Good discussion - learned a lot.
Around 5p, Chuck left and we sailed over to Eagle Cove. Nice sail, and we considered sailing into the cove, but it got tricky so we furled the job and turned on the engine. Dropped the main as we circled around the anchorage - there were more boats than we expected. Their spacing was such that we had trouble finding a good spot, as we expected the wind to blow overnight. The first spot dropped us too close to another boat. The second spot was better, but with extra scope we were still a little close, but acceptable.
Had homemade spaghetti sauce on farfalle with garlic bread for dinner.
As expected, the wind picked up around midnight, so we poked our heads up, only to find the boat closest to us had dragged anchor. We were entertained as they tried to manage the situation. It seemed that they either had a problem with their anchor, or they just didn’t trust it. They kept motoring in loops around all the boats in the cove. We went to bed.
Tuesday Sept 15
Got up reasonably early, and discovered that the wayward boat had grabbed a private mooring off our stern. They left promptly, either because they had far to go, or they were embarrassed about their troubles. Made breakfast burritos with shredded cheese, bacon and salsa. Fried some pineapple in the bacon grease which was pretty tasty. .
The wind was stable from the north, as forecast, and we sailed out of the Magothy smoothly. The wind died sooner than expected, and only the incoming tide kept the engine off. We sailed across to Rock Hall / Swan Point, and then tacked back to Hart-Miller. At that point, the wind had pretty much died and we turned on the motor. The wind came back gently when we passed Pooles Island, and we sailed into Worton Creek cove. It was quiet enough so we could reset the reef lines to proper points on the boom.
Had a simple dinner of Chunky Sirloin Burger and open face cheese grills.
A quiet night with a mild breeze from the north.
Wednesday Sept 16
We were up and out around 11am. Breakfast? As before, the wind died as we worked our way up past Aberdeen. Motored up to the Can-1, and then the wind returned from the south, briskly. Up went the sails and away we went. Got into the fairway by 5:30. Laura had trouble with the engine control, which made things interesting. Though she got frustrated, she had it handled. We determined that the throttle level had come loose - the set screw wasn’t tight.
Packed out and was in the car before 7p.
Sept 18-20
Fri Sept 18
Left for marina by 6:30. Got to chat with Johnny for a while. During the remnants of Hurricane Laura, a tree fell on Tina's car and part of their upstairs. Something off with the Byng's engine as well. Not a good year for them. Enjoyed Talula's crab cake and slaw with broccoli cheddar soup, a cheddar old bay biscuit and grown up s'mores for Laz and chocolate decadence for me. There was Kahlua in the s'mores. The marshmallow meringue was pretty amazing.
We were tacking a little in our slip, Laz adjusted some lines. Mike's boat was out, which was different. He and a bunch of guys came back around 10pm trying to get in safely. They were one of the chase boats for the guys paddleboarding the whole Chesapeake to raise $ for oyster restoration. Guys finally got Mike’s boat secured safely and they offloaded 3 garbage bags of beer cans!
Sat Sept 19
Blowing 10-15 with gusts so did chores in the morning. Laz filled both water tanks and set up the old fishing pole holder behind the starboard aft seat to put the second boat hook in. As he was filling the aft tank, he noticed that the Swan across the fairway was trying to get out and was stuck on the bottom of the fairway. The north wind had blown the water out of the bay, so it was below normal low tide at mid-tide rising. They managed to get the boat out into the fairway but then were still having trouble. We went over to the fuel dock to see if they needed any help. They were able to pivot and leave with only a little help from Steve. Went back to the boat to have our coffee. Made hard boiled eggs. Putting the burner on low for 12 min after the first boil makes a perfect egg. Tried to fix the front hatch holder in the head, but Laz’s solution of a molly didn’t really work. Went into the store to see if they had something that would work and both Jeff and Steve told us to put in an epoxy then drill for the screw. Mollys don’t work in fiberglass, apparently. Got some more of the blue goo for the holding tank. Headed over to do pump out, then able to put up sail shortly leaving the dock. Wind was from the NE, so we were able to sail out. Sailed all the way out, did some downwind tacking. Saw a really interesting ketch with sails making it look like a Chinese junk. Red sails. Beautiful day, a little chilly, but wind held. Anchored on the north side of Still Pond, but I noticed only one boat on the south side. It was our opportunity to anchor there! The crying toddler on the docks on the north side helped sway my decision to pull up and move. Really pretty on the south side, in the little cove. Had Nomadic’s steak & gruyere pie for dinner which was amazing on a chilly night.
Sun Sept 20:
Chilly morning, so we didn’t want to get out of bed. Chorizo, tomato, sweet corn quiche for breakfast, along with pineapple and cantaloupe.
Up-anchor around 11:30. Got the sails up quickly and had some good tacks. Wind was strong: 8-10kt with a few gusts to 12 from the north. We saw Aurora, but we couldn’t figure out what they were doing, and we never got close to them. Got to the Sassafras on 4 tacks, but then the wind started to fade and the tide turned against us. In addition, the wind was shifting depending on which side of Turkey Neck we were on, and always in the wrong direction. Decided to stay to the north side and the wind behaved properly. As we entered the channel proper, the wind shifted to the northeast, so I was able to sail up the entire way, with only a little pinching. Unfortunately, Smooth as Silk was stuck in the mud, and would be there a while if they didn’t get help promptly. (We learned later that they were freed sometime that evening)
No troubles getting into the dock by 5:30. The new boat hook was helpful. Load-out was quick, and we were in the car in about an hour.
Sept 25-27
Fri Sept 25
Another Friday where I was able to finish work by 6pm so we could head to the marina. Steve was aboard Vela, as he was expecting boat guests in the morning. Had Trader Joe's Beef Bolognese ravioli with a frozen marinara sauce, also likely TJ's. Stayed up way too late reading Shield Bearer.
Sat Sept 26
Spike's birthday! Got up late after 10a I think. Grey day. Saw Vela off. Jennifer lost her glasses into the drink. I saw them in the sea grass but when I tried to get them with the boat hook, they sank. She said she has a dozen pairs...cheaters...so no worries. East wind. Went to the fuel dock to pump out. Jeff helped us. Then went off, narrowly missing the piling on the starboard side. Turned a little early. Left the docks just after noon. Put up sail right away and we were able to sail much of the way out. By the spoil islands the wind was on our nose so had to turn the engine on. So many sailboats in the Bay! I counted at least 20. Laz thought there may be a fleet cruise of some kind. Had a decent sail with the Code-0. Some rain on and off, but the wind never died. Jibed a couple of times then into the Sassafras. Sailed all the way in, then furled the Code-0 where Nun 6 used to be. Took down the main coming into the wind from Nun 8. Passed a beautiful sailboat, Bees Knees, just outside the entrance to the cove where we anchor. Had to try twice to set the anchor, but it did set nicely just outside the little hut on land. Got there around 4:30 pm. Sun came out as we were hanging out. Had some Boursin and bacon horseradish cheese and crackers, with some cut up Genoa and cheddar as well. The Thueringer went south. Could have been fat, but I thought I saw colonies on the cut surface so didn't take a chance and pitched it. We could hear herons, but didn't see any. A guy was water skiing but didn't stand up, Didn't fall down either so I suppose it was OK. There were two more motor boats anchored farther in but we had the area by the hut all to ourselves. Dinner was knackwurst on brioche hot dog buns. I remembered the Gulden's and the relish. So tasty! Read until late, but before MN.
Sun Sept 27th
Foggy, then cleared. Lazed in bed with Laz. Made scrambled eggs with cheddar and spinach with toast for brunch at about noon. Got a text then call from Kyle Roth which was lovely! Chatted a while about family and life and of course, The Special One. Not much wind so we put up the main at anchor, then motored out. Wind was from the NW, not at all predicted, of course. Motored to the mouth of the Sassafras then slowed the engine to find some wind. Able to sail a bit then finally by the light stanchion on the N side had to turn the engine on again. Headed in and any wind was on our nose. I took down the Code-0 while underway. Seemed to make sense since it is overcast and I didn't want it to have to put it away wet.
