Back Up The Chesapeake

May 16th - To Back River

We finally leave Norfolk after three days, which is the longest that we have stayed anywhere. We are in desperate need of a pump out and fuel, so we go around Hospital Point and after some confusion find the correct dock to take care of both things. Back on the "road" again, we have an easy run to Hampton Roads. Then the fun begins. As soon as we turn around toward the bay the wind gusts to 18 knots in our teeth. The current is going out and fighting the wind. The result is huge, steep waves that bury the bow of the boat and allow very little forward movement but lots of rocking like a hobby horse. For about an hour we move only 1 and a half knots even though we are fighting through the waves like crazy. Once we get out of the Hampton Roads inlet and into the bay the waves are not so bad and we make better progress. We still have to double reef the main and reef the head sail to keep from getting knocked over on our ears as we sail to Back River. Entering the river is downwind and much easier. We anchor near Langley Air Force Base. There's no one else so it should be quiet but we can hear the fighter jets taking off and landing until sunset.

May 17th - Put-In-Creek in Mobjack Bay

We make a short run north. We see a pod of about 10 dolphins that are jumping and playing right in front of the boat. We continue into Mobjack Bay up the North River to Put-in-Creek. We anchor near the public boat ramp. We want to go running so we take the dinghy further up the creek to the tiny city of Mathews, which is the county seat. The creek keeps getting shallower until we need to raise the engine and row. Further along the creek is even narrower than our oars. We tie up at a rickety old piece of dock and meet a local man who wants to know if we are stuck in the mud. We say no, but ask him where we are. He is not sure if we are serious or not, but gives us a brief overview of the town layout. We run 20 minutes back down along the creek to the boat ramp and view the glorious Hunter, Finn. We then run back to the dinghy and do some shopping along the way. We buy 18 Diet Cokes, a package of wooden clothespins, and a CD adapter at Radio Shack, since the one we have is broken. We use the adaptor to play CDs through the tape player on the boat stereo. We grab a beer at a local Irish Pub where there is a great picture of Ellis Island, our home port. The tide has risen when we get back to the dinghy so we are able to motor all the way back. Our evening entertainment consists of watching the local sculling team practice and the distinctly Virginian habit of burning everything. Burning is only permitted after 4PM when the volunteer fire fighters are home from work. We eat dinner and some pudding (in "pudding creek") and play Skip-bo, our favorite card game.

May 18th - Layover in Put-In-Creek

There is a forecast for a thunderstorm, so we remain at anchor at Put-In-Creek. We take it pretty easy and do a lot of reading and some needed boat chores. We row ashore to the dinghy dock at the boat ramp and take about a four mile walk and visit the town marina that is provided for the local sculling team. They seem to have a pretty large rowing program with lots of fours and eights.

This is our third day of anchoring out and we will try to stay out of the marinas as long as we can. Anchoring out keeps our expenses down. The boat also floats better when it can spin down off the wind. Our goal is to anchor 2 days for every day at a marina. We are close to that goal. Our first month, we anchored 3 days to every 2 days at a marina. We spent $630 dollars of marina "rent", which is pretty cheap, but we hope to do even better. This should be fairly easy since we spent $250 during our first five days out when we had to go marinas four nights. So far the longest anchoring stretch has been five straight days without a marina.

Anchoring - Anchoring out is complex and is affected by several factors. 

• Electricity - We had our boat upgraded so that we have two 100 Amp Hour batteries for all of our lights, radio, refrigerator etc. There is a separate battery that is used only to start the engine. We also have a portable inverter that converts 12-volt battery electricity to 110-volt electricity like in a standard electric outlet. This allows us to recharge our PC, use the mixer and run other standard electrical devices. Generally, electricity has not been a problem. The engine seems to replenish the batteries every day during normal motoring. If we stay at anchor for more than one day, we usually run the engines for an hour and that will carry us through a second day.

• Trash - We use only small garbage bags and they last at least three days. When they are filled, we have stowage space for two of them. Usually we are able to find a city trash can to unload a bag. Sometimes we find a marina that will take a bag of trash from a dinghy for a buck. One of the first things we do when we get to a marina is unload our trash. We also unload it just before we leave.

• Laundry - We do not have a washer and dryer on board, so we must do our laundry in a Laundromat. Most marinas have at least one washer and dryer and we usually do several loads of laundry when we are in a marina. This hasn't limited our anchoring; we just do our laundry when we get to a marina.

• Holding Tank - The head empties into a thirty gallon holding tank. When we are in the ocean, we can turn on a macerator that grinds everything up and dumps it overboard. Otherwise we need to go to a marina or a fuel dock and get a pumpout. Pumpouts range in price from free to $15. They can be difficult to find since not every dock has the equipment to pump out and the equipment is often broken. Last year, we had a situation where we tried three marinas before we found a working pumpout facility. Generally we don't stay overnight in a marina merely because we need a pumpout, we just get one and anchor out somewhere.

• Fuel - We have a 30-gallon diesel fuel tank and we carry 5 extra gallons in a jerry jug on deck. Since we use less than a gallon every two hours and we travel five miles per hour, we have a range of over 350 miles. We seldom get below a half a tank, so fuel has not restricted our ability to anchor.

• Groceries - We can carry a lot of food and drinks. Of course we can always prepare reasonable meals from canned and dry goods. We usually find a grocery or market when we are at a marina. Sometimes the marina will help us get to a supermarket. Otherwise, we get out our cart and walk for miles if we have to. Groceries have not limited our anchoring.

• Dinghy Dock - It is always a help if we go to a town or city with a public dinghy dock. If we can get off the boat occasionally, we can usually last longer at anchor. First of all, we enjoy visiting all of the little towns that we have encountered along the way. We would probably go stir crazy if we were "confined" to the boat. Second, we like to go ashore and run. Third, we can usually unload some trash and pick up some minor supplies if we can find a dinghy dock. Dinghy docks help us to stay at anchor longer and keep our expenses down.

• Water - Our water tank holds 75 gallons of water. We have been able to stretch that out over five days if we are careful, especially by limiting our showers. Hot water has been more difficult. When we are travelling, the engine heats a five-gallon water tank that we use either for cleaning dishes or taking showers. We also have a five-gallon SunShower that we lay out in the sun. It gets surprisingly hot. If the weather is right we will use that to take a partial shower on the deck.

Conclusion: We have been successful at managing our electricity, fuel, groceries, laundry, trash, and holding tank. If we get bored and want to explore, we have been able to find ways to get ashore at some dock. However, if we run out of water, we have to stay at a marina to refill.

May 19th - Deltaville on the Piankatank River

We have a nice easy sail to Deltaville on the Piankatank River. When we get to the Piankatank, a variety of navigational errors and shortcuts cause us to run aground. Fortunately, John is able to back the boat off the shoal and we are free in ten minutes. The entrance to Jackson Creek where we want to anchor is very tricky. We must snake our way in very close to shore. Once we pass the hardest part and feel safe again, we run aground again. This time we are on the correct side of the marker, but we still somehow end up out of the channel. The channel here is very narrow and not well marked. This time we are really stuck. Heavy motoring does not move us forward or backwards. We decide that we will need to kedge ourselves off of the shoal. This is where the big dinghy really earns its keep. John gets in the dinghy and Jennifer lowers the anchor into it. He then motors the anchor about a hundred feet into deeper water, while dragging the attached anchor chain behind. He lifts the anchor and throws it overboard and then Jennifer uses the windlass to pull the boat into safer water. That is how it is supposed to work. The first time we push on the bow of the boat with the dinghy and get the boat facing in the right direction. However, the anchor pulls loose. The second time, John throws the anchor overboard and it snags on the line for the dinghy. He has to raise the 35 pound anchor and chain using the skinny dinghy line. This time we are more successful and the boat is finally pulled free. The odd thing is that while we are doing all of this in a mild panic, another boat comes and actually asks us for directions!

We motor further down the creek and finally find a nice anchorage. We dinghy ashore to a public dinghy dock. However, the deck of the dock is actually above our heads. We somehow manage to climb up and then we walk around for about an hour and a half and see nothing. When we return to the dinghy dock, our outboard motor is stuck in the mud and the dinghy is even further below. We both haul on the dinghy painter like two mules and eventually drag the dinghy into deeper water. Then we somehow jump down the 8 feet into the dinghy. We make it back to home base on Finn and have a nice meal and listen to Prairie Home Companion.

May 20th - To Crisfield, Maryland on the Eastern Shore

We leave Deltaville at 6:30 AM and head across the bay to Crisfield, Maryland. There are honkin' winds in our face and we sail double-reefed and with very little head sail. It keeps looking like an approaching storm, but luckily we are spared. However, after 8 hours of sailing, we exhaustedly crawl into Crisfield. Despite all our talk about anchoring out as much as we can, we go to Somer's Cove Marina. Fortunately, it is relatively inexpensive ($37) and we enjoy the showers. We go to the Mariner's Inn and have a few beers. We have reasonably-priced and good crabs and beer at the Sidestreet Café. We go back to the Mariner's Inn, where they already know our names, "two Miller Lights". We call it a very long day.

May 21st - Layover in Crisfield

John gets up early and does all of the laundry. What an angel he is. We run all over town, which is really a lot of fun. There is a town water tower with a bright red crab painted on it and each of the street signs has a crab symbol as well. We really get to see more of a town on our runs than we do just walking around. And, it is helping us slowly to get back into shape. 

A charter fishing boat comes in. A man has caught a drum fish that looks like a record size to us. They roll it in on one of the marina's dock carts. The marina is an official weighing station and they try to weigh it from the normal hook, but it drags on the ground. They measure its weight at 52 pounds and a girth of 37 inches. Wow! 

We buy a lot of groceries, but once again there is no Diet Coke available. This is getting ridiculous. The run and the walk-about for shopping actually kills us, and instead of moving on, we decide to layover. The crappy weather encourages us to stay as well. We meet some people from Cherry Hill, NJ and they convince us that it is a unique experience to go to Smith Island. We will try to go there tomorrow if the weather holds. We pretty much lay around the rest of the day except for a walk up to the library to read email. Further searching for Diet Coke fails again. We eat at the Captain's Galley that has a beautiful view looking out into the harbor entrance. 

While Crisfield is nice, it prompts us to begin our first attempts at defining a mythical "perfect" town.

The "perfect" town -

• A safe anchorage with plenty of room, 10 feet of water, good holding on the bottom, and protection from wind in any direction.

• A public dinghy dock that is free and is low enough to get out of the dinghy.

• A great restaurant with interesting food at a reasonable price.

• One or more bars. A bar is great if it serves cheeseburgers and fries. It should serve Miller Lite in bottles for less than $2. It can be quiet and allow conversation with locals and other travelers. Or, it can have lots of TVs with news, weather and sports. The bar gets an excellent rating if the Knicks are on and they are winning. Or, it can have live music with no cover charge. Extra credit is given for happy hours and free buffets.

• A place to update our website

• A well-stocked supermarket nearby with 12-packs of Diet Coke on sale at 2 for $5

• A well-supplied marine store

• An interesting local museum

• A good place to run

• An easily accessed fuel dock

• A free pumpout dock

• A place to dispose of our trash

May 22nd - Smith Island

We leave Crisfield with, as usual, little help from the wind. We are heading to Smith Island, which is just across Tangier Sound from Crisfield. However, we must enter from the opposite side, so we need to make a big, 20-mile loop around to the west side. It is easy going, but the entrance is a little tricky. At least there are lots of markers and we enter with 7 feet all the way in. Here is the first building that we see.

We dock at Ruke's, which is the ferry dock. It is rather ramshackle with no cleats and poles every three feet. We tie up side-to and go into the general store and pay the $15 fee. They had a sign for local maps so I try to buy one. The woman, with an unfamiliar accent, tells me they are a dollar and half. I pay and she hands me a single page, photocopy of a hand-drawn map. I feel like a rube. However, rather than complain, I find a rock and "imprint" it with "Smith Island" and figure that I could perhaps recover some of my lost money with my own souvenirs.

The town is eccentric. The island has only one road but there are lots of cars driving around. Many of them have no license plates, though oddly enough, there is one with a Jersey plate. Some have no headlights or fenders and most do not have a muffler. There are a number of golf carts but mainly we see children driving them recklessly. 

The town has three "cities", Ewell, Rhodes Point and Tylertown. Ewell is the main town with just about 300 people. It has a a post office, two restaurants, and two general stores. There are two churches. Rhodes Point is populated by less than 100 people. It sits off in the distance across salt marshes connected by the island's only road. We can see the town way before we get there as we walk the single lane two-mile road. It has the island's only boat lift and some houses and a few soft-shell crab businesses. Of course there is a Methodist church. Tylerton has no road and can only be reached by boat so we do not go there. We believe there is yet another church. 

On the walk through the salt marshes there are lots of birds we have not seen before and that we cannot identify. There were white, egret-like birds with shrimp highlights; some black birds with long curled beaks; and a few heron-like birds with zebra striped heads.

It is striking how much traffic there is on this single road and also how much trash there is on the roadside. The island is dominated by Methodists, so no one is supposed to drink in public. However, every 5 feet there is some beer can or another, mostly Budweiser. Halfway between the towns there is a small wooden bridge and then the town facilities for water, electricity, and for dropping trash to be removed from the island. Nearby, impatient locals have just dropped a lot their rubbish and just set it on fire! 

After our exhausting walk, we hide below deck from the bugs and secretly have beer with dinner.

The island’s main industry is soft-shell crabbing, which they export to Crisfield. The watermen scrape for crabs, which means that they drag a net across the bottom of the bay. They pull up a lot of eel grass and seaweed and then search by hand for crabs. They are looking for crabs that are ready to molt; called peelers. They bring them back to land and put them in white holding tanks shown in the picture below. Each tank holds hundreds of crabs.

The tanks can be seen everywhere on the island and in Crisfield. The tanks are kept fresh by continually pumping bay water in and out. Many have light bulbs overhead to trick the crabs into actively growing and ultimately molting. A person checks each tank 3 times a day, 7 days a week to see if a crab has burst out of its shell. Immediately, he removes the crab to stop the process of their shell solidifying. He puts the crab in a box with several of its cousins and covers them all with seaweed. They are ferried over to Crisfield where they are marketed to the world.

May 23rd - Solomon's Island, Maryland

We get up early and try to leave Smith Island. The wind is abeam and the current is in our face. I cannot get Finn's nose out away from the dock so that we can go forward. Fortunately there is no one behind us and I back us out. We are travelling backwards at an alarming rate and distance but we slowly get separation between us and the dock. We have left at low tide on purpose, so that if we go aground the rising tide will rescue us. However, we often see depths of 5 feet leaving only 1/2 a foot between the bottom and us. The channel is treacherous channel but we do not have any problem. We are relieved to get out of channel only to find 19 knots of wind directly in the face. The opposing tide causes huge waves and occasionally we are only moving 1and a half knots through water. Along the way we see Hooper Island lighthouse, which is leaning over way further than the leaning tower of Pisa.

The trip to Solomon's is a grueling 7 hours of motoring. When we are close, Calvert Cliffs blocks the wind at last. As we turn into the Patuxent River, the wind also changes to abeam. The day amazingly changes. One moment we are scared and discouraged; the next moment we are happy and playful. We are still too exhausted to sail so we continue motoring. As we approach our anchorage, we see a Navy helicopter hovering close to the water. It is kicking up a tremendous spray. We see that they Navy Seals are practicing jumping out of the helicopter and then the helicopter pilot has to pick them back up. We anchor in Mill Creek, which is beautiful after Smith Island.

May 24th - Dun Cove behind Tilghman Island on the Maryland Eastern Shore

We decide to wait for the current to change before we leave Solomons. Since we are leaving at 1PM, we have time to run. Our running is getting better; we cover much more ground then we did the last time we were at Solomons. We run to the eastern tip of the island and back past the supermarket. On the way back we stop at the supermarket and pick up some Diet Coke and walk the remaining half-mile back to the dinghy dock each carrying a twelve-pack. Back at the boat, we decide to go to shore in Solomons one more time to visit the ships store in the marina with the dinghy dock. We get some stuff we really need at the store and use that as our way of showing our appreciation for the dinghy dock that the marina provides. Then it's back to the boat and rush to make the tide out of town. As we leave Solomons, we see the Blue Angels doing tricks in the sky. This convinces me that the Navy is more entertaining then the Airforce.

We have an easy run to Dun Cove. Along the way we pass some fishing nets. Normally there are hundreds of egrets, great blue herons, cormorants, sea gulls, and ospreys just hanging out at the "raw seafood bar". We scared them away when we got near to take a photo.

They are very clever. There are hundreds of poles with nets in between them like in the illustration below. The not-too-bright fish run into the long run of nets and some of them turn toward the capture area at the bottom. Once they get in far enough they cannot find their way out.

While they are great passive fish catchers, they are a hazard to navigation. They often block your path; they are hard to see; and there can be four or five in a row.

Linda McAnulty recommended Dun Cove to us and it's easy to see why. It's a beautiful cove with plenty of deep water, big beautiful pine trees and plenty of protection from the wind. We anchor behind Bald Eagle Point, but we don't see any bald eagles.

May 25th - Galesville on the West River on the mainland

We are going to Galesville today since we are meeting Linda and Mark there tomorrow. We intend to wait for the current again, so John goes for a row around the cove. When he gets back, we listen to the weather radio. The report says thunderstorms are likely, rather than the usual scattered thunderstorms, so we decide to leave immediately. The current is with us as we leave Dun Cove and head down the Harris Creek to the ChoptankRiver. But as soon as we turn up the Bay, the ebb current is in our face. There seems to be good wind so we raise the main and unfurl the headsail. We are able to sail for about half an hour before our speed drops to less then half a knot and we furl the headsail and motor sail for a while. The wind freshens, but is behind us so we raise the spinnaker and move along nicely for another half an hour before the wind dies and we are reduced to motor sailing again. The wind picks up a third time and we are able to sail with the head sail again. Right as we reach the turn to the West River the wind dies, so we drop both sails and motor into Galesville. As we are coming in, the weather alert on the radio goes off. We hear that there is a severe thunderstorm warning for some counties in Virginia. Several times the alert goes off as the effected area expands to include counties in Maryland as well. Charts don't show county lines. As we set the anchor, the wind picks up to about 20 knots. We let out extra chain and really dig in the anchor. Then John gets out the Maryland/Virginia road map and figures out what county we're in and where the counties are that have sever thunderstorm warnings. We are in Anne Arundel County and there are now tornado warnings for Prince Georges County. The storm is moving northeast and Anne Arundel County is north east of Prince Georges County. Eventually the severe thunderstorm warnings include Anne Arundel County. As we wait for the storm and its threats of tornadoes and hail the size of Volkswagens, we see someone windsurfing in the cove. The storm blows through, our anchor holds. The wind only gusts to about 25 knots. We luck out on this one. We hear reports of a funnel cloud in Prince GeorgesCounty. Yikes!

May 26th - Layover in Galesville

Some people think that cruising is about umbrella drinks and warm sunny islands. It's really not. There are days when everything seems bleak. Today the computer is broken. Something is wrong with the screen. It seems to always be in power saver mode. We can almost see what is going on but it is really disheartening. Also, it is pouring. We have had some sort of rain every day in the past week. We have to get off the boat, so after a great breakfast we take the dinghy to shore. 

Wearing our foul weather jackets, but not pants, we get soaked from the waist down. People think we are crazy. We find West River Market mentioned in the cruising guide. The proprietress lets us sit indoors and read our copy of the Washington Post. After returning to the boat, we drape our wet clothes everywhere. This adds to the generally damp atmosphere of the boat. Since the computer screen still doesn't display anything, we are reduced to writing our log on paper! 

Later in the day, I decide to try to collect rainwater. After about an hour I collect about a quart. This is a skill that I need to work on! We run the engine for an hour to recharge the batteries and give us hot water for our shower. 

We are meeting Linda and Mark for dinner. Linda knew my cousins and found out about our adventure from my aunt. She and Mark have just taken delivery of a new Catalina 36, which they hope to take cruising in the near future. Here is a picture that Linda sent us of their new boat, named Gratitude.

We have sent each other email, but have never met. We wear our full foul weather regalia to the restaurant. We go over early so that we have a chance to get dry before Linda and Mark get there. We are the only customers in the restaurant and the staff is amused by the changing routine we go through, from Groton fisherman, to normal restaurant-eating people. When Linda and Mark arrive, the restaurant is beginning to fill up. We have a great dinner, one of the best we've had since we left. Linda and Mark are great; we have a lot in common with them. Hopefully we'll see them out here soon. They were very kind and brought us the essentials of life, that is, French bread, local beer, and Diet Cola.

 May 27th - Whitehall Bay

It's not raining! We pump another inch of water out of the dinghy and head to shore for a run. We run out of Galesville onto a back road with hills and horses that reminds us of the Sunday runs that we used to do with the Jersey Shore Running Club at Bodman Park. Back at the boat, we hang our wet clothes from yesterday on the lifelines in a vain attempt to dry them. We want to go to Annapolis to get the computer fixed and regroup, but it is Memorial Day weekend. We think Annapolis might be too crowded. So we are going to Whitehall Bay, on the Severn River a little north of Annapolis.

The sailing is great, but everyone is out on the Bay. I have never seen so many sailboats. Every kind of sailboat going every direction is out on OUR usually personal bay. Still our short sail is good. As we turn into Whitehall Bay, the skies look ominous. As we head up Mill Creek to the place where we want to anchor, we pass several anchored and rafted boats. We almost run over some aggressive ducks, who don't seem to understand the law of large objects. The skies continue to build so we put on our foul weather gear. The anchor does not cooperate. The first two times I lower it, it doesn't grab. Finally as the rain starts to fall, the anchor digs in. We get the sail tied up and go below as it starts to pour.

The storm doesn't last very long, so we decide to go to dinner at a crab house called Cantlers that we passed on our way up the creek. It is packed, we can only get seats outside. The outside seats are normally nice, but I'm sure that they have no intention of letting us come inside if it starts to rain again. The restaurant is having some kind of all you can eat crab special. Several tables near us have ordered it, but they seem to have trouble getting their crabs. We order a dozen large crabs and they come before the other tables get their next trays of crabs, much to the other diners consternation. The place is too crowded and I would guess that they ran out of the small all you can eat crabs. Still, our crabs are very good. We dinghy back and feed about a dozen ducks that are very used to boats feeding them.

It starts to rain - again.

May 28th - Annapolis

Even though today is Memorial Day, we are hopeful that people who are out for a long weekend will be going home and there will be room for us in a marina. We are going to do whatever it takes to get our computer fixed. We call ahead for reservations at a Annapolis City Marina on Spa Creek and head in to Annapolis.

It is such a short hop that we don't bother to sail. If possible, the Bay is even more crowded than yesterday. However, we do notice free mooring balls in the harbor as we pull into our marina. We stop at the fuel dock for a much-needed pumpout and some fuel. We can also check out our slip and plan our docking this way. We plan to come stern-to, so I move the dinghy to the bow of the boat and put the long lines on the bow cleats and the short lines on the stern cleats. Once we're out in the harbor, John is not happy with the way the boat is backing up and the way that the boats at the fuel dock are hanging over the approach to the slip, so we decide to go bow first into the slip. I move the dinghy and get the short lines on the bow and the long lines in the cockpit, but not ready by the time we are in the slip. Our docking experience is more exciting than it needs to be; the slip is a little large for the boat. But we angle it in there and since we are very agile for middle-aged people, we can get off the boat and onto the dock.

While John is trying to find out where a computer repair store is, I try the computer again and it works. Our best guess is that its problem is related to the inverter, since it now works with shore power. With that chore knocked off the list, we make a new list of things to do in Annapolis.

If you set foot on shore in Annapolis, you will spend fifty dollars. If you sit down while you are in Annapolis, you will spend a hundred dollars and if you bring a credit card to shore, you will blow your cruising budget. We do something even worse. We bring a credit card into Fawcetts, the marine store in Annapolis. We need a washer for the steering wheel and I want a small stainless steel eye-loop to run a bungee cord through to hold the lid of the transom locker open when I put my head in there. We should have taken only cash. The problem with Fawcetts is that they have all the stuff that you want for your boat but can never find. So we get an under-seat bag for the dinghy, a set of decorative flags, and a bowl in the shape of a fish that will look great with our fish platter. 

We do need to go to the supermarket and John needs a tool for the steering wheel washer. So we set off from the marina toward the True Value, hoping to find a supermarket on the way. The delis that we pass on the way are closed already and when we are about half way to the True Value, I decide to call to see if they are open, but they are closed too. So we hike back to the boat, working up a terrible thirst. We stop at a local pub where the Sixers beat the Bucs. We watch the game, then head back to the boat, deciding to go out for dinner.

This is three nights in a row that we have gone out to dinner. John wants to go to this steak house called Lewnes, which is only one block from the boat. We get on our fancy clothes and have a wonderful steak dinner.

May 29th - Annapolis 

John gets up early and does laundry again. His inability to sleep late is really paying off! We go to the hardware store in town and get the C-ring tool he needs to replace the washer on the steering wheel, and take showers. Checkout time in the marina is eleven; we are out of there by 10:30. We have decided to stay another day at a mooring. We pick up mooring number one!

It is the closest mooring to the town dock and it is the last step before we end up in Ego Alley. The picture shows us at the mooring with our new letter flags a-flying.

The people in the Harbor Masters Office are very helpful. They tell us where the closest grocery store is, how the bus works, and about their policy on using a phone line that they have to access the Internet. It's pretty good, for a dollar you can bring your laptop and dial in to your ISP. The good news about this is that we will be able to update our web site. We decide to walk to the grocery store without going back to the boat and getting our cart since we don't need that many groceries. On the way back from the market we have a great view of the state house as you can see in the picture below.  

May 30th - Sillery Bay on the Magothy River

John doesn't want to put the motor on the dinghy, even though the wind is blowing a steady 15 with gusts to 20. So John rows us to shore and we go for a run. We run up by the St. John's College boat house and then up as high as you can go in Annapolis. We were running toward a radio tower and I'm surprised that John doesn't want to climb up the tower as well. Then John rows us back to the boat to get the PC. We go to the harbormasters office and update this web site. Then John rows us back to the boat again. 

We have a short uneventful sail to the Magothy. After we get in, John is tired, from all that rowing, so he takes a nap while I update the web site. We are still trying to catch up from all those days when the PC wasn't working.

The wind is still strong and out of the North. So we have anchored in a place where we can get the most protection from a North wind. There is a private home under construction on an island near by. It has a lighthouse-like structure on one of the corners. The builders have made a lot of progress on it since we where here last month.

A guy in a sailboat sails so close to the boat that I go up in the cockpit. He tells us that we're going to run aground if the wind shifts. So after John's nap, we go out in the dinghy and check the depth of the surrounding water with a lead line. Fortunately, we have more than 10 feet of water in every direction, so we are fine. 

 May 31st - Rock Creek off the Patapsco River

We are on our way to Fells Point in Baltimore, but we decide to anchor along the Patapsco River. We are going to Rock Creek today, which is marked by the White Rocks. These are huge rocks in the river that have been thrust up by some unknown geological event.

Once we have anchored in Rock Creek, I go wind surfing on the inflatable windsurfer that we keep in the V-berth. John rows around in the dinghy. John finishes his row before I am finished wind surfing so he decides to clean the transducer for the log. This is also known as the thing that spins around so we can tell how fast we are going. The transducer is down in the salon, under the settee. He decides that he should spin it and run up to the cockpit to see if the speed is registering on the display. As he tries to do this, he wacks his head, just above his eye on the compression post in the salon. He is bleeding profusely.

Meantime, in the windsurfer, I have finally made it upwind past the dock of the marina. The windsurfer does not tack very well, and I have drifted into the space in between two docks in the marina. I'm not able to get the windsurfer back up wind out of the marina, so I climb up on the dock and call John to come rescue me in the dingy. So he comes to rescue me with his bleeding head. We take the rig off the windsurfer and row back to the boat. Such misadventures! This is a nice picture of John before he got a black eye.