day twenty-eight - one more nor'easter coming

Morning.  Cold.  My weather apps tell me it feels like 39 degrees.  My slipping out of the sleeping bag confirms this.  The weather apps reiterate that the sail is done, there is another nor'easter coming.  If I want to get into Chestertown, and I have made a commitment to be there for the festival, then I need to get in before the storm arrives.

Hot tea and peach cobbler for a leisurely breakfast, no rush on the chilly morning.  Light northwest wind and clearing skies.

Put on the wool sweater, foul weather bibs and boots against the cold.  Sail off the mooring 9:30.  A pleasant 1.3 under blues skies as we leave the Corsica at 10:25.

11:00 less, maybe no wind. and drifting.  Aimless meandering on the Chester.  Only other boat in sight is a deadrise trolling for stripers.  Trolling, I note, not catching.  11:30 a little breeze.

12:25 put out a trolling line.  No signs of fish, no breaking baitfish, not gulls hovering low over the water.  It strikes me that it has been this way for much of the trip, usually I see birds feeding and schools of coppery baitfish.  Not this year.  Finally see a few birds feeds about a half mile away.  Light winds so can't get there before they scatter.

2:00, just four deadrises and me, otherwise the river is empty.  A cool overcast moving in.  3:00 tacking up the channel into Langford Creek.  Surprise to see another small sailboat coming out of the creek.  More surprised to see it is friend Jim Arthur.  We exchange greets.

3:30 anchor down Davis Creek.

11:31 NM

 

day twenty-seven - listening to the weather

Cold.  A very cold overnight.  The hard frost leaves a slippery dock.  7:50 cast off and motor down the Corsica into a stiff northwest wind.  Watch three deer running across a manicured lawn of a large house that fronts the river.

8:40, just past Green Point, there is enough room to round up and raise sail.  Gusty with swirling winds, it is a harder sail than I expect.  The wind builds and runs the reach up the river.  Tack, tack, tack.  I find the lee inside of Ship Point.  Calmer water and just a couple more tacks to an unused mooring at Corsica River Yacht Club.  The season is over and most of the moorings are empty, no one will mind.  Tie up to the mooring just yards off the marsh.  Sails down save for the mizzen.  Boom tent up.  Take a nap.

Afternoon I check the weather forecast.  Another cold night.  Two coming days of light winds.  Then the strong north winds return.  Four days out, gale force winds.  I listen to the weather and check the apps, the sail is essentially done.  I will enjoy one more day on the Chester River, then head to Chestertown.

6.22 NM
 

day twenty-six - sailor’s lament

The day starts cold and with a whim.  Why not text Wendy to see if she can meet me for breakfast?  She replies "9 can do.  See you then."

Meeting at The Creamery, Wendy, a longtime writer and editor for sailing magazines, brings with her an invitation: "How about joining Johnny and me for dinner tonight?"  I accept her invitation and she tells me she will pick me up at the wharf about 5:00.

It is a breezy cool day and I motor around the corner to Earle Cove and anchor for the day.  It is a good time to read, relax and think.  And I think about my failed plan to build a boat and get away from people.  I think about my cruising friends Michael and Sheila that I rafted up with for a couple days.  I think about all the friends I saw at the Small Craft Festival.  I meeting Shawn at Solomons Island and the afternoon with Kent on St. Leonard Creek.  There is Rock Hall, of course, dinner with Fred and MaryLou, and drinks with Janet.  The morning on the farmhouse porch overlooking Queenstown Creek, drinking hot tea and enjoying the conversation.  There was the long dinner with Vicki last night.  And now breakfast with Wendy and looking forward to dinner tonight with Wendy and Johnny.  And I lament my failed plan, wondering just how in the world I had made so many good and true friends.

Back at the dock at 4:30, I set up the boom tent for the night.  Wendy picks me up and I enjoy a great dinner with her and Johnny.

Wendy drops me off at the wharf, I climb under the boom tent, slip into the sleeping bag and fall asleep.

2.8 NM

day twenty-five - up the Chester to the Corsica River

Morning comes peaceful and quiet on Ditchers Cove.  I'm in no rush this morning.  Good time to clean up and organize the boat.   Hot tea.  Read the news.  Relax.  Enjoy the cove.

8:50 under power for a short motor down Queenstown Creek.  Tie up at the dock to see some friends.  Tea and croissants on the porch of the farm house, then a walk around the farm.  And we try to recall how many years they have hosted me on the farm but no one can remember.

10:15 cast off.  Motor down the creek, 10:30 out on the Chester River raising sail.  Quickly realize the reef I had tucked it is not needed.  Full sail, making 2.3 in surprisingly light wind.  I wonder where the forecasts gusts have gone.

12:40 Piney Point to starboard, 3.0 with wind over the port quarter.  Easy sailing.  Music on the bluetooth speaker, powered by a small solar panel.

1:00 jibe off of Eastern Neck.  1:10 better wind and making 4.0.  Then less wind, 2.8 off of Reed Creek.  I see we are sharing the river two other sailboats and a couple of fishermen out trolling for striper.  

1:45 jibe to the Corsica River, 3.6.  2:15 slip into the Corsica under the watchful gaze of the Russia house, the old red mansion used by the Russian embassy as a recreation area.

Play the wind shifts up the windy river lined with small cliffs, tacking the width of the water from point to point.  Near Cedar Point share the river with a high school sailing team, with a few boats sailing close enough to exchange friendly greetings.

At Sycamore Point, within sight of the town landing, fail to make the point and the centerboard digs into the mud.  Round up, raise the board and make the final reach into the docks at 3:30.

A long, late  dinner out on the patio of Doc's Riverside Grill with friend and former colleague Vicki, beer battered rockfish tenders and caesar salad with crab cakes.  How nice!

13.58 NM

 

an early Christmas gift

 I was sent an early Christmas present yesterday as Harold and Anna forwarded a link to a nice video about this year's Sultana Downrigging Festival.  From tall ships to small boats, it really captures the spirit of the event.  Here is the link.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcCiRY_xrs

Both Harold and Anna's BELLA, above, and SPARTINA make brief appearances.  It is a true joy to take part in the event.  My thanks to the Sultana crew for letting me take part.

Merry Christmas!

day twenty-four - headed for Ditchers Cove

Wake to find the streets wet from rain and clear skies.  The front had moved through quickly.  A forecast of light winds out of the east, swinging to the south, then gusting to 20 by noon.

Cast off 7:00, no wind and glassy calm harbor.  Out of the harbor and the sun crests Eastern Neck.  7:30 a small breeze out of the east.  Sails up and motorsailing 1.3.  

8:15 more wind and out of the south.  Sailing at 2.5.  8:45 tack towards Eastern Neck, 3.1.  

9:15 tack towards Kent Island.  9:45 tack back towards Eastern Neck, making 4.5 in a building breeze.  10:15 tack.  10:35 tack toward Hail Point, wondering if I'll make it about the point.  I do make the point, slipping past it in shallow water.  

That same tack carries us across the Chester River right to the entrance marker for Queenstown Creek.  11:50 centerboard touches the bottom as I fall outside the channel.  Board up slighting and sail back into the channel.  Those forecast gusts are arriving as scheduled.

12:30 docked at Queenstown and walk a few blocks to the pizza joint that serves a nice Philly Cheesesteak.  A big sandwich, I won't need much of a dinner.

1:45 cast off from the town dock and motor up Queenstown Creek.  I pass the old farm with the stone granaries and the shoreline cut out for barges that many years ago picked up the grain.  Continuing on about a half mile to where the creek splits, bear to the left and drop the anchor in Ditchers Cove.  Surrounded by nothing but trees, their leaves turning red, orange and yellow, I put up the boom tent and enjoy the fall afternoon.

 20.47

solstice sunrise

Out before sunrise this morning with a group of sailing friends.  Wanted to greet the winter solstice in style.  Chilly, with a nice breeze out of the west.  Cold enough that I layered on thermals, a wool sweater and wore my new dry suit.  The last photo of the post is courtesy of my friend Jacqueline.

day twenty-three - Rock Hall

I visit Rock Hall almost every time I sail the Bay, and this visit is the usual list of chores, relaxing, walks along the waterfront and seeing friends.  

Breakfast with Fred and his friends at the coffee shop.  Laundry.  Charging batteries.  Packing food for the next few days.  Repacking gear.  A trip to the grocery store on a bike borrowed from the marina.

Evening I walk into The Flying Decoy to find friend Janet coaching the bartender on how to make an Old Fashioned.  Light dinner, drinks and good conversation.

Walk back to the motel in darkness.  I see my timing is good as the weather apps show a fast moving front coming through overnight.  It should be clear in the morning.

 

day twenty-two - under a crescent moon

Under a crescent moon with Venus nearby, I tuck away the sleeping gear and break down the boom tent.

6:45 under power and motoring east into the coming dawn.  I hope to make it out of Kirwan Creek and be in position for the 7:30 lift at Kent Narrows bridge.

I'm at the south approach day beacon with time to spare.  Drifting at the mouth of Marshy Creek, I top off the fuel tank.  There is a steady tide running north to south as I approach the bridge.  On channel 13 I request a 7:30 lift, and also hear three boats - two sail and one power - requesting the same lift from the north side of the bridge.  Boats going with the tide, in this case the southbound tide, have the right-of-way.  Once the opening begins, I circle off to the west side of the channel to clear the way for the southbound vessels.  Once they are through, I power through the tide and pass through the bridge opening.  

The marked channel heads north, then bends northeast and then to the northwest onto the Chester River.  Once in deep enough water, we slip out of the channel and raise sail just and the morning breeze fills in.  How nice.    

It is a steady wind out of the south.  7:50 sails up, wing and wing, making 4.3 to the north.  8:40 4.8 off Eastern Neck Island.  Easy, steady sailing on a pretty morning.  A bit of white appears in the treelike to the north, showing me the marinas in Rock Hall.  At 9:15 5.4.  Even better wind at 9:50 with Huntingfield Point to starboard.  

10:00 a little less wind and we slip through the stone jetties into the harbor.  

Round up and bring down the sails.  Steady wing and wing from Kent Narrows, I try to remember if I have ever had a run quite like that.  I don't think so.

I walk up to the marina office and get a slip for SPARTINA and a room at the Mariner's Motel for two nights.  

Sitting at a table at Waterman's for lunch, the waitress pulls out the chair opposite me and sits down like an old friend.  We talk about the weather, we talk about football.  I mention my favorite lunch, the fried oyster po'boy, is no longer on the menu.  She tells me oysters are on special and she can get a po' boy for me.  How nice!

Dinner at the Harbor Shack with friends Fred and MaryLou in the evening.  

 11.65 NM

icy rudder, frozen lines

There were icicles hanging from SPARTINA this morning.  Some lines were frozen in place.  I had to break some ice on the rudder to lower the rudder blade.  Not my usual process for getting ready to sail.

Not much in the way of wind today, but plenty of blue skies and sunshine.  At times the wind was undetectable, het there was never a time that SPARTINA stopped moving.  Something about that cold heavy air, the boat just glides slowly over the calm water.

Temperatures probably reach the low 40s, though with the sun it felt warmer than that.

Warmer weather expected over the next couple of days.  Hopefully I won't have to deal with any more ice for a while.