day five - the weather's edge

I wake to the sound of the alarm clocks of Chesapeake Bay - the rumbling diesels of watermen heading out for the day's fishing.  One by one they come out of Jenkins Creek to the east, head in my direction and turn south into Broad Creek on their way to Pocomoke Sound.

Crisfield is in sight across the Little Annemessex River, just a downwind run away.  The sky to the east is golden.  Dark clouds and thunder hang out over Tangier Sound to the west.  I sail wing and wing at an easy 1.6 knots towards Crisfield and Somers Cove.  The thunder gets closer, a dark cloud reaches out across the river in front of Spartina.
I am in no rush to get to the ramp.  But the cool draft I feel coming from the clouds reminds me I don't want to sail through the narrow entrance of Somers Cove in the middle of a thunderstorm.  Lightning erupts ahead.  I start the outboard and drop the sails, I want to get to the dock before the the storm hits.
 

I tie up at the dock just as a wall of rain arrives.  Lighting all around, I run up to the bathhouse and hide, leaving Spartina at the dock to be washed clean by the rain.  Twenty minutes later the storm moves on. I back the trailer down and haul Spartina out of the water, then raise her sails to allow them to dry in the breeze.

That's the trip.  Wind, weather and a chance to escape the daily routine.  It was fun.

steve

for the day

distance travelled     2 nm
moving time            1 hour 10 minutes

for the trip

distance traveled       104 nautical miles
moving time               32 hours  27 minutes
moving ave                3.2 knots