forecasting for plan "B"

Looking at the weather a week out it appears we'll be sailing plan "b," a walkabout on Tangier Sound and up the bayside of the eastern shore.  Not enough wind to make the outside sail down the seaside.  Fine with me.  I had a great sail in that area a couple of years ago on the Bay Days 220.  This trip should reach a little farther north and also explore back on the Choptank and Little Choptank.

All the photographs in this post came from the Bay Days trip, which was noticeable for its wind - both a lot or a little - and for eight days of sunshine, not a drop of rain.  That lack of rain sounds like a good thing, but I also remember Spartina being covered with a good layer of salt after five or six days.  I also remember being anchored behind an island on the Little Choptank, eagles perched in the trees above while I cooked a fresh caught bluefish on the grill.  

There was some good sailing, fishing and reading on that trip, in fact it will always be one of my favorites.

I've pack all my food, the first day's lunch and snacks are already in the lunch box.  The battery count is good, I've still got to charge my rechargeable batteries.  Pencils are sharpened for the waterproof notebook.  Clothes are packed and so are the storage areas under the cockpit seats - fishing gear, batteries, flares, cleaning gear and toilet supplies.  All of it will be rechecked next week before we leave town.

In the meantime, the forecast looks excellent for a daysail on Friday.