day nine - meeting on the water

Calm, peaceful and windless morning.  Under power at 7:05.  Watch a waterman hand-tonging for oysters out on Broad Creek.

8:10 off the Knapps Narrows entrance markers round up and bring down the mizzen, it has been set since we left Cambridge nine days ago.  8:20 hail the bridge tender and immediately hear the bells as he beings a bridge lift, we don't even have to slow down.

8:25 on Poplar Island Narrows, glassy calm waters.  9:00 of Lowe's Wharf.

Four deadrises working the clam beds.  A touch of a breeze, raise sail but just not enough wind to move the boat.  Motorsailing.

10:50 turn into the old ferry docks at Claiborne, need to get rid of some trash and empty the head.  11:00 on Eastern Bay, motorsailing.

11:40 off Tilghman Point and see a catboat ahead.  It is Chris, an online friend of a few years, in his Menger Catboat TIGGY.  We come along side of each other and meet in person for the first time.  We don't really have a plan.  Never having sailed on a catboat I suggest we anchor SPARTINA and I go for a sail with him.  And that's what we do.  

We sail out on the Miles River with a gentle breeze, Chris coaching me on catboat sailing.  We talk about our trips, we have followed each other online for a few years.  Chris, his wife and three sons have done some great trips on the 19 foot Menger.  It is good to finely meet him in person and compare notes on places we have both sailed.

After almost two hours he drops me off on SPARTINA then heads up around Tilghman Point to head south to the Choptank.  Chris has not sailed on Chesapeake Bay and wants to do some exploring before the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft festival begins in a few days.

As we say goodbye Chris surprised me with gifts of a Menger Catboat tee-shirt and a bottle of Laphroaig.  Very kind of him.  I wish him a good sail on the Bay.

Afternoon breeze, I raise full sail at 2:30 headed for Tilghman Creek.  3:45 in the creek.  Anchor down in a little cove on the east side of the creek 3:45.

 19.20 NM