day seven - back across the Bay

There was loud music from the Tiki Grill last night.  That wasn't a problem, I fell right to sleep.  It was the load voices from the crowd on shore once the music had stopped, that's what woke me up and kept me awake.

Sail off anchor 6:55, wearing a drysuit and with two reefs tucked in the main until I can get outside on the Patuxent and see what the wind is like.

Doing 2.7 out of the anchorage, send a text to Scott thanking him for their hospitality on élan.  Slip out of Back Creek Inlet, round up, shake out the two reefs.  It is a beautiful morning!  Take the narrow channel inside the shoal right along the shoreline.

 Reach Drum Point 8:35, turn northeast on the Bay making 3.7. 

9:20 see a large ship heading from north to south on the shipping channel.  9:35 tack back to the west to keep well clear of the ship.  9:50 tack tack back towards the shipping channel.  Making 4.0 across the Bay.

11:00 lighter wind.  Water is still rough from the last few days of strong north wind.  Find that motorsailing, engine at idle power, and tacking works very well as we push through the waves.  

12:30 more wind and less waves, sailing now at a steady pace.  1:00 tack back to the northwest, 1:30 tack to the northeast.  2:00 off Oyster Cove, an eagle flying above.  2:30 waves and rough water cross the shallows just inside the Little Choptank.  

2:45 making 5.0 on the river with wind forward of the port beam.  

3:10 slip onto Brooks Creek.  3:40 anchor down Rioll Cove on a sunny and warm afternoon.

32.34 NM