day four - a short sail to St. Michaels

Wake the diesel of a deadrise, the rocking of the boat as the waterman passes nearby acts as a snooze alert.  Sail off anchor at 6:50, a touch of gold mixed in with the overcast.

0.5 in the cove, making 2.1 as we slip onto Leeds Creek.  A little better wind out on the Miles, sailing downwind to St. Michaels.  

Approaching the docks I see friends Harold and Anna checking out the slips.  It is only Wednesday and the small craft festival is still a couple of days away.

A breakfast muffin at the Blue Crab, then back to the docks to clean up SPARTINA.  

Boats begin to trickle in.  I see Steve arrive on SKEENA midday.  He comments about my early departure.  "Didn't the deadrise wake you?"  He smiles and says no.

The day ends with dinner out with longtime friend Kristen, then a Dark n' Stormy while watching another (losing) playoff game.

 2.11 NM

day three - runner in scoring position

Morning comes with a light rain and strong winds.  The forecast hints of heavy rain later in the day.  No problem, I don't have far to go.  I stay dry and comfortable under the boom tent.  Hot chocolate with breakfast.  Read and relax.

1:25 the rain seems to be gone.  Heavy overcast, breezy but not too bad.  Anchor up.  Full sail out of the creek, passing the "1TC" marker with where two eagles are perched.  

Fall off the wind, 5.4 with wind on the beam.  Hints of blue skies mixed in with dark clouds.   

2:20 Deepwater Point to starboard and the Miles River narrows.  Wind falls, comes back quickly. 

2:30 Fairview Point to port.  I know the shoal extends a couple of hundred yards south of Leeds Creek.  It takes a moment to pick out the channel entrance markers to the south.  Once I reach the marker we turn back up into the wind for a series of tack on Leeds Creek.  Easy and fun sailing on the calm water.  We tuck into the first little cove to port, anchor down 2:55.

I tack a nap, relax under the boom tent.  With the AM radio I listen to a late afternoon playoff game with the Kansas City Royals.  Just after 6:00 the O's have a runner in scoring position and I'm listening intently to the game, the announcers adding to the excitement and the crowd roaring in the background.  And suddenly my eye catches a movement outside the book tent.  I lean back, look outside and see friend Steve with his beautiful Core Sound MK III SKEENA.  He says "What are you doing?  I've been shouting at you for five minutes!"  I laugh, tell him I'm listening to a ball game.  It is good to see him.  We talk for a minute, then he drops back in the cove to anchor.

The O's don't score and it is another loss to the Royals.

 5.9 NM

day two - up to the Miles River

Sail off anchor at 8:05.  Overcast, some fog and a misting rain.  The severe weather forecast for overnight never showed.  I wear the drysuit, and there is enough wind to tuck a single reef into the main.  I am surprised I did not hear any deadrises at dawn, to me they are the Bay's alarm clock and I convince myself that is why I overslept.  

8:20 out of Balls Creek, making 5.3 and we turn downwind.  8:30 rounding Nelson Island Shoal, dolphins swimming nearby.  8:35 jibe towards Knapps Narrows entrance.  Doing 4.3 to Tilghman Island with less wind than I expected.  9:30 sails down and motoring through the narrows.  I radio the bridge tender to request an opening.  He tells me to standby, there is an ambulance on the island and he can't do a lift until it leaves the island.  It is only a couple of minutes before he tells me he can make the lift.  Through the bridge at 9:35.

Out of the channel and on to Poplar Island Narrows, full sail at 9:50.  Tacking north into the wind, 4.4.

10:15  rain.  10:45 light wind.  12:00 making 3.3 towards Bloody Point at the south end of Kent Island.  Tack back to the east at 1:00, crossing the mouth of Eastern Bay.  2:20 tack again, can't decide if I want to anchor in Warehouse Creek on Kent Island or Tilghman Creek on Tilghman Island.  

Light winds make the decision for me.  Motorsailing to round Tilghman Point.  3:50 a light rain falling.  4:05 round Tilghman Point.  4:30 follow the narrow channel into Tilghman Creek.  4:55 anchor down.

28.61 NM

day one - breakfast with friends

On the road with SPARTINA in tow at 3:15.  At the ramp in Cambridge at 6:45.  Rigged at 7:45.  Gear and food loaded, launched at 8:45.  And then breakfast with Michael and Sheila, world cruising friends who are visiting Chesapeake Bay.  How nice.  It is a fun breakfast where we talk about all the times we have crossed paths over the years.  A few photos and then goodbye at 10:45, with plans to meet later.

Sails up on the Choptank 10:55.  Making 2.6 under a heavy overcast, a light haze hanging over the river.  A surprisingly warm northeast wind.  11:15 tacking towards Hambrooks Bar marker.  11:45 round the day beacon, fall off and doing 3.5.  Noon making 4.2 near Howell Point with Chlora Point ahead.  

Better wind and choppy water crossing the mouth of the Tred Avon at 1:25, making 4.7.  Past the river and in calmer water in the lee of Benoni Point.  A lighter overcast and patches of blue sky above.  2:20 I get an alert for overnight thunderstorms.  2:30 entering Broad Creek.  

My intended anchorage is Steve's Cove but I wonder if that will be too exposed to the forecast storms.  Decide to try Balls Creek instead.  

2:50 follow the winding channel markers into the creek.  Anchor down 3:10 where the creek splits to the north and the west.

 15.81 NM

from the Downrigging Festival

 A nice photo of SPARTINA at the Sultana Downrigging Instagram page.  I think it was shot by my friend of many years Michael Wooten.  It was, as you can see, a windless morning.  That's ok, the wind filled in a bit later. On board is my friend Matt, who also owns a Pathfinder.

a few photographs

 

fall 2024 track

Here is the track from the fall sail, from September 29 to October 27, then a few more days in Chestertown for the excellent Sultana Downrigging and Bluegrass Festival.  Hope to start the logs in a couple of days.