days four to seven - sailing into MASCF

With lights glowing in the darkness, a waterman makes close passes by SPARTINA and a cruising catamaran anchored nearby.  I can't tell if he is curious, or if he is sending a message that we are anchored in his territory.  

6:35 sail off anchor with a reef tucked in the main.  Don't really need the reef, but wanted to see how the new sails work with it tucked in.  Round up and adjust the halyards to get a better set.  

7:05 leaving Leeds Creek, 3.1 and then 5.0 out of the wind shadow of the trees on shore.  A fast crossing of the Miles River as the ENE wind builds.   In no time at all, bringing down the sails in Fogg Cove.  7:45 dock at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

I am surprised to find a handful of small boats at the docks.  Seems like the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is getting off to an (unofficial) early start.

Good to see some old friends, good to see some nice boats.  I spent the next few days wandering around the waterfront.  There is breakfast at The Blue Crab or The Blue Heron, take your pick.  Boats coming and going.  Various races and other contests, which I don't take part in.  An unexpected reception at the shipyard, with plenty of food for dinner and seemingly unending samples from a local rum distillery.  Enjoyable days, often ending with a visit to JoJo's ice cream shop.  How nice!

 

wood

Out for an afternoon sail I had the pleasure of watching the MERU come into the anchorage at Craford Bay.  Just beautiful.

 

day three - up and around to the Miles River

Before dawn, rumbling diesels and flashes of light on the boom tent.  Watermen shining their spotlights on SPARTINA as they head out of Balls Creek.

Sail off anchor 6:35, northeast wind and gps shows 1.8 heading out of the creek.  Overcast.  2.7 leaving the creek.  6:50 on Broad Creek, making 4.3 now that we are out of the wind shadow.  7:05 jibe at Nelson Island Shoal, passing by a deadrise rigged for clamming.  Making 4.9 towards Tilghman Island, then less speed in the wind shadow of Nelson Point.

Out on the Choptank 7:35, making 4.2 and there is a hint of clearing skies.  7:45 approaching Tilghman Island, two deadrises working trot lines, a wave from a woman on the one called CHARLIE'S ANGEL.

8:00 sails down and in the channel at Knapp Narrows.  A call to the bridge tender and don't even have to slow down as I hear the bells ringing for a bridge lift.  Through the Narrows at 8:10, out of the channel on the western side and sails up at 8:20.  Making 4.0 into the wind.

Steady tacking north on Poplar Island Narrows at 9:10.  On a port tack at 9:50 making 4.0.  Light overcast, steady wind.  I can see one other sailboat near Bloody Point, two deadrises working clams.  Begin a series of tacks, first at 30 minutes, then at 20 and then 15 as we leave Poplar Island to the stern.  11:35 tack, 11:50 tack, 12:05 tack, making 4.5. Good tack toward Claiborne, 3.8 to 4.3.  

12:55 tack at green "1CC" marker just off Clairborne.  Can feel the tied turning against us on Eastern Bay.    2:10 round Tilghman Point.

2:15 fall off the wind on the Miles River.  Making 2.8 wing and wing.  3:20 Deepwater Point, 3.6 and an eagle perched on red marker "14".  3:20 jibe to port to enter Leeds Creek.  Plenty of wind and easy tacking up the creek.  4:30 anchor down in a little cove on the south side of the creek.

 34 NM

day two - not going far

A leisurely morning with friends on Snug Harbor.  Hot tea and breakfast, and a chance to change out the batteries on my SPOT device which had quit halfway through yesterday's sail.  Not going far today, just want to get in positions to cut through Knapp Narrows to morrow and head north to the Miles River.

Cast off 11:50, northeast wind and light overcast, 1.4 out of Snug Harbor.  Trippe Creek at noon, 3.2 out of the wind shadow.  12:40 off Pecks Point, 3.0.  Wind fills in, 4.0 at red marker "4" with a helping ebb tide.  1:00 off Oxford and the wind falls off.  Motorsailing, warm and muggy.  1:45 round the marsh grass at Benoni Point, wind on the starboard beam now, 2.2.  

2:15 drifting on the glassy Choptank River, hoping for some wind but I'm in no rush.  2:46 making 1.6 with Black Walnut Point at the southern end of Tilghman Island to the west.  3:00 no longer even a hope for wind, under power.  3:30 crossing the wide mouth of Broad Creek with a sprinkling rain.  3:55 follow the dogleg channel into Balls Creek, more rain.  4:05 anchor down.

Evening, the beautiful powerboat SHARIMP, wooden and with a classic design, passes by.  Soon the boat is back near SPARTINA with an apology for the wake they had created.  No apologies needed, I tell the kind couple on board.  I thank them for stopping by and wish them a good evening.

 9.75 NMN

day one - start and stop

As I radio for an opening of the Cambridge Creek Bridge, I wonder about the people living in the condos right next door.  The bridge tender tells me to keep on coming as the traffic bell goes DING DING DING and let's everyone know I am on my way down the creek.  With openings from well before dawn to after dark, the residents must be used to it by now.   

Just outside the creek I see the SULTANA.  I smile knowing that I will be sailing alongside her in a little over a month at the Downrigging Festival in Chestertown.

Blue skies and a north wind, I tweak the outhaul on my brand new mainsail.  I am pleased with the sail's shape but know I will be making adjustments for a while.

This is the first main I have had with tell tales on the leech.  I try to adjust the sail to get them flowing aft.  Not having any success, I choose to ignore the tell tales and adjust the sail by feel.  When I look up at the red ribbons, I see them streaming perfectly.  I smile.  Making 2.2.

11:00 less wind, 1.1.  11:15 motorsailing.  11:20 wind returns, 3.6, then fails.  The wind returns, now out of the west, tacking down the Choptank.  Making 3.6 to Howell Point.  12:15 making 4.0 off LaTrappe Creek.  12:30 tack, 4.6.  12:50 tack, 4.1 to 5.4 in building wind.  1:15 off Island Creek, 4.7 and feeling very pleased with the sails.  1:40 Bachelor Point, making 4.2 until the wind falls off just past the yacht club.  

1:40 Bachelor Point, making 4.2 until the wind fails off just past the boat yard.  2:10 wind fills in over the port quarter.  It is early afternoon and I could easily make Tilghman Island.  Instead we fall off to the Tred Avon River.   I have friends to see.   2:30 turn to starboard onto Trippe Creek.  Looking to port I see Snug Harbor and a beautiful white ketch tied to a dock.  Soon Michael is putting out fenders so I can raft up to the ketch.  

I spend the afternoon with my cruising friends Michael and Sheila, then get an invite up to the house for a dinner of melon soup, roast chicken and squash.  How nice!

15.15 NM

a few video clips

Here are a few video clips from the Chesapeake Bay sail.  Top video shows the hardest sailing of the trip, single reefed, tacking into the wind from the Little Choptank to Black Walnut Harbor at the south end of Tilghman Island.

This was a nice downwind run from Kent Island to Rock Hall, one of the few days when the wind was moderate and out of the south.

And here is a pretty morning at Ditchers Cove, a favorite anchorage on Queenstown Creek.

 

photos from the internet

Friends have been sending me photos that they have found on the internet from the Downrigging Festival.  The one above is credited to Chesapeake Bay Deadrise Marine Photography.  I do not know this person.   

The second photo is from Paul Hanley.  There is Paul Below with a print of a photograph of SPARTINA that he shot at last year's event.  I enjoy these photographs.  In fact Paul gave me a print of the one he is holding, it will soon be framed and hanging on the wall.  

My thanks to the photographers that captured SPARTINA on the water, and to the folks who forwarded them to me.

 

Chesapeake 2025 track

Here is the track from the October sail on Chesapeake Bay.  If compared with other Chesapeake Bay tracks, it will show that I did not go as far south nor as far north on the Bay as I usually do.  Strong north winds dominated the month, with a nor'easter late in the second week.  Good, challenging sailing.  The boat held up well and I am very pleased with the new sails.  Still sorting and cleaning gear, and I will be doing that for a few more days.

 

a few photographs

Back home again.  Began with the Small Craft Festival in St. Michaels, ended with the Downrigging Festival in Chestertown.  Plus a few weeks in between for sailing Chesapeake Bay.   One of my morning challenging trips, the almost constant north winds made for some rough sailing.  The boat, with new sails, handled it just fine.  This was also a very social trip, saw a bunch of friends along the way.  

Hope to start the daily logs in about a week.