day two - windless, unexpected company

Morning comes with an unexpected breeze and a hint of sunshine.  Sail off anchor 7:40.  A gentle 1.6 down Black Walnut Creek with the northwest wind.  Three deadrises working the south end of Tilghman Island, two rigged for clamming and I can't tell with the third.  8:00 pass green "1".  8:20 round Black Walnut Point and turn to the north, 3.4 with a wind that I don't expect to last.

8:45 tack out away from Tilghman Island, 9:15 another tack and blue skies.  Making a series of tacks just off the shore.  Forecast is for no wind an all so glad for what I have.  9:50 working out around a fish trap.

10:00 begin longer tacks as the wind begins to fall.  10:40 struggling with light wind, skies beginning to clear.  11:35 making 1.2, under power.

11:50 hear from Matt and Rossco on the Pathfinder TRIM.  They are coming down the Bay from Sandy Point, talking about setting a spinnaker in the light wind.  They had planned on finding a creek on the east side of Kent Island, but now are looking for an anchorage more to the south.

2:20 reach the north end of Tilghman Island, hot and windless.  Round the point to find a little breeze, 1.3 with a southwest wind.

A handful of tacks carries south and through the winding channel into Tilghman Creek.  Anchor down 3:20.

Set up the boom tent to get out of the sun.  Relax.  

5:00 TRIM arrives with Matt, Rossco and the dog Freya.  I last crossed paths with TRIM in Maine, it is good to see the crew.

A little bit of rum, a few stories and an enjoyable evening.  TRIM casts off just after the sun goes down.

 23.59 NM

day one - weather delay

Planning to leave on Sunday, a nor'easter clings to the coast from the Outer Banks to Cape Cod.  High winds and rain, not going anywhere.

With a forecast that shows the storm moving offshore quickly, get on the road Monday in the pre-dawn darkness. Half-way up the Eastern Shore, fog and misting rain.  I don't like towing, rigging and launching in the rain.  Maybe it will end by the time I get to Cambridge.  

It doesn't.  I rig at the ramp, trying to not get the gear too wet.  9:15, finally loaded, back down and put the boat in the water.

A call to the Cambridge Creek bridge gets a quick response and immediate lift, don't even need to slow down.  Tie up at the Yacht Maintenance docks, walk the few blocks back to get the truck and trailer, drive back to the yard for storage.  Drop off the keys at the office, tell them I'll be back in a month or so.

Cast off from the docks 10:00, motor down the creek.  10:10 full sail on the Choptank, rain is gone, overcast and cool. Feels good to be on the water.  Making 4.5 in the breeze, then less wind and tacking at 2.8.

10:45 pass Hambrooks Bar Beacon, slip off to the side and centerboard touches the shoal, turn back to deeper water.  11:20 tack at red "20".  11:40 tack at Howell Point.  12:00 tack at Horn Point, doing 5.0 in wind on the nose.  12:15 tack west of Martin Point/La Trappe Creek, 3.1.  

Overcast.  Looking down the Choptank can see boats coming out of the Tred Avon at Oxford.  Start thinking about where I will spend the night.  Maybe Irish Creek, or Ball Creek off of Broad Creek.  

12:35 tack at red "2".  1:55 tack at red "16", making 4.1 with a flock of seagulls feeding on baitfish, must be a school of stripers below.  12:55 tack near Chlora Point, less wind, 2.4.  Struggle with tacks to pass the point at Castle Haven, wonder if I have an opposing tide, the flood tide funneling into the narrow part of the river.  

1:45 the sun peeks through the clouds.  1:55 tack just off the shore east of Island Creek, 3.4 and the sun is gone.  2:55 tack off Bachelor Point.  Wondering if instead of using Knapp Narrows to cut above Tilghman Island, maybe I should head to Black Walnut Harbor at the south end of the island and round it tomorrow morning.

3:25 less wind, bigger chop, motor sailing towards Black Walnut Harbor.  4:55 pick out the entrance channel markers for the tiny harbor.  A little breeze and less chop, sailing again.  

5:10 tacking up the narrow channel.  5:30 anchor down.  Set up the boom tent.  Good to be back on the water.  Evening, skies being to clear.

 25.96 NM

a few photos

Just now starting to sort through the photographs.  Hope to begin posting the daily log next week.  Great trip all around!

 

done and done

Back home just now.  Fall cruise on Chesapeake Bay is done, as is the Sultana Downrigging Festival.  Both were very enjoyable experiences.

I received the photo at the top from long-time friend and great photographer Jack Carpenter.  He shot this as I sailed to Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Parade of Sail.  Jack tells me he shot it with roughly an 800 mm lens while crouching low to the water at the dock, which emphasizes the Pathfinder's beautiful lines.  Thanks, Jack.

Now, lots of unpacking and cleaning gear.

day twenty-eight, done

Arrived in Chestertown this morning, a cold, crisp and clear morning without wind. I motored from Southeast Creek, arriving in time for a pastry and iced tea at Evergrain Bakery.  

These photos are from yesterday, an eight-hour sail - the first half against wind and tide - up the narrow Chester River.  It was an enjoyable day, tacking under deep blue skies.  The afternoon was playing the light breezes that came and went, and I had no complaints about the flood tide that helped along the way.  

People ask how can I spend so much time on a little boat? With days like yesterday, how could I not?

 

Queenstown Creek

A favorite anchorage.

 

blue

 

crossing the Bay

The calmest of evenings yesterday on Forked Creek off the Magothy River, followed by a bouncy crossing of the Bay this morning with wind on the stern and waves rolling up on the beam   Now is Rock Hall for laundry, etc and to wait out some weather.

All of the above follow a couple great days in Baltimore as the tall ships gathered for The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.  

Should be sailing on Sunday with plans to enjoy the Chester River for a week or so.

Baltimore by night

 

a little bit of everything

Twelve days into the fall sail on Chesapeake Bay and I am just now able to sort the apple phone/google sign-in issues and make a post. 

First of all, thanks to friend Matto for the photo above, taken I think just after dawn on Tilghman Creek.  SPARTINA and Matto’s TRIM had a pleasant raft-up there, including Matto’s friend Rossco.

The trip has had a little bit of everything.  Rain and sun, great wind, good friends in St. Michaels.  I’ve stayed mostly on pretty little creeks, most often by myself but at times with a few neighbors.   

Fall is in there air, easily noticed because of cool nights, flocks of geese and changing of the leaves in the trees along shore.

I am in Fredericktown on the Sassafras River right now, maybe heading south tomorrow and then over to the western shore of the Bay.   Will have to see which way the winds are blowing.