where, and if

I have been asked by a few friends where I will be sailing this fall.  The short answer:  from Cambridge on the Choptank River to the top of the Bay and back.  This will be similar to the Last 294 and the Top O' the Bay cruises that I have made over the last few years.  It will be similar but not the same.  For every creek where I have anchored there are a dozen or more to be explored.  I hope to go up the Elk River past the entrance to the C and D Canal.  I might even cross over to the western side of the Bay to sail the Magothy River.  The Bohemia, Sassafras and Chester River are all on the list.  I hope to visit St. Michaels but probably not during the small craft festival.  I do hope to see a few friends along the way.

I've also been asked if I'll even be going.  The tropics are alive with storms as you can see from this screen shot of the Washington Post.  Lots of storms out there.  I will hope for the best.  Fall works in my favor as cool fronts come sliding from northwest to southeast.  Those fronts can become steering currents for the storms pushing them away from the coast out into the Atlantic.

I have a sixteen day window for sailing.  I can use it all, or start later/finish earlier if there is a threatening storm.  Worst case, and it is not a bad case at all, I can launch out of Cambridge and spend some time exploring the many creeks of the Choptank River, staying less than a day's sail from Cambridge.  Day sailing the Choptank, spending the evenings in a creek sounds pretty good.  We'll see.