Wednesday, October 23, 2019

day three - back across the Bay


Up at 7:00, sail off anchor 7:30.  Dark clouds hanging low overhead, a nice east wind.  Out of Sillery Bay by 7:50, slip on foul weather pants and rubber boots before leaving the Magothy River.  The channel at river's entrance is very busy, mostly boats heading out for striper fishing.  I short tack my way through the crab pots north of the channel, making 5 kts back on Chesapeake Bay.  We get a splash from a stingray that we nearly run over.  


Baltimore channel range markers glowing to the northwest.  Crossing the channel, no ships in sight, at 9:15, 3.4 kts.  Can look up the Patapsco River to Baltimore at 9:30.  Skies grey, water grey, 5 kts.  Halfway across the bay at 9:40, eggs (blueberry Rx bar), steak (a salty, maybe too salty, stick of venison) and a banana for breakfast.  


Skies getting brighter, winds getting lighter at 10:30, 1.3 kts working against the tide.  Off Tolchester Beach just after noon.  Wind comes and goes, but still marking our way north along the Eastern Shore.  At times 1 kt, at times 3, sun peeks through the clouds at 1:15 and then disappears.  Tuna and crackers for lunch.


East wind at 1:50, 3.2 but it doesn't last.  Motorsail across the shipping lanes ahead of a tug with two barges.  Wind fills in, 3.7 off Worton Point.  Easy, relaxed sailing, wind on the beam and a post-mortem of yesterday's football games on am sports radio out of DC. 


Anchor in a little cove near Plum Point.  Well protected from the wind but I'm not sure the anchor will hold if the wind picks up.  I'm hungry so fix a dinner of spicy sausage and pasta along with a cup of fruit.  After dinner I pull on the anchor line a few times.  Gravelly bottom and I don't like the feel of it.  Anchor up and we motor around the point, anchoring near the cliffs at the mouth of Churn Creek.


Running total 83.58 NM

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