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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