day four - a social distance date

A comfortable night in my private anchorage.  And then a spectacular morning.  Anchor up at 5:50 and under power on a windless morning, a crabber working a trotline from his skiff at the entrance to LaTrappe Creek.

On the Choptank River by 6:00, glassy calm but I raise them main just to see if I can catch a breeze.  I've got three things to do in Cambridge:  top off the fuel can, empty the head and have a social distance lunch with a former colleague and a friend.

I motor to Cambridge Municipal Marina and tie up at the floating dock.  After wandering around a bit I find the office and see it doesn't open until 9:00, which is fine.  I've got some cleanup to do.  But here comes Perry, apparently the dock master, an hour before the scheduled opening.  And he's asking what I needed.  

Gas and a tie-up for the day, I tell him.  $10 to use the dock and I walk with him to the fuel dock for a gallon of gas.  Perry is friendly and easy to work with, just a pleasure.  He walks back with me to the floating dock to have a look at SPARTINA, then gives me a rundown on the Cambridge restaurants within walking distance.

I walk a few blocks down High Street and make a left on Race Street to the Black Water Bakery,  taking my place in a short social distance line for some food to go.  A nice glass of iced tea and a biscuit with strawberry jam, excellent.  I enjoy the walk back to the marina in the shade of the magnolia trees in this old southern town.  Back at the dock I sit in the shade of the old lighthouse to enjoy my iced tea and catch up on emails.

Vicki, my former colleague and now an organic gardener on the Eastern Shore, shows up right on time at Snappers Waterfront Cafe and Tiki Bar.  I am tempted to go with the usual - crab cake sandwich, fries and side salad.  But I change my order to match Vicki's when she requests the Caesar Salad and mini-crab cakes.  A nice light meal that will serve me well during the forecast afternoon heat.

It's a very enjoyable meal, my second time out of my "bubble," and her first.  Afterwards she joins me for a walk back to SPARTINA as we talk about our old jobs and her new stint with the agricultural life.

Cast off the marina at 1:15 but only after telling Perry the town was so enjoyable that next time I'll spend a day and a night there.  Some wind arrives about 1:45, all sails up and making between 1.8 and 2.6.  On a starboard tack I set in the shade of the sails as the heat builds.  A shifting breeze at 2:45, then no wind at all.   Under power to LaTrappe Creek, anchor down at 4:00.  Checking the phone app I see storms on the way so I put up the tent before dinner, just in case.

11.71 NM

Good To-Go Pasta Marina with a can of tuna

added, a perfect light meal.