Cast off from the marina at 7:05 in a sprinkling rain. There's a steady south wind. Out of the channel and full sail at 7:20, raising sails while bouncing in rough swells coming up the Bay. Making 3.8 wing and wing up Poplar Island Narrows.
At 7:50 the sun breaks through the clouds, 3.6 in calmer water. Two clammers working the narrows. Blue skies at 8:20 and beautiful sailing. Off Claiborne, the old ferry port, at 9:25, 4.3, then more wind, 5.3.
On Eastern Bay at 9:50, 4.2 with a following wind and helping tide. Schools of menhaden rippling the surface of the water with flashes of copper and silver.
Tilghman Point to the east at 10:00. Confused water where the Miles River meets Eastern Bay, speed down to 3.4 in the chop. It always seems a little choppy where those two bodies of water meet.
In Prospect Bay I round up into the wind and bring down all three sails. There is an 11:30 bridge lift going on, I can see the bridge raised and can hear the Kent Narrows bridge tender talking on channel 13 with the boats coming through. Bundling the mainsail I look to the west and see three nice catboats headed south in the channel. I wave but they don't see me.
In position just south of the bridge, holding in the northbound current, when I radio the bridge tender requesting a noon lift. About a 10 minute wait before I hear the bells and sirens. As I pass under the span I radio the bridge tender to say "thank you." From his perch above he compliments SPARTINA, saying she looks like a real classic.
Out of the channel on the north side of Kent Narrows at 12:15, full sail with wind just forward of beam, 6.8 kts towards Queenstown Creek. Sails down at creek entrance channel 1:00.
Inside the creek I motor to the south then turn to port and tie up at the town dock. I walk a few blocks to my favorite pizza shop - looking forward to the Bay's best Philly cheesesteak - only to find it closed for the day. Back on SPARTINA we head north up the creek to Ditchers Cove, a favorite anchorage. Lunch and then an afternoon nap, waking in time to motor to a dock and visit some friends on a nearby farm.
28.36 NM for the day.
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