Sail off anchor 7:05 with a reefed main and under a low overcast with rain and fog. Very choppy and rough in the early morning hours. I had thought I had picked a good anchorage protected from the wind. Maybe it was wind against tide, the boat shaking back and forth in the darkness. Shake out the reef at 7:30. A soggy Banana walnut Rx bar, buffalo bar and cup of peaches for breakfast.
Swells on the starboard beam, a rough ride across the mouth of the Choptank. Flocks of seagulls feeding on schools of baitfish, a sign of school stripers below. Too far away for a cast. Cracks of blue in the clouds and the sun feels good.
8:35 clouds from across the Bay slide to the Eastern Shore, dark with hints of rain. And then just plain rain. Off Blackwalnut Point at 8:45. No wind and under power at 9:15. I cut the power and try to sail, the gps shows the tide carrying us backwards.
No wind and an opposing tide, not going anywhere fast. And on top of that I need to top off the fuel tank. Knapp's Narrows, just a few miles away, could solve all my problems. An unexpected north wind and we sail to the entrance markers.
Main and jib down at 9:30. In the channel at 9:40. Docked at the marina 10:30.
A great burger with Old Bay fries for lunch. 10.41 NM for the day.
I was following your track from before you even upped anchor that day, and was certain you'd be heading for Cambridge and home. But as you got further and further off Cook Pt, I realized you weren't just trying to clear the shoals off Todd and was quite happy to say "He's headed North, the adventure continues!" Glad you got in so many good days.....
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