Wake to a clear and cold morning. Forecast for small craft warnings prove to be incorrect. Not a breath of wind. 7:55 under power down Queenstown Creek. Break out a chemical hand warmer pouch, put on gloves.
8:10 leaving Q'town Creek, wind beginning to ruffle the surface of the Chester River. Warm sun feels good. 8:20 shake out the two reefs in the main from yesterday's sail, raise main and jib in a light breeze.
Making 2.3 under a cloudless sky. 8:50 better wind. 9:10 3.8. 10:00 wind falls off, slow drifting on the Chester. 10:30 under power.
11:15 in the entrance channel to Lankford Creek. No wind but trying to sail anyway. Making 1.0 with Drum Point to the west. Then 0.9, then 0.7. I don't mind, gentle sailing on a pretty day.
11:45 wind on the stern, making 2.0 as the day gets warmer and warmer. 12:00 head into the East Fork, light wind sailing past the tree-lined shores of farms. 1:10 shifting, swirling winds near Orchard Point, 0.5 kts. Wind comes and goes. 2:00 tacking back towards Cacaway Island. 2:25 wind dies, under power. 3:00 anchor down Davis Creek. Put up the boom tent, take a nap in the shade.
Morning comes without the forecast 30 mph gusts. What happened with that? Decide to take my time before leaving Rock Hall. Walk into town to the coffee shop. Find Fred there getting together with his friends, a regular event for them. I ask if they will solve the world's problems this morning. He says no, maybe just cause a few more...
Wind begins to fill in at 9:00. Leave the marina then tie up at the seawall to offload trash and empty the head. Sail off the seawall under mizzen and jib with a straight shot downwind to the harbor entrance. Jibe at marker "10" and outside the rock jetties at 9:40.
More wind and feeling the waves rolling around Swan Point from Chesapeake Bay. Choose to stay under mizzen and jib to get the feel of the front rolling through. Waves aft of the starboard beam, bumpy ride.
10:00 raise the double reefed main. 4.0 then watch the gps going back and forth from 3.9 to 4.8 depending on the waves.
10:30 gps shows 6.5 sliding down a wave. 10:45 feels like less wind, still plenty of waves. Jibe in towards Eastern Neck approaching Hail Point at 11:25. Calmer, wing and wing dong 4.3 over the shallows.
11:40 a series of stronger gusts. 11:50 off Hail Point, think about heading up into the cove there but it is shallow and rough, decide to head back to Queenstown. Round up and bring down the double reefed main, under mizzen and jib again. 12:15 in the channel to Queenstown Creek, jibe and turn towards the town dock.
Sail south on creek, round up off the town dock and bring down the jib.
Tied up Queenstown 12:30, time for lunch.
I walk a couple of blocks into the town to my favorite pizza place. I get the cheese steak and fries that I had missed out on my earlier visit to Queenstown. Excellent, but don't tell my doctor.
Cast off from the town dock and motor north on the creek. Anchor down Ditchers Cove 2:20.
Awake early on Reed Creek, hoping for wind. Forecast promises a southerly wind today, perfect for a sail up to Rock Hall.
7:10 anchor up and under power, I motor over to take a closer look at the Skipjack IDA MAY. Beautiful boat.
With Hail Point off the starboard bow, the wind begins to fill in. 8:35 round up to raise full sail. Making 2.5 around the point. 9:30 off Wickes Beach, turn downwind with the Rock Hall water tower visible to the north, making 2.9. 9:55 centerboard touches bottom, tack out from shore.
10:25 sailing wing and wing at 3.0, steady relaxing sailing. On the radio I hear something I should have known but it just didn't register, there has been no rain for almost four weeks now.
Approaching the entrance channel to Rock Hall, with Deadman Point to the east, round up and bring down main and jib 11:45. Tied up at the marina with a room booked at the Mariner's Motel.
Either staying at the marina gets me a discount at the hotel, or maybe the other way around, it is a good deal at the nice little fisherman's motel. Salad for lunch at Waterman's, then a bike ride to the grocery store, followed by laundry in the afternoon.
Fred and MaryLou, friends of many years now, come by in the evening and pick me up for dinner at their yacht club. A nice evening on the patio looking out over the Chester River. How nice.
I wake in darkness, wondering where I am. Rolling over it is clear that I am in a sleeping back, and that means I am on the boat. I find myself wondering where the boat might be. A brief moment then it comes to me. Ditchers Cove, that's where I am.
7:50 sails up and under power on calm Queenstown Creek. Cold and clear, fall leaves brilliant in the morning sun. Just a tease of a south wind.
8:20 leaving Queenstown Creek and I can see ruffled waters out on the Chester River. A single deadrise works a trot line.
The forecast is for light wind and proves to be all too accurate. Under power on the Chester. Put out a trolling line. The river is quiet, no wind, no birds feeding, no hits on the lure.
10:20 a patch of wind off Reed Creek. 10:50 sailing at 2.0 and tacking slowly up the river. 10:20 tack at green marker "1" off Grays Inn Landing. Wind fills in across the Chester River, light but steady. 12:30 3.1.
1:20 tack towards Corsica River entrance. 1:40 turn towards Reed Creek. Finally some decent wind and make a series of short tacks towards Gordon Point. 2:35 short tacking into Reed Creek. Surprised to find the Skipjack IDA MAY tied up to a pier at a farm. 3:15 anchor down near the tree-lined shore on the southern edge of Reed Creek.
Morning comes with an invitation to visit friends on the farm. How nice. I sleep in. After tucking away the sleeping gear, I straighten up the boat, relax and read.
The trees around the cove are alive with the sound of birds. I open an app to identify the birds. In seconds the page is populated with a list of avian calls.
Mid-morning I motor to the dock on the old farm.
It's a pleasant morning with friends, sunny and warm, croissants and tea.
And a walking tour of the farm.
I cast off and motor to the town dock in Queenstown, looking forward to lunch at the local pizza joint. I find it is closed, having forgotten that it is a Monday. Instead I walk up to the highway for a gas station sandwich, fries and a cold drink. Not a great lunch, but what can I expect from a gas station.
Windless as I can off. Passing the mouth of Queenstown Creek I see the Chester River is glass calm. I motor back to Ditchers Cove, put out the anchor and set up the boom tent for shade. It is an enjoyable afternoon.
Sunrise comes with a fog that creeps across Shaw Bay. It is a light, low-hanging fog that hovers on the eastern shore, then moves towards SPARTINA and completely surrounds us.
Blue skies above, the fog envelopes Bruffs Island. We motor around the dark shape of the land. Clears skies on the far side.
On the Miles River at 8:10 with glassy calm water. Under power. 8:40 see a wind line to the west. Parsons Island ahead off the port bow. 9:00 the lightest of breezes, stay under power.
9:40 near Kent Narrow, radio the bridge tender for 10:00 a.m. lift, as does a large ketch nearby. Three catboats coming up from behind. Moving up against the opposing tide I tell the ketch I will follow them through on the lift. They don't realize the lift has already begun and it happens quickly. They turn away from the bridge and end up in the wrong position, so I just go through first.
10:20 out of the Narrows and sails up in light winds on the Chester River. Making a slow drift towards Hail Point. Not a could in the sky, the water reflecting the blue above. Beautiful, but windless. Wake from power boats make for an uncomfortable drift.
12:50 jibe at Hail Point towards Queenstown. 1:45 motorsailing. Outside of Queenstown Creek round up and bring down the main and jib.
Motor into the creek and turn to port.
Follow the creek north. Anchor down Ditchers Cove 2:30, one of my favorite anchorages on the Bay.
7:55 cast off from Knapps Narrows Marine. Clear skies, cool, light north wind. 8:00 sails up on Poplar Island Narrows, spotty wind, under power.
8:30 sails up in a light breeze, making 1.9. 8:55 motorsailing. A deadrise passes by, collecting pots as the crabbing season ends, friendly wave from the captain and crew. 9:40 sailing, cast to some feeding fish but no luck.
10:55 tacking north at 3.5. 11:45 less wind and under power. I am surprised by a text message from friends Harold and Anna. They are driving up Tilghman Island and through the trees catch a glimpse of a Pathfinder on the water. They wonder if it is me. Small world, again.
1:40 Tilghman Point, hinds of wind on the Miles River. Try to sail but the wind fails. 2:20 motorsailing across the shoal at the Wye River entrain.
Finally a little wind on the Wye, making 3.4 for the last little bit of the days' sail.
Morning comes with a fine breakfast of eggs and toast courtesy Michael and Sheila. They are soon off to run some important errands, and I am more than happy to clean up the galley as they leave. It is the least I could do for all their hospitality.
Cast off 9:30. Sails up with a double reefed main at 9:45. Chilly with a brisk northwest wind.
9:55 on the Tred Avon River, making 4.3.
I get a text from Caden with a video of SPARTINA on the river, he must have spotted us from somewhere on the Oxford waterfront. I thank him. Shake out the second reef.
11:00 passing Benoni Point. I look at the little marsh at the point and think about the shelter it gave me just a few days earlier in the vicious wind and waves.
The wind is good and strong, sailing close hauled and I begin tacking towards Nelson Point at the mouth of Broad Creek.
With wind over the starboard bow I am surprised by a splash of water coming from the port sides. I glance left to see it came from a small school of dolphin swimming alongside SPARTINA.
12:00 I can pick out the channel markers for Knapp Narrows. It has been nearly three weeks since I passed the the narrows at the start of the cruise, somehow it seems much longer than that.
12:50 calmer water near Tilghman Island. Making 4.1 to the entrance channel. 1:10 sails down and under power. I call the bridge tender and get a lift without even having to slow down. 1:25 docked at Knapp's Narrows Marina and Inn. Splurge a big and get a room for the night.
14.27 NM
So it is the usual, as with any stay on the waterfront. Clean up, shower and shave. Catch up on the log. Charge batteries.
Also time to pack some breakfast and lunches for the coming days.
Day twenty comes with strong north winds and I don't feel like beating into the waves all day. I give up my room but keep the slip, I'll sleep on SPARTINA and be ready to go the next morning.
I get a message from Michael and Sheila, I had left a small mesh bag on their boat. I tell them if they can use it, keep it. If not, then just toss it. They respond there will be no tossing of anything and suggest they bring it to me at Tilghman Island.
They claim they have always wanted to visit the island, and bringing me the little bag is no problem. So they make the drive and arrive just in time for a lunch of sandwiches at Tilghman Island Country Store. And then we take a tour of the island, from Black Walnut Point to Dogwood Harbor with the fleet of deadrises and skipjacks. It is good to see Michael and Sheila again.
Evening, a sandwich and a beer from the country store on the patio of the now closed Marker 5. A good forecast for tomorrow.
