6:55, sails up before the sun on a pretty morning. The sand spit at the north end of the creek is easily visible as we skirt it out on to Daugherty Creek. 7:00 jibe to Tangier Sound.
Navionics shows a course of 320 degrees to Hooper Island Strait. Out on Tangier Sound 7:30 making 5.1 with wind over the port quarter. 7:50 tuck in a reef, 5.7 in building wind. 8:35 tuck in second reef. Much more comfortable.
Deal Island to starboard, making 5.5. Trees on the horizon to the north, maybe Bishops Head. 8:50 see a tug and barge to the north, make a point of keeping an eye on them. It takes a few minutes to conclude they are anchored.
9:20 Bloodsworth Island to port, 4.9. 10:15 enter Hooper Island Strait, rougher water as waves roll up Chesapeake Bay. 10:45 off the south end of Lower Hooper Island, 4.3 in choppy water. Less wind and waves than I had expected.
11:15 shake out the second reef. 11:25 shake out the first reef, full sail. 12:20 wind fades to a light breeze, motorsailing.
With lighter wind on the stern rig up an extension for the main sheet so I can put the main right up against the shroud when headed downwind. Seems to work well.
1:10 off Barren Island and the wind returns. 3.2 wing and wing. 2:00 with a helping tide, make 3.6.
Stronger wind and making 4.8 at 3:10. That main sheet extension lets me expose more of the sail to the wind.
4:00, doing 6.6 sailing down building waves approaching Oyster Cove. Jibe into the Little Choptank as we get a few stronger guests. 4:20 bring down the main, sailing under mizzen and jib.
5:15 in Hudson Creek, my anchorage from just a few days ago. I pass by a larger boat and they tell me they are stuck on a shoal. I tell them I don't know what I can do, but I'm willing to help. The sailor asks if I would kedge out a large anchor so they can pull themselves off the shoal. I do, and with a wave they let me know they are free. Anchor down in the little cove near the cemetery 5:45.
45.23 NM
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