day nine - downhill run

Up at 6:00.  A few late night gusts and then calm afterwards.  Sail off anchor 7:05.  Forecast calls for gusts to 25, so double-reefed main and wearing foul weather bib and boots.  Surrounded by trees in the cove it is a slow drift out onto the creek, the 3.0 down Warehouse Creek.  Ahead there is a deadrise working a trot line on Cox Creek.

7:45 on Cox Creek, round up and shake out the second reef.  8:05 shake out the first reef, making 4.2.  8:15 on Eastern Bay, doing 3.2 in choppy water.  9:00 calmer water and sailing south at 3.8 to Poplar Island Narrows.  9:00 wind filling in, making 4.9 with wind on starboard beam.  

9:50 Bloody Point, at the south end of Kent Island, to starboard, 5.2.  10:50 in the lee of Poplar Island, calmer water but still excellent wind.  Think about tucking in a reef, decide it is not needed.  

11:05 off the channel to Kent Narrows a waterman hauls up a trap filled with large blue crabs.  He raises the trap and shouts "Want some?"  I say thank you, but no.  11:50 Black Walnut Point at the south end of Tilghman Island to port.  12:10 I can see Cook Point off the port bow.  Less wind and now almost directly on the stern, making 3.6 to 4.6 depends on the waves rolling down the bay.  

1:05 turn in towards the Little Choptank.  1:30 making 3.8 with wind now on the port quarter.  at 2:10 pass green maker "5" and turn up into the wind.  

Close hauled making 5.3 and make a couple of tacks to Hudson Creek.  3:00 anchor down in tiny little cove with an old house and a cemetery nearby.  

 32.02 NM