Monday, September 23. Day 76

Last night we made the decision not to go back north to attend the SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) Annapolis Gam which I had really wanted to attend to meet cruising folks. We are to have north winds for the next few days and need to get south to try to be in a place to meet up with my parents and D and Don in Oriental, NC. So we started the engine just about sunrise and cast off the docks from our new cruising friends Bill and Arlene in Solomons, MD at 709am. It’s cold and not the full wind that we expect to get today yet. It’s predicted to be in the upper teens with gusts to the lower 20’s from the north. By 728am we were in the Patuxent River and had rolled out the head sail and turned off the engine. 10 min later we had to turn on the engine again due to low winds. Then we rolled in the head sail exiting the river as we were going up wind! By 8am we turned the corner at Hog Point and with the wind at 13-15 kts+ we rolled out the head sail again which remained out the rest of the trip until we entered the channel at the end. 827 am we turned off the engine and left it off until 239pm. Our trip today was cold and both Phil and I remained in the cockpit the entire time. The wind angle going downwind ranged from 140 to 180 degrees mostly on port tack until we jibed at Smith Point. The dinghy didn’t like being towed especially when the winds were closer to dead downwind, so we had to change the wind angle sailing about 20-30 degrees off the rhumb line. About 3pm we entered Reedville channel and went up the Great Wicomico River anchoring close to Warehouse Creek.

When we were on our first trip to the Bahamas, we met Mike & Polli in Georgetown on S/V Chinook. She was kind enough to loan me and then let me buy knitting needles so that I could make my new triplet nieces some hats to help them keep warm in the incubators. They live close to here so I gave Polli a call to see if they’re available for a visit. Turns out they were in Spring Cove Marina on Saturday and sailed home yesterday which was the same place that we were. I sad to say that they are busy today and tomorrow, so maybe next time.

As you can imagine, we are tired so I warmed up leftover chicken and rice and leftover cabbage with hotdog and potatoes. Wouldn’t you know that now that we are anchored, the sun came out!! We are taking it easy tonight blogging and Phil watching his new favorite videos of SV Seeker, a couple who are making a steel boat from 2 flat sheets of steel in which they cut and weld darts in it to shape into a boat. He is enthralled with it! Click on this link of you want to check it out too.

Today we saw for the first time pelicans! They weren’t close enough for us to take any photos but will attempt next time we see some. We also saw 5 bald eagles sitting on the sand at Patience Point this morning. Wow! Never saw that many at one time before.

Since we have the dodger and go between on this is Phil checking the jib for sail trim.

Leaning out even more to get a better look.

Lorraine trying to stay warm with the wind at her back.

Smith Point lighthouse.