Home - TripSailor - Cool Breeze does the Chesapeake / 5-29-08
Cool Breeze does the Chesapeake / 5-29-08
Posted 4 months, 13 days ago
Cool Breeze does the Chesapeake / 5-29-08
We got a bit of a later start than we’d planned because we had to buy fuel, and just as we were ready to pull out of our slip, another boat pulled up to the fuel dock. Thankfully, that boat didn’t take long and the Coast Guard inflatable that came after it quickly filled up with gasoline. So, after taking on fuel (wow! almost 10 gallons), we left Crisfield behind and headed back into Tangiers Sound going north. Then we turned to port to pass the northern end of Smith Island, which is a designated nature preserve of mostly marshes. We passed Solomon’s Light, which is a long way from Solomon’s Island, but who knows why things get their names. We spied a large tanker in the channel, and because of our previous experience, Bill slowed the motor to let the ship get passed. It seemed to be going very, very slowly, and it was only when we saw a sailboat overtake it that we realized it must have been anchored. Bill upped the speed in the channel which was shallow, down to 7 feet at one point with plenty of crab pots to dodge, but after several hours we made it back into the Bay proper and once again turned to the north. The morning hours brought calm seas and light winds from the northeast, but later into the afternoon, the wind began to clock to the south. The winds were still light and seas less than a foot, but we shut off the motor and sailed wing and wing for an hour or so, enjoying the non-stressful sail. Bill had a preventer on the main so we weren’t worried about a sudden jibe since the wind had a tendency to shift on us. Before we knew it (and, of course, we should have expected it), the wind picked up. We went from 3-5 knots of wind and 1 foot seas to 20 knots and 4 foot seas in 5 minutes or less. However, the conditions were so much better than Monday, we took it in stride. We reached the turn into Solomon’s Island and then proceeded to haul in the head sail and then take down the main once we got a little further into the Patuxent River. A Navy jet was screaming overhead as we guessed it was practicing landings at the Naval Base on the south side of the river. It must have circled around 5 or 6 times, leaving our ears ringing. I took a couple of pictures, but it was moving so fast, I couldn’t get a sharp focus. It seemed really low and we could see the flame of the jets. We slowly made our way into Mill Creek into our intended anchorage in Spring Cove. As we approached the anchorage we got a call on the VHF from friends on the Pao Hauna which we’d last seen in Alligator Marina. We said we were headed to Spring Cove to anchor. Well, there is a Spring Cove Marina on Back Creek where we intend to spend a Saturday night, but our friends thought we’d made a wrong turn and they were telling us to turn around. It was after several transmissions that we finally got it straightened out, but sometimes it gets confusing when you’re trying to find the designated spot. They apologized after we’d anchored when Bill called them back, but they were trying to be helpful. Our anchorage is in the midst of many houses and docks, but is an adequate one. The most special thing that happened as we were sitting in the cockpit was the arrival of a beautiful swan, surfing his (?) way into the cove. We saw a swan on our way back from Smith Island yesterday, but this was a real treat. Soon, another swan appeared with flapping wings that sound so loud. The swans greeted one another – what a treat to see! After consulting our bird book we discovered they are mute swans as they only make guttural sounds. Then we noticed an osprey nest in trees close to the cove. Seeing all this wildlife is a true pleasure on this trip. We cooked the last of our hot dogs, listened to one of our jazz CD’s and are ready for bed. Looks like it will be another chilly night with lows in the upper 40’s. Why oh why didn’t I bring warm clothes? Full Story »
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