We left Cape May motor sailing with one reef in the main to sail around Cape May. This part was slow and thus it took two hours to get around the Cape and onto a course northwest up Delaware Bay which we could sail. At this point we turned off the motor and sped along at over 7 knots (pretty good sailboat speed) with the wind gusting to 27 knots. As the first pictures shows it was a very dark and grey day with no sun shine. The waves were 4-6 feet and choppy, so we were getting whacked on the starboard (right) side of the boat, with spray flying off the bow and, occasionally, over our heads. All of this caused Sally to be sea sick, but again Lynn loved the fresh breeze and the feel of the boat galloping over the waves. By the time we got up the Delaware Bay and River to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, about 8 hours later, it was a relief to be out of the wind and waves. We motored the next 7 miles and stopped for the night at the very quiet and peaceful Summit North Marina (also shown in the pictures).
The next day, Monday, October 4th, another cool, rainy day we motored through the Canal to Chesapeake City where we stayed for one rainy and windy night. As we were leaving the next morning we saw the people we'd met in Cape May, Ivan and Josette, just pulling into the dock. We waved and went on. I'm sure we'll meet again somewhere down the cruisers' road. That day, a much colder, grey day (see picture of Sally in gloves and unseen, long underwear), we sailed out of the C and D canal and down the first part of Chesapeake Bay, going 26 miles to a lovely, quiet anchorage at Worton Creek. We had a very nice explore by kayak the next day, a nice sunny one, finding little, hidden arms of the upper Creek, including one in which the water was coated with pollen. Lots of blue herons and Sally spotted a turtle sunning itself on a log. As we tried to approach for a picture, the turtle, moving surprisingly quickly, dropped into the water.
Thursday, October 7th we raised anchor and sailed under beautiful, blue skies further southwest to Annapolis. This was a fun (for both of us), relaxing sail with the wind staying in the 15 to 18 knot range until piping up to 25 in the last couple of miles. We double reefed the main, so when the wind became steadily over 20 knots and spending a lot of time at 25, the boat was balanced and comfortable. We saved several miles by cutting across what the chart called "Navy Anchorage". At this point we began to see these small Navy ships zipping around the anchorage area, looking like maybe chasing intruders out? (They weren't actually). So this picture shows us feeling like the Navy-cops are after us until it became obvious that they were just running around, probably training cadets. We motored up the Severn River, past the Annapolis Boat Show (a zillion boats anchored and moored in that area), past the Naval Academy, up to Weems Creek, a small, quiet anchorage described by the cruising guide as "the cruisers' secret". A way of being in the area on a boat without the crowds in the harbor around Annapolis.
We spent several days here, went to the boat show Friday and had some friends of Brooke's, Mike and Erin and their two children, Logan and Noel, come for a sail and some barbecued steaks. All of their photos came out good, a photogenic family, but we had to keep it down to only a couple.
The next day, Sunday, October 10th we left Weems Creek and motored and sailed further south down the Chesapeake to a harbor called Solomon's Island. This is apparently a very popular boating refuge for city dwellers from Baltimore and DC, a medium sized place densely packed with marinas and boats of all types. We found both a nice, quiet anchorage at the back of the bay and a store with the essentials of the cruising life, fresh fish and beer. I know that might sound odd coming from a former alcohol and drug therapist, but I have to keep a hand in, you know, just to keep a familiarity for the territory.
Again, that recurrent phrase, we left early the next morning, which was Columbus Day. While trying to honor Columbus by sailing much as he did, this day we had wind too close to the direction we were heading in, so had to use the motor, which his Columbusness didn't have. This was a long day and we were going as fast as we could up the Rhappahonnek River to get into Irvington Harbor before dark. This got us the beautiful sunset photo just before we went under the bridge and into the harbor. Anchor down about 1 minute before absolute, can't see a thing dark. Very nice, quiet, well-protected spot for an exhausted people's dinner and fall asleep.
This time, the next day, we didn't leave. Instead we motored over to Carter's dock, about 1/2 mile away and got a slip for two nights so we could address our dirty laundry problem. It was here that we met other real cruisers, Wayne and Mary, who had a huge, 52 foot sailboat that looked like a very nice Manhattan apartment inside. The galley was bigger that most apartment kitchens. Also, as you can see in the picture, Lynn got some of his favorite food here, oysters, from the oyster company right next to the marina. Best big grin of the trip!
As usual, we left the next day, October 13, to sail in a good northeasterly breeze the remaining 50 miles to Norfolk, the end of our Chesapeake journey and the beginning of our thousand-plus miles of intracoastal travel. The sailing this day was the best of the trip, running downwind and making 8 to 9 knots, wowie! speed for this sailboat. In the gusts and surfing down a wave, we hit 11.3 knots, the absolute speed record for Southern Belle. Plus, Sally wasn't scared or seasick, so we both had a very good time of it. The last couple of photos show the Navy ships and the huge ship-loading cranes in Norfolk Harbor. By 4:45 we arrived and tied up to Scott's Creek Marina, where we will leave the boat for a week and a half to attend a wedding. Then we'll be back and the adventure will continue.
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