Oct. 6 - Motor sail with light headwinds to Solomon’s Island, MD at mouth of Patuxent River. It’s a large river with lots of history, particularly associated with the War of 1812. Big sailing community. Pull into Zahniser’s Marina before first bridge. It’s a terrific facility and very hospitable. After we get settled we take a walk towards town and wind up at a little place called the Bluefish Café in another marina. Unprepossessing from the outside but lots of deck space on the other side. Have a drink, chat with an older fellow from Dallas who moved here to work at the very large Natural Gas facility just up the Bay near Cove Point, then wind up meeting his son and his fiancee. (She lived on a boat for 8 years). Anyway, have “homemade pizza” 18inch pie for $12.50 and it’s very good.
Earlier in the day, Kryss bumps into Richard and Karen McCarty from Oriana, a 38 ft. Island Packet that was moored behind us iin Chestertown. They’re from Tupelo Mississippi and keep their boat at Zanhisers. We see them again on the walk home from the Bluefish Café and agree to get together the next day.
Oct. 7 - Cold front has come in and it’s much cooler and threatening rain. We walk into town, which is quaint and something like Block Island, go back to the boat, do some work, and then walk in the other direction towards the other side of town when the heavens open up and it starts to pour. We run into the Maritime Museum which we had planned to put off until tomorrow, and spend the afternoon in it while it rains. Very well done and interesting. Part of the museum is a “cottage style” lighthouse that originally was situated near the mouth of the Chesapeake where it was anchored in the silt by screw type pilings. It was relocated to the museum after it was de-commissioned. Borrow two large garbage bags from the museum to use as raincoats on the way back to the boat.
Richard and Karen McCarty come to the boat for appetizers and drinks and we go to the CD Café for dinner. Very modest looking from the outside but great food and humongus portions.
Oct. 8 - Rainy, cold, blustery, we take the slip for the week. It’s just not weather to be moving about it. We rent a car and drive to Point Lookout (definitely underwhelming) and then to St. Mary’s Settlement (along with Jamestown and Plymouth one of the first three or four european settlements in the continental US).
It’s associated with St. Mary’s college and being restored. We drive around, but don’t take the tour as the tour is a walking tour and it’s raining again.
Oct. 9 - We go back to St. Mary’s and the same thing happens again. Just as we get there it starts to pour. We then head over to Leonardville, a quaint old/new little town where we have a very nice lunch at Café Des Artistes. Not too much you can do in this weather.
Oct. 10 - Back to St. Mary’s again, but this time to the college for a Chopin lecture and music presentation by Brian Ganz, artist in residence and a very, very accomplished pianist and interesting lecturer. Terrific program.
Oct. 11 through Oct. 13 - just hung out at the marina while it rained and the wind blew hard. Kryss played her piano and I read. Felt like we were characters in The Illustrated Man for any of those of you who are Ray Bradbury fans and old enough to have seen the episode, or who want to go on line and check it out.
Oct. 14 - Oh my goodness, sunshine and modest breezes. We head down to Mill Creek at the South shore entrance to the Great Wicomico River, just South of the Potomac. We average close to 7 knots with following winds and seas and have a great day sailing. The Creek is peaceful, beautiful and totally protected.
Oct. 15 - Well so much for the weatherman. It was supposed to be partially sunny with 2 to 3 ft. seas and 10 to 15 knot winds. It’s cloudy, cold, the seas are 4 to 5 feet and the winds are gusty and keeping the boat on course is work. Good thing we have a short day planned. Get to Fishing Bay on the North side of the Piankatank River, just South of the Rappahannock River about 1:00 and tuck in out of the wind by 1:45. Out comes Kryss’ piano and out comes my laptop to do a little work and up date this log.
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