October 15th Back Creek Annapolis

Managed to get ashoreof Fishers Island after the showers on Thursday 27^th and found the shop (there is only one) to top up supplies, also ran into a woman from Hong Kong working a veg plot who sold me some fresh tomatoes, the following day was somewhat stormy with winds South East (my intended route) so no point in leaving, just bobbed about a bit.

On Saturday 29^th with forecasts not too encouraging, but feeling cold, so pulled up the anchor at 9am with 20knots of wind, which died to a breath as we left West Bay! So again motoring with the main up, mist came in at midday but cleared within a couple of hours, but still not enough wind to sail. The full moon showed itself briefly but the night was mostly overcast, I did see four large sail boats and two flights of ducks also heading south. On Sunday morning we were surrounded by black clouds and I saw a waterspout behind, but it didn’t come our way. Wind came round for a while allowing us to sail for a while, but had to refurl the jib for a stormy night, two small birds came aboard for a while eating the flies blown in on the wind.

Leaving Long Island Sound

Water Spout

Fly catching companion

 Monday 1^st October was our best day for sailing, although we did have to make three tacks the final one giving a direct route into Delaware Bay, however at midnight the wind died completely, so restarted the engine and motored the rest of the way into Cape Henlopen, anchoring close to where we were before, at 11am on Tuesday, doing 6 ½ knots with the incoming tide. After securing the anchor and stowing the sails, the heavens opened, so I stuck my head out of the hatch and washed my hair, warm rain again! Wednesday was a lovely warm day and deciding not to move today serviced the engine and aired boat and bedding in warm sun.

Sunset at Cape Henlopen

 Up before dawn and raised anchor at 6am to get best use of current flowing up Delaware bay, a little fog about, however the fog got worse until visibility was less than 20meters until we were about ¾ way up the bay, thank goodness for GPS and AIS, I kept as far out of the shipping channel as I could. The current turned against me with about 10 miles to go and when a head wind (after no wind all day) sprang up I was doing less than 1knot so pulled over well off the channel and anchored for four hours until the current changed the pressed on to Reedy Island dyke anchoring at half past midnight, it was a clear night and the moon was out, and no other boats in the anchorage, although the entrance was very narrow and only one side lit.

Fog in the lower Delaware Bay

Peaceful Reedy Island

  Had a good lie in in the morning as we did not need to leave before11am, to catch the favourable current through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, another nice sunny day with little wind (just as well as not allowed to sail in the canal) There is no speed limit in the canal so power boats roar up and down leaving us bobbing in their wake, the worst was a tug only doing 12knots but his wake kept reflecting off the sides for about a mile! After leaving the C&D canal we pulled over into the Bohemia River and anchored near the entrance in 2.9m although there is only about 1/2m tide here.

enteering C&D Canal

Chesapeake end of Canal

Sunset in Bohemia River

I moved closer to the marina near the end of the navigable river (it’s all pretty shallow) and refilled all fuel cans, on Saturday 6^th  and moved back out again on Sunday doing a little ploughing through some shallow parts. We weighed anchor at 7.45am on Monday 8^th on a crisp clear morning, motor sailing into the Sassafras River and down to Georgetown, it is a pretty river with high sandy banks topped with trees, we anchored at the end of the mooring field in 4m at 1pm. Very protected and peaceful (it is known as a hurricane hole) I went ashore and walked the 1 ½ miles to Galena (the nearest town with provisions) I ran out of bread two days ago and nothing in Bohemia river, or Georgetown.

The dreaded crab pots being laid in upper Chesapeake

Sassafras River from anchorage

At anchor off Georgetown

Morning companions

We weighed anchor again on Thursday 11^th at 7.15am to make use of outgoing current, coming across a deer swimming across the river; raising the sails when we were in the open bay unfortunately the wind stared easing so had to motorsail again, we were making good time so decided to go for Bodkin Creek on the West coast of the Chesapeake, anchored well into the creek, again a shallow area, in 2m at 5pm; although well protected and peaceful the creek is built up on all sides, so decided to move on tomorrow.

We left Bodkin Creek at 6.45am Friday 12^th to get out at highish tide, and also the forecast for Friday afternoon and night is not good. Motorsailed in light winds to the Magothy River and anchored behind Dobbins Island to get shelter from the forecast strong Northerly wind, in 3m just before 10am.

Deer in the Sassafras River

Bodkin Creek

Sunrise in the Northern Chesapeake

 On Saturday 13^th I found the water tanks empty, and traced it to two plastic clamps having broken and the pipe parted under the sink in the heads, consequently the forward bilge was full, so having pumped the bilge out (the electric pump packed up) by hand and replaced the clips, I started checking around and found a plate on the mast had come loose, it allows the mast sliders to be removed, being held by a stainless bolt into the aluminium mast, would not tighten all I could do for now was to wrap the bolt in thread tape, not very satisfactory but will have to do for now. While I was relaxing later on there was a call from outside, a man in a sailboat was hailing me, he said he lived close by and said if I was still here tomorrow (Monday) I could go over to his dock and refill my water tanks (he did not know of my misfortune) have a shower and he could drive me out to the nearest shops for supplies!

The Magothy River

Sunset in the Magothy River

I also had a text from Marce & Jack of the cat Escape velocity saying Annapolis is not crowded out, the US motorboat show is on, if I wanted to move down; the weather forecast for Sunday and Monday were not good, with medium to strong headwinds, but decided to see what it looked like in the morning, Saturday having been a glorious day.

Consequently on Sunday having sniffed the air and decided to go for it, I raised the anchor at 8am, the winds were 15 to 20knots but SW, not the forecast Southerly so did  manage to sail for a while; however as I was raising the anchor the winch stuck in the on position so I had to rush back and disconnect the battery, then while sailing remove the fanbelt of the 24v alternater, hoping no damage had been done to it. The swell was on the bow 1-3m so was not too bad, I had to furl the jib to get under the bridges as the wind was head on (the jib just flogs in that wind and ends up slowing us) and restarted the engine, to motorsail the remainder of the way. Closing on the entrance to back creek I had to pass between two groups of racing fleets and having accomplished that one group promptly altered course straight for me one boat actually forced another to turn right at my midships about 40yards out, forcing me to alter course dramatically, no contact was made apart from verbal and we anchored in Back Creek Annapolis at 11.30 without further mishap, after which Marce and Jack showed me around town and gave me supper. Today is an overcast drizzling day so have removed the anchor winch solenoid (burned out) and partly refilled the water tanks.