Winding Down and a Warm Winchester Homecoming

We scrapped plans to go for a run this morning as there was much to do before Katie and James were to retrieve us around 2 pm. It was a gorgeous morning and it began by hauling Harry half-way up the mast to replace bird spikes on the spreaders that had fallen off (keeps the cormorants from perching and pooping), then we cleaned the brown stain off the starboard side of the hull, cleaned below decks and then topsides.  Around 1 pm, Harry transported two dinghy trips worth of stuff to shore to take home which Katie and James loaded into the van when they arrived at the boatyard around 2:20 pm. By 3:00 pm, we had the van packed and headed home where we enjoyed a very special homecoming dinner prepared by Katie and James of grilled halibut carbonate, rice and a salted caramel chocolate cake for dessert.  The wonderful meal was followed with us opening birthday presents given to us from our lovely daughters as we Skyped Sally in so she could take part in the occasion virtually. We both were very touched by their thoughtfulness and were grateful to Katie and James for taking such good care of the house and yard while we were away as we couldn’t have done it without them.

Returned From Where Our Journey Started: Marion, MA

The birds were chirping and the sun shone in the morning so we went for a walk on Cuttyhunk past the new solar farm to the saltwater inlet where they seed oysters, piling beach plastic into piles above high tide. We ate lunch aboard Juno and were amazed by how quickly the harbor had filled up with boats while we were out walking. Fortunately those anchored close by did not preclude us from picking up our anchor.

Cuttyhunk filling up on a sunny Saturday

In crossing the 18 miles to Marion under sail, some intense storms approached so we had to douse our sails about half-way to Marion and motored the remaining distance.  But the sun came out and so we enjoyed a celebratory gin and tonic in the cockpit after we had secured Juno to her mooring and took in the familiar surroundings - about 100 other masts on moorings, an outdoor wedding underway at Tabor Academy, and cries of an osprey overhead. We headed to Burr Brothers Boatyard for a hot shower and walked to the Brewfish restaurant to celebrate our successful return and the end of our Bahamian adventure.

One cell we managed to dodge

... and another

Our old friend "R 8" at the entrance to Sippican Harbor moorings

One last display by Mother Nature

We did it!

First Day of Summer? Harry’s Birthday Below Decks in Cuttyhunk Harbor

No surprise that we woke up to rain, it having rained off and on most of the night and more wet weather was forecast for today putting a real dampener on Harry’s birthday celebration as today is his birthday.  New England’s June weather can be beautiful or frankly rather miserable.  Unfortunately today was the latter.  We were back in long pants and long sleeved shirts and on the longest day of the year, we didn’t see the sun once. So much for 15 hours of daylight being the longest day of the year.  We slept in, cleaned, packed up for our imminent departure, read, wrote blogs, and listened to the radio. Highlights of the day came at lunchtime when we were able to sit topside in between showers and after dinner when we watched Wanda Sykes  “Not Normal” and Ellen Degeneres  “Relatable” on YouTube. Both well worth watching for a good laugh.

Skies begin to clear in time for a beautiful sunset

Quarter to Half-Mile Visibility All Day Long

Block Island to Cuttyhunk - Most would have called today a real drag as we spent the entire day engulfed in fog.  From the moment we woke until we went to bed, we couldn’t see more than a half a mile at best due to the fog that remained with us all day.  While this made for cool, somewhat raw temperatures (only in the 60’s), the SE winds pushed us nicely along at about five knots all the way to Cuttyhunk, MA about 30 miles from Block Island.  When we arrived, we found the harbor virtually devoid of boats and thus had no trouble dropping an anchor in the small portion of the harbor set aside for anchoring that is normally filled with boats. Dinner was  veggie burgers and  green bean casserole as we work on eating up what remains - not that the rain, fog, and deserted looking Cuttyhunk had anything to do with staying on board.

Looking like a ghost

A very foggy and nearly empty Cuttyhunk Pond

Third Day on Block Island: Seven Mile Hike to the SE Lighthouse

Despite the forecast that called for overcast skies with showers late in the day, we thoroughly enjoyed the day on Block Island in large part because today marked the third day that we didn’t have to worry about wind, current or tides - a rarity when constantly on the go. The morning was spent sprucing up Juno wiping off the brown stain that had reappeared on her hull and applying a coat of wax to prevent it from reappearing. We also took advantage of some down time to make arrangements to attend our nephew’s wedding. We then went ashore and walked through town to the expansive lawn of the Spring House Hotel (named for the adjacent spring that served the first settlers in 1660’s) where we picnicked, relaxing briefly in the Adirondack chairs. We continued walking to the SE lighthouse as the fog rolled in obscuring the view of the bluffs on the south side of the island. We returned to town and eventually the boat, completing about seven miles of walking just as the rain started to fall.

South Lighthouse

Mohegan Bluffs

Block Island landscape

Rainy Day on Block Island: Shopping and Lunch at Fins

The forecast called for rain mid-day so we decided to head into town late morning and hit the shops before enjoying lunch at Finn’s restaurant.  We docked the dinghy at the Oar and walked the mile to town under cloudy skies. Once in town, we did a bit of shopping greeting the friendly kids hired to work for the summer - many from eastern European countries. Then the rain started around 12:30 so we headed to Finn’s restaurant and seafood market.  While the market was closed, we sat outside on their balcony overlooking the old port where the ferries arrive and depart so there was plenty to watch while enjoying lunch which was very good. Did a bit more shopping and thankfully the rain stopped in time for our mile walk back to the boat.

Harry extracted the cream from a coconut we’d obtained in Abaco and used it to make fresh pina coladas which were enjoyed down below in the cabin as the rain started up again.

These are some of the many wild flowers we saw on Block Island during our stay

An invasive rose bush whose aroma covers the island

Eight-Mile Coastal Hike; Baby Bird Watching; A Chance Encounter

Today is to be the best weather for the next few days as rain is due to arrive Tuesday so we took advantage of the mild, partly sunny day by setting off on our favorite hike up the north-eastern side of Block Island. The trail started off along the state beach with it’s expansive sandy shoreline then progressed in elevation to the top of the bluff where we enjoyed beautiful scents from the wild little cluster roses that abutted the grassy path. It smelled like spring. We made it all the way to the lighthouse at the northern end of the island where we sat and watched three young fluffy seagulls, too young to fly, get their first taste of waves lapping the shore. Occasionally, a large wave would come in and knock a hatchling or two right off their feet and out to sea until the next wave pushed them back on shore. Young oyster catchers also were spotted following their parents - the adult oyster catcher has a distinctive long orange beak. While walking back, we had a pleasant surprise when Sarah heard her name called out. Our friend Jennifer Rousmaniere (Snipe sailor) spotted us as she was with her sister and the two just happened to be visiting the island for the day. We knew we were close to home, but never expected to see a familiar face while on Block Island.  We ended up walking eight miles today and were going to cap it off with dinner at a restaurant but the two restaurants we’d picked for their proximity (remember we’d already walked 8 miles) were both closed, so we just ate leftovers on Juno but the sun broke through the clouds and it was very peaceful as the anchorage has only seven or eight boats.

The beautiful Block Island cliffs

Harry and the B.I. North Lighthouse

A family of Oyster Catchers

Young seagulls

Sunset on Great Salt Pond

Good Deed for Today: Retrieved Two Balloons en Route to Block Island

While walking an extensive stretch of beach in Sag Harbor yesterday, we found only two pieces of plastic - a two liter soda bottle and a 5 gallon diesel gerry can. While this isn’t too bad compared to all the plastic we saw on the beaches of the Bahamas, while sailing to Block Island, we spotted a mylar ballon on the water.  When we turned around to retrieve it, we spotted a second balloon which we also successfully retrieved.  The winds were blowing from the SW so we guessed that the balloons originated from Montauk, NY.  While we were happy to be back in familiar waters, it was disappointing to see the waters tainted by the actions of careless people. Sarah snapped a photo of the balloons and may write a letter to the editor of the Montauk newspaper about our find as this wasn’t the first time we’ve pulled balloons from the waters off Block Island. Anyway, we were happy to drop the hook in the well protected pond at Block Island.  We celebrated father’s day with hamburgers on the grill and even baked a Father’s Day/Birthday cake for Harry.  This is what happens when his birthday is but five days from Father’s Day.

Shore Day at Sag Harbor

Beautiful sunshine and 70 degrees to start the day and since it was Sarah's birthday she got to choose our activities.  After taking care of essential business aboard (e.g. a head pump out), we set off for a 30 min run through Sag Harbor, admiring well maintained properties and colonial homes. Then we stumbled upon a craft fair en route to the farmer’s market, and wound up at a great cheese shop. Lastly we stopped at a market where we picked up some lobster and other fresh salads for lunch.  We enjoyed lunch aboard Juno and then headed to the beach to walk the shoreline and enjoyed collecting a few seashells en route.  We had some trouble with the dinghy engine starting perhaps due to having it tilted on it’s side, but it eventually started. Winds blew about 15-25 knots most of the afternoon and into the evening making it too windy for a burger on the grill. We enjoyed our new cheeses with a gin and tonic while watching a kids birthday party take place on the tiki hut boat moored adjacent to us. Dinner was Trader Joes Grecian Eggplant over couscous with feta and a salad and strawberries for dessert.

Stretching our legs near Sag Harbor

Finally Sag Harbor/Shelter Island NY

The winds were out of the west as anticipated, starting off around 12 knots.  Together with a favorable current, we made good time sailing under jib alone to Plum Island, NY arriving at the cut around 2:30 pm.  After passing through the cut and changing course to the SW, we were close hauled and felt the full force of the wind which was now blowing 22 knots with gusts to 35.  Thankfully we were in the lee of the land so the waves were small but the last five miles of sailing were probably the windiest sailing yet.  We were torn between anchoring in Coecles Harbor on Shelter Island and Sag Harbor and decided upon the latter, dropping anchor just off the breakwater adjacent to the mooring field.  We searched on-line for a restaurant for dinner but didn’t find any that sounded interesting enough to endure a wet dinghy ride so we ate Thai tofu leftovers for dinner.  Afterwards when the winds finally subsided, we moved the dinghy off Juno to the water to be ready for a shore excursion tomorrow.

Flag Day at Sag Harbor

A Second CT Geography Lesson; A New Acquaintance Comes to Our Rescue

The strong (20 knots with gusts to 35) easterly wind arrived this morning as forecast along with overcast skies and rain by noon. We weren’t about to set out for Shelter Island, NY (to the ESE where we want to go) as it would mean sailing close hauled - not pleasant in such strong winds - so we remained on our anchor and spent the morning defrosting the fridge and baking brownies and scones. This afforded time for the showers to move through and to see which of the conflicting wind forecasts (northerly or southerly) might bear out for the afternoon. All forecasts agreed however, that strong winds would move to the west by night time and into Friday.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t remain in Morris Cove for Thursday night as it offered no protection from the SW nor did any nearby anchorages along the CT shoreline.  So reluctantly we decided to sail southwestward (but thankfully downwind), back down Long Island Sound to a harbor with protection from the SW. We had the great fortune of connecting with another Beneteau 423 owner, Greg Swedish, who offered us use of his mooring in the small well protected harbor of Mt. Sinai Long Island. After dinner, Greg came by the mooring and we enjoyed meeting him and swapping notes about our respective boats.

A raining morning before we leave

Clearly we are not in the Bahamas

Enjoying a peaceful harbor in Mt Sinai Harbor

Geography Lesson 1: Rare is the Shelter in CT from Easterly Winds

Today was a beautiful cool, sunny day with temperatures in the low 70’s and light NE winds.  Unfortunately for us who want to go NE, this meant we had to sail upwind, tacking our way NE.
Sarah managed to immerse herself in finishing Michele Obama’s book Becoming (highly recommended) while Harry managed most of the sailing.  Because Long Island doesn’t have any harbors offering shelter east of Port Jefferson, NY that would be attainable for us today, we headed to Morris Cove, Connecticut for the night, just east of New Haven.  Morris Cove was essentially the only anchorage we could find that offered protection from a strong easterly wind forecast to arrive Thursday and represented a full day of sailing from Oyster Bay.

Dragonflies seem enjoy riding along on Juno

A Foggy Night Gives Way to Sunny NYC

Harry took watch from 10 pm to 1 am at which time Sarah woke up and got a refresher on how to watch AIS and radar as it had been several weeks since we last sailed through the night.  This time however it was different.  Due to the heavy fog, it made no sense navigating from up top in the cockpit since we were wholly dependent on our instruments - most notably radar and AIS.  where the chart plotter and radar display's were visible from down below in the cabin. It wasn’t advantageous to stay outside for night watch since the fog was so thick, nothing could be seen. Sarah contemplated asking Harry to remain awake during my watch since Sarah didn’t feel confident that I’d keep us from running aground or into another boat.  Sarah realized Harry needed some sleep so reluctantly she began my night watch and hoped that our instruments would keep us safe. It wasn’t until Sarah was waking Harry around 4 am for his watch that the fog began to lift. On the way south, we’d followed the highly illuminated Jersey shore, bemoaning all the lights. But after 18 hours of moving through fog, Sarah was never so happy to see lights on the Jersey shore and to see them from a safe distance of two miles. By 6 am, we were at Ambrose Channel - the busy shipping channel to New York City just as torrential rains fell so Harry turned the boat southward until visibility improved and the showers had passed. By 7:30 am, we were heading northwest towards NYC but the anticipated strong 15-20 knot NW winds had arrived which together with an ebbing current meant our 5 knots of speed was reduced to about 3 knots over ground. We crawled our way up to the narrows and the Verrazano Bridge and around 9 am, we decided to anchor to await favorable currents and to catch a few hours of sleep.
Upon awakening at noon, we set off under sunshine and blue skies and a strong NW wind but with a flooding (favorable) current that pushed us past the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan while dodging tugs, tankers, and ferries.  Sally and her fiancé Luis waved to us as we passed north up the East River as the 6 knots of current propelled onward.  We couldn’t imagine trying to traverse NYC against such current. Once through Hell’s Gate and as Long Island Sound was in sight, we unfurled a partial jib and sailed to Oyster Bay for the night finding great protection from the NW winds.

Amazing views of Manhattan

A picture from Sally and Luis as we pass nearby

6 kts of current through Hell Gate

Finally Favorable Winds But No One Forecast Fog, Fog, and More Fog

Today was finally our chance to head NE up the coast of New Jersey to NYC as winds had shifted to SE.  Harry had planned our departure for 10-11 am so that we’d have favorable currents as we passed through New York’s East River on Tuesday around noon when he figured we'd arrive.  But we awoke to a heavy fog with visibility of about 200 yards.  We secured the dinghy on the bow and were ready to depart by 9 am but waited an hour to see if the fog would lift. Conditions didn’t improve at all and as we were anxious to go, we left Cape May barely able to see the edges of the breakwater about 30 yards away. Once in the Atlantic, seas were moderate, about 3-5 feet owing to the previous day's strong winds.  While the wind was SE, it was only about ten knots which wasn’t sufficient to keep the boat moving through the seas so we motored through the fog using auto pilot to steer a straight course and radar and AIS to spot other boat traffic. As a sign of the dangers that lurked, we listened to a distress call from a sailboat who’d run aground in the fog. The Coast Guard had trouble locating him to render assistance because the mariner couldn’t see any defining features onshore to guide them to his location. He was eventually found by some shore personnel out on patrol. The fog held all day and we eventually managed to sail from 2:00  until 7:30 pm but with storms approaching, we doused all sail before dark and motored blindly into the fog, wondering if setting off in these lousy conditions wasn’t one of our better decisions.

A moment of better visibility as we prepare to raise anchor

No Public Beach at Cape May but Great Scallops and Smoked Bluefish Pate

When we want to go northeast, the worst forecast possible is for northeast winds, and this is precisely what happened. A second day with winds out of the NE and today they were even stronger so it meant another day at Cape May.  As we were out of fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs, despite the strong winds, we decided to venture forth in the dinghy.  We were the only boat moving as we dinghied to Ustch’s marina from where we walked 1.5 miles to the Cape May town center and to the beach where we hoped to enjoy the picnic lunch we had packed. However, it turns out you have to pay to walk the expansive beach at Cape May so we sat on some free park benches adjacent to the beach and ate our lunch before stopping at the ACME market to restock on produce.  On our return 1.5 mile walk to the dinghy, we stopped at the Lobster House Restaurant and Seafood Market and purchased local sea scallops and smoked bluefish (which we used to make our favorite bluefish pate) which we both thoroughly enjoyed for dinner. With SW winds forecast for Monday, life couldn’t get much better.

Interesting architecture in Cape May

Cape May town center shopping plaza

A Boat Goes Adrift but Juno Holds Tight in a NE Blow

With a strong NE wind forecast today, we weren't about to set out into the Atlantic as our next destination was north and east which would require us to tack our into the wind which is not the most pleasant or terribly efficient. So we decided to stay put in Cape May for the day.  Strong winds from any direction can make it challenging to raise the dinghy off the bow and into the water so that we can go ashore, but the wind wasn’t so strong in the morning such that we were able to put the dinghy in the water and get the engine on.  We emptied about 20 gallons of diesel from the jerry cans into the engine and Harry set off in the dinghy a few hundred yards across the channel to get more diesel so that we'd have a near full tank before heading offshore. While he was gone, I stayed aboard Juno and noticed a sailboat that looked to be aground about 100 yards downwind from us. The next time I looked up, the same boat had drifted up against the seawall adjacent to the Coast Guard station. This seemed to cause all aboard to finally wake up and address their dilemma and they were fortunate that they were able to motor away without any noticeable damage. By mid-morning, winds had picked up to 15 knots, and as the town of Cape May was about one mile downwind of our anchorage and as it would be a very bumpy and wet returning to Juno in the dinghy, we decided to hang out aboard Juno for the day.  I cleaned and updated my inventory of the canned food remaining in Juno’s bilge, read, and enjoyed some time to catch up with family on the phone.

USCG out for a training exercise in Cape May, NJ

Who Knew that Cape May, NJ is the Dolphin Capital of the World?

We hauled anchor around 6:30 am to take advantage of the last two hours of the ebbing current in the Delaware River which increased our velocity by about 25%. There were many commercial ships transiting the Delaware River which provided sharp contrast to the undeveloped Jersey shoreline just north of Cape May.  As we approached the mouth of the Delaware River and Cape May, dolphins appeared and frolicked close by lending support to internet claims that Cape May is the dolphin capital of the world.  While this may be an overstatement, we probably saw more dolphins in Delaware and New Jersey waters than in any other state or the Bahamas. As we rounded Cape May into the Atlantic ocean, the water clarity improved notably and the air temperature dropped to about 70 degrees such that we had to dig out warmer clothes. We both felt much more at ease looking out to the deep ocean once again as we knew our days of closely minding our depth were coming to a close. The winds clocked around to the NE making our sail out of the Delaware and around the point to the Cape May jetty on the Atlantic Ocean take a few hours, but we eventually made it and dropped anchor adjacent to the Coast Guard's Training Station.  We remained aboard Juno as strong currents were opposing the wind (pushing Juno's stern into the wind) and we wanted to make sure the anchor would hold. At dusk, the fog rolled in from the ocean so we closed ourselves in below decks and threw additional blankets on the bed - a  reminder of the fickleness of the weather in the northeast in June.

Currents: Both a Friend and a Foe; C&D Canal and the Delaware River

With many miles (40 plus) to traverse to get north and then east through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D as it is called) we started the engine and drove northwards. We enjoyed the 3-5 knots of favorable current that assisted our travels both to and through the Canal all the while taking in the beautiful countryside of the upper Chesapeake including many lush green farms on Maryland's shore. We regretted that we didn’t have more time (and a shallow keel needed) to explore this part of the Chesapeake, perhaps next time. The C&D canal dates back to the 1700’s when it was built as a short cut connecting the top of the Chesapeake to the Delaware River saving ships many hours and miles of travel.  It is similar to the Cape Cod canal but is much longer and also is actively used by barges moving goods north and south. Thankfully we passed through the C&D canal on a quiet morning without encountering any barges that would have made for some very close quarters.  The morning's favorable current put us ahead of schedule so that upon reaching the Delaware River around noon, we decided we'd try to sail down the Delaware River.  It was very slow going as the wind was very light and the current was now running against us.  In fact there was so much opposing current that on more than one occasion, we were actually sailing backwards over the ground! Times like this are perfect for doing mundane tasks like laundry and making hummus. Around 3;00 pm, the current changed and we finally made progress sailing south. Eventually we anchored Juno behind a small island among very scenic marshes of Cohansey NJ, halfway down on the east side of the Delaware River, passing 15 feet from a bald eagle perched on the channel marker - a surprising contrast as we'd seen many large commercial ships on the Delaware and a nuclear plant.

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Favorable currents almost double typical cruising speeds on the C&D Canal

Inspired to Exercise; Weather Modifies Anchoring Plans

Thirty minutes of jogging doesn’t come close to the three hours of exercise midshipmen are required to put in daily but it was plenty for the two of us and gave us another opportunity to see the grounds of the beautiful Naval Academy before the town awoke. Afterwards, we both enjoyed a shower at the municipal building that came free with our mooring (they also had great laundry facilities) and then we set off north with light SW winds 10-14 knots under the Bay bridge for Sassafras Creek.  But around 3:30 pm the wind became too light to sail.  Since the skies were growing darker and we had heard on the radio of storms approaching, we decided to head into Worden Creek for the night instead and dropped anchor just off a sand spit at the mouth of the creek where 30 turkey vultures and one bald eagle had gathered. We spent some time just watching the birds soar all around us in this peaceful, quiet creek. Eventually rain arrived but thankfully, it didn't amount to much.

Passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Worden Creek Osprey Nest

Focus on Fitness at the US Naval Academy; Happy Hour in Eastport, MD

We cut the corner to Chesapeake Bay by motoring through Knapps Narrows shortly after hauling anchor and received a bridge opening from the friendliest of bridge tenders.  Winds on the bay were too light to sail so we motored NW to Annapolis passing several large tankers at anchor in the process and picked up city mooring ball #4 right off the Naval Academy and a stones throw from the dinghy dock.  We requested a holding tank pump out and enjoyed lunch on the mooring taking in all the activity of the harbor - school kids on field trips, sailboats arriving, tourist boats departing. Once ashore, we passed through Naval Academy security and joined the 2 pm tour where we saw their top notch athletic facilities (especially their indoor pool) and learned that students at the academy must participate in a sport or exercise three hours each day. Winchester native Joe Bellino - a Heisman trophy winner was one of two Heisman trophy winners to have attended the Naval Academy and we saw the Naval Academy's special tribute to him while at the athletic center. We saw the former armory, dorm room, and beautiful chapel where John Paul Jones (first US Naval war hero) was laid to rest.  Mottos of the Academy include:  “I haven’t yet begun to fight”, “Damn the torpedos” and “Honor, Courage, Commitment”.

After poking around downtown Annapolis, we dinghied across the harbor to Eastport for happy hour at the Boatyard Bar where we saw much sailing memorabilia including the 1960 Flying Dutchman class flag - corresponding to the year that Harry’s uncle Frank won the Flying Dutchman Nationals. We dropped by Severn Sailing Association (where we race Snipes) to see the new clubhouse. Then we finished the evening with a dinghy tour up Spa Creek past luxurious waterfront homes and boats until the point where the creek became a wetland and all development stopped, opening our eyes to another part of Annapolis that we'd never experienced before.

The open bridge at Knapp Narrows

Bancroft Hall where the midshipmen sleep and eat

Tranquil Spa Creek

St. Michaels: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The creeks of the Chesapeake eastern shore are peaceful, lush, and home to large wealthy home owners interspersed with farms and woodlands. San Domingo creek had a fair number of homes, but offsprey and herons were also to be found around every bend, as well as crab fishermen. In the morning, we took the dinghy up the creek about a mile to a dock used by crab boats. This creek is known as the back door to St. Michaels giving easy access, uncrowded access to the town. We walked ten minutes to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum that focuses on boat building and the Chesapeake livelihoods of oystering and crabbing. It was great to be here on a weekday morning as we just about had the place to ourselves. We toured an original screw pile lighthouse that had been moved to the museum, saw their wooden boat building shed where they were preparing to make build a new replica of the Dove, and we saw more wooden skipjacks, log canoes. The log canoes are much like the sailing canoes of the Bahamas. Here the larger ones are made from three hollowed out trees with hiking boards on which 6-8 crew sit as ballast.  There was a great show of women in sailing from the Rosenfeld photography collection. We saw one photo with a Snipe sail, and another with a possible relative of a Mystic, CT sailor friend we know. While Sarah finished the day shopping, Harry found a brewery, winery, and rum distillery in former canning complex.  Wanting to be able to walk back, Harry narrowed his tastings a few of the rum offerings.

The back way into St Micheals up San Domingo creek

Log sailing canoe

Wood being seasoned for use on a new 17th century sailing ship

Larger boat built in the log canoe method

Morning Run; Sailed up San Domingo Creek to St. Michael’s Backdoor

Our morning run to feel better about last night's ice cream took us past an old Inn and a tiny shed once used as a custom house.  During the 1700's Oxford was one of only two ports of entry for the entire state and where much of the tobacco made its way from nearby plantations to England. Later, many watermen made their living harvesting oysters and crabs from nearby waters. Today, oystering and crabbing continues, but it is also popular with bicyclists as it is flat and has beautiful farms and coastal views. We had planned on renting bikes and taking them on a ferry across the Tred Avon so that we could bike up to St. Michaels but decided simply to take Juno to the ‘back door’ route to St. Michaels. So after defrosting the freezer and a short time ashore shopping, we sailed Juno up the San Domingo Creek to position ourselves to visit St. Michaels tomorrow. After arriving around 4 pm, we cleaned the brown ICW stain off the bow and sides of Juno so now she looks much cleaner. Around 7:30 pm, a strong storm rolled through, with winds topping 35 knots and the rain poured down but the anchor held in the thick mud.

Mural in Oxford

Cambridge and Oxford in One Day

In the morning we returned to shore and toured the six-sided screw pile lighthouse at the municipal marina and then led ourselves on a short guided walk of through parts of Cambridge. We ended up at the Richardson Maritime Museum and walked in to this museum to honor Mr. Richardson - an accomplished wooden boat builder in his day.  He was the one who had built the Dove replica we’d seen in St. Mary’s. He was also very well known for many other craft used for oystering and crabbing.  He also got to know James Michener quite well while Michener lived in Cambridge writing Chesapeake. Cambridge is also known for Harriet Tubman as she lived close by.  Harriet  aided many escaped slaves find their freedom by running on the underground railway to Pennsylvania just a few miles to the north. We returned to Juno for lunch and then sailed back down the Choptank and up the Tree Avon River to Oxford, MD - a quaint quiet little town. We managed to eek out a place to drop the anchor inside the Oxford harbor just outside of the channel and near “Capsize”, a popular restaurant.  We dined on Juno but headed to the Scottish Highland Creamery for some good ice cream for dessert. (We are beginning to recognize that the recurring theme of stopping for ice cream may be a problem.)

Recreation of the Choptank River lighthouse