We left the Sassafras River only to hit ON-THE-NOSE winds and 3-4 foot waves crashing down upon us....again. That's the last time Steve and I will leave when they call for small craft advisory. We had gusts up to 35 knots and only until we rounded the Sassafras River, did we get the full force of what was to come. Unfortunately, we had already gone 10 miles to get out of the River and it was only another 10 to the next preferred anchorage at Worton Creek. That soon became not possible, so we headed for the nearest anchorage, Still Pond Creek...
After we entered the tight well buoyed channel, we grounded in muck four times. It was approaching low tide. Our Whitby reversed each time off the sludge and eventually we were able to turn around. Steve decided to throw the hook down near the entrance and re-group. A crabber came on channel 16 and warned us of the strong current and told us that we just couldn't stay there. Steve re-assured him that he was just re-grouping and asked if we could anchor near his part of the bay. With the crabbers guidance we dropped anchor again. Now you have to imagine what its like to bring the anchor up covered in sludge... and that's not he end of it...we dragged twice more and had to re-anchor. . that's three times!
After having lunch, Steve and I decided to go just outside Still Pond Creek and try our luck near a small bay I spotted on the way in. We dropped anchor again.... We dragged... I lifted it again.. not like the old days... we have a windlass (a motorized chain pulling thingy at the bow". Finally, we were out of the wind and we enjoyed another beautiful evening. Martini's were served on the bow deck and we could hear the waves roaring on the Bay side and hear the wind rustling through the tree tops. It always amazes me how one can have such a different experience, just by being on the wrong side of the island or heading upwind rather than downwind.