Annapolis
27 April 2019
Allan Gray
The weather was perfect for our first full day on the Chesapeake and we enjoyed a beautiful downwind sail to Fishing Bay. By day's end the south wind was gusting close to 20 knots as we furled the sails and headed into Jackson Creek for the night. This is a great little anchorage, however, the channel is very narrow so close attention must be paid for any drift until safely inside. We anchored amongst some beautiful homes and were entertained by the local Osprey population all evening.
Our goal for the week was to get Annapolis for the Spring Boat Show over the weekend but not before stopping in Reedville for dinner with my mother's cousin. While we were in the Exumas this winter I had taken numerous photos of the old Marine Research Center where Judy had spent some time. Over dinner Judy explained the work that the Center had done over the years as well as helped us understand what a mess we are making of the environment.
The balance of the week was spent gettting to Annapolis with an ETA by noon Friday in advance of yet another round of bad weather. As is often the case with us on the Chesapeake it is feast or famine with the winds. We motored and motor sailed from Reedville to Annapolis with an over night stay on the Little Choptank River. As hoped we arrived in Annapolis before noon and decided to grab a mooring ball in Spa Creek for a couple of days. The early forecast called for thunderstorms and wind gusts to 40 knots so we figured a nice secure spot was the way to go. As we prepared to head ashore for the afternoon we checked the weather. Surprise, surprise, the new forecast was for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, tornado warnings and gale force winds for Saturday.
We still had a few hours before things were due to hit the fan so we headed off for a walk around one of our favorite towns. As the skies started to darken we headed back to Dagny and made sure everything was battened down while we rode out yet another blast from Mother Nature.
The Spring Boat Show here is much smaller than the fall show, however, all the main services are represented. We want to research a water maker among other things and this is the ideal time to do it. So with list in hand we'll spend a day or two roaming the docks before moving on.
Today's picture is an early morning shot at the South Mills Lock in the Dismal Swamp.