Awoke this AM after a rather exciting night. I guess this place is still party central on the weekends as boats kept coming in here well after dark, including one centre cockpit Moody behemoth called Trust Me, skippered by some guy with a retinue of giggling females, who anchored right in front of us with barely a boat length separating his stern from our bow after he had backed down to set the anchor. Ah well, thought I, at least his expensive zodiac on the Davies will act as a fender if he drags down on us, but no, as the wind picked up he tacked back and forth across his anchor line, mine too I might add. They next day it turns out that I was the at fault according to the harbourmaster as I had inadvertently anchored in the channel and had to move in the morning. The final touch of excitement came with fires on two boats in the mooring field both due to charcoal BBQs. They were both eventually extinguished but not without destroying the mainsail of one which was right above the conflagration.

Add to the above, the winds are higher than forecast and it would appear that we might be here for a day or so. Our forecast model says that Sunday would be a great day to go from here to the Delaware.

At the end of the evening there we 12 boats in a tight anchorage and one note able boat in the mooring field - Sampatecho from Shelburne who had just gotten in after delaying their departure until Wednesday. They had a bouncy crossing especially on Thursday when the winds picked up. We had cocktails with them before we let them get on with their dinner. While we were sitting here with them there was a large trimaran came through the anchorage in the dark with barely enough room between the boats to swing a cat looking for a spot to anchor.

Ah the adventures!

Go to Barb's Facebook or comment here to with her a Happy Birthday. I got her a small snap setting tool for canvas for her gift. How thoughtful is that?

An addendum: Pardon me while I scream - aaaaaaaarrrrrrrg! I am beginning to think that it's a conspiracy, that dark forces are at work. I decided to be proactive and pulled down the 110 working jib and put up the 85 heavy weather foresail in preparation for tomorrow and he subsequent trip to Cape Hanlopen but when we ran the sail up the foil it stuck towards the top, not quite enough that we could furl it, and we couldn't haul it back down. Well and truly stuck! So it was monkey on a pole Mike back up in the bosun's chair to see what was what with the help of Rick and Brian from Dawn Treader who were kind enough to allow themselves to be pressed into service. The roller furling traveler would spin and the halyard was clear and free but the part that is supposed to guide the whole caboodle up the mast was seized and no amount of pulling, hammering, prayers to the gods etc would budge it. So I freed the sail abalone and let it down to the deck and attached a line to the traveler, lubricated the traveler as best as possible and descended. We tried to force it down with a winch with no success. So I put the pull down line to a pulley, applied some pressure and left it over night hoping that fate would smile and that perhaps the cooler temperatures etc would change the shape of things enough so it would free itself and come down. If not it will be a job for the yard in Deltaville. Meanwhile we are planning to use our storm jib in the inner head stay augmented by the asymmetrical in light air.

Still a busy day and NOT how I was planning to spend Barb's birthday.

I am doing one of my pasta specials with an avocado with bacon with orange drizzle for a starter. Maybe she will accept that humble offering.