We're on our way south, chasing the sun and trying to keep the butter melting or at worst, slightly soft. Unfortunately, unless the Webasto is running, the butter is rock solid and the heart healthy spread isn't doing too well either. It's sunny but pretty chilly here in the Chesapeake. Fall is definitely falling.

We made a run through New York a week or so ago. There was a breeze so we broke every rule and sailed all the way down the East River - some of it sideways in the 2 to 5 knot current.

It was then an overnight down the Jersey shore past the bright lights of Atlantic City where the soon to be impoverished shovel next months mortgage into assorted gaming machines.

By dawn we were at the mouth of the Delaware and ran with the current half way up to the Chesapeake and Delaware canal. The world’s third busiest waterway. It was also the foggiest so we sat for twenty four hours waiting on it to re-open.

Next up was Baltimore, where after a bit of sight seeing and getting our Covid beasties recharged we settled down in Slainte, the Irish bar and spent happy hours watching the World Cup rugby. In between games we a had few days in Washington where, having walked our wee legs down to stumps and satisfied Anne's passion for museums, we headed for Annapolis to buy some essential yottie bits and pieces and do some tyre kicking at the boat show.

Is it just me or are new boats getting uglier by the year? Stunning yachts of yesteryear with their beautiful lines, sweeping curves and powerful rigs all giving way to open air living, in-mast mainsails shaped by the pen of a six year old, leeches flapping gaily in the breeze and spacious, airy saloons which at thirty degrees will be like skating rinks. Most monohulls seem to carry their full beam to just short of the anchor such that designers can fit in the apparently now essential walk around beds. Galleys are all electric but without space to chop an apple. As for the catamarans, most look like more like wedding cakes than boats.

However, the highlight was the YouTubers stand. Here were gathered the glitterati of the on-screen sailing world being interviewed by some bloke in a branded white shirt, both presumably trying to boost their channel audience numbers. To my surprise, most of the girl YouTubers were almost fully dressed.

Apparently one pair of YouTube sensations who, with all of three years sailing experience behind them are flogging weeks aboard their new steed. In exchange for a trifling $1,000 a day you can tap into their wealth of experience and presumably get your kit off, flash a bit of flesh and feature in a forthcoming episode.

Rest assured, in our next YouTube attempt (SV Time Bandit) we'll be fully clothed.