Moria and Loth Lorien
25 July 2010
The interesting thing about sailing is that people have selective memories. Their trips were great - all beautiful sailing with favorable winds or they were terrible - very uncomfortable and difficult with terrible weather and storms. Things change awfully quickly on a boat, and if yoiu don't write it down right when it happens, then that old selection creeps in.
so we were having this very lovely sail into Delaware Bay this morning thinking - this is what we wanted all the way across. Nice amount of wind, moderate temperature, small waves, interesting scenery. I thought we were home free.
As we got further and further up the bay, it turned into Lake Michigan in August. Way too hot, oily looking flat seas, slight roll. The difference here is that whereas in Lake Michigan you dont see anything on the horizon, here you see a smudge of land all across. The birds are different, and you have to stay in a narrow channel, dodging the occasional ship and fisherman, which keeps you awake. Otherwise, Lake Michigan in August all over again. Did i mention the biting flies?
Then, just when it seemed that we would never ever be cool again and that we might die of the heat, a huge cold front moved through. I think this is the system that kicked up tornadoes in Michigan, although I am not sure. Anyway, Bob and our good strong new engine kept us head into the wind in the channel, through 50 knots of wind and driving rain. We were still all rigged up for sea, so most things were solidly tied on. Our awning, which is a pretty stupidly designed awning, but has been very useful anyway, tore it's dinky 2 screws out of the deck and started banging around. Eventually I got it tied down and unzipped, and we put it down below. Very dramatic storm.
When it was finally over - if you look back into the storm, it looks like Mordor. I took a movie and will upload it after we get back to fast internet. In the other direction, clear sky with everything silhouetted (I cant spell that word) against the shiny clearness. Including a nuclear power plant and the strangest lighthouse I have ever seen.
Once again we are motoring along in beautiful weather. hoping to anchor near the entrance to the canal tonight and then go through and on to Annapolis tomorrow.
So we are having fun, and we are having hard times. A reasonable mix of both. What doesn't kill you makes you strong.
Jenny