Day 1: After brief orientation and introductions,
we put together a provisioning plan and reviewed what was still needed. Sarah
and Terry made a run to the grocery, and upon their return everything was
stowed. A discussion of the deck layout, controls and safety equipment was
followed by a review of the ship's engine, electrical and plumbing systems
below. Next, we started a basic cruise plan, with the students
expressing an interest in visiting both St. Michaels and Annapolis. Our
best opportunity for getting to St. Michaels was to take advantage of the
slack/ebb current after high tide through Kent Narrows, which was
mid-afternoon today. We departed Lankford Bay shortly after noon and motor
sailed in light winds to Kent Narrows. Our timing was a bit off, and we
needed to wait about 20 minutes for the next bridge opening. An ebb current
pushed us along through the bridge and down the Eastern Bay, arriving at the
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum docks around 1800. It was crowded and our slip
assignment was challenging just inside a T-head with shoal water and a
floating dock as obstacles. Sarah was patient with a slow controlled approach
as she executed a partial standing turn to position us to back stern-in
between the pier and obstacles. After securing the boat, we explored the town,
found a nice restaurant and had wonderful shrimp risotto and tuna for dinner.
Yum!
Day 2: Weather forecast is NNE winds at 15-20 knots, gusting to 25 with
3 ft waves. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect. Sarah and Terry are up for
the challenge of crossing the bay in these conditions, so we plot a course for
the Rhode River. Winds are initially on the nose, so we motored out of the
Miles River until turning the corner to head WSW. A single reefed main and
reefed jib were set, and we made 6 to 7 knots on our way to Bloody Point.
Steering in the waves was challenging. Terry was able to get a feel for it and
soon was steering a steady course as Sarah was navigating. We took the
opportunity to practice obtaining fixes with two lines of position, and
determining revised courses to steer. Once past Bloody Point, the full
fetch of the bay was generating 3 to 5 foot waves and gusts up to 30 knots.
The crew and our Island Packet 32 were getting bounced around, but handled it
well.
Our course to the Rhode River was close-hauled. The
combination of an ebb current and leeway put us too far south to make the
entrance, so we had to tack back out into the middle of the bay then tack
again. Once again we were too far south of our G"1" entrance mark.
As it was getting late in the day, we opted to use the motor to help us make
the last mile or so to windward and turned to head down the West River on our
way to the Rhode. Suddenly, our engine bogged down --- was it a crab pot we
didn't see? No, our fuel filter had clogged due to tank sediment being
stirred up in the rough conditions. We set sail and altered our plan, finding
a protected cove along the western shore of the West River to drop the hook.
While Sarah and Terry started preparing dinner (cheeseburgers!), Captain Andy
changed the fuel filter, and our engine was back to life! Time for a good
night's rest.
Day 3: What a perfect sailing day! Clear crisp air, sunshine and North
winds at 10 to 15 knots. Today's focus is on dead reckoning, plotting and sail
trim. Full sails are set once we pass the shoal at the entrance to the
West River. We pass by Thomas Point Light on our way across the bay toward
Kent Island, dealing with some commercial traffic. We tack back toward
Annapolis and find that we cannot make the Harbor on this tack, so tack back
toward Kent Island again. Terry does a nice job of determining the layline for
our next tack into Annapolis. Our wind is fading, so we opt to motorsail in
hopes of getting in early enough to find a mooring. Annapolis is buzzing with
activity in preparation for the upcoming boat show, and the mooring field is
half closed, with the remaining moorings already taken. We decide to pass
through the draw bridge and look for a mooring or spot to anchor on Spa Creek.
It is crowded! We eventually found a small cove with just enough room
for one boat to anchor if you set up a forked mooring with two anchors to
limit swing, which we did. It was tight, and we knew there was a possibility
that the Harbor Master would ask us to move. He passed by once and looked our
way, but let us be. We hailed the water taxi and it's off to town now for
dinner and (of course) ice cream!
Day 4: We are up early to make the 7:30 draw out of Spa Creek, then
stop for fuel and pump out on our way out. It is a clear day with very light
northerly winds. Motoring all the way today. Today's navigation challenge is
to set a course to the RW "LP" safe water buoy a few miles north of
the Bay Bridge on our way to Rock Hall Harbor. It is no challenge for this
crew as we see the buoy appear just off our port bow. We get a surprise
on our way into Rock Hall Harbor - the ATONs do not match the charts!
Shoaling has occurred and the green day mark is now a danger shoal mark. It
has been replaced with a new floating can further south of the original
location. This was not mentioned in the recent Local Notice to Mariners, so it
must be new. Cruising guides suggest to favor the red side, which is
consistent. We saw no less than 6.8ft on the way in. Time for a hot shower and
review before testing. Both students pass the written test, and we head out
for a celebratory dinner.
Day 5: Forecast calls for East winds at 5 to 10 knots. It is a clear
sunny day, but quite calm. We have a relaxing morning and are underway around
0900. There is some confusion (among the students) about the location of the
marks as we are leaving the Harbor. Sarah holds the boat in position while we
figure it out. There are two R"4" marks (Swan Creek and Rock Hall
Harbor). With that mystery solved, we continue motoring in calm seas.
Back home at Lankford Bay, we pump out, fuel up, top off the tank and clean
up. We take a few minutes to reflect on our accomplishments, sign log books
and other formalities. Another cruise comes to an end.
Captain Andy Barton
On board S/V
ACADAME
Rock Hall, Maryland
June 8, 2017
