2019 Chesapeake Bay Cruise

Day 1... Orientation, cruise prep planning, weather observations and forecasts and provisioning. Dinghy setup, towing and stowage. Inspection of safety gear. Inspect vessel, rigging and systems; electrical, plumbing and engine. Navigation and chart work, planning trip, waypoints, and time-speed-distance calculations. Harness and tether usage.

Day 2... Winds 0 to 5 knots; clear. Departed Lankford Bay Marina at 0730 out of Chester River to Annapolis. Motored until south of bay bridge then saw 8 to 10 knot winds and set full sail. Reviewed ETA passing each waypoint, basic sail trim, tacking and gybing PST. Sailed up Severn River and gybed back. Passed through Spa Creek bridge at 1500, then back out at 1520. Pumped out. Picked up mooring at 1600. Ice cream treat then reviewed customs and immigration procedures and battery management procedures. Water taxi to dinner at Boatyard and return. Rolly night at mooring due to strong easterly winds. 

Day 3,,, Winds ENE 15 knots, gusting 25, cloudy, waves 2-3 feet. Reviewed harness and tether procedures again and reefing before departure. Departed at 1030 bound for Herrington Harbor; double reef in mainsail plus two-thirds jib. Reviewed weather systems, clouds, isobars, low and high pressure systems. Waves and wind increased after passing Thomas Point; 3 to 5 foot waves. Struck mainsail in Herring Bay; motored into entrance channel. Motor stalled while we were between the rock jetties; set jib (1/2) and sailed to fuel dock. Checked engine and fuel and Racor filters which looked clear. Started engine and ran for 20 minutes at 2500 rpm with no problems. Unsure why engine stalled. Break for a snack, then more lessons on two and three bearing fixes, DR plotting, fuel management, and distance-speed-time calculations. Dinner ashore. 

Day 4... Winds S at 5 to 10 knots; cloudy. Departed 0730. Downwind sailing, PST gybing, wing on wing. Review emergencies: Fire, collision, engine failure, towing, steering, taking on water, distress calling, anchoring and rafting. Long sail; winds built to 15 to 20 knots, gusting 25 knots. Full sail tacking into Chester River, then a nice run up to Grays Inn Creek. Anchored past private pier ensuring room and depth to swing due to predicted shift to north over night. Anchored at 1900 after covering about 40 miles today. 

Day 5... Winds N 5 to 10; partly cloudy, then clearing. Reviewed anchoring techniques, knots, line handling. Underway at 1000 departing Grays Inn Creek. Advanced sail trim: twist, draft, steering by tell tails. MOB drills. MOB drills. MOB drills. Tacked back up Langford Creek to marina at 1330. Pumped out; topped fuel and water. Boat cleanup. Review and test. 

Fuel 5.6 gallons
Engine 1289 hours

Captain Andy Barton
On board S/V AcadAme
Rock Hall, Maryland
September 10, 2019