2022 Chesapeake Bay Cruise

 26-OCT-2022:  All hands arrived at the appointed time and place, excited to begin an adventure on the Chesapeake.  The crews of both the ACADAME and SCHOLARSHIP gathered in the dayroom of the MDSchool schoolhouse for introductions and were given an overview of the plans and expectations of the course from Captain Robin Bauer.  The crews then separated to perform familiarization and inventories of their respective vessels.  Using the MDSchool 104 training plan, the crew of the ACADAME walked through the Homeport Predeparture Preparations, confirmed all gear was aboard and in its proper place, then returned to the classroom to begin conducting navigation planning for the duration of the voyage.

Captain Brian provided the crew with a cruise plan and a list of navigational aids to plot as waypoints for each day’s planned route.  He provided the crew with instruction on how to reference the waypoints in the Light List, lookup additional details in the relevant nautical publications and search for caution notices along their planned route.  He helped walk them through how to plot their course on the navigation charts and enter reference details into the Ships Log.  The crew quickly entered a rhythm, working as a team to complete the first two days of route planning.  Captain Brian, Meredith and Kevin made a run to the Bayside Market for provisions while Max and Ron stayed behind to continue working on navigation preparations.  After returning and storing all the food aboard, the crews of both boats broke for dinner.  All joined for a get-together at Baywolf restaurant.  On returning from dinner, everyone turned in for the night to rest up for an early morning start.

27-OCT-2022:  The crew mustered at 0700 to begin predeparture checks and ensure all necessary gear and provisions were aboard.  It was a brisk sunny morning with temperatures in the 50s.  Winds were steady out of the Northwest at 10-15 knots.  Kevin was assigned as the Skipper for the day and safely guided ACADAME out of her home slip at 0830.  The crew sailed to the vicinity of the Langford Creek preferred channel mark to conduct calibration of the knot meter but were unable to perform the exercise due to the sensor being inoperable.  We then proceeded on our planned route to Annapolis, MD.  Conditions allowed for the crew to deploy full main and jib for a downwind run on the Chester River.  Captain Brian conducted a review on Navigational Aids and the COLREGs on the southern leg of the transit down the Chester.  The crew had the pleasure of observing two tall ships passing close aboard on their way upriver heading to Chestertown for the annual Downrigging Festival.  Winds increased to 15-20 knots as we rounded Eastern Neck Island.  The crew put in the first reef on the main and furled the genoa to 75% for the upwind sail to the mouth of the Chester River.  The seas were rough at entrance to the Chester compounded by an ebbing current and made slow going until rounding Love Point Light – even with judicious use of the enginel.  Once into the Chesapeake, the crew secured the engine and set full main and genoa again before turning south for the main span of the Bay Bridge.  The remainder of the sail to Annapolis was smooth and lent well to demonstrating and practicing coastal navigation techniques.  Captain Brian also discussed emergency procedures with the crew.  Acadame entered Annapolis Harbor at 1630 where the crew successfully moored the vessel to Buoy #25.  After securing the vessel, they hailed the Annapolis Water Taxi and went ashore for dinner at McGravey’s Saloon, a stroll around the town and large scoops of ice cream from Kilwin’s.  The crew returned to the boat at 1930 and settled in to individually study the ASA104 manual in preparation for the written test.

28-OCT-2022:  The crew was up and about by 0700 for a simple breakfast of yogurt, granola and fruit.  Ron demonstrated mastery in the use of the percolator, establishing himself as the ship’s head barrister for the remainder of the cruise.  The skies were overcast and the day was chilly, ranging from 40 in the morning to a high of 55 in the afternoon.  Winds were from the North at 15-20 knots and promised another excellent day of downwind sailing on the Bay.  Max was assigned as Skipper for the day and after a lesson on how to depart from a mooring ball, lead the crew in slipping the lines at 0830.  Captain Brian assisted the crew in practicing a second run at picking up and departing a mooring ball before departing the Severn River on a close reach under full main and genoa destined for St. Michael’s, MD.  

The crew continued practicing coastal navigation and discussed boat systems and emergency procedures on the trip to Eastern Bay.  They seamlessly executed a textbook MOB Maneuver #3 recovery of Ichabod from a broad reach and were back under full sail within 10 minutes.  They rounded Bloody Point Light at 1330 and soared past their sistership, intently studying the chart to determine the best points to execute tacks to windward to achieve the best Velocity Made Good possible without being in danger of running aground.  Around 1430, the crew hove to for lunch and put a single reef in the main to determine if it would help achieve better boat speed.  It did not and in order to make time to St. Michael’s the crew again engaged the enginel at 1530. 

Our original plan called for anchoring off St. Michael’s due to non-availability of slip space.  Kevin, being an avid Phillies fan and hoping to catch the game at a local restaurant, used the cruising guide to call around to all the marinas listed for St. Michael’s and found a vacancy.  The crew jumped on the chance to go ashore for warm showers and the opportunity to explore St. Michael’s.  ACADAME arrived off the docks of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at 1645 and was assisted into their assigned slip by the Museum dockhands.  After showers and a brief winding down, the crew finished their route planning for the journey through Kent Narrows to Grey’s Inn Creek scheduled for the next day.  They then went their separate ways for dinner.  Ron and Meredith enjoyed a quiet evening together, Max relaxed onboard and contemplated the influence of Pythagoras on modern day navigation principles, Kevin and Captain Brian went on a quest for the best watering hole in St. Michael’s piping in the World Series.  The Carpenter Street Salon delivered and, much to Kevin’s delight, so did the Phillies.

29-OCT-2022:  The crew awoke at 0700 to a cool and overcast day.  Temperatures were 40-55 F, winds from Northwest at 5-15 knots.  Meredith was the Skipper for the day.  We departed the slip at 0800 on a course to Kent Narrows, straight into the teeth of the wind.  In order to transit the Narrows as close to the slack of Flood tide as possible, the crew motored all the way to the Kent Narrows Southern approach.  We arrived at 1020, right in time to set up for the 1030 bridge opening.  Kevin hailed the bridge operator on channel 13 and coordinated a smooth passage through.  The crew set sail just beyond the North approach to the Narrows and continued East below Eastern Neck Island up the Chester River under full main and genoa.  

After heaving to for lunch, we conducted man overboard drills, executing the Figure 8 technique in order to practice maneuvering under sail and demonstrate the difficulty of recovering the victim using this method.  All agreed the MOB recovery procedures recommended by MDSchool are much more effective.  After all hands completed a turn at the helm, we headed North up the Chester, planning tacks from shoreline to shoreline to make as much progress upriver as possible.  Captain Brian quizzed the crew on navigation, boat systems, anchoring techniques, emergency procedures and issues involved in chartering a boat.  Around 1700, the crew dropped the sails and motored the rest of the way into Grey’s Inn Creek, dropping the hook at the fork with Herrington Creek.  Captain Brian explained and then guided the crew through the process of setting a Bahamian Moor with the second anchor.  With ACADAME secure for whatever wind and current might be thrown at her, the crew settled in to prepare a meal of Penne pasta in red sauce (rigate of course, never lisce…) and pre-grilled chicken.  The crew then reviewed navigation course planning techniques in preparation for the ASA104 exam and finished route planning for the final leg of the journey from Grey’s Inn Creek to Langford Bay Marina.  With several of the students facing a very long drive home the next day, the crew collectively decided to complete their ASA104 exams that evening.  Captain Brian issued the test, and everyone passed with flying colors.  After reviewing the exam, the crew turned in, exhausted after a long day but relieved to have the exam in their wake.

30-OCT-2022:  The crew awoke at 0700 for a quick breakfast before preparing ACADAME to get underway.  It was another cool overcast morning with temperatures in the 40s and light winds out of the Northeast at 0-5 Knots.  Ron was assigned as the skipper for the day.  Captain Brian guided the crew through the retrieval of the Bahamian Moor, they rinsed off the globs of muck from the anchors and headed out the channel toward the Chester River under auxiliary power.  Once in the vicinity of the Langford Bay Daybeacon #1 G, Captain Brian guided the crew step-by-step through the process of plotting a running fix.  Sightings were taken off the Langford Creek preferred channel mark and the crew performed dead reckoning as they proceeded upriver under power.  Sightings were taken again at 20 minutes and a fix was established.  Ron directed the crew through a seamless docking and departure from both the pump-out and fuel docks.  ACADAME returned to her home slip at 1330, the crew completed the Return to Homeport checklist, carted their gear back ashore and linked up in the MDSchool dayroom for wrap up of the course.  Diplomas were awarded, logbooks were signed and the crew exchanged hopes to cross paths sometime again in the future.