2024 Chesapeake Bay Cruise

 

As is always the case with July weather, this 104 was hot. However, we did not get as much rain as anticipated, so the class was a good opportunity for our three students. Helen, Max and Pat each had the opportunity to sail the boat in light winds and we enjoyed the trip around Kent Island.

Scholarship left Lankford Bay Marina under bright, cloudless skies. Taking advantage of the light winds, we did a compass deviation run before leaving the marian area. The Skipper of the Day, Helen, started the trip down the river under power, but with the hope of setting the sails after we passed the green #9 buoy in the Chester River. Before we got there, however, we did a calibration run for the knotmeter, deciding that it was reading about 40% high. This was borne out by other readings as we traveled. 

We didn’t find any wind as we motored north of the Kent Narrows, but we did have the excitement of a high raw water temperature alarm. Fortunately, it was just the first of Captain Frank’s drills and we soon had it sorted and a two bearing fix taken and plotted. Using this information, we were able to reset our course and we were underway again.

After clearing the mouth of the Chester River, we entered Swan Creek Channel and were soon motoring through the crab pots off the mouth of Rock Hall Harbor. Rounding into Swan Creek, we picked up our pre-arranged mooring ball #5 and settled in for the evening. A couple of ours later, we were happy to see Navigator, the school’s 40 foot Island Packet also arrive on the first night of its 106 class underway period.

In the morning, we debated setting the mainsail before getting underway, as the wind had come up overnight. However, since we decided to pump out our holding tank at Swan Creek Marina before leaving, we held off on the sail. After finishing up our pump-out, we headed back out into the Chesapeake Bay, following just behind Navigator. After entering the Swan Creek Channel area, Navigator turned north and we headed south west toward the LP safe water mark. The breeze was now out of the south at 10 to 15, so we ended up fighting the chop. With main and genoa set, we found ourselves sailing a very wide course, tacking through 110 degrees. Eventually, we stopped fighting the inevitable, doused the head sail and motor-sailed down through the Eastern Channel of the Annapolis Bay Bridge. 

On the south side of the bridge, we found much smoother seas and wind, but since we had lost time above the bridge, we decided to continue motor-sailing until we entered the Eastern Bay. Once past the Bloody Point Bar, we reset the genoa and turned off the motor. We were actually sailing and on a deep beam reach.

It was at this point that the crew noticed that the bilge pump was running excessively. A quick examination of the bilges found a cracked through hull that was allowing water into the boat. Again, this was another of Frank’s drills and Skipper of the Day Max quickly brought it under control, with the boat hove to and “help” on the way.

Dropping out of the hove-to position, after having done a two bearing fix to determine our location, we were again sailing into Eastern Bay when the crew noticed an interesting phenomenon. Although we were sailing quite well, we didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Investigation proved that although we were sailing at about 3.5 knots through the water, we were stemming a two knot current, so that our speed over the ground was only 1.5 knots! Unfortunately, this was not one of Captain Frank’s drills. We doused the head sail and restarted the engine.

On entering the Miles River, we dropped the mainsail and proceeded into the Saint Michael’s harbor, where we were directed to slip 33 at the Saint Michael’s Marina. As the temperatures had climbed during the day, the crew was very thankful for showers and shore power for the night. After a late dinner, all were happy to head back to the now-cool boat and drop off to sleep.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning at the Blue Crab restaurant, we proceeded to get underway. Skipper of the Day Pat got us out into the Eastern Bay again and we were soon headed north toward the Narrows. 

We had planned to go through on the 1130 opening but a following current and good boat handling got us to the bridge in time to go through on the 1100 opening. Since slack water was predicted for 1115, the difference really didn’t mean anything and the crew soon had the boat north of the Narrows and back in the Chester River. After stopping to celebrate our circumnavigation of Kent Island, we set our main and genoa and started sailing back up the river.

Unfortunately, a fire developed right around lunch time, which delayed our passage (yes, it was another drill). After successfully finding and combating the blaze, we used our navigation skills to once again do a fix using the compass and developed a new course to our next way point. We were able to sail all the way up to Lankford Creek and only doused the sails when were were in the creek and headed for our anchorage.

After anchoring for the evening using a Bahamanian mooring, the crew looked at the weather forecast (temperatures in the high 70s and raining through the night) and opted to pull up the anchors and head into nearby Lankford Bay Marina, where we ducked into Navigator’s vacant slip and tied up for the night. Since the boat had to be buttoned up due to the rain, which started about eight PM and dumped rain in buckets, the crew was happy for the shorepower which allowed for a comfortable night’s sleep.

In the morning, we departed the dock, went out and performed our crew overboard training, then returned to the marina for a pumpout, refueling and final return to the slip. It was a very successful 104 class.