Kent Narrows, St. Michaels...

October, 2012 - Some of Winsome's crew got up before light to take advantage of the fair tide and west wind.  Nosing our way out of Worton Creek, the stars gave way to the early morning light and the smell of coffee from down below.  By the time we began the turn south off Poole's Island we had a full main and genoa drawing nicely on a beam reach making about 6 knots.  Carter is a late sleeper in any case and it is unlikely that anything will pry him out of his sleeping bag very easily.  I remember listening to the water slosh by the hull when I was young and so I'm very indulgent of this, his cruising habit. 

 

We reached Kent Narrows around lunch and the bridge tender opened for us after we all enjoyed a bite to eat at the dockside restaurant.  We enjoyed a relatively quiet time here as the really busy season had come and gone.  After bidding the bridge tender farewell, Winsome motored down Kirwan Creek just south of the narrows to a snug anchorage in very calm and protected water between Hog Island and Kent Island.  Debbie had her most restful night sleep here...

 

 

Our anchorage was as flat and calm as the pond at home and with virtually no wind we decided on a late start.  After a wonderful breakfast prepared by Debbie, she spent quality time in her deck chair on the bow tending to her toenails while I rowed around inspecting the area.  Carter's sleeping bag had a firm grip on him... 

Winsome finally made her way out into Prospect Bay and the short sail south to Tilghman Creek.  As you can see, it was a very nice sail with a wonderful, warm wind despite the time of year.  We motored into the channel leading to Tilghman Creek with enough light left to have a swim and dinner on the grill.  Delightful!  A stiff northwest wind picked up quite a bit that night and left us feeling very glad we anchored where we did.  That breeze slowly diminished in the early morning and after retrieving the anchor which had set quite deep, we set out rounding the Tilghman Creek marker and sailed a broad reach towards the Miles   River and St. Michaels to meet with Mom.  St. Michael's was wonderful to us and Higgins Yacht Yard kept us tied up fairly close to the showers and with downtown only two blocks away, we were in clover.  I made use of the Public Library and we explored the local scene.  Our ship's cook put together a dinner of champions on the galley stove with a roast pork and sauerkraut. 

Reluctantly, in the early morning we left St. Michaels in our wake and after a long day on the water, tied up to our mooring at Worton Creek having spent a wonderful week out exploring the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.

Winter has arrived...

It's been a while since snow fell on this part of Pennsylvania and the waiting has made it lose its charm. Nevertheless, a walk in the snow is a hearty good time and sitting by the woodstove afterwards lends itself nicely to a good thick book and warm socks. Carter has been plowing through the Harry Potter series and the little homestead has been resonating with the glorious sounds of his viola practices. Snow on the trees makes it hard not to think of the places we'll go and the swimming we'll do when things start moving again...

Sunday afternoon is a great time to take a walk in the crisp air. The cat comes along as he usually does and this is no small feat for him as he's only a few inches off the ground and the snow is a few inches deep. He keeps up pretty well and only has to rest every now and then, which suits Carter just fine...

...but when the boots come off and the hot chocolate is poured out its hard to stop the mind from wandering...

Our Nation's Capitol...

Our family loves to go to D.C. With so many special places to visit we always leave thinking that if only we had more time...



Ivy was a dear and treated us all to very inexpensive rooms at the Marriot between Washington and Dupont Circle's so we all could celebrate Carter's 11th birthday. This location is fantastic because it is so close to the Metro Station at Foggy Bottom and I love to say, "Foggy Bottom". As we walk from the Metro to the hotel and back, I imagine that all the people eating or enjoying drinks in the many restaurants we pass are laughing and saying, "Foggy Bottom...ha, ha..."



Of course, there were many highlights during Carter's birthday in D.C. including a visit to the Udvar-Hazy Center which houses the expanded Air and Space museum, Capitol Hill, the Newseum, the Botanical Gardens, the National Portrait Gallery, the cafeteria in the basement of our Congress, the Library of Congress, a wonderful dinner at a Chinese place and a South African restaurant a few blocks from the hotel and much, much more...



One of us walked to the Lincoln Memorial late at night to commune with the "Great Emancipator" surrounded by the lights of the nation's capitol and the words that he spoke...a real treat to be sure.



Don't fret, our nation's capitol, we shall return and soon...

On the Road...

Carter and I pulled into Green Point Landing around 7 a.m. on what turned out to be a very busy day. Winsome was scheduled to get pulled out of the water, have her mast removed and then put on a truck that would take her to Reuwer Boat Works, her home for the winter. Next season she'll be sailing with refinished woodwork and a new cockpit!

Pulling up to the dock on a gorgeous December morning.

Carter was a big help with taking sails down, removing rigging, getting the mast ready for transport as well as documenting the entire day with the camera. Great job, Carter!

Winsome getting lifted onto the trailer...

And away she goes...

Carter has been up since 3 a.m.

Fairlee Creek welcomes Winsome and Crew

After an awesome breakfast with Uncle Rusty and Aunt Alison, Winsome's crew headed out the creek for yet another great weekend on the Chesapeake Bay! Reports on baby Diana's recent ramblings and Josh's studies at medical school were accompanied by first-hand accounts of Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and Fairlee Creek? "Mind the markers!", says Alison. And so we did...
Dad took the helm all afternoon, tacking across the Bay while Carter sequestered himself down below reading and doing galley duty. Refreshing tea and crackers were sent up to the cockpit as well as some really fine ham sandwiches. A northwest breeze made for good time into the Fairlee Creek channel.
There was plenty of water inside the sand spit and we anchored next to a 38' yawl tucked in for the evening. Warmed by the woodstove, the crew fell asleep in the cabin reading...

Anniversary Sail!

Deb takes the helm with gusto! Here we are close-hauled heading south for Rock Hall on our 12th Wedding Anniversary. The weather was awesome with winds from the southwest gusting to 20 mph, clear and sunny skies and the sailing was fantastic. Winsome behaves very nicely when reefed early and here we have two reefs in the main and a working jib set. The boat is very balanced with virtually no weather or lee helm. We sailed from Worton in the morning and arrived in Rock Hall (for the first time ever) in time to walk to the local dockside joint for a wonderful dinner together...



















We had a lovely time...

The girls spent Tuesday walking the lovely and very seasonal grounds of Longwood Gardens. Yes, that is a real pumpkin that Debbie is leaning against! The staff were busy getting holiday trimmings in place as well as planting tulip bulbs in anticipation of the Spring season. The ladies had breakfast with Melissa and then dinner "out" after the tour. They all came home smiling...

Ben has moved onto a new project that has been underway for about a year now and will probably take another to finish. There are lots of curves both inside and out that are going to make this one a great project to jump into!

Times have changed...

This guy here was photographed lurking around the snack line on the ferry in the summer of 2002! Times have changed, huh...

Winsome to Annapolis!

After an exhilarating rainstorm and double rainbow, Grandma joined the crew of Winsome for dinner and a restful night at the Worton Creek mooring. Carter and Grandma shared the forward cabin and didn't fight much! Winsome anchored off Button Beach the following day for some great swimming and beachcombing and lunch under the cockpit awning. What fun!

Off to Annapolis! With winds coming from the northwest, it was hard to resist heading south down the Bay. Winsome made six knots for the thirty some miles to the Severn River and Annapolis. After tying up to a mooring just off the Naval Academy grounds, the crew took the water taxi to dinner and the closest ice cream shop! The next day we made our way to Bacon's (used boat supply store) to replace a broken dingy oar and to shop for miscellaneous gear. While waiting for the bus to take us back to the waterfront, the earth decided to shift tectonic plates! How's that for excitement!

After another night in Annapolis and a favorable wind now mostly from the south, we headed back out into the bay for the return trip to Worton Creek. A single reef in the main was required after clearing the Bay Bridge and Winsome made the return trip in only 5 1/2 hours. In the adjacent photo, Carter is going up the mast to try and clear a jammed halyard.