April 29-30, 2021 Return to the Beginning

 Thursday, April 29, 2021. Day 144.

Everyone was up early. The plan was to leave our Mill Creek anchorage before 8am. Fortunately the bugs were not that bad. I stretched on the back deck, we had coffee, and the anchor was up and we started the day's journey to Hartge Yacht Harbor Marina, where we had started on this voyage on December 6, 2020.

We were to drop Gail and Mike off there, at their sailboat, and stay one night at Hartge; at least that was the plan. We wanted to celebrate at an outside restaurant for dinner in Annapolis, as this was, in many ways, the end of the journey.

The day was overcast although the water was calm and I enjoyed the reflections in the water of the landscape. As we re-entered the Patuxent River from our anchorage, Gail telephoned to arrange a T dock at Hartge (the original dock we had had there in December), and to confirm that the pumpout was working. All was good to go.

I steered into the West River. It was overcast and windy, but the West River was calm, although deceptively long and very windy, especially for a newbie (me).

At 2:15pm, I FINALLY GOT MY CHANCE TO DOCK (with a great deal of help and coaching by Captain Roland), while Gail and Mike and the dock hand worked the lines. Gail immediately jumped off the boat as soon as we docked, and ran to her boat to check on it. It was my first docking experience and I was told I did very well. I guess I learned something from watching Roland dock and de-dock for the last five months!

Captain Roland backed into our original T, with help from the dock hands (it was too shallow to turn around and go forward).

Gail and Mike unloaded, started working on their boat, and confirmed our dinner at Luna Blu in Annapolis, outside. I immediately started on the laundry and the dishes (my major contribution to the workload).

We had a happy hour with Gail and Michael on MM, and then, off to dinner. As usual with Gail and Michael, they chose an Italian restaurant. We enjoyed the experience, notwithstanding the loud karaoke bar across the street. My favorite part of the meal was the bread – it was fantastic; I also enjoyed the chocolate mousse. The prices were reasonable, the service was very good and there was no skimping on the portions.

Unfortunately the forecast for Friday was really heavy winds so we had to plan to either leave very early for a short trip to our PO‘s private dock in Crownsville or stay another day in at the Hartge.

Friday, April 30, 2021. Day 145.

We got up early to check the wind, and although it was sunny, we were right on the cusp of whether we should go or stay. The wind was not supposed to pick up until noon but it was already gusting greater than 20 knots, so we decided to stay. We were very disappointed to miss the Crownsville visit to our POs, but hoped to stop there the first couple days of June, on our way back to Annapolis. Weather must be respected; plans often must be adjusted.

I went for a run and we had french toast for breakfast. Gail came by to check on us and report on her progress getting the sailboat together.

I did more laundry and dishes, and as the wind increased (gusting to greater than 50 knots), we secured the lines and put out more fenders. We were in a protected harbor, but things started rocking pretty heavily. It was reported to be very choppy on the bay – no fun. I was glad we hadn't ventured out.

Gail and Roland went food shopping and came back with groceries and a folding cart with wheels (great purchase!). I took a break from work and went over and checked on Gail's and Michael’s progress on their boat and visited the nearby catamaran where Mike and Cheri live aboard, to see how their winter had been. Cheri was helping out with their grandson in North Jersey. Mike was back and forth to maintain the boat, obviously missing Cheri.

At about 5pm, the power went out in the whole marina, possibly, all of Galesville. No power meant that there was no light nor water in the marina bathrooms and laundry (the water pump was powered by an electric motor). Fortunately, we have a generator, so we made chicken thighs in the air fryer. Gail and Mike came over for an after dinner drink. Because all the lights were out in the marina, they had to use their cell phone flashlights to make it back to their boat.

It was kind of ominous to end our visit in Hartge, where we started, powerless.

April 27-28, 2021 Mill Creek Anchorages I and II

 Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Day 142.

It was a relaxing morning. We had poached eggs a la Roland (delicious). We were still in the southern Chesapeake Bay (Virginia). It was a pretty day: sunny, and the water was a beautiful blue, but it was really windy. 

We were on auto pilot most of the day with Gail and/or Mike standing by on watch. Captain Roland got to relax and read. At the end of the cruising day, the Captain steered into the Mill Creek anchorage; it was a little tricky.

We had arrived at Mill Creek at approximately 3:30pm. There was no wind, it was warm and beautiful. Roland and Mike took down the dinghy, and Gail and Mike sent Captain Roland and me off on a dinghy ride. It was fun but the engine, although it kicked over on the first pull (very nice!), started sputtering at high speed. This was a brand new motor! We lowered the speed but didn’t go too far from the boat, as Roland did not want to row back. Never a dull moment... on Magic Moments! There is always something to deal with, something that needs to be fixed or replaced.

The creek was fairly empty, there were a few homes that were visible from the water. Later two boats joined the anchorage. It was peaceful and scenic. After grilled turkey burgers for dinner, I had a zoom, did yoga and worked on the blog. We did have some time for the four of us to go out and look at the moon and the stars. It was a very large, full moon, with light clouds dancing on its face; it was really spectacular.......unfortunately, photos could not do it justice.

Since leaving Norfolk, we have been in the Chesapeake, rarely seeing land while cruising; just water until we anchor. The Chesapeake is one big bay!

Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Day 143.

The sun was already up when I awakened. The anchor chain had been clanging all night like small fireworks or banging chains noises. Captain Roland believes, after 4 1/2 months, he had a fix- for this problem (yay!). He planned to put a towel in a strategic place.......better late than never.

It was cool and comfortable on this third day of primarily only water views while cruising. At approximately 11am we cruised from Virginia into Maryland (no signs in the Bay: “Welcome to Maryland”). … So close to home… Yet so far… Only days now. I worked out and stretched before coffee and breakfast (yogurt), and my first shower ever underway. So much free time from boat duty (crew and Captain Roland do it all) so, my job is the blog, WIL, MAG, emails and bills. 

We were in open water, there were very few boats (we were here before the “season”). It was sunny and there was no wind. However, although the weather was perfect for the flybridge, after the morning we had to go into the pilot house, the biting flies were intolerable. Really?.......hopefully the only one of the ten plagues we will experience!

At approximately 3:30pm, we passed under the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge, in the Patuxent River, and passed Point Patience, and the Solomons. It was still sunny and comfortable, but the little bugs were all over outside. Thankfully, they were bigger than our screen mesh, so we could keep the doors open and enjoy the fresh air. Gail was steering most of the day; since we passed Mobjack Bay, she and Mike were on known territory.

Note: A new term I learned that day was “free board“ which is the part of the boat above the waterline. Easy to use in a sentence..... “Waxing and buffing the free board is a really big job on Magic Moments!”

At 4pm, we anchored in Mill Creek (Maryland versus Mill Creek, Virginia, last night), joining another trawler and a sailboat, but there was plenty of room. It was a little crazy at first because there were fast boats and jet skis zipping all around, and then some thrill seekers out for the evening, screaming as they went, as if they were on a roller coaster, whipping figure eights on the water. At dusk, peace settled in the cove, and it was beautiful, warm and calm.

To celebrate our last dinner with our crew on board, we had an amazing rack of lamb dinner, grilled with eggplant and asparagus, followed by salad, with a very nice red wine. Yum!

We planned to arrive tomorrow at Hartge, where we started this journey on December 6, 2020, Day One.