Trip Report
Rock Hall, MD & Corsica River
June 22-23, 2002

The objective of this trip was to give new members the experience of sailing on a multi day trip and staying overnight on a sailboat with people they may have only just met. The trip met that objective with seven new members and the return of a past member. As a bonus, three new skippers finished their last check ride and two new skippers sailed their first club trip. The popularity of the concept was proved when we added a sixth boat.

Friday night arrivals drifted in and gravitated to Waterman's for their excellent seafood - piles of crab on paper table covers were the specialty and Julio Menendez waded right in. After dinner, provisions and belongings were loaded onto the boats and crew found these Island Packets to be air-conditioned. A spirit must have locked the crew of the Dream Catcher OUT of the aft head. A boat hook and an open hatch solved the problem.

After Saturday morning checkouts, breakfasts and briefings, the fleet started to leave around 0930 hours with Skipper in Training Jack Buckley on Tranquility III the first to get his act together. Following closely, Sojourn and first time skipper Larry Sherwood entered the channel out of Rock Hall harbor and soon ran into trouble with a reluctant engine. Backup Mark Rosenstein was at the wheel and made an unscheduled stop at the fuel dock to meet some mechanics sent by Gratitude. Sojourn, fuel lines bled, became last in the parade of ships on the way to the Corsica River.

The wind averaged less than 10 knots initially and was right on the nose until we entered the Chester River and rounded Cedar Point. At this point many of us put up main, genoa and staysail and managed to get some sailing in. Sojourn, with new members Joanne Diglio and John Wulf alternating at the wheel, managed to squeeze out 5 knots occasionally in 10 knots of breeze. Dream Catcher, with new club skipper Joe Brozek sailed part of the way up Chester wing and wing.

First into the Corsica River was Tranquility III, after stopping for lunch at St. Michaels (Yeah Right!). They managed to find an ideal spot to form a raft just over 2 miles up the river in a cove just past Emory Creek. Sojourn was the fourth to arrive and provided amusement as Mark practiced his donuts while Captain Larry played with the anchor rode. We would have done fewer circles but I had to reply to every barb tossed at Sojourn by Commodore Cecile. Mark put us alongside the raft flawlessly. Andy Em with Skipper in Training Dave Steward and Senior Skipper (and Texan) Jo Johnston decided to stay out in the Chester to get more sailing in before arriving in time for hors d’ouevres.

The evening festivities included swimming around the raft with many stops along the way to sample hors d’ouevres. This proved more refreshing and less hazardous then playing skip/trip over the lifelines’. Most boats did put their swim ladders down to welcome the guests. The evening was topped off with Julio Menendez’s Flan. Most of us turned in by 2300 hour s under clear and starry skies. We went to sleep accompanied by laughter and light conversation drifting over from Andy Em - payback would come later.

Sunday morning found the raft floating as we had left it - on a glass textured mirror reflecting a tree lined shore and cloudless sky. Our leisurely breakfasts were interrupted by Jo Johnston’s discovery that they had squandered their battery power for a night’s revelry. The engine would not start. Stan Richmond on Lagniappe assisted Dave Steward & Skipper Jo by loaning them a battery. Problem solved and Sojourn was the first to leave the raft, motoring past happily idling Andy Em. Once into the Chester River, Cavu, Tranquility III and Sojourn did some dancing - crossing tacks, preventing tacks, stealing wind - the usual waltz that sailboats do. This was the best sailing of the weekend, but all good things must end. We had been advised to try to get to the fuel dock by 1400 hours due to tide conditions and crowds. At 1100 hours, it was on with the 'iron genny’ and away we went.

Sojourn was first back at her slip after carefully entering Rock Hall harbor with depth readings of 1 ft. and sometimes less under her keel. With a breeze building, we had to warp into the slip - and there, 20 feet from home, we ran aground. Two minutes of steady power in reverse managed to clear enough silt and we were snuggled in. Last in was Tranquility III - must have stopped in St. Michaels for lunch.

Congratulations to new skippers Jack Buckley (Tranquility III - John Sefcik), Dave Steward (Andy Em - Jo Johnston) and Tom Davies (Lagniappe - Stan Richmond).

Larry Sherwood