As advertised, this three-day sailing excursion had "a little bit of everything we go sailing for" and more! Most of the crew and their skippers arrived Friday afternoon and early evening, but only after a highway diversion (you can't get there from here) on the outskirts of Rock Hall. A downed tree was blocking the only road. Things definitely got more dramatic when we discovered that there was no power at all in the marina, or in the town for that matter! The immediate rush was on for essential provisions: ice, cold beer, and seafood dinners! As luck would have it we fared well.

While local eateries were operating at some level, the crew of Bay Poet decided to broaden their horizons with a road trip! What they found was Harbor House Restaurant at the end of Buck Neck Road past the Worton Creek Marina. They present a new menu nightly with many entrees named after parties that have RSVP’d earlier. The food was superb. Their “Oyster Fest” presented a sampling of every type of oyster dish they have, then the diner can request additional oyster platters of their favorites. As entertainment during dinner, we took the opportunity to “punk” Rob Chichester, owner of Bay Poet and former club member. Rob has made many Facebook posts in the past waxing nostalgic about the official drink of Bay Poet: Frangelico. We posted: “Gorgeous day! Watching the sunset on Bay Poet. Found the owner’s stash of Frangelico, Priceless”. RobC: “My cook will NOT be happy… :)” The crew of Gambol enjoyed crabs by candlelight on the back deck at Waterman's in Rock Hall. The lights came back on later that evening, along with the air conditioning, and we commenced with the preparations for the cast off the next morning.

We welcomed several new cruising crew on this trip: Ralph and Grace from Chestertown, Maryland came by way of Phoenix, Arizona. Is that some kind of club record? But unfortunately we also had three crew members with last minute changes of plans that kept them from joining us. This necessitated some juggling of provisions. Crews accommodated and it worked out well in the end.

After breakfast and check out on Saturday morning we left port and headed out into the Bay toward the Rhode River. After the morning lull we picked up a fair breeze and headed for the Bay Bridge. We encountered a very large barge with its horn blasting (not for us but others in the channel). Soon after, Gambol passed under the Bridge (which was bustling with police boats and a helicopter looking for a reported person in the water). Bay Poet was monitoring VHF Ch-16 at all times except for a brief time that was assigned for the Club boats to check on each other. We learned that there was a reported jumper off the bridge and all of the activity was a “SAR” (Search And Rescue) operation. It was later announced that the search was unfounded as the reported missing person was found on land.

What sights to see and hear! Cruising past Thomas Point Lighthouse is always a treat. Annapolis, with its historic dome and multitude of boats, is lovely. And it’s all even better with the winds picking up. Gambol’s crew took turns at the helm taking the opportunity to practice and hone their sailing skills. Bay Poet crew got a lesson in sail trim for speed, which the crew put to good use throughout the voyage. Another interesting tidbit learned on VHF Ch-16: TowUS/BoatUS sponsors an automated radio check on VHF Ch-27. To use it, the vessel transmits a standard radio check message. The automated land station replies with a message identifying the tower location and then retransmits the vessel’s test message so the vessel can determine its transmission clarity. Excellent. Of course we needed to test both of Bay Poet’s VHF radios.

We rafted among a crowd of other anchored and rafted boats in the Rhode River and commenced the traditional cocktail and appetizer party. Sated, but still warm from a long day, most of us took a refreshing post-supper swim. There’s a lot to be said for the weekend before the summer solstice! Appetizers for the evening included shrimp mango avocado salsa, three styles of wings (BBQ, buffalo, and teriyaki), smoked salmon, chicken tenders, and shrimp scampi with sangria to “help” wash it down. Then to top it off, from the galley of Bay Poet: rum peaches avec crème. Everyone on Bay Poet and Gambol enjoyed a calm night at a great anchorage!

Sunday morning in the Rhode River was relaxed and time started slipping away. Gambol (AKA Gumball) got away first and got a 15 minute head start on anchor boat Bay Poet while its crew washed copious amounts of mud off their anchor. We were on the lookout for a floating piling at the mouth of the Rhode River as reported by the Coast Guard on channel 16. The boat S/V Healer sailed nearby Bay Poet and asked us to say hi to Rob C. The wind was freshening from the South, providing a beat to Bloody Point Light in about ten knots of wind. Bay Poet beam reached up Eastern Bay with a SOG (Speed Over Ground) constantly over 6 knots with a couple of minutes at 7.5 knots. It always helps to have the current with you! The threatened thunderstorms didn't materialize but were close enough to forming that we had great wind on our way to St. Michael’s. We arrived in the late afternoon at the marina. Our slips were right next to the crowded deck at Foxy's – it was indeed Father's Day! Music wafted out to our slips aiding us along as we found our shore power and fired-up the air conditioning. St. Michael's is indeed a charming little town with some old homes right on the waterfront and a cute little main street close-by for walking and shopping. Some of the crew even managed to meet up with old sailing buddies Helen and Joe Brozek, and Don Gilmore, for a happy hour visit before heading to dockside dining.

We were up and away early on Monday morning, retracing our steps back to Haven Charter. Not much wind but lots of good company, conversation, and camaraderie accompanied our return trip. Until our next sail.

– Bob Dubois