 |
Final Prep 6/17 thru 6/26: Norfolk to Annapolis |
Last Updated 10/24/05
| From | To | Days | Miles | Days Docked | Days Moored | Days Anchored |
| 6/17/04 | 6/26/04 | 10 | 202 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
It was
a
dark and gloomy night . . .No, that's not it - it was morning - but it was dark
and gloomy. Thursday, June 17
to be exact. We did a provisioning run to Harris Teeter, bid adieu to Roger who
was returning to Baltimore and then Connecticut, and slipped out of the
Waterside Marina in Norfolk, bound for
Crisfield,
MD. The weather brightened up and it became a pleasant afternoon for reading or
whatever. We reached it about 9 hours later and made a bee line to the Captain's
Galley, home of what we think are the best crabcakes in the world. We ate some,
and took some out to freeze for special dinners. In the nick of time we got back
to the boat just as the skies opened up with a typical Chesapeake June boomer.
The weather got a lot
better the next day and off we went to Solomons Is. The big
news is
that along the way, about 8 miles sout
heast of our destination we turned over
the 5,000 nm mark on our GPS odometer. That is since launch a year ago! Big
milestone,
but then again, I think crossing an even line of latitude is a big deal. We
arrived there mid afternoon, dinked ashore to get some West Marine stuff, and
settled down for a nice dinner aboard. On Saturday we arose early and both of us
cleaned the boat - Andrea getting all the sludge off the waterline very nicely.
Then it was
off to
rendezvous with fraternity brothers Thad and Jay - our 15th or so "Fiji
Flotilla."
We've
done this nearly every year recently and dependably revert to our sophomore year
in college complete
with hackneyed stories, stupid humor, and accompanied by the predictable
eye-rolls of the ever-tolerant ladies Andrea, Beth, and Ginny, who are stuck
aboard for the weekend with us. It was a great time, though, and we really had
fun celebrating No Ka Oi, Jay and Ginny's new Benetau 435 sloop. They promised
to take us sailing next fall when we get back to this area.
Fortunately the weekends
do end - we ran over to Rock Hall with Thad and Beth and had some pretty good
crabs
for
early season, and then we parted. We arrived in Annapolis late afternoon and
reminded ourselves of how fortunate we have been to have enjoyed the hospitality
of Bill and Sandy at the dock at their gracious home on Spa Creek.
The week was filled with
doctors, dentists, banks, company business,
and many friends. We got a huge gift
from Dick and Karen who provided us with about 50 charts of the same Canadian
waters we will be plying in a few weeks. They taught us so much about the
excitement before us, even as we ate their delicious red snapper, wild rice, and
'shrooms. Thanks D&K, come on up and help us use those charts!
All
the
chores and tasks were
finally completed, and on Friday, 6/25 systems were
put
to the test as Jim and Devra came aboard, as did Laura, for an overnight
up the Severn River. Tuna
steaks on the grill were perfect.
Returning
Saturday
morning we docked at the Annapolis Yacht Club and taxied off to
a
surprise birthday luncheon for Karen, our host the previous Tuesday. Barely
recovered from that, we met up with Sharen and Gary for dinner at Aqua Terra,
our favorite Annapolis fine restaurant. Not to be without something to do, Karen
and Dick plus their entourage of friends and family who had come to town for her
birthday came aboard Sunday morning for a short river cruise. A whirlwind of fun
was had by all.
Thus ended all the staging and preparation for our planned summer loop of the Canadian Maritimes, and at 1000 (exactly) Sunday, 6/27, we turned from the AYC dock, put Celebrate in gear, turned on Kool and the Gang playing our namesake Celebrate theme song at an offensive level of volume, and began our journey north for the summer.
Good bye for now to Norfolk, Williamsburg, Annapolis, and Baltimore and to all our family and friends whose company we have so relished. We hope you can figure a way to hop aboard for a few days along our way, and we promise to reconnect when we return in the fall. Thank you all for your friendship, hospitality, and affection.