Annapolis, MD

Monday, June 22, 2015

I was told before that no journey to Annapolis is complete without making a trip up Ego Alley, and turning around in the narrow basin to strut back through, kinda like walking the runway in a fashion show.  We ended up in Ego Alley, but, for another reason!  We blew a water line off the water heater yesterday, and I didn't catch it until we'd pumped out our remaining fresh water supply.

The Harbormaster told me that those on mooring balls (as we were) could come to their bulkhead in Ego Alley, during certain morning hours on certain days of the week.  I think the boats are tourist attractions when things are slow, before the shops open up in the morning.  We went in to the bulkhead, and filled our water tank, and made the extra few hundred yards down the alley to make our strut... before returning to our mooring.  

The pumpout boat was going by, and he said pump-outs are $5, which is nice.

We launched the RIB, and I ran into the Annapolis Sailyard, where I had purchased MERCY almost four years ago.  Carey got a slip for us to attend the memorial for Scott Heckard on Tuesday afternoon.

We came into the slip, very cautiously.  There were two sailboats facing each other whose anchors were possibly closer together than our beam.  Wisdom being the better part of valor, I was barely moving when I reached them, and figured out we just couldn't do it.  Unfortunately, it is really difficult to back out once you are in that far...  My rail brushed the anchor of another sailboat, and we stopped and did everything by hand, with four of us heaving on lines to keyhole the MERCY into a slip.  I'm hoping the sailboat in front of me leaves before I do!

I went with Carey to the store to pick up some supplies for the reception, and Ellen walked around Annapolis and took a lot of great pictures.

Rhode River to Annapolis, MD, Severn River

Sunday, 21 June 2015

This morning the wind was still up a little, and the sky looked pretty gloomy.  It was a pretty good thing, however, as we were in the lee as we ran north.  

We passed inboard of the Thomas Pt Shoal Light, with five ships anchored in the area there.  

Annapolis is a pretty little historic town with deep water going into it.  It is the home of the United States Naval Academy, as well as about a bigillion sailboats.  (Bigillion is my word for a large, unknown quantity!)

We grabbed a mooring ball between Eastport and Annapolis, and took the RIB in to pick up Ellen's cousin, Jan, and her husband, Tom.  They brought a great picnic lunch, and we spent the day cruising up the Severn River.

That river divides the Naval Academy, and narrows as it runs northwest.  The cruise was a fun day looking at boats, houses, birds, and people as we went to the northwest as far as we could go, before returning to our mooring ball.

We went up in a couple small coves and creeks, with their houses and marinas.  My favorite area was the Round Bay Inlet and a loop around St. Helena Island.  That enjoyment was no doubt enhanced by a scrumptious picnic lunch that we ate while we cruised, with the dogs lunching on Busy Bones that Jan and Tom had brought just for them.  (I heard their dogs had smelled the packaging and had trouble understanding why the bones would go on a picnic they weren't going to!)

It was fun for me to have the opportunity to meet this couple I'd heard so much about, and Ellen had a good time visiting with her cousin.  

Tom took a lot of these photos, including the house his wife wants for a retirement home.  By our calculations, they both need to work for a lot longer!

We returned to Annapolis, grabbed our mooring ball, and took Tom and Jan back to their vehicle in Eastport.  Then we crossed Spa Creek, and went to the dinghy dock in Annapolis.

Ellen went to the Naval Museum while I returned to the defend our vessel from the hundreds of boats plying the waters.  You can't believe the boats on Father's Day evening!

A Maryland marine police swung by, who used to work at Strike Zone in Big Pine Key, and lived on the road across from me at home.  He only visited for a minute before leaving to pursue a vessel speeding through the area.  I wish he'd been here the last two hours!

I had several boats under sail pass within five feet of my stern, and a large, certified sailboat full of passengers pass within ten feet.  It doesn't seem like the prudent mariner thing to me, sailing with paid customers through a crowded mooring field.

As the evening died, so did the boat traffic.  Well, maybe I just went to sleep, because I think there was probably traffic through much of the night.