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All preparations complete, except I'm still working on the HF/SSB radio.  I do not have a combined VHF/ HF antenna as I thought so one is now on order.  Hopefully it will be here before we leave so I can install and we can use on trip.  We'll be leaving Sunday the 18th and travel to Port Kinsale on the Potomac to meet Kathy and Ross, then start the trip Monday morning.  We'll be moving slowly as fuel is a major factor for the trip. 

Underway at 9:45 on a cloudy day. Easy 3 hour trip that gave Carey some time to read.  We arrived at Port Kinsale at 1 pm.  Kathy and Ross helped us tie the lines and later that day Kathy, Carey and I joined the Mooring restaurant crowd for a pig roast.  We are moored next to Pilgrim (shown in picture).  Ross wasn't feeling good so stayed aboard.    After returning, Carey stowed most of the stuff we loaded yesterday.  We're relaxing now and expecting to stay another day as a low pressure system is due here tomorrow morning.   The only planned upgrade item that is not working properly is the new HF/SSB radio.  All piece parts are aboard and we'll get it working soon.   

Staying put today at the Marina in Port Kinsale as the winds were above 15 knots.  Got the SSB radio, pictured below, working and successfully sent emails and listened to someone in the far east.  Carey finished her getting settled routine and all is well with the world.  We played farcle with Ross and Kathy and grilled a great steak dinner.  We're off tomorrow for Smith Creek.

Still at Port Kinsale.  Great days to relax and complete a few chores.  Looks like wind will allow us to move tomorrow morning so we'll be heading to Solomon Friday. 

Underway at 8 am, Carey and I headed for Solomons.  Kathy was not feeling well so Pilgrim stayed at Port Kinsale.  Small craft warnings were up but the ride was not too rough, just 1-3 foot seas.  We arrived by noon, anchored and visited with some friends from work (Mike Montgomery and his wife Debbie and Ken Moritz and his wife Debbie).  The anchorage was not crowded when we arrived, just a trawler and one strange home made boat.  As we go to bed, the anchorage is full.  Looks like Solomons will have a busy weekend.   We stayed a second day as Kathy and Ross said they were on their way from Port Kinsale.  We enjoyed a very relaxing day onboard at Solomons.

Monday morning we decided to stay in Oxford.  Wind blowing hard and the town is a great stop.  Early afternoon we walked the town and stopped by a local watering hole for a drink.  Looking out at our boats, Apolonia and Pilgrim, we noticed Pilgrim dragging anchor.  I ran for the dinghy, two blocks away, as Ross watched Pilgrim head toward the rocks.  A local man jumped in the water swam to Pilgrim and put out more chain, stopping the boat.  Ross was very thankful.  He dodged a bullet.  After getting aboard via the dinghy and re-anchoring Pilgrim, Carey fixed all four of us a great barbequed pork dinner and we stuffed ourselves as the sun went down. 

We thought of Bill Bowmen as we admired a 80+ foot Trumphy tied up at a nearby marina (picture below right).  A grand old wooden boat.  The owner, working hard on the wood work said, "don't need no jazzercise class here."

Tuesday we decided to stay put again.  We are in no hurry and I needed some parts for the boat that we plan to pick up.  Tomorrow we're off to St Michaels or other points north.  It is nice to follow the flow and not have a strict schedule.  

The day started at 2 am, when Carey awoke to strong winds coming with the cold front passing over the area. Winds shifted 180 degrees and increased to 35+ knots.  Our anchor was dragging in the soft mud.  We were 40 feet from hitting a pier.  We started the engines and pulled the anchor and boat safely away from the hazard.  Working together we raised the anchor safely and moved into the Tred Avon River where we found plenty of room to anchor safely.  It was exciting moving out of the Oxford channel at 2 am.  It was pitch black and the winds were howling.  As was our luck a new satellite had been recently launched that was not recognized by the primary Northstar GPS system onboard ... our primary navigation chart system was not working ... so we successfully used our backup GPS and laptop chart plotter.  Glad I got that onboard before we left.  Safely anchored by 3 am, we took turns keeping watch as the winds blew at a steady 35 knots.  All was well.  By noon, the winds died and we took Sophie ashore, loaded the dinghy, and headed for Rock Hall, MD.  The trip started at 1230 pm with 1-3 foot seas, then subsided to give us a nice ride.  We moored at a free dock in Rock Hall at 6 pm.  The weather system is gone and it is beautiful.  What a day.    We're enjoying Rock Hall.  

Underway from Rock Hall as we noticed the statue honoring oystermen.  We made the 47 mile trip to Havre de Grace at the top of the Chesapeake in 5 hours, with the help of a strong current.  Saving gas with the help of mother nature.  Carey fixed dinner on board, pulling salmon and fresh sauté spinach from the refrig, as Sophie sat near by hoping for something to eat.  As the sun set we watched a Thursday night sailboat race just off the marina we were stopped at.  We'll stay here several days and will travel to Washington DC to watch Lauren race in a crew event this Saturday. Sunday we'll continue the adventure.  Carey cracked a tooth and she'll try to have that issue resolved tomorrow.  Going to be a relaxing couple of days. . 

Relaxing day.  Carey found a dentist to fix her lost filling and I fixed the glitch with the Northstar GPS by uploading a software update so we can read the satellites and get our position fix.  We had a great dinner in town, a very nice town that we are enjoying.  Tomorrow we're off in a rental car to Washington DC to watch Lauren crew in a race.  We'll be back to the boat by nightfall and off to the C&D canal Sunday.   

Underway in a rental car at 9 am to Washington DC to see my daughter Lauren race in a crew event.  Friends Tom and Bonnie came up to the race as did Mark, Carey's son.  We had a great time even though the weather was terrible and the final events of the race were cancelled.  Lauren raced once in a four person event and won.  After the race Carey and I went to Lauren and Cynthia's home in Baltimore and had dinner.  Lauren was the chef and the meal was great on their renovated patio area.  Later Lauren, Cynthia, and Carey each played with their dogs ... three gals and three dogs.  They were having a great time.  

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