What is going on?

Yesterday we motored up to Chestertown for a visit. Really motored, as in Chevy truck. Stephen lent us his wheels, wheels unaffected by potential incoming weather, low tides, and foul currents. Looking at the anchorage as we crossed the bridge into town we both had the same thought,

“We should have sailed up here in Kintala.”

And we should have. It is a pretty and secure anchorage, an interesting town, and we would have had more time to spend with new friends Steve and Jan. Steve showed us around town then took us over to Lankford Bay to see his boat. Later we met Jan for dinner at J.R.'s, which lived up to its reputation for good food and good times. We regret missing the chance of spending more time anchored out and enjoying the place.

Stephen anchoring things down on Zephyr for the blow.

The storm that made us change our mind

It was a debate that had been going on for several days. One morning we had gotten so far as to be waiting on the tide. All the checks were done, all the lines run, and the engine was ready to start. But a last minute look at the radar and it seemed like staying in the slip to ride out the incoming cold front was the right thing to do. And it was, sort of – well – maybe. Right thing, but maybe not a necessary thing. The fact is there hasn't been any weather that would have been threatening for the last week or more. We are out of the hurricane zone, weather is weather, and people who live on sailboats get what we get. But we have been immobile for months, this was our first stop since leaving Rock Creek, and we may be being a bit too cautious. Of course I will change my tune if we err the other way, with a future blog post being about getting thrashed crossing the mouth of the Potomac, (or something similar).

We keep touch with a small group of other cruisers. All are coming off a summer of relentless work with several still looking for the light at the end of the projects tunnel. It is a pattern we didn't expect when we set out cruising two years ago. One which is, perhaps, part of the reason for our slow start. After last summer's work we left Cooley's Landing and got as far as Middle River; 4.9 NM.

We didn't move again until 15 days later.

The sailing vessel Sultana at Chestertown

This past summer wasn't near the grind of the one before, but neither was it a vacation. Here, tied secure next to Stephen who is in his home slip, we have bikes to ride and a truck if we need one. It would be a long walk to the store, but one we don't have to take. We have been out to eat twice, which is something we rarely do when seriously underway. We have talked ourselves into leaving several times, then talked ourselves out of it. We were being conservative, maybe a bit more than the conditions warranted. We were also enjoying not really doing anything except eating enough, sleeping enough, and spending time with old and new friends. We are on our way but not working very hard at getting very far.

Two summer's of work. Two slow starts after the summer was done. There may be more going on here than just being out of practice and trying to be careful.

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be okay. There are friends in Annapolis to see, yet it would be good to be gone again long before the boat shows get seriously cranking.

We might actually be on our way tomorrow.

The anchorage off the Chestertown city dock