The time has come to depart these waters as it is getting quite nippy. Windspell is looking great and her crew are eagerly anticipating casting off the lines as are many other cruisers also pointing their bows south for warmer climates.

   We have enjoyed visits over the past week from our good friends, Laura and Barb and then Dexter. The weather was perfect for our cruise to a quiet anchorage on the Magothy River followed the next day by a wonderful sail to Annapolis where we toured the Naval Academy, shopped the quaint stores and had a great seafood feast at a local restaurant. 

We have done "The big shopping", acquiring enough food/provisions for the next month or so as we make our way towards Florida and ultimately the Bahamas. We will restock again in Florida. All systems are at a high level of maintenance and many spare parts have been placed aboard. We have moved into the modern era by acquiring the latest IPad which will allow us to keep connected even without WIFI.      

Spring Cove has been a perfect location for us over the past 5 months and we have made some great new friends, some of which we will be playing leap frog with as we head south.

We'll keep you posted,

Donna and Walter

Windspell ready and waiting for the southern departure

The three sopranos

Laura learning to use the  helm as we sail to Annapolis

Barb-another natural at the helm

A historic whaling schooner from Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, anchoring beside us in Sillary Bay,  Magothy  River

We had to use an electric drill to remove a wine cork as we are used to twist tops  or cartons. Just another example of the resourcefulness required for the cruising life...  

Barb getting into it!

Laura under the Bay bridge

Annapolis Naval Academy chin-up bar  with  an unrealistic wannabe candidate

Bronze bust of Tecumseh  mascot of the Naval Academy, depicting  the virtues aspired to by the students. Ironically, he helped the Canadians/British defeat the American invasion at the Battle of Queenston Heights. 

Naval Academy midshipmen mustering before lunch

Madelyn Reni, our host and friend at Spring Cove Marina with her grandson and Donna

Our car ready for a long winter's nap at Spring Cove

So we were sailing across the Bay to one of our favourite anchorages on the Magothy River but the wind wasn't quite right to make it in one tack when Donna said "why don't we go to Baltimore instead? That was a good suggestion and we had a few very interesting days which underscores why it is important to just go for it sometimes.  While we prefer out of the way quiet anchorages, Baltimore proved to be entertaining and educational and we gained a greater appreciation for American history and how it relates to our own history as our two countries were just forming. We will not forget the scene as we were dropping anchor while all the people in period costume on the famous sailing vessel, The Pride of Baltimore,were holding their hands over their ears. The stern of the vessel was no more than 50 feet from us when a volley of cannon fire ripped and echoed through the skyline of Baltimore followed immediately by acrid smoke which stung our eyes and noses. Wow, what a welcome! Then next morning we were asked to move over a bit because we were right in the middle of the dragon boat race course which was to be used by 8 a.m.sharp. We  had the best seats in the house! The pictures will explain the rest.Well, almost.....we did have our alternator fail so that we couldn't charge our batteries-  a bit stressful but hey it's a sail boat and all is well again. We now are awaiting our next visitors at the end of September, Laura and Barb, Donna's long-time friends and then we will point the bow south and begin cruising for real.

Donna and Walter 

 

Dinner at anchor  in Baltimore's inner  harbour

Just as we were anchoring the Pride of Baltimore clipper  unloads a cannon volley  and we were  wondering if  this was  because we defeated them at The Battle of Queenston Heights....na!

The rakish Pride of Baltimore with the Baltimore skyline in the  background

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The Fearless, an urban pirate vessel complete with water cannons, Arrrr...

The USS Constellation,(circa 1870) the last true sailing vessel of the US navy

Windspell amongst dragon boat races, in front of the Baltimore aquarium, and the  US  second world war diesel electric submarine, Torsk.

Notice the dragon peddle boats in the background. This is not staged!

Firing the cannons that held off the British fleet at Fort McHenry, which led to American independence in their war of 1812. This is were Frances Scott Key was inspired to write the poem which formed the lyrics to the national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

A modern marine in period marine uniform

Helping change the Star Spangled Banner to a smaller one so that the  flag pole  won't break as the wind pipes up at Fort McHenry .

Sprinting to the finish

US Marines delivering a musket volley. Well trained troops could  fire three times per minute.

Baltimore inner harbour at dusk

Our daughter, Jenn, arrived with her boyfriend, Eric on August 28th for a one week visit.  We cast off from the marina the next morning to head to Annapolis, but encountered a mechanical problem when the starter battery seemed to be receiving too much charge.  We returned to the marina and had a technician check the wiring job Walter had performed while adding to our battery bank the week before.  After a quick addition of a cable to add the starter battery to the bank of house batteries, we were ready once again to depart.  We  motor-sailed the next day to Annapolis.
We arrived in time to tour the Naval Academy.  It is equivalent to the Canadian Forces Royal Military College, but much larger!!!  After viewing a short video that showed the training the young men and women receive over their 5 year program, we were impressed and wishing we were young enough to do it.  They choose only 1000 freshmen out of 20,000 applicants.  They spend their first summer being indoctrinated with military rules about dress, etc.  They have a rigorous physical training program.  By September they begin their classes.  They are allowed off campus one day per month.  Classes end by 2:00 p.m,. but then they have 2-3 hours of fitness training in their choice of sports...and they have many choices such as rugby, soccer, swimming, sailing, rowing, etc.  The grounds of the campus were stunning.  All of the students stay in the one dormitory, Bancroft Hall,  where they also have their meals. There is a museum that outlines the history of the Naval Academy and its role within world history.  For example, many of its graduates are astronauts.  The museum also has a huge collection of model ships and a workshop that builds and repairs model ships.  If you are ever in Annapolis, take the tour.  It's worth it!
Later that afternoon we motored over to Whitehall Bay, Mill Creek to eat at Cantler's Restaurant, famous for its steamed crabs and other seafood.
The following morning we had a nice wind to sail to St. Michael's.  We anchored there and dinghied ashore to explore the town and  indulge in ice cream.  Back on board, a quick swim off the boat was enjoyed by all to cool off.
Early on Saturday morning we hoisted anchor to sail to the Corsica River which is off of the Chester River;.   a distance of 50 miles.  We had a great wind (15-20 knots) that allowed us to fly along at 6 -7 knots until we reached the Bay Bridge where it subsided.  We had to motorsail the last few miles up the Chester River.
We met up with a few other boats from our marina.  They had organized a get-together where each boat chose a country to represent through decorations and hors d'oeuvres.  Jenn & Eric had brought Canadian decorations, clothing and ice wine  for us to use.  There were boats representing the Netherlands, Mexico, Italy, France, Great Britain,  to mention a few.  We gathered together aboard a raft of boats to share stories, food and drink.  Upon returning to our boat, we heard on the radio that a thunderstorm with winds exceeding 35 mph was heading our way. Concerned that the group of boats rafted near to us would swing too close, we quickly picked up our anchor and re-anchored at a safer distance.  We just got settled when the wind, lightening and rain struck.  We were cosy below decks and settled into our dinner, quiet reading, then a deep sleep.
The next morning we returned to the marina and enjoyed the pool here.  On Monday we went shopping at the outlet malls where Jenn amazed her mother at how quickly she can fly through a store picking out clothing that looks and fits great.  All too soon the week flew by.  On the last morning they helped us hoist Walt up the mast again to replace a VHF radio antenna.  We took them back to Baltimore to catch their flight back to Ottawa.  We are now doing chores such as creating a dipstick to measure the water level in the tank, changing the oil on the engine, securing jacklines that you can attach to in stormy weather if you have to go forward on the boat.  The time is quickly approaching that we will begin our sojourn south.

Until our next blog,

The chapel at the Annapolis Naval Academy. The crypt of John Paul Jones lies beneath. 

Bancroft Hall naval academy dormitory where the students ( Midshipmen) are housed.

Naval Academy training vessels coming in under spinnakers  in the evening hours.

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Civilian yacht approaching Annapolis under spinnaker as the day comes to an end.

Jenn and Eric with a steamed Bay blue crab doused in Old Bay seasoning.

Blue crab getting back at Eric.

Mother and daughter.

Father and daughter.

Cooling down at St. Michaels.

Perfect sailing conditions... Windspell is also happy!!

Windspell's Winch

Balistic nuclear submarine anchored off the naval academy in Annapolis.

Sparrows hanging out at the top of a mast- not a good thing if you enjoy clean decks...

First mate (actually the admiral) and skipper.

Sunset at our marina, spring Cove.

Eric with a civil engineering marvel in the background.

Two milliseconds before impact with a dock piling.

Walt getting high

Happiness!

Donna and Walter

  We had a month away from the boat while the winds on the Chesapeake Bay vaporized and the temperature and humidity soared. We thoroughly enjoyed our home in Muskoka during the month of July and got caught up with family and friends. There were also lots of swims and bike rides, runs and walks to somewhat restore fitness levels.  Upon our return, we quickly re-stocked food, water and fuel then headed off to cruise new territory.  We sailed across to the western shore to moor in Annapolis harbour.  After a few attempts to get the dinghy outboard motor started, we hailed a water taxi to take us ashore.  (The carburettor was gummed up again after leaving it sitting for 5 weeks.) We walked through the town exploring the State Capitol building standing on the spot where George Washington gave his resignation address.  We visited St. Anne's Church where Francis Scott Key worshipped. He wrote the Star Spangled Banner .  We also visited St. Mary's Catholic Church where Zimmerman, who wrote "Anchor's Away" was the organist.  We slurped  ice cream while listening to a bluegrass quintet perform by the waterfront.
The next day we were able to sail under Genoa  in 12-17 knot winds southbound on Chesapeake Bay to Solomon's Island on the Patuxent River.  We anchored in front of the Calvert Marine Museum with its historic screw-pile lighthouse.  Because the sands are constantly shifting with the tidal currents, we learned the lighthouses were built on platforms with legs that screwed into the sandy bottom.  We explored the old restored lighthouse discovering the bathroom (outhouse) that just emptied into the Bay, the icebox, coal-fired stove and the huge Fresnel lens used to shine a warning light out to vessels straying too close to Drum Point.   The museum has exhibits that describe how the Bay has changed over time in its natural and human history.  What a fabulous little museum!
The Patuxant River was pivotal in the final stages of the American war of independence from Great Britain in 1812 when Great Britain was actually simultaneously involved in three wars, one to help Canada stave off American invasion, another with France/Napoleon and the one centred in the Chesapeake Bay. The Americans were soundly defeated on the Patuxant River and the British went up the river and overland and sacked Washington. The British fleet however was later defeated near Baltimore further north. It was quite moving to be sailing in the same waters aboard Windspell that held so much history.
From Solomon's Island we headed north to the little town of Oxford on the Tred Avon River.  It's a sleepy little town with beautiful homes and gardens dating back to the 1700s. This port is actually the oldest on the Bay and has seen many boom and bust cycles over the past 300+ years. We both enjoyed a scenic and interesting run through town and while Donna perused quaint streets in the afternoon, Walter visited old boat yards. It was a trip back in time. We spent a quiet night anchored in Dun Cove off Harris creek near Tilghman Island then made our way back to Spring Cove Marina early the next morning, a run of about 45 miles.
This cruise was a good test for the augmented battery bank we installed which allows us to run our electronics/refrigeration for much longer without having to run the engine to recharge the batteries. We are now proud of another coat of varnish on the woodwork and a second VHF radio has also been installed which has the capability of identifying commercial and private shipping (AIS) to avoid collisions in poor visibility and at night. The AIS receiver is integrated with our GPS chart-plotter so that the ships actually show up on our electronic display and we can see who they are, how close they will come to us and how long this will take. We can then call them by name to make sure we don't have an unfortunate encounter.
 We are looking forward to having our daughter, Jenn, and her boyfriend, Eric, aboard with us in three days.They will be sailing with us for a week.We plan to head home one more time in September to winterize the house and we will start heading south by mid October. We hope to have two more sets of visitors prior to early October.

We'll keep you posted,

Donna and Walter

Calvert Marine Museum as viewed from our anchorage

A closer view of the museum with the screw-pile lighthouse in  better detail

The gardens around the museum

One very fat bumble bee

Sunrise in the Oxford anchorage while Donna gets her running shoes on and prepares to dinghy ashore

Early morning fog as the crabber is already into his second hour of the day.

Blue Crabs for sale

Accommodations in the lighthouse

Local Skates and Rays on display in the Calvert Marine Museum 

Fairy exhibit at the Anne Marie art garden on Soloman's Island

Windspell anchored in the background at Oxford

The white box attached to the lighthouse  is a spot for quiet contemplation except in a storm...

SV Windspell