Friday, 23 May
It’s 0700 and anchor’s aweigh for Quintan. The forecast calls for an already brisk northerly to build to 15-to-20 knots. It should make for a rapid ride southward, back to Quintan’s home slip off the East River. The crew of Steadfast enjoyed a second cup of “Joe” as Martha and George pause on the way past. Good-byes and well-wishes exchanged, Quintan motors down Dividing Creek, headed for the Bay.
After a quiet night in Lawrence Cove, Quintan bids an early farewell on her way home to Mathews.
Steadfast, however, is bound northward, whence the wind blows this day. And tomorrow, too, says NOAA. That being the case, she may not make much northing but can give it a try, regardless. So she shoves off at 1030 and, after a two-hour slog into a mostly three-foot chop, she moved a bit more than eight nautical miles northward to the mouth of the Great Wicomico River. Solomons Island (MD)–the hoped-for next landfall–will wait ’til another day.
Instead, this evening she swings with each puff Aeolus blows over and through the trees that shelter the lovely cove east of Reedville in which she’s anchored. This is a great spot (don’t tell anybody but it’s at N 37 degrees, 50.401’ W76 degrees 16.276’). Handsome homes line the shore with only the sound of a John Deere lawn tractor competing with songs of the birds and the snap of the colors at the stern.
There’s none of the “smell of money” that wafted over Reedville in past visits. Omega Protein has installed a new “scrubber” to its plant here to reduce that pungent fragrance. Up Cockrell Creek a bit after midday, Steadfast was dwarfed by Omega’s big blue-hulled fleet.
Three of the dozen or more menhaden boats that work the Bay out of Reedville.
She may seek another nearby anchorage tomorrow, just for variety, but she’ll not test Aeolus at the mouth of the Potomac, not while he remains in this blustery mood. And that’s okay. Little Red–the Westerbeke–deserves a day off on a holiday weekend. There are chores to be done, too, those that got pushed aside in the days and hours before departure, so a lay-over day won’t be wasted.
Things will be a bit different, though, from here on. The “Dividing” done this morning, Steadfast and crew (and “Hallie” the black cat) now move on alone. We miss our friends–all of you–already. But this’ll be fun!
Steadfast out.
At Sea with Steadfast 
Glad your trip has started so well. You are in my home port/town. Wish I had thought to give you my relatives name. You could have walked up the street and said hi. As you leave the harbor my family home place would be on your starboard across from the Big yellow smoke stack and inland from the marine railway. Sate travel. Bob
Bill and Kate, safe cruising! We will be back in Mathews Tuesday. We! will follow your travels with great anticipation! Bob
Just want to encourage you to keep up the posts. They are great! We will certainly be settling into a morning ritual of coffee and reviewing Steadfast’s latest dispatches. We are grateful we have the tools to following you closely . . . the next best thing to being there.
Roger. Wilco. ‘Tho the way the itinerary’s shaping up for the next few days, it may not be every morning. Plus there won’t be as much about Quintan from no on. 😉