Daily Archives: 1 1 June 14

Sunday, 1 June

There’s a slight roll accompanied by the low rumble of a Cummins diesel, a deadrise taking watermen off to the day’s work. The first stirring in the anchorage is aboard the blue 47-foot Beneteau off to port. A gentleman climbs out of the cockpit, down to a tethered inflatable, starts the outboard and motors off towards shore…dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt! What up wi’ dat?

It is NOT that warm—just 52—here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and it does tend to feel cooler on the water, you know, so the crew of Steadfast remains below and layered up in jeans and fleece. Sipping hot coffee to chase the chill.

It’s been that way the last couple of days. Steadfast motored away from Bachelor’s Point, Oxford, about 0845 and into a hazy, overcast that idly threatened a brief shower. Down the Choptank, she snaked into and through Knapp’s Narrows alone on a falling tide (without touching bottom), rounded Poplar Island and set a heading to Tolly Point at the mouth of the Severn. Traffic on the Bay this day was light in number, ‘though not in size of those underway.

Few boats were seen on the Bay this hazy day but this gal was hard to miss.

Sailboats and sportsfishermen emerged with the sun on the turn up the Severn to Annapolis, a total of 28.1 NM for the day. Despite it being Friday afternoon, and with a major regatta scheduled for the weekend, a slip was secured at the City Docks. Short on amenities but extra long on entertainment value, there’s nothing quite like the constant parade along “Ego Alley.”

A slip at the City Dock is the center of all the action in Annapolis.

The stop included a good 25-minute stretch-of-the-legs to Graul’s Market for provisions; morning coffee at Hard Bean; and, of course, a quick stop at Mills Liquors & Fine Wines. Then it was down the Severn under sail—and sun—in a pleasant northerly and in company with dozens of others.

Part of the large fleet assembled before the start of the Leukemia Cup Regatta at the mouth of the Severn River.

There must’ve been much disappointment as the breeze lightened and died. Little Red sprung to life and pushed Steadfast the rest of 20 NM to Swan Creek, past Rock Hall and Gratitude, then into a sheltered anchorage with room for a dozen boats or more.

Despite close proximity to marinas and services, Swan Creek retains much of the rustic feel of the Eastern Shore.

The sun coming up this morning over Rock Hall is every bit as beautiful, bringing the promise of a warm day ahead. Warm enough, perhaps, that even the crew of Steadfast will don shorts and tees. How crazy is that?

Steadfast out.