Crew Log for May 5th – 6th, 2023
Trip Summary:
• Solomans to Annapolis (Lake Ogleton)
• Trip Distance of 51.4 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 4,457 NM
Unsettled weather over the past few days had really tested crew morale and made our passage up the Chesapeake challenging. The winds had lightened and the conditions for our 50 plus nautical mile jump to Annapolis had improved.
We were headed to Lake Ogleton, just south of Annapolis where mv Anodyne is, and more importantly, where our friends Corky and Alex live. They live in a beautifully renovated home, steeped in history overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. The sunrises from their front room are spectacular and the neighborhood has a community feel to it that seems to have been lost in most places.
Corky and Alex had made arrangements with neighbors of theirs, Dennis and Odile, for us to tie up Elizabeth M on their dock, which was well protected inside Lake Ogleton. They jokingly refer to the dock as the Lake Ogleton Community Dock, given their generosity of accommodating friends and neighbors and transient sailboaters from Canada.
We had to delay our departure from the Solomans in order to get fuel, which meant we won’t reach Annapolis much before 1800 hours. Nothing like showing up right at meal time! The trip up was uneventful and we reached the dock at 1730 hours.
On the way in we passed by a number of J80 sailboats that seemed to be finishing a race. A little further out, it looked like a couple of other race classes were also completing their race. Despite being America’s Sailing Capital, it never ceases to amaze us, at the number of boats here. In the J80 class for example, there had to be 20 or more boats, including a couple with CAN sail numbers. We felt a little out of place, motoring past these sleek race boats with our cruising boat ladened down with jerry cans, solar panels and a dinghy hanging off the back.
It felt great to be reunited with our friends and we weren’t long picking up right where we left off. Alex and Corky are excellent hosts that immediately made us feel completely at home. Alex even made his signature cocktail, an Anodyne, and we toasted being together again. He then turned his attention to preparing a beautiful meal that we enjoyed out in their screen room, overlooking the Bay.
Given the struggles we had been having with the weather, we regrettably decided to cut our visit to Annapolis short, in order to take advantage of favorable conditions for getting up the Chesapeake and down the Delaware over the following few days. However, we were grateful to have at least one day to explore the area and get a few errands done. The following day. Judy and I also got to enjoy our second night, since August 14, 2022, off the boat and in a real bed!
The following morning was consumed with knocking off a few chores before heading off to Cantler’s, a local crab house that prides itself on it’s old school service. It was our first experience eating soft shelled crabs. I was a little skeptical initially, but they were delicious and the setting was perfect.
It was my mother’s 93rd birthday, so we stopped at a local park to video chat with her and my brother and sister-in-law, who arranged a little birthday celebration. Knowing that Mom is always complaining about being cold, Judy had ordered a fleece wrap for her birthday, which seemed to be a big hit. We are forever grateful to be able to video chat with Mom whenever we can. Happy Birthday Mom!
While we were there, I noticed a Toyota Tacoma outfitted with a really innovative set of kayak racks that slid down to facilitate loading. We have the same truck, so I was intrigued to have a closer look. It turned out the owner, who also built kayaks, was taking his first paddle in his newest kayak built from carbon fiber. It was incredible how light the boat was.
We headed south of Annapolis and walked out to the end of the point at Thomas Point Park to work off the calories from lunch. Located at the end of the Annapolis Neck Peninsula, Thomas Point Park is a popular spot with recreational fishermen, given its access to the Chesapeake Bay and the South River. Given vehicle access is limited, it also provides a quiet spot for family picnics or to simply to enjoy a sunny day in Maryland.
We stopped at the marina where Anodyne was docked and had a nice chat with some of the members including Paul, a former J-Boat dealer and Jeff and Cameron Bach. Regular YouTube Sailing Channel viewers might recognize the name Jeff Bach, who is the primary organizer of the YouTube Sailing Channel booth at the Annapolis Boat Show.
What started out as a handful of creators a few ago, has grown into one of the most popular attractions at the show, which even included a creators’ awards show this year. Jeff and Cameron also live on Bay Ridge and every fall, their front lawn turns into a makeshift campground filled with YouTubers. Jeff and Cameron have been working on their own Catalina 36 and have plans to head out on their own adventure soon.
For our last evening in Annapolis, we had dinner with Corky and Alex’s friends, Peter and Martha Boudreau. Martha is originally from Detroit and Peter’s family was from Arichat, Cape Breton. Both Peter and Martha have amazing sailing resumes and experiences. Peter was also a boat builder, responsible for many classic boats, including The Pride of Baltimore. He is also an amazing replica model builder and artist. It was a fascinating evening, accompanied by delicious food and wonderful conversation.
A side note to emphasize the thoughtfulness of our friends. Peter’s house specialty is salmon, marinated in an Asian sauce, which happened to be laced with sesame. On hearing the evening’s menu, Alex quietly disappeared as Peter and I chatted over the Bluenose II refit. Alex headed back to his place to retrieve a piece of salmon just for me. I noticed he was missing, but never thought more about it, until Judy informed me later that evening what had happened.
We hope Alex and Corky will continue to be part of our lives in the future. They are amazingly generous, thoughtful people and a major part of our Bahamian adventure. Despite our short time here, we really enjoyed ourselves and were feeling rested and ready to tackle the rest of the Chesapeake and Delaware River. It would mean some long days and challenging conditions.
But more about that, next time.
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