We're in Solomons MD waiting for a part for our propeller shaft coupling. We do, however, have pretty good internet, so I'll post some odds and ends of pictures. Hopefully between MB and me we will remember where most were taken, but if not, they will still give you a feel for what the Chesapeake is like from the water. I'll try and avoid duplicates of those we've used in blogs, but there may be some you've already seen.
The Captain on watch and ready for relief.
Another beautiful sunset. We have seen some really nice sunsets. Funny, we've not seen any sunrises....
Mary Beth's parent's boat in a quiet anchorage. I'm sure you are feeling very sorry for us knowing that we have to spend time in places like this. It's tough.....but someone has to do it. We've so enjoyed spending a lot of time cruising with Joe and Tine.
Ashley and Stephen on the paddleboard. It's nice to see that he's trained her to do the hard work.
See, it's not all fun. Sometimes it's cold and rainy too, although as I write this we are hunkered down in a Marina (for repairs we can't do ourselves) where our poor AC can hardly keep the boat in the low 80s.
Just another lovely anchorage, this one is in La Trappe Creek, Choptank River....boring. Not really boring at all. It is one of the real pleasures of being in the Chesapeake - the peacefulness and beauty of the many anchorages the Chesapeake has to offer is remarkable. This beautiful place has a pretty sandbar that curves around and protects the anchorage. David and I were attacked by a nesting pair of swans when we were here about 30 years ago!
And another at the same anchorage.
And another sunset. It's just so hard having to look at some many of these from the boat.
One of the really fun things is when friends and family can visit. Fortunately Stephen and Ashley and Kate all found weekends to come visit. Erin and Jesse are stuck in North Dakota where Jesse is taking classes and Erin is teaching so they weren't able to visit.
David and Kate.
A skipjack. Maryland limits much, maybe all, of their oyster beds to dredging by sail so these elegant and unique vessels still ply the waters of the bay truly earning a living the old fashioned way.
It's a shame that Ashley is so stressed out when on the water....Not.
There are still many draw bridges on the bay and they have real live bridge operators whom we call on the radio when we need to pass through. This is actually a little tense since there is always boat traffic in these narrow channels and we need to make sure the bridge is open when we get to it since we cannot really stop and turn around without impeding other boats. But the operator also has to keep traffic flowing, so he has to time it right for that too. Overall it's a lot of fun to go through these bridges. We feel like we've stepped back into the past and a "simple era" when the rhythms of life were slower.
A nice breeze, and well-set sail, and thou. What can be better?
Thanks for looking!
David and Mary Beth