Today we dropped Dinghy #3 and enjoyed a dinghy ride around Solomons Island. Had to stay in the protected harbor area due to southeasterly wind/waves on the Chesapeake.
We tied up for lunch at the dock of the local Tiki Bar/Restaurant, where I tasted my first Maryland crab cakes. They were excellent – hot, lots of lump crab meat, a little breading, fried to a crisp, with spicy sauce. They will be the the standard we use to rate all future crab cakes!
As we finished our lunch we looked again at the weather (something we boaters do multiple times each day). The wind and rain we wanted to avoid was predicted to arrive soon. If we did not make the 38 mile trip from Solomons to Deale today, we might not be able to move until Monday. So, at 1PM we made the Solomons choice to move to Deale today.
We then endured a frustrating delay because R&R locked us out with the key inside the boat (really!). Marquis/Carver Yachts in Wisconsin came to the rescue and helped us re-enter the boat. Thank you, Pat Johnson in the Parts and Service Department! We will keep a spare key outside from now on.
By 3PM we were moving. The southeast wind had started to increase and the short trip was bumpy at times with 2-3 foot waves from the starboard and stern. Because the autopilot held our course, I did not need to make constant steering corrections as the waves pushed us around.
We saw a handful of large cargo ships and tankers heading up or down the Chesapeake. Our AIS system displayed their name, size, speed, and time to CPA (closest point of approach). We stayed well out of their way.
Even though we arrived at Herrington Harbor North in Deale shortly after closing time, Megan answered our VHS radio call and met us at the dock to welcome us, help with tie-up, connect to power, and give us an intro to this lovely and well-appointed marina. We were happy to be assigned space on a face dock rather than in a slip – it’s much easier to dock and undock.
The rain arrived shortly after we did. It is good to be in this protected harbor for a few days.
