First Passage

After closing on the sale, we made arrangements to move "Gratitude" from Irvington, VA on the Rappahannock to Annapolis. Dave Rhodes, a classmate from Navy, and close friend, agreed to join us for what should be about a 28 hr trip up the Chesapeake. His wife, Milissa, a close friend and sorority sister of Tricia's, graciously offered to drive us down to the boat and meet us in Annapolis. Lindsey, their daughter, drove down with us to keep Milissa company on the ride back. We had a great drive down on a Friday night, arriving at the boat about 9 pm. Tricia, Dave and I were up early Saturday to load the boat with all the extra spares in the marina loft, and were underway by 10 am, 4/2/11. The weather was clear, but cold. I have to admit I was pleased with how the boat handled, and how the diesel ran. We made good speed of 5.5-6 knots through the water at moderate RPM. The tide was against us, which slowed our progress. Mid-afternoon, as I was down taking a wonderful nap, I heard the wind come up. I actually was thinking how well the boat handled the chop and how stable she was. When I came on deck, Dave and Tricia informed me that a squall line had passed as we crossed the mouth of the Potomac, with gusts over 50 kts. Not wanting to push the engine, we didn't make it to Solomon's Island until after dark. Tricia was excellent as navigator, helping us decipher the assortment of lighted navaids for the approach. We tide up at the Tiki Bar, which is a summer hot spot on a Saturday night. Early April, not so much. After a quick beer, we decided to turn in. We were up early Sunday morning, but wanted to get a full tank of fuel for the transit to Annapolis. Unfortunately, we had to wait a few hours for the guy with the key to the fuel dock to arrive. The rest of the trip was uneventful. The only thing left was to back into the slip. Back Creek in Annapolis on a Sunday afternoon, even in April, was busy. I will admit, it took me several tries to solve the puzzle of balancing the crosswind and side force. All while dodging the traffic as I backed across the channel. Tricia informed me that I need to improve my communications and patience during linehandling. Note to self- work on that. Overall, I would grade the first passage a success.