Gliding into Fall on the Bay
The trip began in Rock Hall on Friday, September 12th, with two boats from Haven Charters, JEHM of the Sea, a Catalina 45, and Frangipani, a Beneteau 41. The boats were ready for boarding early, so it was easy for the skippers to complete the checkouts before heading to dinner.
The crew of JEHM – Mia McCroskey (skipper), John Francischetti, Mary Ann Gordon, Ann Marie Kelly, and Mark Smaniotto dined at Blue Heron Oyster House and Inn. Unfortunately, Karen Norris who was also on the JEHM crew was late and didn’t arrive in Rock Hall until after dinner. The crew of Frangipani – Gary Brubaker (skipper), Jan Cornelius (skipper candidate), David Goldman, Kris Kaufmann and Eleanor Popolizio decided to dine at the Harbor Shack, a long-time club favorite but found the wait list to be excessive and decided to try The Flying Decoy Bar & Grill (formerly Bay Wolf Restaurant). Both dining experiences received “thumbs up’s.”
Saturday morning dawned with clear skies and no rain in the forecast but with winds predicted to be “light and variable” from the South-Southwest (not ideal for a group of sailors). After completing the final boat reviews with the charter company, both boats were away around 11:00 a.m.
Our plan was to sail down Swan Creek channel, past the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Love Point, and Kent Narrows, then up the Chester River to an anchorage in the East Fork of Langford Creek near Cacaway Island.
Shortly after passing Swan Creek Entrance Bouy 4 off Rock Hall harbor, the crew of Frangipani set sail. Even with the light winds, they were able to maintain speeds of 3 to 4 knots while tacking southward towards Kent Narrows. The crew of JEHM was less patient and used the iron jenny with the mainsail. After lunch, they turned north on the Chester and headed towards their destination for the evening. Unfortunately, there was less wind in the afternoon, and it was time to motor-sail to Langford Creek.
Along the way, JEHM’s crew noticed that the aft head was backfilling from the holding tank. After considerable discussion and inspection, first mate Mark devised a toilet plug in the form of a red solo cup wrapped with paper towels as a seal. Everyone used the forward head, and that tank was adequate to last until we got to Castle Marina’s pumpout.
By around 4:30 p.m., and yet to experience any significant breezes, we were securely rafted near Cacaway Island Creek, well inside Langford Creek. JEHM arrived at the anchorage earlier than Frangipani and finding the water temperature comfortable and devoid of nettles, John and Mia went swimming. However, by the time Frangipani arrived, so had the nettles and any thoughts of a dip were banished.
The traditional raft-up party began at about 6:30 p.m. with a multitude of delectable offerings. While there are too many to list them all, of note were Gary’s white chili, Karen’s vegetable spring rolls, and Bloody Mary shrimp by Mia.
After sampling the many appetizers, enjoying the camaraderie of fellow sailors, and an adult beverage or two, the crews retired for the evening.
Sunday began with Jan brewing coffee and David making omelets for the crew of Frangipani. On Jehm, Mia made spinach and cream cheese omelets that received high marks. A check of the weather once again indicated light and variable winds from the South Southwest. Given the forecast, we decided that a leisurely breakfast was in order, and we were underway between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m.
Our plan for Sunday was to sail back down the Chester River to Castle Marina where two transient slips were reserved for the evening. We were advised by the marina that we should not enter at low tide due to the draft of our boats and so we planned our arrival to be a couple of hours after high tide.
Soon after entering the Chester River from Langford Creek, the crew of Frangipanie once again set sails and was able to slowly sail most of the way down Chester to just before the marina entrance. Keeping a close eye on the depth gauge, we entered the channel into the marina. Our entry was without incident and Skipper Candidate Jan guided us effortlessly into our slip.
Jehm’s impatient crew motored down the Chester River, but switched to sails when they found sufficient wind to make way. First Mate Candidate Anne Marie guided the crew through several tacks, as the predicted southwesterly was most decided more from the north as we headed around Eastern Neck Island.
During the sail, the charter company called back about the malfunctioning head. Mia was given the top secret location of the holding tank seacock, should the situation become dire. Fortunately, it did not, and JEHM got pumped out at the marina.
Although the pool at Castle Marina had already been closed for the season, the crews were able to take advantage of the hot showers before having dinner.
The Jehm crew utilized the barbecue grills at the marina, and Frangipani’s crew went to the Pour House, a sports bar just outside the marina gate. The male crew members were entranced by Sunday Night Football on the big screen after two days with no TV. For some reason, the women found this amusing.
Monday we headed back to Rock Hall, and finally got to do some sailing, which made up for the days of motoring. The Frangipani crew sailed north from the marina and rounded Love Point out into Chesapeake for a couple of hours of good sailing before making their way back to Haven Harbor to fuel up, pump out, and depart. Jhem’s crew took a more direct route in the near calm, opting to get on the road a little earlier.
Photographs by Mark Smaniotto, Kristine Kaufmann, Karen Norris
