Departure South

This morning I left the Yacht Yard around 7:35. 

The trip however, was a much better journey than that with the rigger.

It was cold; just 29 degrees when I left. I did not get chilled for a few hours. I think the excitement was keeping me warm. My hands and feet let me know first. At least my hands were compensated with a pair of warm gloves. I keep a pair of leather gloves in a small compartment above the engine. I swapped my fleece gloves and leather gloves a few times during the day. The feet weren't too bad, but I need cold weather footwear for the boat!

When the rest of me started to get cold, I knew I needed another layer. That is another on top of my Under Armour long johns, Under Armour mock tee, Under Armour long sleeve waffle shirt, and Carhart hoodie. So, the next layer was my foul weather gear; even tough the sun was shining. That did the trick! I'll start with that tomorrow morning.

The wind was blowing 15-20 knots; gusting to 30. So, the first time single-handing this boat was a challenge. I needed to make some adjustments to the mainsail. So, when the winds built up, the sail went down. It didn't matter, though. I was still doing around 6.5-7 knots. The waves were 3-4 feet, making it a good day to regain my sea legs too.

I had hot tea in a thermos to sip on throughout the day, which makes a nice hand warmer too.

All-in-all the trip from Annapolis was uneventful. I arrived at Solomons, MD around 4:30. I was going to see if the Holiday Inn Marina had an opening... then I could stay in a warm location for the night. I didn't though. I still had to make those adjustments to the mainsail, and that can't be done easily in a slip at a marina. I went the other way to find a good, protected spot to anchor.

After picking my location in Old House Cove, I immediately set myself to get all outside activities completed; including the mainsail. Once inside, I started the portable propane heater and cooked spaghetti for dinner with a Power Bar for desert.

After dinner, I went back outside to check the anchor and take one last look around the decks. Everything looked good. Just before opening the companionway hatch to get back into the boat, I looked up. The sky was amazing. This is a great, dark, anchorage since there are just a few houses nearby. It's not even in the cruising guides.

Well, tomorrow will be a long day with a very cold start. They are saying 22F overnight!