Update12page6

On September 30th, the weather cleared up and we motorsailed one of our longest days, carrying a favorable current up Delaware Bay and through the C&D (Chesapeake & Delaware) Canal into the north end of Chesapeake Bay. The next several days were spent on the anchor on the less inhabited eastern shores of Maryland, in beautiful spots like the Bohemia River and the Sassafras River, where deer came down to the water to drink in the morning, and then we headed south towards Annapolis and the US Sailboat Show.

One Sunday morning, while anchored in Bodkin Creek on the western shore of Maryland, we were joined for coffee by Lance Brasher and his daughter Bridget, who came up from their home near Annapolis in their 21 foot powerboat. They brought the doughnuts and pastries, and we had a great time enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the cockpit. We followed them out of the anchorage and sailed to Annapolis that afternoon.

We really enjoyed the Sassafras River. We stopped in Back Creek on the way up the river and visited Mount Harmom Plantation, a fully-restored 18th century old tobacco plantation. We also explored further up the river by dinghy one day. When we couldn't go any further, we tied up the dinghy and explored by foot. A small lake was surrounded by woods where the boys climbed trees and had sword fights with sticks. All the while, the dinghy was being carefully guarded by a large snake that kindly slid into the water upon our return!

We spent the rest of October on a mooring ball in Annapolis, first for the Sailboat Show (the largest in the nation) and then enjoying the town (mostly the Naval Academy - we saw two formal parades and worshipped at the beautiful chapel) while Dave travelled to Las Vegas for work. We thoroughly enjoyed the Boat Show, meeting vendors, hanging out with fellow cruisers, attending seminars, learning new ideas, and of course buying more expensive stuff for Liberty. Dave ordered matching red/white/blue spinnakers for both the main and the mizzen which, besides being very pretty, allow us to sail better in lighter winds. Nancy ordered new interior cushions for Liberty - soft, cream-colored Ultraleather, giving her a fresh new look (Liberty, not Nancy). Both the sails and cushions were custom ordered and delivered to us in November.

Nancy, Chris and Josh took a field trip to Baltimore for a day. Baltimore is home to, among other things, Calvert School, which provides the homeschool program the boys are enrolled in. Calvert School is an actual brick and mortar private school with a beautiful campus. They have been serving the homeschool community since 1905. Nancy, Chris and Josh were able to tour the school and buy a few items in the school store. Afterwards, they spent the afternoon downtown visiting the Baltimore Aquarium, and then met up with our good friends the Smiths for dinner and a round of Rock Band back at their house.

Before leaving Annapolis we sailed five miles up the Severn River to anchor in Maynadier Creek, just off Lance and Kathy Brasher's backyard. They welcomed us into their home for breakfast and laundry, and we dined with them and even attended a Navy football game - in the rain! At the end of the weekend Lance jumped from his dock to the deck of Liberty to enjoy a beautiful sail down the Severn River back to Annapolis. As we were pulling into a slip (so we could have shore power and run our space heaters during the expected cold weather), we realized that we could not shift into forward. Reacting quickly, Dave backed us out of the channel and we did two circles in reverse while trying not to hit anything. A deck hand at Pusser's Grill realized we were in trouble and tried to catch our line and secure us to the dock, but we were too far away. And then somehow, with God's hand to guide us, we miraculously floated backwards into a slip. On the dock was a man yelling at us that it was a private slip and we couldn't be there. Nancy yelled back, "We have no transmission. Here, catch a line!" After taking a few moments to catch our breaths and calm our nerves, Nancy and Lance climbed on top of the houseboat in the next slip over and together we all guided Liberty out and around into an available slip. Lance went home; Dave left for Las Vegas; and Nancy spent the next week trying to secure a new transmission to be installed at a boatyard in Deltaville, VA.