Kent Narrows, MD

We left our mooring in Annapolis in the early afternoon on Thursday, September 23 after a very rainy, but blissfully calm night on Spa Creek. We phoned in our good-byes to Kathy and Mark who were continuing their journey up the east coast. Their next stop was Philly for a wedding and they would eventually make their way to Boston.

Our plan was to head across the bay to Kent Narrows where we would leave Zendo to spend the weekend with Michael and Christina Bracken, friends from Miami.  The day was overcast but the seas were calm and we had a pleasant cruise across the bay arriving at Piney Narrows Yacht Haven by 4:15.  Several MTOA members keep their boats here and one of them has extra slips that he rents out.  We tied up at a large covered slip.  This is a very well maintained marina, really another dockominium. 

Michael picked us up the next day to drive us to Bethany Beach. He was very generous to do so because it is a two hour drive for him both ways!  Michael’s parents have a beach house in Bethany Beach and the Brackens are staying there for a few weeks.  We were celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary and my 69th(!) birthday. After settling into our weekend “digs”, we took the first of many lovely walks on the beach. Afterwards, we headed out to dinner. We ended up eating at one of their favorite restaurants called Matt’s Fish Camp where we had an array of delicious seafood.

For the next two days we spent delightful hours walking the beach, talking, catching up with each other and of course, eating and drinking.  The Brackens have a dog named Kaiser who was quite tolerant of having Archie join him romping on the beach just as long as he didn’t come near his food!

Watching the dogs run and run and run, chasing balls, and splashing through the waves was a source of great joy for us. Archie made friends with every dog and beachgoer he saw - he thinks absolutely everyone loves him! Kaiser, being the more mature of the two, was better behaved!

On Saturday, Jonny enjoyed a long bike ride while Michael recuperated from what he thought were bad mussels.  Christina and I walked into town and I attempted to helped her prepare the picnic dinner we would have that night on the beach. They had a portable fire pit that we carried out to the beach that evening along with a hamper of food and several bottles of champagne!

What a beautiful evening it was! Truly memorable, with a gorgeous sunset, crashing surf and lots of stars. The food and drink were delicious and Christina surprised me with a birthday tart!

We spent a few hours star-gazing and planet guessing and having a wonderful time.

On Sunday morning we walked into town for coffee and donuts.  Bethany Beach is a popular summertime destination for Washingtonians but now that the season is almost over, it was free of crowds and fun to explore.  It is colorful and cute and Michael regaled us with stories of the many summers he spent there as a youth.

Jonny and Michael went for one more bike ride and I packed up our things to get ready to leave. Christina made us a lovely lunch of tofu salad and later in the afternoon Michael drove us back to Zendo.  It was a very nice visit and we really appreciate the Brackens and the time we spent with them!

On Monday, Jonny spent all day doing boat chores, most notably changing the oil and adding water to the batteries. Work on the boat is never quite done and though he accomplished most of what he set out to do, there is still more to be done.  Poor little Archie seemed to be plagued by a stomach bug and he was vomiting on and off all day. After calling our vet and Michael and Christina’s daughter, Sophie who is in vet school, we were advised to wait a day or two to see if he is better.  By then we’ll be back in Baltimore and if we need a vet, we can find one there.  Hopefully, he will feel better soon.

We had a nice surprise from our friends Ken and Fred from Miami. They are the couple from whom we bought our boat and we have become friends with them ever since. They are onboard their beautiful Symbol cruising up and down the east coast. They went as far north as Maine and are now heading back to Miami. We’ve been trying to connect with them in person but keep missing each other. This time they made a special trip over from Baltimore to Kent Narrows to meet up with us. They invited us over for drinks and appetizers and we had a great time comparing notes on our respective cruises this year. Ken is retired but Fred is still working and was able to  do so while cruising thanks to Covid!  We love their “new” boat and always tease them that when they are ready to sell we’ll buy it since we have been so happy with our purchase of Zendo from them! Here are some photos of them and the saloon of their beautiful boat.

We’ll be heading back to Baltimore for about a week to volunteer for MTOA at the Trawler Fest, a boat show for trawlers. We’ll be recruiting new members with a team of local volunteers which is actually kind of fun. Our friend, Steve, who lives in Sacramento, will join us there and together we’ll head up to Washington, D.C. for a week’s visit.

Annapolis, MD

It was a sunny but brisk day on Tuesday, September 21 when we cruised from Baltimore to Annapolis. After a four hour trip we picked up a mooring ball in the outer harbor of Annapolis.  We debated staying in the outer harbor vs. Spa Creek which is further in and more protected from the rolling nature of the outer harbor. But we decided to stay put as the dinghy ride into town is much shorter in the outer harbor and we aren’t too bothered by the rolling seas.

Annapolis and Baltimore are our two major ports to rendezvous with visitors. Both are easy journeys from the Baltimore airport.  This time my cousin Kathy and her husband Mark were meeting us as they traveled with their two dogs up the east coast for an extended vacation.

Kathy and Mark arrived at their Air B&B at about the same time as we arrived at our mooring ball. We decided to meet them for dinner at our favorite Annapolis restaurant, the Boatyard Grill.  They brought their two dogs but we left Archie onboard Zendo as we figured that showing up with three dogs at that restaurant might be a bit much.  We had a very good dinner - we especially love their crab cakes - the best we’ve had at any restaurant.

We made our plans to meet in town the next day.  Kathy and Mark had never been to Annapolis.  It is such a pretty and historic town and we were happy to show them around.  Because we had the three dogs with us we were pretty much restricted to walking around outside which is exactly what we did.

We showed them the grounds around the Maryland State House, strolled by the Naval Academy and through St. John’s College and Ego Alley, and admired the many historic houses with plaques designating the periods in which they were built.

 

We found a new (to us) outdoor restaurant called Iron Rooster where we had a very nice lunch.  Afterwards we strolled a little more (our recent historic Annapolis tour proved helpful) and then split up to our respective “homes.”  Our plan was to meet later that evening for dinner.

Upon returning to Zendo, we learned more about the impending storm.  The waters were kicking up considerably and Zendo was rocking and rolling. We called the harbor master to see if there were any available moorings in Spa Creek but she didn’t know for sure. So Jonny set out on the dinghy to scout out the situation.  When he returned he reported two available mooring balls.  We  had just enough time to make the 6:00 bridge opening before the weather deteriorated.  We took off and arrived quickly -  just in time for the skies to open and pour buckets.  Jonny quickly donned his rain gear and got us safely tied up at the new mooring ball.  Spa Creek was exceedingly calm and we were relieved to be able to spend the night there.

But because the weather was so bad we called Kathy and Mark and we all agreed to forego our dinner plans for the evening. Instead, we hunkered down for a cozy evening on board in our lovely Spa Creek anchorage.

Baltimore, MD

On Tuesday, September 14, Jonny took off from the Maryland Yacht Club with his newly promoted first mate (Archie), bound for Baltimore. The MTOA Rendezvous had been a success and it was time to head to Baltimore where he would be joined by his friend David for the few days that I was away. Jonny and Archie had a pleasant two hour cruise and arrived at the Anchorage Marina by 2 p.m.  

David flew in from Miami on Wednesday and they began their two days of male bonding which included lots of walking, talking and trying various brew pubs.  As expected, David and Archie got along famously and the three of them found a great dog park to run around in.

David and I must have crossed paths in the airports in Baltimore and Charlotte as we each flew back to our respective spouses.  I got back to Zendo on Friday evening. This trip to Charlotte was the first time I’ve flown since Covid and everything went smoothly.  As always it was great to be “ home” again!

Anchorage Marina is really a dockominium and we are renting our slip from an owner who owns several slips. The marina has great docks, very nice facilities and is in a perfect location. We can walk to Fell’s Point which we did on Saturday for their great farmer’s market where we stocked up on corn, tomatoes and peaches.  The waterfront has the most wonderful walkway that is beautifully paved and seems to go for miles.

Jonny and Archie took me to Archie’s new dog park where he runs and runs with whoever is there and ready to play.

On one of our return walks, Jonny discovered a very large store that sells beer, wine and even craft beer and nibbles. With an outside patio and a dog friendly policy, it was definitely worth a second visit!  We made that second visit the following evening. We have never seen such an array of interesting and unique beer and liquor! Of course, we took the opportunity to stock up.

Later that evening we did some taste testing back on Zendo as we planned our departure to Annapolis the next day.

Pasadena, MD

On Wednesday, September 8 we took Archie into shore for a quick walk. Heading back to Zendo we were able to capture this nice shot of our home away from home.

We left our anchorage on Sue Creek and headed out onto the bay. It was a beautiful day for cruising and we headed south on the Chesapeake bound for Pasadena, MD which is not far from Baltimore.

We arrived at the Maryland Yacht Club, site of this year’s MTOA Annual Rendezvous. MTOA stands for Marine Trawlers Owners Association.

We were welcomed by the MTOA docking committee who helped us to tie up.  This yacht club is situated in the most beautiful setting. It is on a promontory with a 270 degree view of the water.

We wound up on the same dock as our friends Liz and Steve which was great. That evening we joined them along with two other couples for a fun dinner at a local restaurant.

The rendezvous took place over the next few days with an array of interesting workshops. It was great to see so many of the people we’ve gotten to know through our boating adventures and to make new  friends as well.

On the second day we participated in a tour of Annapolis which was excellent. Although we had been to Annapolis several times we had never taken a tour of the city.  The guide was a young woman dressed in colonial attire and full of interesting facts and stories.  It was well worth it. 

The copper dome of the Naval Academy had just been redone and it looked completely different. Every other time we had seen it, the dome had the classic burnished green patina from having weathered over nearly a century. It was quite a change!

The other famous dome in Annapolis is that of the Maryland State House. This is the largest wooden dome in the U.S. constructed without nails! 

Back at the Rendezvous, we were happy to spend a half day getting re-certified in first aid and CPR. That evening, dinner was served outside on the lawn overlooking the water. Later on a couple of musicians performed on the nearby gazebo - a lovely setting on a beautiful evening.

I left the Rendezvous on the second to last day to travel to Davidson, NC (outside of Charlotte) to help my friend Cathy pack up her mother’s apartment. Her mother is quite ill and will be moving to a skilled nursing facility. We kept very busy during the several days I was there but we did manage to enjoy our time together and have a few very good meals!

In the meantime, Jonny finished out the Rendezvous and was going to take Zendo to Baltimore where I would join him at the end of the week.

Sue Creek, MD

Our original plan on Tuesday, September 7 was to take a couple of days to explore new anchorages on the Chesapeake Bay as we make our way to the MTOA Rendezvous. We decided that our our first stop would be in Georgetown, MD which was only a three hour trip from Chesapeake City. So we took  our time in the morning and brought Archie for a walk in this charming and historic little town.

Back onboard we set about doing boat chores.  Jonny cleaned the hull (which really needs a good wax job) and I worked on putting up our new wall hangings. 

After having a leisurely lunch we left Chesapeake City at 1:30 and hopped across the canal to get fuel.  The fuel stop was located directly under huge pillars holding up the bridge that spans the C&D Canal.  With a running current and the bridge pillars right there, it could be a little tricky tying up for fuel. But of course Zendo’s able Captain had no trouble! We took on an enormous amount of fuel (fortunately at a very good price) having somehow miscalculated how much we had put in previously. (See Zendo docked to the right of the bridge in the photo below).

Once we got underway it was a glorious day - clear skies, calm seas and perfect temperatures.  We thought we would arrive in Georgetown by 5:00 but we received a phone call from a friend who was out on the bay and paying more attention to the weather forecast.  We immediately checked the wind and wave forecast and learned that the wind on the bay expected to pick up that night and over the next two days.  Because of that we decided to skip Georgetown and push on to an anchorage closer to our ultimate destination.  We would have a very short cruise from there to the Maryland Yacht Club and arrive at the Rendezvous a day earlier than originally planned - all in all,  a good idea for safety and convenience.  Plus the negotiated rate for our boat was just $25 per night plus electric, an amazing price to stay at a very nice yacht club!  

So on we went arriving at Sue Creek, a very well protected inlet off of the Middle River where we had anchored once before.  We arrived at 6:00 and dropped the hook in very calm waters. The days are definitely getting shorter which is evident by the afternoon sun that seems to start waning by 4:00.  We are not at all keen about traveling on Zendo in the dark if we don’t have to.

We weren’t sure where we could take Archie in to relieve himself but we decided to dinghy over to a nearby yacht club’s gas dock. The dockhand said we could tie up as long as we didn’t stay long. Fortunately there was a good sized grassy area nearby and we threw Archie his frisbee over and over to give home some exercise.  He’s getting pretty good at retrieving it (with lots of treats of course)!

That night we had ravioli and salad for dinner and Jonny had a long phone call with his friend Mao who lives in Reno.  We cemented our plan to go to the Maryland Yacht Club in Pasadena, MD the next day just to make life easier. We’ll be there at the MTOA Rendezvous for several days and I’ll be flying out to Charlotte for a few days to help my friend Cathy with her mom who is quite ill. Jonny will be holding down the fort with Archie who will be promoted temporarily to first mate!