Friday, April 25, 2014 We're Going to One of My Favorite Cities...Annapolis, MD!

We want to get another early start from Solomons to Annapolis.  Rains are expected by 5 pm and with rain, comes wind!  We’d like to be secure on a mooring ball before then!  We calculated a 50 mile run up the bay with southerly winds.  Nice….Now when we checked the weather, thunderstorms are predicted for 4 pm.  Hope the weather guru’s are wrong… please be wrong, please be wrong….that’s my mantra for today!

Merriott Hotel

Spa Creek Draw Bridge-narrow

We had a very nice day on the Bay.  In fact, we got to Spa Creek earlier than anticipated.  We decided to get a mooring ball up Spa Creek, past the Spa Creek Draw Bridge.  There is more wind protection up the creek, but the disadvantage is that it's further away from the harbor master's building where the shower facilities are.  That’s okay because we can pick and choose when to venture in to shower but we can’t control the wind.   I hailed the Spa Creek Draw Tender for an opening and the tender was prompt with his opening, as soon as Whisper motored up close to us.  The bridge is pretty much on request until May 1^st. 

Chuck motored over to a ball.  I grabbed ball #65 but when I snagged it and tried to pulled the rope up, it was zip tied in a coil.  What the heck?  Chuck came up to help and I ran back to call the dockmaster to see if we can even use these balls.  He said to cut the ties and explained that they tie the ropes to keep them from hanging in the creek and possibly freezing over the winter.  Chuck shouted over to warn Whisper and pointed out a mooring ball whose rope was free.  It seems like we are ahead of the majority of sailboats that will be heading north!  No one’s moored on these balls since last fall!!  But all is good and we are protected by a narrow river with trees and condos or houses along the shores…good wind blockage!

Before we had the chance to motor in to pay for 2 nights on our mooring balls, the city boat came around to collect our info and money.  As soon as the boat left, we picked Rita and David up and went into the harbormaster’s building for a hot shower.  Hot showers, on shore, are one of the greatest pleasures when cruising…much better than the birdbaths be take onboard trying to save water! LOL  Since Rita and David have never been to Annapolis…I can’t believe it…we walked to Pusser’s so they could experience a Painkiller!!!  We should have stayed for a second.  Why?  When we got back to our dinghy, it started to sprinkle. So we all donned our foul weather gear.   While I was trying to unlock our combination lock, it started to rain.  Help!  I can’t get the lock open after multiple tries.  David tried.  Rita tried.  Chuck tried.  Now it’s raining harder and harder…  Yikes the rain is cold!!! Chuck took off to who- knows-where while the three of us got out of the dinghy and found a porch roof to stand under.  We're lucky the owners didn't call the cops.  It didn't look like anyone was home, so that was a good thing.  Finally  Chuck came back with one of the young guys from the dockmaster's building.  He cut our lock with bolt cutters!!  We’ve traveled over 3000+ nautical miles and this lock has never failed to open…until tonight!  Okay, so we’re already drenched but let me tell you that the person sitting in the front of the dinghy is going to get even wetter…..yup, it’s me.  We took a wave over the front that came up and went down the inside of the back of my blue jeans.  Burrrr!!  Boy was that a rude awaking!!!  One thing for sure, Rita and David are always going to remember their visit to Annapolis!! Ha Ha.  Once we got in our enclosed cockpit, I stripped and ran below to get into some dry clothes.  So much for the hot fresh water bath but what an exciting night.  We laughed about it every time we got splashed by a wave on our not-fast-enough ride back to our boats

By now,  Chuck and I definitely need something hot to eat.  I heated up some chili on the stove.  It tasted so good and it warmed us up!  Then, about 7 pm, I took a chill and decided to get under the down comforter and read….that was it for me for the night...