Now that I’m back to a land-based life, and work, I’m often asked if I’m now “done” with the boat for a while. In fact, I am anything but. Calypso now feels more like home than ever. We’ve pushed her limits, and expanded her utility. I’ve got enough gear and supplies on board to just turn up, or stay longer, without planning to have done so.
The big difference these days is having to work. But my most valuable tools — laptop, iPhone, personal hotspot, full array of chargers, obliging captain — make it possible for me to meet my work commitments without sacrificing boat weekends. Unless I explicitly tell them, no one needs to know that I’ve been taking conference calls and whipping out document drafts from the nav station or, when the engine is running, the v-berth.
Since we’ve returned from our travels, we’ve been making the most of our Chesapeake weekends. And for the most part, the weather has been obliging, offering up sail-friendly breezes (and gale force winds — thanks to Hurricane Arthur) and weather than hasn’t been too hot. Yet.
I finally got my hands on my long-ago ordered kayak, and returned Harriet’s loaner. I tried it out in the friendly environs of the Wye River home of Running on MT.
Protected water and lots of wildlife make the Wye River a great spot to kayak and SUP.
A more typical weekend activity is the raft-up, where we make plans to meet with friends in one of the dozens and dozens of nearby coves and creeks.
On this particular weekend, we met up again with Running on MT in the Rhode River. It’s not a particularly peaceful spot, but it is convenient.
It’s not a Bahamian beach, but this quite little spot of sand has its charms.
The girls get the chance to flex their culinary muscles. Caprese salad (made with burrata – yum!) and tuna tartare are staples. And on this particular night, I experimented with skewers of avocado, raw tuna, and watermelon with a tropical teriyaki splash; sounds scary, but it was yummy.
After a few gin and tonics, and many glasses of wine, we’re happy not to have to hit the road.
A beautiful moon over the Rhode River.
Because Annapolis is even smaller than Smalltimore, we of course run into other people we know. Hello Pleiades!
A week later, we were back to the Wye River, this time on the southern branch at an every-other-year Annapolis Yacht Club Newcomers’ Rendezvous at the home of Dick and Karen Kimberly. We had been asked to move our annual solstice weekend party for the Chesapeake Bay Sabre Association accommodate those of us who are also AYC members who wanted to attend the now-famous event at “Kleenex Cove.”
Calypso in a cove just across from Kleenex Cove. Meanwhile, we take advantage of the dinghy service offered to us by Comocean. (Our official AYC name tags make it easy for us to remember who we are. And — oh yeah — the names of new friends.)
Lots of little boats at Kleenex Cove — both dinghies on the muddy dinghy landing, and me and Rick on our trusty paddled craft working off the sins of the coming night.
If you know me, you’ll know that there is a lot of sinning involved for me to get into the music. Thanks to Comocean’s Phyllis, I wasn’t alone. And I didn’t spill a drop.
Delaying our solstice party — which is officially known as the “Margaritaville Sailgate” party — didn’t dim enthusiasm for it. Inspired by our southwestern France wine — I mean barge — tour, I borrowed the name of a Jimmy Buffet song to set the theme of the event: Turn up the Heat and Chill the Rose. We headed to Eagle Cove on the Magothy River, served up a case of Languedoc rose, and all was good in the world.
The décor includes palm trees, Conch Republic flags, and lots of beautiful Sabre boats.
Thanks to Whisper and Scrimshaw, who joined us on the host raft, there was plenty of room for revelers.
At the party, Sailin’ Whalen’s coveted trophy was grudgingly handed over to Rick, who earned it at last year’s Hospice Cup Regatta.
Another weekend on the Wye followed. This time, we sailed to a Running on MT party celebrating life, and in particular, some milestone birthdays.
Parties are much easier when you bring you bed with you. Likewise, after seeing the reunited Subdudes at the Ram’s Head in Annapolis, we could just crash on the boat instead of driving all he way home.
We had a brisk sail home after that weekend. But it was no match for the sail down in the gale winds kicked up by Hurricane Arthur. Top speed was 10.9 knots.
Rick has also spent time crewing on Sailin’ Whalen, as they moved their boat up the New Jersey coast for their summer sailing vacation.
I guess this all goes to show that while I’m not a “cruiser” anymore, I’m using my summer to extend the wonderful feeling of life on the water.
[P.S. Thanks to Sailin’ Whalen, Comocean, and Running on MT for some of these photos.]
Calypso's Odyssey 