Day 27: Colonial Bch to Solomans, MD

7 Hrs. We're away from picturesque Colonial Beach at 0830 in fine, cool weather; dodging the minefield of crab pots around the channel, and back out into the wide Potomac. The plan is to cross the river and follow the northern side down to Point Lookout for the turn to port, then hug the western edge of Chesapeake Bay up to Solomans for the night. We're expecting a NW breeze on our port quarter once into the bay.

We cruise down a choppy Potomac for around 4 hrs with the auto pilot doing its best to cope with the following 'sea'. We round Point Lookout and the old light station at lunchtime with the immense expanse of Chesapeake Bay ahead, and the AP points us onto the northerly course Preston has previously set. We beat up the western side of the bay, passing the old lighthouse guarding the shoal off the projection of land extraordinarily named Point No Point. Thus, the point that is not considered to be a 'point'.

After a couple of hours of bouncing along in a fresh and forceful breeze, we are able to turn left and make our way into the Patuxent River, then Back Creek, then the marina at the Solomans Yachting Centre.

Preston sets about washing the salty boat while we three set off to walk around to the Boardwalk and the Pier, and check out the Tiki Bar & Restaurant, where there's going to be an 80s rock band this evening. Sadly, we can't indulge as we have to get back to the boat for dinner and an early night for an early start tomorrow.

We do, though, take time to stop for a couple of sherbets at the marina's Bluefish Pub where we watch the ballgame in DC (the unfortunate Washington Nationals lose to the St Louis Cardinals). Well, it'd have been unsocial not to.

Big day though, tomorrow. Czytaj więcej