Annapolis, MD

Magothy River
Tuesday, October 1 - Another very rainy day with the remnants of Hurricane Helene passing over. I did a final 2 loads of laundry and walked to Safeway for milk and more quarters, all in a steady drizzle of rain. We left the dock around noon and stopped for diesel on the way out. It was not raining hard but it was a nasty wet for the first 2 hours as we headed south toward Annapolis. As I made lunch Kevin pulled out the jib to give us a bit more speed and by the time we finished eating the rain had stopped. We approached the Magothy River at 3:30 and anchored just inside the mouth of it. The air was thick with moisture and it started to drizzle just as we finished moving items downstairs to keep them dry. It has been raining for 8 days and it’s getting old.

Annapolis
Wednesday, October 2 - Rain stayed away during the night and started again in the morning. The anchorage was calm overall; we were the only boat and I thought there was little rocking. Kevin said it was more movement than he would have liked but I think he got spoiled sleeping in a house while on his golf trip! We left at 9:57 a.m. after the rain stopped though it was still very cloudy. Weather predictions keep saying the rain will end “tomorrow” but tomorrow keeps moving! We arrived in Annapolis by 11:30 with many other boats already there for the boat shows. The power boat show starts tomorrow, followed by the sailboat show. Next weekend. We anchored next to the Naval Academy, further out than the last time but still close enough for a dinghy ride. Our plan is to try to get a mooring after some power boats leave, though I’m sure many other captains have the same intention.
For dinner we took the water taxi to town and went to Pusser’s, it was not crowded and we figured we would go before the boat shows started. We both got their signature Painkiller drink and I got mine in a souvenir tin cup as the restaurant is closing in November. Afterwards we walked around the harbor area and stopped at The Federal House for a cocktail.

Thursday, October 3 - The sun finally came out!! It was overcast in the morning, causing me slight depression as it seemed “tomorrow” was still not here, but by late afternoon the clouds were gone and the sun was in full force. About mid morning the Harbormaster boat paid us a visit to find out if we had permission from the Naval Academy to anchor where we were, which of course we did. We took Pepper to shore and walked around Eastport, stopping at Davis’ Pub, one of our bucket list places to go this visit. When we got back I called Brenda, whom I had been playing phone tag with, and found out the difficult news about her friend Vivian, who took her own life. It was a surprise to everyone.

Saturday, October 5 - Kevin continued to work on the sump pump for the shower that was not draining properly and I continued to clean the dodger window hoping to make it clearer. That afternoon we took a guided tour of the Naval Academy and it is very impressive, full of tradition and exceptional people. The curriculum for the students is much more rigorous than regular universities and gave me a greater appreciation for those that attend. While being in athletics is not a requirement for admission it definitely helps as physical fitness and teamwork is a large part of the curriculum, including wrestling and martial arts. The tour consisted of the history of several buildings and important figures in naval history, along with learning about their traditions. Two important markers in the yard is the submarine memorial honoring the submarine fleets and John Paul Jones’s crypt. Both are upheld by dolphins as they are an important symbol in the Navy and represent peace and protection. We toured a dorm room and heard interesting stories about life as a student. I also learned that navy personnel are called midshipmen, not cadets. We also learned that the current superintendent (president) is a 3 star admiral and the first woman, she has a very impressive career. After the walking tour Kevin and I toured the museum. That night I had a nice conversation with Sydney.

Sunday, October 6 - The anchorage is very busy with all the power boats coming and going for the show, and all seem to come close to us causing for a turbulent stay. Fortunately things calm down after dark and until about 10:00 in the morning. A small power boat anchored near us then took the water taxi to the show. We took Pepper for a walk in the afternoon and the boat was very close to use. Kevin called the Harbormaster and it took two boats and 3 guys to relocate it. They tried to re-anchor it once then ended up tying it to a bouy further out. The weather is cooling down, it’s in the mid- seventies during the day with a steady breeze.もっと詳しく