Summer Wind

Mystic Whaler sailing around the Scott Key buoy

October 3rd/4th - Dick needed to have a protime (blood test) done and we assumed there had to be a Quest Diagnostics close to the marina. The location we found online said it was 3 miles away, and seeing that we wanted to leave early afternoon for Annapolis, we decided to catch a taxi. Well let us tell you $26. each way became an expensive ordeal. It was 3 miles direct on their website, next time we will use google earth and get the actual driving route!! Needless to say we made it back shortly after 11am and had the lines released.

Just before the Scott Key bridge we noticed a large schooner sailing around the buoy that marks the spot where Scott Key wrote the words to the Star Spangled banner aboard a prisoner ship. As we approached slowly we discovered it was the Mystic Whaler. It's the same sailing vessel that we had passed on Long Island Sound when we were taking the Summer Wind for a test run.

The seas were relatively calm but it was a very cloudy and cool day. We were hoping that we would be early enough to grab one of the moorings in the Annapolis City Mooring Field. Chances were that because the sailboat show was happening at the end of the week, we assumed that we'd have to find a good anchoring spot. Sure enough when we arrived at the field there was one last mooring ball and we scooped it up quickly. Good timing because right after we had the line hooked there were two large sailboats scouting out the field. Whew!!!!! We high fived and settled below for a wonderful lunch. Around 4pm we noticed these small white sails zipping around the boat. It was sailing lesson time and a group of pre-teens were looking like old hands at sailing. They were tacking and weaving throughout the field at pretty good speeds. Then there was a knock  on the hull. There were two gals in a dinghy wondering what time we were leaving in the morning. We told them we weren't, we were staying two nights. Their faces were disappointed but they left their phone number for us to call them when we dropped the bridal.

 Our plans were to spend 2 nights in the mooring field. The second day we went ashore to explore what was happening. The dinghy docks weren't available close by so we opted to take the water taxi to shore. As a treat the taxi driver took us through Spa Creek for another customer. We had our very own water taxi tour! Most of the streets around the city basin were closed off in preparation for the big sailboat show. We walked around for hours enjoying the warm day for a change. It had been almost a week since the sun actually felt warm.The weather started to warm and we decided it would be a great night to barbecue a steak on the back deck.

Baltimore Lighthouse getting painted

Sandy Point Lighthouse

Setting up for the Sailboat Show