The Voyage of Vagus V
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Year 1
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Ridout Creek, MD to Annapolis, MD
Start Date: September 28th, 2003 Location: Annapolis, MD
End Date: October 4th, 2003
Annapolis

On Monday, after spending several enjoyable days in Ridout Creek, we decided to experience Annapolis from the water. We also wanted to scout out potential layover spots for the upcoming Annapolis boat show. So we left Ridout Creek for Annapolis, about 10 miles away. The wind was fresh, about 25 knots, and of course in the direction that we wanted to go. The Women's World"s Sailing races were also on so we were greeted with a contingent of colourful spinnakers being flown in the gusty conditions as we headed for the bay. We have been to Annapolis by land but never by water. A town always looks different from the water and Annapolis was no exception. It was difficult to pick out the creeks and bays until we were almost on top of them, and there were marinas full of sailboats everywhere.

We decided to try Spa Creek, which is a creek running through Annapolis and close to the area where the boat show would be held. There were moorings out in front of the city on the bay side, and moorings and anchoring further up the creek past a draw bridge. The draw bridge opened on the half hour like the lift bridge in Burlington so we felt right at home. We motored all through the creek where there already were a large number of boats anchored, with very little swinging room and marginal holding. After a few circuits, we opted for a mooring down by the draw bridge where we would be close to town and did not have to worry about boats anchoring (and dragging) on top of us. From there we could go on a short dinghy ride to a dinghy dock on a side street and walk into town, or dinghy a little farther right to a dinghy dock in the heart of Annapolis.

Annapolis is the mecca for cruising boats heading south as there is a major boat show during our Thanksgiving weekend. All the suppliers are there so it is a good opportunity to get those much needed toys. We caught up with the boats that had left Sandy Hook with us. All made it through Isabel without injury or damage and it was great seeing them again.

Annapolis is a great spot to explore and we were glad to see it before the boat show took over. It originated in 1649, named after Princess Anne - Queen Mary's daughter and is rich in history and period architecture. Annapolis was once the capitol of the US, the Treaty of Paris ending the revolutionary war was ratified in State House in downtown Annapolis, and a plaque by the waterfront marks the arrival of Kunte Kinte (of Roots) on a slave ship. The town is rich with Victorian and Georgian buildings that have been restored. Apparently a restoration society regulates any alterations to these historic buildings with the exception of the colour. The owners can and do express their individuality (or get even) with brightly coloured exteriors. We took a bus tour through the town that highlighted many of these buildings, sites and history. We also try to walk a different route every trip into town to explore the side streets and alleys. Of course finding a different route is always easy for me as I never remember that last route I took. The waterfront was a hive of activity as the whole area was flooded and badly damaged. Most of the stores were open or opening but everything was still under repair.

Once again, cold weather from Canada overtook us. We had several fronts sweep down, starting on Wednesday, and temperatures dropped to the low 40's over night. One night we even had a frost warning. Fortunately, we managed to find a source of cheap alcohol for our little alcohol heater (not to mention a sale on rum for internal heating). Our little heater and our plastic wrapped back porch (our cockpit can be surrounded with clear plastic panels that keeps out the wind and provides some solar heating when the sun shines) really saved the day. Friends on a boat from Florida decided to up anchor and started to head South. They had every article of clothing they owned on and were not prepared for the cold. Actually quite a few boats decided that it was time to head to warmer climates. After surviving several nights, we met with our friends from Safina and took the bus into a large shopping mall to pick up some warmer clothes - hopefully that will stave of further bouts of cold weather. They say the weather should be getting warmer next week so stay tuned.

Copyright © 2003-2005 Jim and Karen Lait
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