Days Two and Three - Monday, 19 November and Tuesday, 20 November

On Monday, the wooden mantle over the companionway was finished and fitted by Buster Phipps of Phipps Boat Works. Buster is a true craftsman who has completed and installed cabinetry and many other projects for us over the past several years. When you come aboard Windreka, you can see for yourself. Since the day was unpleasant...overcast and cold...we decided to take our time, complete some other last minute things, turn in early and get up and on our way at first light today. That was the plan yesterday, but today things didn't work out as planned.

We intended to depart at 0700, but one of those gremlins...or "Hogans"... that lurks in the bilge of every boat, climbed out to raise our anxiety level. After due consideration, we agreed to cast off the lines anyway and get on our way. Fortunately, we decided to anchor early to enjoy the nice weather and Joe was able to bribe the Hogan with some rum while he (Joe) discovered the problem which, to put it simply, was operator training...enough said.

After a delayed departure from Herrington Harbor North today, we only made it as far as Solomons Island where we are anchored in a small cove on Mill Creek. Lovely scenery, very quiet and peaceful. Even the weather cooperated today with temperature in the high 60s, the wind light and the Bay calm.

Mill Creek at Solomons Island

Later in the day, the Hogan got into some more mischief, but Joe was able to outwit him again with the help of some long-distance advice of Bob Campbell, the very able electrician whose done much to address the legacy wiring systems on our twenty-three-year-old boat and bring them up to code and the demands of 21st Century cruising.

Tomorrow we hopefully fire up the engine earlier than today and stretch our sea legs to put some serious miles under the keel. If we're lucky, our reward will be Thanksfiving dinner ashore in Norfolk before driving into the ICW on Friday. Stay with us...

A smile at the end of the day!