Despite the cool & breezy conditions this evening I went out for a very quick paddle to try out a new leash. I caught a dramatic sunset as I unloaded. I tucked around the corner of the creek and headed back in before it got too cold and dark.
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Waves breaking over the bow in the river basin
Despite the gale warning the ever-intrepid crew of Barba Roja decided to head out for their customary Wednesday sail anyway. As Dion prudently canceled, I decided to hop on and go for a ride. We saw conditions upwards of 27kts in the river basin, and 2-3ft rollers. Despite the big waves, we enjoyed a nice sail up to the bridge, where conditions were much calmer. Glad I was able to get out for a bit today despite the less than stellar weather this week.
Photo by Steven Birchfield
Monday, September 21, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Foreboding skies at the ramp
Out in the big waves ahead of this week's nor'easter for a very brief paddle. A fight upwind allowed some fun surfing back downhill to the inlet.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Headed out for a doublehanded sail with Ben on his new-to-him Express 35, Fantastic. With good breeze forecasted, we headed across the Bay to Hooper's Island light. I taught him how to use the autopilot, and we close reached into building conditions before turning around. The autopilot couldn't quite keep up with the quartering seas on the way back, so I hand steered until the breeze backed off again. About 2/3 of the way back across the Bay the pin holding the mainsheet assembly together came off and exited the boat, so we motored back in. Despite the small hardware problem we had a great day on the water and I think Ben will have a lot of fun with the new boat.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Enjoying one of Mike's famous cookies while trimming the spin
Took a weekend trip up to Baltimore to spend the day racing the Magothy Madness regatta on Eighth Deadly Sin. Conditions were light so we stayed in the river, and we managed to pick off most of our competition before the second mark. We had a great downwind leg, a flawless douse, but couldn't quite keep enough pace upwind and just got edged out by Incommunicado. Despite losing our title and "ownership" of the river, we had a great day on the water and enjoyed a relaxing party at PSA in the evening.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Running to the harbor
Out for a practice sail today on Red Baron, gathering data on the #3 and enjoying the pleasant conditions. We saw many familiar faces from SMSA out on the water, and got some good data on times we might consider the advantages of the smaller jib.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
A lovely little pocket cruiser at the pier
Conditions were much lighter today, and my schedule only allowed for a quick paddle right after getting home from work. Nonetheless, I had great conditions and got to enjoy a nice view and see a neat little boat at the pier.
Monday, September 14, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Today really felt like the first day of fall and had breeze to match, and despite getting a late start, I seized the opportunity and headed out on Dire Straits for a quick sail. Getting out of the inlet was a bit tricky with opposing wind and waves, but I managed to row through and had great sailing conditions once I got out. I even managed to sail back into the inlet, executing a perfect gybe around the corner and pulling all the way up to the dock without a paddle. Glad I made the time to get out today!
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Given hot conditons and almost no breeze, we headed out in the kayaks again, this time for a trip up Summerville Creek. The lanternflies unfortunately continue to push further south, and the creek was filled with them. Thankfully they don't seem too bright, and many flew in the water to their apparent demise. Despite the kinda gross bug situation, we had a nice paddle very far up the creek and back over the course of a couple hours.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Number of days:
1 day
Up at Lelia's uncle Tim's place for the weekend, and at his request we headed out on his new-to-him Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2. The boat performed well in light to moderate conditions, and felt very sturdy and keelboat-like for a dinghy. We tooled around the river for a bit, and headed in once we started getting rained on.
Later in the day, we went back out on kayaks and explored pretty far up Tucker Creek.