A quick lap on the Barba Roja in cold conditions at the end of the week. Today also marks the completion of my second Century Club related goal of spending more than half of the total days in 2024 on the water. No small feat!
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Spooky & foggy at the boat ramp
Today's route
Much less nice than the forecasted 57 degrees and clear, but I decided to go anyway. When I got to the ramp I discovered a thick fog persisted over the creek, and against my better judgement I pressed on with a paddle. I took it slowly and carefully, and hung very close to the shoreline so I could see the way. Really not paddling weather at all, but at least it counts for a day.
Monday, December 9, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Taking advantage of the relatively warm temps and getting a couple more paddles in, working towards a goal of over half of the days in 2024 on the water. A quick lap off Forest Landing to watch the sun set and decompress after a busy Monday at the office was just what I needed.
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
The lighthouse looks better every time
A ride out to Hooper's Light on Dangerous, probably our last trip for the season on the boat. With moderately breezy conditions and the cold weather and water we went with the #3 and no spinnaker, and sailed most of the trip on deep reaches. We tacked around the lighthouse, took some pictures, and proceeded into the beat home. The boat managed the conditions well, but the wind chill was significant and we were all pretty frozen by the time we made it back to Solomons. Still totally worth the trip and a pleasant day on the water to close out the Dangerous season.
Sunday, December 1, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's crew
A chilly ride up the Bay to Cove Point and back on the Barba Roja. A nice crew of 7 for the day. Conditions were pretty good but became puffy on the ride back, and we somehow ended up on a long beat into the river despite trying for a reach both ways. It was a beautiful day out and an enjoyable trip, but I was very cold at the end despite wearing plenty of cold-weather layers.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Dusk on the river basin
A pre-Thanksgiving sail on Barba Roja. Conditions were cold and cloudy, but we bundled up and sailed across the river basin and back. I think I'm going to have to start getting comfortable with cold weather for a while at least.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
A real treat at the end of my lap
Headed out in cloudy conditions for a quick lap off Clarke's Landing before my sister's chorus concert. I got a real treat on my way back in, with one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen all year. I could see a view like this a thousand times and it would never get old.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Sunset over the creek
A relaxing paddle in beautiful weather after a rather high-stakes day professionally. Pretty warm for the season and a lovely sunset for a ride around the basin near Myrtle Point.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Charging the line with J Ray
One last spinnaker run for the season
Ending the keelboat season on a high note with Frostbites #4. With a solid four-person crew we finally had the boat back up and running nearly to full fighting shape. We enjoyed great conditions with ample breeze to get the boat going. The race between us and our fraternal twin Red Baron came down to the last leg, where a messy but early reaching spinnaker set got them an advantage. We hoisted late as conditions were marginal, and once we did it wasn't quite enough to hold our lead. It was a bummer not to catch them, but the boat ran really well today and I was totally satisfied with our performance. A great way to cap off a fantastic and at times quite successful season on Dangerous.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Cloudy & gray back at the boat ramp
Another quick after-work paddle, this time off Clarke's Landing. Pretty cool & cloudy, but I still got to see some nice fall foliage as I made my brief trip.