Out with the usual Monday night crew + a friend of a friend for a breezy evening on Forest Landing. On account of the conditions, we stayed pretty deep in the coves, and enjoyed lots of great nature scenery and a pretty sunset. The days are getting shorter, but we still managed to get a good paddle in.
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
The Barba Roja & crew, courtesy of Dave Ohler
Out with Steve and Bob today on the Barba Roja for a cruise. It was Bob's first time on the boat after a long absence, and it was great to sail with him again. We poked around in the river basin and got some pictures of the smallboat fall invitational, then headed out to the Bay to meet up with Bob's son Dave while he delivered a powerboat down from Annapolis. A fantastic, relaxing Sunday on the boat, about as good as one could ask for.
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Another evening paddle off SMSA with Dewey. We originally intended to head out into the river around the front of the island, but significant chop led us to tuck back into Mill Creek instead. We paddled up a ways and enjoyed the scenery, and had a great, wide-ranging talk. Another nice end to the week.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Cloudy + light conditions to ghost along on a Wednesday fun sail on Dangerous. We brought plenty of snacks & beverages, and enjoyed a quick lap out towards the Bay and then up to the bridge and back. A full crew today and a great time was had by all.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
A bit of a late start for a sunset paddle off Leonardtown Wharf this evening. Nice light conditions and a pretty sunset while I paddled out a ways around the corner and back. Starting to get into shorter days and a lack of daylight.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
A smaller group for this Monday's paddle, and as a result we were able to go a bit further than usual. The scenery is starting to look like fall, and we had a nice lap out to the mouth of the creek and back. Hoping it stays nice a good ways into October.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Right back to the dreary weather again, with spotty rain and cooler temps than promised. Determined to make something of the beach day I planned, I headed up to Snow Hill with my paddleboard and went for a lap. I paddled down to Cole Creek, and fought through a weird mix of conflicting breeze and current that chopped up the inlet opening. Nice glassy conditions inside, and I explored the dilapidated piers and scenic surroundings. Despite the cool & damp I'm glad I took the opportunity to paddle in a different spot from my usual haunts.
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Cruising on the downwind leg
Experimenting with deep mast rake settings (or something like that)
Out sailing today in the informal Bucc 'n' Lasers regatta. Only 3 boats on the line today, which gave James and I lots of real estate to work on race tactics, particularly starting techniques, and get tuned up. Conditions were predominately light and occasionally moderate, and we had a pretty easy time leading the fleet all day.
It would've been an endless string of wins, but a small oversight on my part led to a bit of problem. After the second leg of the third race, I went to douse the spinnaker, only to find the boom in the water and the mast raked dangerously far back. After a quick assessment of the situation, I realized I hadn't tied in the backup cleat on the jib halyard/forestay tensioner, allowing the mast to partially fall and jump out of the step. It was only saved by the stopper knot at the very end. After a quick assist from a friend on the safety boat we got the mast back where it's supposed to be and finished the race, for a record of 1-1-3-1-1 for the day.
I had a really great time on the water today, and it feels good to see the sun again.
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
A nice leisurely lap with Dewey on the SMSA paddleboards. Still gray, but the weather is finally starting to clear up finally. We talked boats & pontificated on some unusual details of a commercial boat tucked behind Solomons Landing.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Out on Dangerous this evening for a quick fun sail. A bit cool & damp but not terrible, and glad to get out sailing in what has been a relentlessly dreary week. We sailed out to Drum Point and up to the bridge and back.