Century Club: Tim Ford

Plan was to get off the mooring, ride the paltry flood tide up to the docks, hang a right, put up the jib-top and ghost out of the creek, DW, and then maybe put up the main once in the river. 

Boy, was that a great plan! 

Until without my having noticed, the 5 kn breeze from the north turned into 8-10 from the south. 

I had not even noticed until it was time to put the helm over and head out of the creek.  And I was already having second thoughts.  I had the 3.5 HP on the stern and two sets of anchor and rode snugged up aft to add enough weight to keep the short-shaft O/B's prop in the water.  But that was dicey. Then, add insult to injury, the g.d. outboard was crapping out at RPMs slightly above idle. 

Meanwhile a solid 10 kn was cranking in from the river and I barely had enough RPM to make head-way back to the mooring, with less than adequate steerage. 

What a CF.

Everytime I trtied to goose the RPMs up to make some progress to windward the O/B would crap out. But, with patience and vigilance, I finally made it. Never been so happy to snap a mooring pennant!  Brought the 3.5 home to see what's up with the HS jet. Maybe a bit of a clog. 

A brilliant sail up to the remains of The Key Bridge.

Spread a little ashy remains off Jaz Point in honor or dear departed friend, Garry.  A tiny cupfull of water polution maybe, but Garry did much much more for the Cheapeake watershed. His homestead alone was a testiment to storm water run-off abatement,  RIP our dear friend.

Spent the day on RAINBOW digging into wiring and other small repairs. Took some measurements to add some more surface area in the dinghy's stern so that the stuff I schlepp out to the boat, on the mooring, stays dry and out of the soggy bilge. The cold front was working its way through the region and there were some puffs to 30 at GIYS.  RAINBOW was sailing around on her mooring like we were tacking through a narrow fairway. 

Then later, the MRSA End of Season Award Party on the PSA Deck.  Hoping the event elicits a few membership applications. 

Went to the club to make sure we have all the boards and flags for our (and MYC's) PSA to MYC Race on Oct 4th.  Turns out we don't have any Patapsco River CBYRA Marks, so a race to the Big Box store for spray paint and plywood.  Rowed out to RAINBOW for brunch. One of those kinds of days you only see in Camden or Boulder, but here I was in Anne Arundel County.  Go fig.