Well sadly, today marks the end of the racing season for 2026. We had it all today… strong winds, cold air, warmer temperatures, lighter winds.
The racing season is over but not the sailing. Our last day of sailing is December 31st. The new sailing year starts on January 1st! Go Sailing team Barba Roja 73052 !!!
Today was the third of the four races in the SMSA Fall Frostbite Series. Most of the boats started with a reef in the sails (shortened sails). The boats that didn’t take a reef early wished they had! With winds blowing 22, gusting 36 this tough crew of just four raced Barba Roja around the course in the Patuxent River! Yes, we had our hands full as we hit a top speed of 9.9 knots! At the end of the race we celebrated with a much-deserved beverage.
Fall Frostbite race #2 and this was my closest sailing ever. I still don't know how no boats hit each other!
This is what I mean when I say “good, close racing.” This was at the start of the race. This picture doesn’t do it justice. We were inches apart from one another!
Number 102... At Church this morning, a friend of mine said that he lives vicariously through my posts. So here is a quick post of my time on the Chesapeake from yesterday. Once again I assisted Captain Dave on a 35-mile delivery of a nice Beneteau 32 from Annapolis to Worton Creek. She’s for sale if anyone is looking!
Captain Dave Ohler said he wouldn’t mind having me as crew today on a delivery from Kent Narrows to Atlantic Marina on the Patapsco River. It was a good father/son run across the Chesapeake!
#BoatDeliveries
#poppabobscanvas
NUMBER 100 is in the books! What has become our annual practice, I hit the Century mark with my son, Dave onboard. Today we sailed our Aloha Spirit out into the Patuxent River, trying to find the breeze. It helps to have friends and we sure needed them as we experienced a low-battery voltage problem when trying to get the engine restarted out in the river. I made a call to Steven Birchfield and before long Jimmy Yurko pulled up alongside with a jump start. When we got the engine started we just let it run while we sailed until the wind finally died for the day. All in all, we had friends with high volts and took lemons and still made lemonade!
Captain Dave Ohler, is also well on his way to achieving his first Century Club! This has the makings of a great SpinSheet Magazine write up and oh isn’t the beer going to taste good at this year’s Century Club Party!
I was honored to have Mike onboard again along with Fr. Kevin! The three of us sailed under the Solomons Bridge and up to Mill Creek before we tacked and headed back. We practiced controlled gybes as well as gentlemen's gybes. It was great to have these two strong, solid Catholic Men on board!
#98 We had a great evening sail on Barba Roja, continuing to practice with the new staysail.
Surprisingly, the paddling was much tougher than anticipated. When I looked earlier, the Bay was flat and calm. When I got out there the winds were SE 12-15 and the chop was challenging. Just launching was a nuisance with waves and water coming into the boat. It wasn't a very long trip but my intentions were good. Retrieving was not any bargain either. Well, they all can't be "chamber of commerce" days!
I did not anticipate getting out on the water today. After 5 consecutive days of sailing, I needed a day off. Instead, the Bay called me and launched the kayak off of the beach. I paddled to Camp Roosevelt and back. It's just a beautiful Fall morning on the Chesapeake.