Foreign Affair Sailing

1.5 Miles Due West of Rock Hall to Rock Hall

We had a bit of a ride through the night. The wind velocity steadily increased from the time we anchored until around 0200 when sustained winds in the low to mid-twenties with gusts into the low thirties lasted until about 0500. Waves increased to averaging 4 feet. At about 0230 the anchor started to drag.

Summit North Marina to 1.5 Miles West of Rock Hall

We left Summit North Marina with the tide at 1000. It was sunny, warm and a slight breeze was against us. We made good time through the C&D Canal and Elk River. It looked as if we would make our goal of reaching the Magothy River before dark until we got tangled in a crab pot at about 1600. The sun was in our eyes reflecting off the water which was quite choppy due to the wind. We caught sight of the float in time to put the engine into neutral; however, as the line ran under the hull, it snagged on the propeller. Dwayne heard the float bouncing against the hull.

Aboard Again

We are aboard again. Our trip to China was too short and too much fun. We visited Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. Highlights in each city are as follows: Beijing = Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Great Wall; Xian = Terra Cotta Warriors; Shanghai = Bund/Financial District/Pudong River cruise, Maglev Train and Muslem Quarter. We logged thousands of miles on Hainan Airlines. The hotels were luxurious and we ate very well. We were on the go from early morning until late evening. We are looking forward to getting underway again heading south and wintering in the Bahamas.

Summit North Marina to Columbia, MD (October 15 - 17)

We moved Foreign Affair from a facing dock to a slip to clear the marina channel for the dredging and to leave our boat where it can be better monitored by the marina staff while we are away on our trip to China.

We drove to Columbia to stay with Dwayne's brother to make final preparations for our trip. Brian and Janet will be going with us. Brian is the master of finding great bargains on cruises and tours.

Magothy River to Summit North Marina

We spent the night anchored behind Dobbins Island inside the mouth of the Magothy River and west of Gibson Island. This is one of our favorite anchorages. There is plenty of depth and the waters in the Magothy are always calm even when the waves are high on the Bay. Three other sail boats anchored near us for the evening. We had sun-downers in the cockpit on a warm autumn night.

Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race

We weighed anchor at 1030 and joined the schooners heading toward the Bay Bridge for the start of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. The course runs from just south of the Bay Bridge (Annapolis, MD) to Old Point Comfort, Hampton, Virginia. The course distance is about 125 statute miles; however, the schooners will most most likely have to tack or alter course based on the wind. As a result, the total distance traveled ends up being more than the "as the crow flies" distance. The record run for the race was 11 hours 18 minutes which was done in heavy winds. However, most of the time it takes about 18 - 24 hours to complete the course.

Summit North Marina to Rock Creek - Patapsco River

It was a beautiful fall day - sunny and temperature in the 60's. We ate a leisurely breakfast before casting off bound for Rock Creek on the Patapsco River. We will anchor there for the night so we are in position to follow the schooner fleet to the starting line for the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race. The competitors will be coming out of Baltimore harbor further up the Patapsco.

Baltimore - Schooners on Display

The Great Chesapeake Schooner Race starts Thursday. Schooners are arriving in preparation for this annual event. Those arriving early are docked in Baltimore harbor while waiting for the start of the race. We drove down to see some of these great sailing vessels prior to the race.

The first schooner we encountered was When and If which is a 63 foot, John Alden designed schooner built in 1939 for General George S. Patton who intended to sail around the world until World War II disrupted his plan. When and If remained in the Patton family until the 1970s. Today, it is available for charter or yours to own if your pockets are deep enough. She is truly a beautiful vessel. We are anxious to see her under sail at the start of the race on Thursday.

Summit North Marina - Maintenance October 3 - 10

About every six months we have to take a week or so to do some serious maintenance. The salt water and sun really do some damage over time. The most time consuming task is washing, compounding and waxing the boat. Dwayne does the hull from toe rail down and Carla does the deck, cabin and cockpit. Maintaining the stainless steel is also a project for Carla. Other projects include changing engine and transfer oil; changing oil and fuel filters, cleaning the seawater strainer which feeds seawater to the engine's coolant system. We take turns cleaning the bilge. This time its Dwayne's turn. Carla maintains the teak. We do as much as we can while underway; however, you can't do everything if you keep moving every few days. Keeping the systems operating and maintaining appearances are endless tasks.

Summit North Marina, Bear, DE (Hurricane Hole)

We are way behind on posting to this blog. As a result, we have had emails and calls inquiring to our well-being and safety. We appreciate the concern of others and are thrilled to report we are safe and sound. Foreign Affair is in a well protected location at Summit North Marina in Bear, DE. The marina is located near the mid-point of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is a hurricane hole marina. It is also our official home port. We launched Foreign Affair and began our journey from this marina in April, 2015. We will remain here for a while performing maintenance and preparing for our movement south for the winter. Our plans are to go to the Bahamas for the winter if that option remains a possibility after Hurricane Matthew passes through and the damage is assessed. We will be resuming daily posts to the blog to keep you informed of our activities.

Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam

Carla stayed in Columbia and did laundry while Dwayne returned to Camp Letts. Sunday is round table day at the gam. You get to gather with others of similar interests and share information. Dwayne spent some time with others planning to head to the Bahamas this winter. He spoke further with Chris Parker on our cruising style and plans for wintering in the Bahamas. Dwayne also met with experts on insurance both regarding the boat, as well as, health coverage while traveling outside the United States. Some time was also dedicated to learning more about the state of the yacht market and getting advice on things to do and consider when preparing a yacht for sale. Someday, we will be selling Foreign Affair. Dwayne closed out the day bidding farewell and fair winds to many at the gam who we've come to know and will probably meet again sometime in the future.

Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam - Camp Letts, Edgewater, MD

We arrived at Camp Letts in time for the continental breakfast. The seminars began at 0900. Dwayne went to hear Dave Skolnick's presentation: Offshore to the Bahamas. Beth and Carla took in Behan Gifford's, Exotic Ports: Favorite Cruising Destinations Around the World. Behan, her husband and their three kids have been exploring the world in their Stevens 47 since 2008. Go to the following link for more on the Gifford family.