Rhonda Liz

We did not intend to take Bay Dreamer out, but we went to the marina to check on her, saw the conditions and decided to take her out. Winds were light, maybe up to about 5-6 kts out of the NWso we motored most of the time. We put the sails up before 2W, but it seems to work best to wait until after 2W. Conditions were light and we were able to sail for a bit, starting on a broad reach, then tacking onto close hauled. Rhonda skippered Bay Dreamer, taking her out of the dock, out of the creek, most of the sail, and back to the dock.

Light wind but Bay Dreamer did great. We hit 5.3 kts. We were able to sail for a good hour heading back. We got the iPad and Navionics to work this time. A storm came up as we passed 2W but we got back fine and Steve did a great job docking. I did a great job with the lines. Got the spring on and bow lines set without running around.

Sunset Sail with Katie and Jarrod Barnes. We mostly motored because winds were light and we had a dinner reservation (that we did have to postpone twice). We did raise the mainsail and sailed under main for a few minutes. Also ran aground while setting mainsail because we were trying to get the sail up earlier than our normal place and went into shallow water. But we were able to get her off easily.

Private Lesson with Ian and Rhonda on the Annapolis Sailing School Tartan 24. Winds were 4-7 it’s. We started upwind sailing and worked on fine tuning upwind sailing using the traveler, outhaul to trim the main. We then set up the spinnaker and launched it, working on how to launch it, how to trim it and how to steer the boat with the spinnaker and the importance of communication. We doused the spinnaker, then turned back toward the school upwind again, then launched the spinnaker again so we both got a chance to launch, trim steer and douse.

Conditions were light winds with thunderstorms around. All the thunderstorms were in the distance and there was just enough wind to leave the dock and get out into the Severn river. We did 2 windward/leeward races. Rhonda was on the helm for the first and Andy on the helm for the second. Just as we were approaching the windward mark, we had a big wind shift of almost 180 degrees and the wind increased. Unfortunately we were near the lead , but after the wind shift we dropped to 4th because other boats were favoured in the new wind direction. We finished strong and had a lot of boat speed at the end, but ran it of room to overtake for 3rd. The second race was shorten because fresh thunderstorms were threatening. We finished a solid second and made it back to the dock safely. What started as a bit of a snoozer, turned into an interesting evening!

It was sooooo awesome!!! We put up the sails just after leaving White Hall bay with a reef and then turned off the engine and were sailing! We sailed all the way down passed Thomas Point Light House by like a mile! We got there faster this time under sail than we did last weekend with the engine. We did several skills. We reefed the main and then shook it out when the wind laid down, we handled the boat in a 20kn gust, did a man overboard drill under sail (without the engine) to retrieve some balloon trash out of the Bay (thus saving a turtle) and I jibbed, twice and it was good and controlled. We went down the Severn passed the Annapolis Sailing School. We saw the Rainbows get ready for their first race. We turned around when we were just off the Naval Academy sea wall. We sailed BACK passed the Rainbow race. Steve saw light under the bow of purple boat as it took a wake. We felt so comfortable. Bay Dreamer sails great!!! She is so well balanced! We did a good job docking all by ourselves- there wasn’t even anyone to throw lines to this time. We learn a little more about the boat each time. We even hit 8.0 knots for the first time!

Today was splash in and boat moving day. We came off the hard at Ferry Point Marina and moved to Whitehall marina. It was a 3hr passage. At first we thought it was going to rain all day and be too windy so we were going to push to tomorrow- then the rain stopped and it looked like tomorrow would be too windy. So we took the weather window. It was still overcast and raw, and I thought there is no way the sun could come out today. Jesus loves to surprise us and Adonai loves to see us smile! Wouldn’t you know it? About 15 min after we left the dock, the clouds parted and the sun shone down. It only lasted for 5 min, but I knew it was a G-d wink! One of those moments where He breaks through and says, “Girl, I got you”. I had been nervous about moving bc the last time we went out we had some engine trouble. Well everything went fine. They got us in the travel lift and they let us stay there while Steve changed the oil. The coolant did not appear to be leaking. The engine started right up! We hired a captain from Chronic Sailing named Steve. I felt like we might need an extra hand and as insurance that it would go well. It worked! Steve motored out of the slip (once we were off the bottom😉). Ferry Point’s well is only about 6-7’ deep and the tide went out while Steve was changing the oil. Plus it was a North wind so blows out the water too. So when they first let the slings loose we didn’t move. So they put us back in the slings and moved the lift out about another foot. Then we were able to move. Steve and I motored the whole way. The captain just hung out. Now just off of Cape St Claire beach there was a boat fishing in the channel after we passed him, all of a sudden we started to slow down. We were going a good 5.5-6.0 knots then down to 3.3kts. The engine was still at 1800rpms and the engine temp at ~160. So that’s when the captain made his money- he said “slow down, no neutral, now kick it in reverse.” Then as soon as we went in reverse a crab pot popped out of the water behind us like a duck surfacing! We snagged a crab pot and it slowed us down by half our speed! Good thing we figured it out otherwise the line can get wrapped around the prop. We thought we had dodged them all. The captain said we may have but sometimes they tie them together and you think you went in clean water between them but there is a line between them. We will have to watch that in the summer. It isn’t even crab season yet! The rest of the passage was smooth sailing! We carefully negotiated Whitehall bay, and the channel is skinny we have to watch the depth very closely. There are shoals on either side that go from 10’ to 2’. There are several ‘S’ turns to make and we’ll get used to where to point the more we go in and out. Then docking went very smoothly. That was what we really wanted the captain for and he helped keep us calm and was another hand for lines. It really helps when you’re docking to have 3 ppl- just so there are deckhands in port and starboard and someone at the helm. We slowed down, and backed it in - just got to get lined up good. The wind was out of the north but it was calm when we got up the creek. Bay Dreamer really loves her new home!