Captain’s log 10-24-06
Departure Point / Start Time Little Choptank MD 8:30AM
Arrival Point / End Time Wicomico River VA 8:30 PM
Distance Traveled / Engine 67NM 12h
We knew we would get a hand full since it was blowing 25knots out of NW, at least that was the forecast. So we tied everything up on deck and down below. Exiting Little Choptank was hard because waves were on the nose. I had to motor sail with mainsail double reefed. We were still only getting 3-4knots. The river had several bends and at the first one, we realized that strong NW winds and moved some sand bars. The chart was showing that we were in 10 feet of water but I felt the boat bounce several times on the sand. There was no hard grinding against the rocks, just the soft dragging through the sandy bar. Luckily, the strong winds had heel the boat enough to easily get out of this grounding. However, I knew that there was some shoaling due to NW winds. This made me stay in water 20feet or more and take wide turns around the bends. The winds have made the exit out of Little Choptank very uncomfortable, and I had several thoughts of turning back and waiting another day. But we gutted through the worst and made it out to a point where we could turn South, and have the wind at our back. By now, I was completely soaked in seawater and very cold. All my gloves were wet. The seas were too rough for Crystal to hold the helm and I ended up changing in the cockpit. With 30+ knot winds at our stern we were making 7 knots under double reefed main sail alone. Very soon we were nearing Potomac river, which looked like it could be a good alternative to Wicomico. Wicomico river was too far to be reached before dark. Chesapeake Bay is full of crab pots and getting to an anchorage at after dark is impossible. It would be even worse in strong wind and waves. Unfortunately, Potomac is wide open to NW and the winds at the entrance were blowing from both N and NW, and intensifying at the point. We were in a bit of trouble. No palce to go, gale conditions out on the water and sunset approaching. The flooding current was creating a dangerous rolling waves and the mouth of the river and I decided to revert from heading up Potomac and go for Wicomico. I knew we would have to make the entrance at night in gale force winds and 3-5 foot waves. Wicomico was another 15 miles away and traversing the Potomac river was rough. The rollers increased and so did the wind. At this moment I was mad at myself for not planing several other alternativers. Situation didn't allow for me to spend time browsing through the charts and look for alternative. At one point we recorded winds of nearly 40knots. It was becoming hard for me to steer down the crest of the rollers. We lost our jimbuoy, the horseshoe shaped thowable flotation device. The swell just came up and floated it away from te stern pulpit. At times I thought the dinghy would get washed up into the cockpit. We were trying to round the Smith Point Light at the south end of Potomac river, and our track had us dead down wind. Because I didn’t have the moment to setup the preventer on the boom, I just sheated it in to a point where I felt comfortable in case it would swing. And swing it did, at least it wasn’t too violent. Unfortunately it was enough to rip the mail sail in two. Just as we rounded the Smith Point Light House, the main sail started flapping violently. That’s when I noticed that the rip was across the mid section. By the time we came further behind the light house and the land the wind had died noticeably and I was able to drop the main altogether and just motor into Wicomico river. I was glad the engine had no problems and that we had made it just as it was getting too dark to see the pots. We were both exhausted from spending the last 12 hours getting pounded by the wind and waves. We had no food all day and drank only juice and water on several occasions. As I anchored, Crystal was making hot beef stu out of the can and we were asleep by the time we finished it. The next day I was just glad that nothing worse happened and I took a look at a mainsail which was good only for scraps. I pulled out our spare main, which was in great shape. We spent that day resting and cleaning things up, getting ready for another heavy weather leg. From now on I'll have everything planed out pefore we leave the anchorage. We'll have several destination options planed out in case the weather turns on us. The boom preventer will be set no matter what the wind and point of sail is. And everything will be tied up on deck and in the cockpit.
Arrival Point / End Time Wicomico River VA 8:30 PM
Distance Traveled / Engine 67NM 12h
We knew we would get a hand full since it was blowing 25knots out of NW, at least that was the forecast. So we tied everything up on deck and down below. Exiting Little Choptank was hard because waves were on the nose. I had to motor sail with mainsail double reefed. We were still only getting 3-4knots. The river had several bends and at the first one, we realized that strong NW winds and moved some sand bars. The chart was showing that we were in 10 feet of water but I felt the boat bounce several times on the sand. There was no hard grinding against the rocks, just the soft dragging through the sandy bar. Luckily, the strong winds had heel the boat enough to easily get out of this grounding. However, I knew that there was some shoaling due to NW winds. This made me stay in water 20feet or more and take wide turns around the bends. The winds have made the exit out of Little Choptank very uncomfortable, and I had several thoughts of turning back and waiting another day. But we gutted through the worst and made it out to a point where we could turn South, and have the wind at our back. By now, I was completely soaked in seawater and very cold. All my gloves were wet. The seas were too rough for Crystal to hold the helm and I ended up changing in the cockpit. With 30+ knot winds at our stern we were making 7 knots under double reefed main sail alone. Very soon we were nearing Potomac river, which looked like it could be a good alternative to Wicomico. Wicomico river was too far to be reached before dark. Chesapeake Bay is full of crab pots and getting to an anchorage at after dark is impossible. It would be even worse in strong wind and waves. Unfortunately, Potomac is wide open to NW and the winds at the entrance were blowing from both N and NW, and intensifying at the point. We were in a bit of trouble. No palce to go, gale conditions out on the water and sunset approaching. The flooding current was creating a dangerous rolling waves and the mouth of the river and I decided to revert from heading up Potomac and go for Wicomico. I knew we would have to make the entrance at night in gale force winds and 3-5 foot waves. Wicomico was another 15 miles away and traversing the Potomac river was rough. The rollers increased and so did the wind. At this moment I was mad at myself for not planing several other alternativers. Situation didn't allow for me to spend time browsing through the charts and look for alternative. At one point we recorded winds of nearly 40knots. It was becoming hard for me to steer down the crest of the rollers. We lost our jimbuoy, the horseshoe shaped thowable flotation device. The swell just came up and floated it away from te stern pulpit. At times I thought the dinghy would get washed up into the cockpit. We were trying to round the Smith Point Light at the south end of Potomac river, and our track had us dead down wind. Because I didn’t have the moment to setup the preventer on the boom, I just sheated it in to a point where I felt comfortable in case it would swing. And swing it did, at least it wasn’t too violent. Unfortunately it was enough to rip the mail sail in two. Just as we rounded the Smith Point Light House, the main sail started flapping violently. That’s when I noticed that the rip was across the mid section. By the time we came further behind the light house and the land the wind had died noticeably and I was able to drop the main altogether and just motor into Wicomico river. I was glad the engine had no problems and that we had made it just as it was getting too dark to see the pots. We were both exhausted from spending the last 12 hours getting pounded by the wind and waves. We had no food all day and drank only juice and water on several occasions. As I anchored, Crystal was making hot beef stu out of the can and we were asleep by the time we finished it. The next day I was just glad that nothing worse happened and I took a look at a mainsail which was good only for scraps. I pulled out our spare main, which was in great shape. We spent that day resting and cleaning things up, getting ready for another heavy weather leg. From now on I'll have everything planed out pefore we leave the anchorage. We'll have several destination options planed out in case the weather turns on us. The boom preventer will be set no matter what the wind and point of sail is. And everything will be tied up on deck and in the cockpit.
posted by sundowner-cruise at 9:11 AM
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