Drifting Through Paradise

Well my friends and faithful readers, despite being up at 0300, for some reason  thinking of pineapple bunt cake and looking at the stars, I woke a little before 0500 Saturday and put the coffee on.  Hit the head, brushed my teeth, bent the sails on, and had a seat in the cockpit to enjoy my java and fresh orange ( even though my desire was pineapple). Started the engine and let it warm up, got another cup and headed out.

Out of Solomon’s Harbor and past the island, rounded Drum Point and into the Patuxent River where I pointed the bow to and area known as ‘Chinese Mud’. Eased off the throttle and let  Emmanuelle drift into the Bay while I hoisted the main and jib, and sat, becalmed. Not even enough wind to cause the sails to flutter a little. So I sat, after a few minuets I took both the jib sheets in one hand and the mainsheet in the other, leaned back against the transom and rested my head on the stanchion of the stern pulpit, closed my eyes and drifted away with the knowledge that if the sails started to fill, the tension on the sheets would wake me.

I sat up, looked around, the bay barely moving, I looked over  the port then starboard, then at the time. In the two hours I napped, Emmanuelle hadn’t drifted more than a hundred yards. Geez, you gotta be kidding me.  I thought as I poured another cup of coffee from my thermos. I could start the motor and power down the bay, it’s a long run south to Point No Point from here, half my fuel just to there. That’s where I would have to either commit to crossing the Potomac or cut up to St. Mary’s. Either way it’s a 40 Nautical Mile run to a safe anchorage off the bay. I would burn the majority of my fuel and have to get more tomorrow. Not to mention the strain that would be on my motor, I look at the time, if I get wind in the next two hours I can make Point Lookout and anchor on the west side away from the bay. It won’t be crowded because it’s a shallow draft area, and with Emmanuelle shoal draft design, we could get in there.

So like the saying goes, without patience a sailor I would never be, I grab the sheets again, and lean back, and close my eyes again. I feel rocking, like a hammock and open my eyes excited thinking the wind was starting to stir. No such luck, a ship went by over in the channel, I look around and see a sailboat motoring my way. I watch as it draws up, I stand as the lady on deck throws a wave and the captain kills the engine and pulls along side.

“Where ya headin’?” he  asks, I smile and laugh as I say apparently not far and ask where they are heading. He tells me they are heading back to Rock Hall after refueling at Solomon’s. He said they were coming back from down island, spending hurricane season in the Bay, then back down. I asked where they started the day and he said they started out around 0200 at Point No Point. We talked for a few more minuets and they started the engine and headed towards the river entrance. I turned as I waved and had to laugh when I read the name on the transom , The English Teacher will understand the laugh right away, the name of their boat was “Hollyday Doc”.  To explain, one of my favorite lines from a movie was when Val Kilmer said “I’ll be your Huckleberry”  His character was one of my favorite people of the old west, Doc Holiday.

The time had worn down and I either had to start the motor and burn the fuel to head south or head back to the harbor. On top of the reasons mentioned already, the sound of the motor would take a lot away from the beauty of the day, so I dropped the sails, walked up to the bow and removed the jib, refolded it and put it back in the sail bag, then removed the mainsail and did the same. Fired the engine and turned to point the bow back to Solomon’s Harbor.

I reset the anchor, set up the shower and washed up. Disappointed? Maybe a little, but it’s a beautiful spring day, so I got the kayak back out and decide to follow Jerry Garcia’s advice and go “Discover the wonders of nature”………

As I was getting ready to climb in the dinghy, I looked and saw the S/V Hollyday Doc motoring over, the captain killed the motor and let her drift towards me, “Gave up waiting and headed in I see.” I laughed “You can only have so  much patience right? I have to ask, how’d you come up with the name for her?” I pointed at the 42’ Catalina they were sailing, He laughed and said “she’s had that name since she graduated, its my wife’s boat, she bought it two years ago as a retirement home, Dr. Holly Day.” She smile and waved her fingers the way only a woman can, and laughed. “So you’re the Captain”  I said to her, she just laughed again as her husband said “Hell no! I am the Captain, she’s the Admiral!” I wished them a safe trip and enjoyable summer on the bay, and kicked off the bow for them as the started to motor away.

The weather is going to be just as nice Sunday  so I will just get up and try again, like they say a bad day in paradise is still a good day.

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