Always room for jello!

September Song and Tides In left Washburn's Boat Yard docks Monday morning and headed to our first anchorage on Hudson Creek. After setting the anchors, we put the family cars in the water and went to the beach. After playtime at the beach with Cassie and Godiva, Stephen and Pam came over and we spent the afternoon catching crabs off the swim platform of September Song. It only takes a little string, a chicken leg, a dip net, a bucket, and a Captain and Coke. Leave out one of the five things, especially the last, and you won't catch any crab. Tuesday, after a trip to the beach, Stephen and Pam came over for Stephanie's fabulous crab cakes, and Pam's delicious potato salad. How do you finish off a fun evening of pigging out on our catch? Pam's famous jello shots on the fly bridge on a gorgeous evening.
Today we left Hudson Creek and put the pointy end North, through Kent Narrows (narrow doesn't even begin to describe it) to the Corsica River where we are anchored for the next two days. Tomorrow we are going to head up the river in the family cars to Centerville, a neat little Chesapeake town, and do a little exploring.

September Song (The crab didn't have a chance) out
Bob


We found these young Mennonites in Solomons selling backed goods and produce from their farm. Wow, what great stuff! Cinnamon raisin bread, pecan pie, coconut bread, and the best vine ripened tomatoes we have had in a long time.

Tides In on the way to our anchorage after leaving Solomons Island.

Stephen, pulling in his first crab.

One more for the bucket.

After catching a couple dozen crabs, Stephanie cooked them, and then Stephen and I picked them. Crab cakes tomorrow night. YUM!

We were so busy eating Stephanie's fabulous crab cakes, and Pam's delicious potato salad, I forgot to take pictures. After pigging out, we headed to the fly bridge for Pam's famous jello shots and lots of laughs on another beautiful evening. What great fun!

Where to next?

Beautiful sunrise over our anchorage on Hudson Creek as we prepare to leave.

We see lots of fish traps on the Chesapeake. They're hard to see, but the cormorants love to hang out and just jump in and pick one of the trapped fish out for an easy meal.

Dad, it's time to go to the beach!

Happy girl

What a great catcher.

Throw it Mom!

Cassie doing what she loves to do. Hunt fish.

Our view from the anchorage on the Corsica River.

Saint Mary's College

It's been a while since my last blog. We spent a couple of days exploring the Saint Mary's River and the Saint Mary's College before heading to Solomons Island and Washburn's Boat Yard, where September Song went on the hard to have her bottom painted, the hull waxed, stabilizers serviced, and fix a rudder problem. The Saint Mary's College and the Saint Mary's River is one of the many beautiful areas to explore on the Chesapeake. We will stop here again in the fall on our way South.

September Song (headed for the Solomons) out
Bob


Saint Mary's College has a summer program for kids. A little wind would help.

Happy Girl! Always a good day when we find a beach for the girls to play on.

Kids in their sailboats zipping around September Song.

St. Mary's College has an outstanding sailing program.

Cool statue at Saint Mary's College. "Freedom of Conscience".

This is what happens when you are bad, and I have been so bad!

Historic site at Saint Mary's.

Part of the reproduction city of St. Mary's.

The view of the Saint Mary's River from the College.

The first state house in Maryland. St. Mary's was the seat of government in the 1600's.

September Song in the anchorage at Saint Mary's college. What a gorgeous area.

Our escort into Solomon's and Washburn's Boat Yard where we spent a week on the hard. OK, maybe not an escort, but just a Navy jet doing take offs and landings from the Patuxent Naval Air Base.

Another cool Chesapeake boat.

A fly-by and a wave from a Navy helicopter.

On the hard

We left the Saint Mary's River Friday and headed to Solomons Island where September Song was hauled on Monday morning and put on the hard.
It was a long four days with the four of us living at the Super 8 motel. We spent our days at the boat yard while the yard guys worked on September Song and our nights in the motel room. (about the size of our pilot house)
The yard got her done in record time and she is happy, looking beautiful and happy to be back in the water, and we are happy to be back home again.
Friday afternoon we got a pleasant surprise. Stephen and Pam on Tides In got here a couple of days early and the four of us will be here until Monday when we will cast off the lines and continue our dream, (No, not the one where I'm in church naked) and the fearless foursome plus 2 will explore the Chesapeake, including a trip up the Potomac to Washington DC.

September Song (Naked in church?) out
Bob


It always makes us nervous when they lift 47 tons of September Song out of the water and put her on the hard. Please don't drop our baby!

Getting her bottom pressure washed. She loves being pampered.

While we were at Washburns, a boat that burned last weekend was hauled out. They towed it in with pumps in it to keep it floating. No one was on board when she burned. Scary!

It was hot out, but the guys still need to wear protective suits.

Wax on, wax off.

Our baby all done and ready to go back into the water.

Don't drop her now!

Stephanie and the girls spent most of the days in the yard lounge. Cassie and Godiva had fun greeting everyone that came into the yard office and exploring the office, parts department and meeting all the boat and yard people's dogs. Everyone spoiled them.   They even had kids to play with, including this little girl who was having a bad hair day.