October 20, 2000

For us, this week was devoted to catching up on all the lovely spots on the Chesapeake we missed by having a time line as we came south to meet the GHTA group. We are in total agreement that timelines are NOT what this 2 year adventure is about, and we have renewed our commitment to deciding today what to do today! “Solomons” as the island community and surrounding area is/are called, lived up to it’s reputation as a delightful spot to visit. We strolled the streets of the adorable village, and agreed that this is a place to visit again. Ditto St. Michael’s. We’ve both been there before by car, but it was a wonderful experience to come into the harbor and tie up at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. From the exhib,its in the buildings (and there are many on htis 7 acre site) you really get a feel for the life of the fisherman--and of the oyster, and crab. Then you look out on the water and there he is, the crabber going back and forth, back and forth as he removes the stubborn crabs (who won't let go of the bait) from the rolling trotline on the side of the boat. Talbot Street was, to a great extent, closed for the season, but we enjoyed the lack of traffic and low pedestrian levels as we walked about. Our dinghy exploration of the bay was neat also, as we stopped to chat with other boaters along the way. From St. Michael’s, we headed into the Chesapeake again, timing our travel to meet up with the 90 or more schooners who were lining up for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. This race from Annapolis to Portsmouth, VA (at the bottom of the Bay) is an annual event to raise money to save the ecologically challenged Bay. Our friend Mary Mulrooney was aboard the Mystic Whaler, as she has been for several years! The two hours we spent moseying about among all those boats as they jockeyed for position before the starting gun went off presented a serious challenge for Fred’s Rule #2--Don’t hit other boats! But we were successful, and as the schooners headed east and south across the Bay, we turned Young America north to Baltimore. The Baltimore Harbor was filled with Navy boats--cargo ships, a hospital ship, and the skyline was dotted with cranes. We continued into the Harbor ‘til we could go no more--the end of the Inner Harbor, where the major renovation of the last several years has created a wonderful park-like marina. Well, ok, there aren’t many trees, but benches abound and many, many people were out enjoying the sunny days and impromptu entertainers. There is lots to do and see in the immediate area--Science Museum. National Aquarium, boats to tour--the USS Constellation, the last Civil War vessel afloat, built in 1854 and the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy; and the USS Torsk, the WWII submarine which fired the last torpedo (and sank the last Japanese ship) in August, 1945, at the end of the war that followed WWI, the War to End all Wars. The family behind us on that tour learned a lot from hearing Fred explain the boat, and they (both FBI agents) and their 15 year old son were full of questions! Neat. Friends Lynn and Jeffrey Levy who live in Baltimore introduced us to an Afghan restaurant (great food!), and on Friday evening cooked for us at their home. We borrowed their car on Sat., and with the crew of SNOW CAT (our dock neighbors) went to Annapolis to the boat show! It was interesting to see the harbor we cruised last week filled in with floating docks, and wall to wall boats and people! In addition to the Boat show, Navy played Pittsburg (and lost) so the traffic was pretty spectacular! Shuttle service was great, though, and, happily, we were able to return to Lynn’s car without difficulty. Today Baltimore became a memory, as we crossed the Chesapeake to tie up in Castle Harbor Marina on Kent Island, one of the friendliest marinas we‘ve visited. No less than three people have stopped in the past hour to see if we need transportation--or anything! We don’t, of course,as we’ve rented a car and soon will be underway on wheels, headed for Newburgh. It’ll be a busy week, and we’ll be back on the day before election day to catch up with y’all! Remember to vote! Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA