In Memory of Charles Dewey Crawford, Jr. (1944 - 2007)

It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Charles Dewey Crawford, Jr. who died July 7, 2007 at his home in Lusby, MD. Chuck was born November 26, 1944 in Alexandria, Louisiana. His loving wife Jane, sister, Lenida Crawford of Baltimore, MD and brother, James Crawford of New Orleans, LA, survive him and will forever miss him.

Chuck, a handicapped competitive sailor, competed in sailing racing for decades. He mentored and taught numerous young people to sail, sharing his wealth of knowledge and indomitable strength. Many of these young student sailors, now adults, are competing in the same races today. Chuck was a handicapper in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) of the Chesapeake.

A member of SMSA since 1980, Chuck has been active in our club for over 25 years. He served on the Board of Governors as both Vice Commodore and Commodore. Chuck and his wife, Jane, were voted co-Member's of the Year in 1985. He raced his boats Chareta and Chareta II with SMSA and cruised the entire Chesapeake Bay with Jane.

At the Solomons Island Yacht Club, Chuck served on the Bridge and was elected to the positions of Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore and Commodore. In later years, Chuck continued to volunteer for special committees and used his extensive computer skills to design the annual member yearbook. Chuck's bravery and courageous approach to living life to the fullest is the legacy he left to the many he touched.

Officer of the Deck

First I want to give credit to our outstanding volunteers, including the Chairs of the four “land” functions, and others: Laura Comeau-Stanley in Membership, Tim Flaherty, with assistance from Mark Brownhill and Carrie Brownhill on the Clew and Don Behrens and others on the website in Publicity, Carol Smith in Social, and on Facilities, Cindi Eaton, Herb Reese, Max Munger who has just taken over the bar management (fox in the henhouse?), Shawn Stanley who keeps us recycling, and Jacki Meiser who continues to negotiate for us, handled the liquor license, and in general continues to donate great legal services to SMSA that belie the old “you get what you pay for” axiom. And all the others who have pitched in, too numerous to name.

Our membership number is healthy, back up to about 180 after losing about 55 (presumably due to a combination of normal attrition and adverse reaction to higher dues) of the 190 we had late last year. We continue to get a few new members per month, and as of end-June we needed only about a dozen additional new memberships to reach our budget target of total income from dues and initiation fees – I think we will come close, and maybe even exceed this target. On the policy side, our Directors are discussing ideas to improve the structure and functioning of our membership categories, and expect to make proposals to the BOD soon. Anyone who wants to get into this discussion, there’s a thread on the Forum about it, and/or talk to any of the Directors.

Related to this is the great publicity we have been getting. The latest Spinsheet is terrific, I saw a real nice article in the Calvert Recorder a week or so ago, and there has probably been much more that I haven’t seen. And our many different social events continue to make the members happy and attract new ones.

The new clubhouse continues to be the focus of lots of work, fun, and happenings. We got a liquor license, physical improvements continue to be made (I hate that we had to take down those sails over the bar), we are in the 21st century with a flat-panel TV, and the facility is proving to be a great success. There continues to be lots to do, and anybody wishing to pitch in should contact Cindi (or me) if you’re available to do some work. To tend bar, sign up on the sheet that’s now available at the bar. More activities and a more valuable SMSA means more volunteer work is needed – step up, you’ll enjoy it, and the club will prosper.

With all this progress, however, important questions in the “facilities” arena remain: How long should we, and will we be able to, continue to rent the present site? Should we resume actively searching for an alternative site, especially one that might be more affordable? And most importantly, why aren’t we actively and systematically identifying and analyzing all the financial/legal options that might be available to us for buying a site – whether the present clubhouse or any other. There was no consensus on the BOD to do this when it was last discussed, so I’m taking advantage of this platform to repeat my view that it’s a necessary and urgent task.

I hope more members will participate in discussing these and other important matters on the Forum, and also that you’ll come to the BOD meetings where you can not only listen but also make your views known. Till then -- Sail on!

Joel Bergsman, Rear Commodore

Membership

Please join me in welcoming our newest members Tim and Jan Cober, who were just approved by the Board of Directors in early July.  They are sponsored by Peter and Susan Holt and have 18 years of sailing experience.  They currently own a 53’ powerboat named Tirija II, which is kept in St. Leonard’s Creek.  Tim and Jan have attended some of our recent social events and are interested in our cruising and social programs.  Welcome aboard! 

Laura Comeau-Stanley, Membership Chair

Social

I hope everyone is having a great and safe summer so far. I would like to thank all of those who have helped me out with social events in the past. Now, let's talk about the future...

On August 11, we have the annual Geezer Squeezer race with the Crab Feast following at 4:00pm. For those of you who may be new to the SMSA, the Geezer Squeezer is a fun race for both the paticipants and the spectators. No boat or additional crew are required. The SMSA provide the boats (OPTs) for all to use. You do not have to be an experienced helmsman, racer or even a dingy (small boat) enthusiast. The classes go by age and gender, normally the young adults, middle of the row (also known as middle age) and then the geezers. This all starts at 10:00 am and we will have you off the water in time to go home, wash off the salt water and return for the Crab Feast.

The Crab Feast will kick off at 4:00pm and go until 7:00pm. For those who will be wanting crabs, reservations are required to enable a head count, hence a crab count prior to August 9th. There will be a cost for those ordering their crabs; the cost will be determined by the price of the crabs when ordered. Please call Carol Smith at 301-863-8285/301-672-5874 or email social@smsa.com, to sign up for crabs. For all of the rest of us that will be attending, please bring a main entrée. The grill will be at the ready for use. It is requested that all members bring a side dish to share. Things are officially in full summer swing at SMSA! 

Carol Smith, Social Chair

Facilities

On the heels of another successful Screwpile Regatta, I would like to ask for some volunteer assistance with some small housekeeping tasks around the Clubhouse.  Depending on your particular skills and your time commitments; there is a task for you from changing a door hinge to some fence repair. I have is an ongoing list and I would rather not use SMSA funds for the repairs that we should be able to take care of in house.  So if you are looking for a reason to get out of the house for an hour or two, please call me at 410-231-0421 or email me at facility@smsa.com. It would be a real big help!

Max Munger has officially taken over managing the SMSA Bar.  He now has a calendar notebook available for you to sign in for volunteering for a Social Hour.  Please know that you do not have to be TAMS Certified to bartend and have a good time!    We are also looking for your opinion as to what beers you would like to see stocked.  So come by the bar, sign up and give us your opinion!  We are still a work in progress but we are getting there!

Cindi Eaton, Facilities Chair

Race

It was the 15th running of Screwpile and one that will not be forgotten!  Awesome 10 -20 knot winds, great competition, fabulous parties and bands, the perfect venue at the Holiday Inn, and race management second to none.  The 118 crews that raced this year, with boats that came in from as far away as North Carolina, had three perfect days of racing in sunshine, low humidity, mild temperatures… and WIND!  It simply does not get any better than that!

LG Raley and his crew of 100+ volunteers are to be thanked and congratulated for pulling off, once again, a class act and, unarguably, the season’s premiere racing event in the Mid-Atlantic.  And, SMSA once again proved to be gracious and skilled hosts to the 1,000 plus crewmembers and guests who participated in on-the-water and shore-side activities.  It was so very gratifying to see our fellow SMSA members in those blue race committee shirts everywhere I looked… in the Race Committee boats, at mark roundings, check-in, ticket sales, manning the bars and beer truck, trophy table… everywhere.  We can all be very proud of being a part of an organization that has that level of volunteerism and level of commitment to an event such as Screwpile.  Thank you LG and your awesome crew!

LG recruited a great team to perform the on-the-water work.  And, his making it a Bay-wide team with Principle Race Officers from Hampton (John McCarthy), Annapolis (Taran Teague), and our own Clarke McKinney, was a stroke of genius.   Of the many racers I talked to in three nights at the tent, I heard nothing but praise for the race management.  The work of the PROs and their crews on the three race courses was efficient and professional.  Any time you can get through a three day regatta, with three circles, twelve Classes, and eight races each [that’s a total of 96 races] with as smooth of Race Committee work as that, you know we are doing something right.  Hat’s off to Don Behrens (Chief Scorer), Adam Werblow (Chief Judge who stepped in for Dan Trammell after Dan was unfortunately injured during the Eastport-Solomons Race) and their staffs, and the many, many SMSA volunteers who manned the Signal Boats and Mark Boats.  You may not have had the blue blazers and yachty caps that we’ve seen at some venues, but you sure looked good and did a GREAT job out there.  Thank you all!

The SMSA were well represented, with 27 of the 118 crews participating, so virtually all of our active SMSA boats raced in Screwpile.  That’s a great showing!  Those racing were Scott Free (Glenn Scott), Wicked Good (Mark Gyorgy), Benchmark (Bill and Janine Armstrong), Bob (Mike and Amy Ironmonger), Stargazer II (Joe Frost), Age of Reason (Stovy Brown), Spinnster (Barb Miller and Betsy Dodge), Shermax (Max Munger), Badger (Carl Feusahrens), Lickety Split (Donna Maneely), IRETSU (Terry Wanner), Krugerrand (Sarah Southworth), Toby (Chris Eggert), The Doghouse (Dan Shannon), American Flyer (Dan and Wendy Schneider), Pursuit (Norm and Rosemary Dawley), Foxtrot Corpen (Jim Keen), Little Latitudes (Donna and Jeff “Dude” Moore), Stitch-n-Glue (Dan Rossi), The Riddler (Jacki and David Meiser), Yellow Tail (Tom Moulds, Willem Roosenburg, and Barney Hathaway), Cheetah (Mark Briere and Bill Riddell), Priority One (Brian Spicuzza), Rhumb Punch (John and Linda Edwards), Splash (Tom Attick), Rock Lobster (John Kriz), and Slot Machine (Bob Stratton).

Our SMSA boats made a very good showing, coming close to capturing the Battle of the Chesapeake Trophy which went to AYC once again.  Our SMSA boats winning silver were Foxtrot Corpen (2nd in PHRF 4), Little Latitudes (Daily 3rd in PHRF 5), The Riddler (2nd in PHRF 6), Rhumb Punch (2nd in PHRF 7), Scott Free (3rd in PHRF 8), Wicked Good (Daily 3rd in PHRF 8), Bob (2nd in PHRF 9), and IRETSU (2nd in PHRF NS).  Congratulation to all SMSA racers for a great showing and a fun regatta!

Thanks again to all who participated, whether racing, working on-the-water activities or on-shore, and especially to LG who IS Mr. Screwpile!  Another GREAT regatta in the SMSA and Southern Maryland tradition!

Jim Keen, Race Chair

2007 Annapolis-Newport Race

Pursuit garnered 3rd in class and 5th in fleet in the 60th Annapolis-Newport Race. She sailed for SMSA with members Norm Dawley, Jim Whited and Ron Wilson on board. Jean Myer, Ed Shine and Gregg Baldwin filled out the crew.

We had a good start and were competitive with our class during the day in a 12-15 knot SE breeze. During the night we expected the wind to go more south and maybe a bit west so we stayed on the western shore, ducking well in at the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers. It was a choppy beat all night with several switches between the heavy #1 and #3 and no tack lasting more that 10 minutes (very bad for sleeping). The Bay Bridge Tunnel was in sight at dawn. There were very few boats in sight except Flying Jenny, a J120, and Brown Eyed Girl, a J44. It was hard to know how we were doing at the time (Looking at the tracking site later we were the 7th boat out of the bay!). We had a nice 15-20 knot wind from 220 and were looking for a fast ride to the tower. No such luck. We were out of the bay about 0900 and 20 minutes later the wind died. Many sail changes later, we got around the tower in an easterly just after lunch.

It was beautiful in the ocean, fast reaching in smooth seas. It was much nicer sailing in the ocean than it had been in the bay. (In fact, a number of boats dropped out while still in the bay.) Noon Saturday to dinner Sunday we had 15 to 20 knots from 60 to 90 apparent. Generally we were on a double head reaching rig or the fractional reaching spinnaker. Brown Eyed Girl and Flying Jenny were still in sight. The big weather question was: What would tropical storm Barry do to us Sunday night? We had been cranking out to the east as much as we could so that we would not end up beating up the Long Island shore in 30-40 knots (Ask anyone from Sonrisa, Spirit, Molto Bene or Maggie just how much fun that was). Most of our class was on the rhumb line and closer to Newport, but the weather was going to change.

The effects of Barry's low pressure began to arrive in the late afternoon Sunday. The wind steadily built and came ahead. We started a series of sail changes: from the reaching spinnaker to the jib top, double head rig; just after dinner we reefed the main; a few hours later with the wind well into the 20s from 60 apparent we doused the jib top and staysail in favor of the #4 jib (about 1/4 the area of the other combination); at the midnight watch change we dropped the main and put up the storm trysail It was raining and the waves were big enough to come aboard with some regularity. We were six tired and very wet crew after all of this.

The general consensus was that the very expensive, breathable foul weather gear breathes both ways. You get wet inside - if it were not for the polypropylene and fleece under the foulies we would have also been very cold. It is always hard to imagine how cold it can be at sea when you are preparing in 85-90 degree weather ashore.

This was the time our strategy would pay or not. It worked perfectly. We did not have to tack or sail on a close fetch. Our speed was a steady 8 knots with the storm trysail and #4 as the wind blew 28-38 all the rest of the night. It all seemed to be going great with Flying Jenny last seen astern. Could we get ourselves 25 minutes ahead of Windborn who was 9 miles ahead of us on the rhumb line? But at the finish, Flying Jenny had passed us and Windborn was still ahead.

From eager interrogation of the crews of Windborn and Flying Jenny at the parties, we learned that they reefed as much as they could, set a #3 or #4, then just hung on, mostly out of control. Looking at the log data I can now see that we should have increased sail at about dawn. Just 0.03 knots faster over the course would have put us 2nd in class and 3rd in fleet. However, we did finish at 0800 Monday in good order with all sails, people and the boat in one piece. Several boats blew out their mains and more. 23 of 56 starters dropped out. In a tough race against excellent competition we are proud of our 3rd place.

Norm Dawley, Pursuit

Junior

Summer camps are continuing with great success thanks to our able instructors lead by Devon. At this time we have a total of 81 camp slots filled. As a credit to the great job the instructors are doing, we have several repeat campers getting basic and advanced instruction.

I sound like a broken record, but many times people have asked about Sunday afternoon sailing in support of the juniors, but we are still desperate for a few volunteers to help make sure each event runs smoothly. The suggested times are from 3PM until 6PM. We need members and you only need to be familiar with safety boat operation and the club house.

We are also still looking for a High School Coach (Certified US Sailing Instructor) for this fall, please let me know if you are aware of any interested candidates.

Tom Moulds, Junior Chair

Cruise

I’d like to spend a little time in this month’s clew to promote a great tool that is under-utilized by our SMSA cruising community: The Membership Forum at www.smsa.com.  As we hit a few empty weekends in our cruise calendar, or as things change (as with the Women’s Cruise schedule change), or as we have things to discuss as a group- the Membership Forum is a fantastic place to do that.  Log in- tell us where you are headed this weekend if you’d like some company; tell us about a schedule change or logistical details with an upcoming cruise; give your input about topics at hand.  As our membership at SMSA grows and changes, this is a great way to communicate with each other in a timely fashion that doesn’t involve someone trying to find your email address.  If you have any questions about getting on the forum, shoot me an email at cruise@smsa.com.

Speaking of membership forum conversations… We’ve been discussing the prospect of having some “seminars” if there is interest in the membership.  The first one we’ve been discussing is Long Term Cruising.  I know we have some very experienced SMSA sailors that have logged some miles under their keel and can offer input as we work towards putting together such an event.  Stop in and join the discussion!

August provides one of the really fun events of late summer: The Mixed Couples Race/Cruise.  The Stanley’s are kindly going to get us all started up to Battle Creek on the 18th… make sure you come join us for this one if you have never been- it’s a lot of fun.  The “rules” are pretty simple.  You can have as many people on the boat as you like, but the actual working crew can only be one man and one woman.  We had fifteen boats on the raft last summer for a short gathering and cocktail hour before we broke up for dinner- can we get a couple more this year?

Chris Miller, Cruise Chair

Mixed Couples Race/Cruise to Battle Creek (August 18-19)

Don’t forget about the mixed couples race/cruise to Battle Creek on August 18-19. New-ish members, but long time SMSA participants, Jim & Barb Whited will be running the race portion, so Laura and I just have to write down all the boats in the raft!

Boats planning to race will start off around 10:30am. For those who intend to cruise, we anticipate the raft will begin to build around 2:00pm.

Race or cruise, we hope to see you there!

Shawn and Laura Stanley, Synergy

Annapolis Labor Day Cruise (August 31-September 3)

The Labor Day cruise will leave on Friday, anchoring in Selby Bay, South River. This will allow us to be in position to get a mooring or slip in Annapolis Inner Harbor on Saturday around noon when the existing boats check out.  The moorings before the Spa Creek Bridge are limited to boats under 45’, beyond the bridge to boats under 35’.

The Annapolis Summer Garden Theater hosts their final show of the season, on Saturday evening. The show is Thoroughly Modern Millie. Reservations can be made in advance at (410) 268-9212 with payment when the tickets are picked up. Go to www.summergarden.com for more details.

Curt and Dottie Hamilton signed up to lead this cruise, but due to medical problems they have had to back out.  Several people planned to go on this fun and interesting cruise, so we have agreed to lead the cruise. Email wavedancer@brownhill-usa.com or call 434-975-2884 to let us know you are coming.

Mark and Carrie Brownhill, Wavedancer

Washington D.C Cruise Report - June 12-24

Tuesday, June 12, dawned cloudy and humid for the beginning of the 13-day Washington, D.C. cruise.  Under sail and motor, Serenity (Curt and Dottie Hamilton), and Blue Heron (David and Sally Arbuthnot), headed down the Bay to Smith Creek. Rafted for Happy Hour and the night in this protected spot, we watched and listened to thunderstorms all around us but only received a few sprinkles. 

Wednesday morning we started up the Potomac to Breton Bay. In pretty Combs Creek,  Dale and Antha Koonce were waiting to welcome us and help us tie up to their dock next to Mongoose Magic.  Joining us by car for delicious hors d’oeuvres and dinner on the Koonce’s deck were Frank and Rita Gerred, Gresh and Rene Sackett and Ron and Suzie Williams – the “SMSA Bahamas Bunch,” all of whom, along with the Dale and Antha, had just returned from their 7-month Bahamas adventure.

Thursday morning the guys fiddled with Blue Heron’s troublesome dinghy motor while the gals enjoyed exploring the shops in downtown Leonardtown. After lunch it was time to leave for the short trip over to Colonial Beach, Virginia. Wow – has this place grown  since we last were here,  pre-Hurricane Isabel!  All the beautiful new docks at Colonial Beach Yachting Center have been constructed to accommodate huge motor yachts, with most slips under a sunroof. In fact our assigned slips were so spacious it was a challenge to tie the outboard side of Serenity and Blue Heron to pilings so far away. After getting settled, we followed the marina’s highway of wide new docks over to the Blue Heron Pub and Grill. It’s still there, serving a delicious seafood dinner that topped off a perfect day.

Progressing up the beautiful Potomac, we got an early start on Friday for Nanjemoy, another lovely anchorage.  After a potluck dinner, our two-boat raft enjoyed a lively Rummykub evening.  Saturday afternoon found us in Mattawoman Creek, where Serenity was joined by son Russell and grandkids Lauren and Will, whom Curt collected by dinghy at Smallwood State Park   Mattawoman, it turned out, was also home to a big bass fishing tournament this weekend. The fishermen – two to a boat and dressed like a team -  entertained us until dark and then again beginning at  6 a.m. Sunday morning by racing at full speed out to favored fishing spots, fishing quietly and then zipping at top speed back to the base to have their just-caught fish measured. We almost weren’t sure which was more important to them - the speed of their boat or the size of their catch. What a circus!

Father’s Day – Sunday, June 17, continuing our way up the river, we gawked at the new McMansions on the Virginia side as we got closer to the city. Then we motor-sailed under the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge (no more waiting or worrying how high the tide is!), past Old Town Alexandria and up the Washington Channel to the Capital Yacht Club. How nice to have an electrical connection for fans and Serenity’s air conditioner in this warm weather. Serenity’s crew hit the streets for some sightseeing in the afternoon, while the rest of us hit the showers and air-conditioned bar in the club house. What a neat place this is!  Dinner at Jenny’s (air conditioned) Asian Restaurant was delicious.

Monday, our day in Washington! We all got an early start and walked to the National Museum of the American Indian. There is so much to see in this fascinating place that five hours passed before we ventured out to other museums. Washington’s new Circulator Bus was a wonderful discovery this year:  for $1 cash (50 cents for seniors) this (air-conditioned!)  bus will take you all around the mall or up to Union Station or Georgetown or back to the waterfront.  And it comes every 10 minutes!

Retracing our route down the channel to begin our trip back down the Potomac on Tuesday we motored back to Mattawoman Creek in time for the Serenity crew to have a swim. We were welcomed by Ken and Ellie Mowbray aboard Swan, who were already anchored and ready to host Happy Hour. We were glad for the cooling rainstorm during the night. On Wednesday morning Serenity upped anchor early and made such good time Curt and Dottie decided to continue on to Cobb Island for the night. Swan and Blue Heron rafted up off Chapel Point at Port Tobacco and enjoyed a potluck dinner and beautiful sunset at this peaceful anchorage.

Thursday’s destination was Cole’s Point Plantation, Virginia. We arrived at the marina early and everyone enjoyed a cooling swim in the pool followed by dinner at the restaurant. Friday morning the wind really piped up (Blue Heron saw 24 knots) as we crossed the Potomac and started up the St. Mary’s River to Horseshoe Bend.  We all took dinghies ashore, tied up to a telephone pole and climbed the hill in time to stake out a good concert-viewing  spot on the lawn. Lots of other SMSA members arriving by car soon joined us and a delicious hors d’oeuvre hour ensued before the music (all Gilbert and Sullivan) began.  

Eagerly anticipating the bountiful Saturday brunch at St. Mary’s College, the SMSA cruisers, as well as a lot of hungry students, were disappointed to discover the dining hall closed on this morning. Well, if not brunch, then dinner out was now a must!  With a good meal foremost in mind, late in the afternoon the SMSA fleet of three boats weighed anchor for Dennis Point and the new St. Mary’s Yachting Center (formerly Dennis Point Marina).

What a find! This lovely facility, in Carthagena Creek off the St. Mary’s River, just downriver from Horseshoe Bend, includes a marina, campground, pool and restaurant. Under new management, the whole place is being renovated.  The staff we met were most helpful and friendly, and we enjoyed a delicious “cruise windup dinner” at their beautiful restaurant that had just opened the previous weekend. We think St. Mary’s Yachting Center would make a lovely destination spot for a future cruise.  After dinner, Swan and Blue Heron found good anchoring in Carthagena Creek just past the marina while Serenity returned to Horseshoe Bend to meet up with family in the morning.

After breakfast on Sunday we headed back up the Bay and arrived in Solomons by early afternoon.  All in all, a great vacation!

Sally and David Arbuthnot, Blue Heron

St. Mary's Firework Cruise Report - June 29-July 1

Wavedancer sailed down from Breton Bay on Friday morning, wing and wing on a smooth following wind. Though we arrived early afternoon, we were still surprised how few boats were anchored in horseshoe bend. We were not expecting many SMSA cruisers, but at 5:30pm it looked like that we’d be on our own for the evening fireworks.

Around 6pm Carrie spotted Noon Somewhere (“Smitty” and Carol Smith) entering the anchorage. Calling on the VHF we discovered that Carol was actually waiting on the boat dock with house guests, and that Moonlight Serenade (Bill Bacon and Sarah Southworth and their nautical cat, Orca) were just a few minutes behind. We agreed to wait until Moonlight Serenade was anchored and Noon Somewhere was rafted before we would join the group by dinghy.

Wavedancer was anchored very close to the shore in 5-feet of water to make it easy to row to the concert, and then breakfast at the college the next morning. To our dismay, Moonlight Serenade anchored out in the deepest water. We called on the VHF to see if anyone wanted to play water taxi, but both boats had turned of their radios the minute the anchor splashed. So we rowed and rowed, and rowed and rowed, and then rowed and rowed some more, and finally we were in sight of Moonlight Serenade’s stern. Happy hour was already well underway and we contributed crab dip and “Painkillers” to the spread.

Aside from the Smith’s houseguests, Mark Murdy, wife Deanna and son Joshua, it turns out that Spiced Rumb (Tom and Teresa Vandenburg) was in the anchorage and had come aboard Noon Somewhere. Moonlight Serenade tested out their new dinghy motor and we installed a new gas grill on the stern rail so they could eat dinner latter.

As the sun set and the fireworks were anticipated, Tom Moulds and new wife Danielle joined by power boat. Though the 1812 Overture was only faintly audible on the gentle wind, we had front and center seats for the fireworks show. Everyone gathered on the foredecks of Noon Somewhere and Moonlight Serenade, and energized by good spirits, openly marveled at the quality and duration of the light show.

Thankfully, after the show, Tom Moulds played water taxi to transport us back to Wavedancer with dinghy in tow. He also planned to help Noon Somewhere house guests and Carol back to the dock for the night.

Next morning, we went ashore for breakfast at the college. No one joined us, and we suspected that the racer-cruiser’s had pulled one of their extended happy hours. We later learned that Noon Somewhere and Moonlight Serenade had spent 3 hours that morning looking for Orca the cat. Orca later sleepily appeared from between the deck and the headliner of Moonlight Serenade, taking advantage of an access hole that Bill had recently created as part of the ongoing refit.

Noon Somewhere sailed back to Solomons with a guest crew of Cindi and Michel Eaton, and son Kelsey. At some point, Spiced Rumb had also left the anchorage.

After a lazy day, we were invited aboard Moonlight Serenade for happy hour and dinner. There was an idea that we would go ashore and watch the jazz concert, but we were having such a good time that we just socialized the evening away. After dark, a coastguard helicopter kept circling the anchorage, shinning a powerful light on the water, apparently looking for a missing vessel.

Early next morning, Wavedancer left the anchorage heading back to Breton Bay, calling by Tall Timbers Marina on Herring Creek for breakfast. As we approached Herring Creek channel entrance, we were entertained by a small single-engine seaplane making practice landing approaches. To our delight, the plane performed a touch and go just as we entered the main creek, floating gracefully just a few feet above us with the propeller hardly turning.

Mark Brownhill, Wavedancer

Crisfield Cruise Report - July 7-8

It was a dark and stormy night. The waves on the Chesapeake were… Wait. That was another SMSA cruise. The cruise to Crisfield was not that bad. The weather cooperated but the wind gods could have been a bit kinder.

Reflections (Patty Kimmel and Rich Freeman) departed Spring Cove Marina on Friday morning, 6 July, heading for Crisfield. We decided to leave on Friday since only one other boat, Wavedancer (Mark and Carrie Brownhill), was going to join us. They had left the Potomac River on Wednesday intending to stop at Smith and Tangier Islands on the way.

We left Solomons approximately 0700 hours and the weather was great. Winds were out of the Northeast at 5 to 10 knots. After motor sailing to the Green “PR” buoy, we cut the engine and sailed south, around the Holland Island Bar and through the Kedges Straits, turning south through Tangier Sound. We were able to sail all the way to the James Island Light, where we took the sails down and motored on in to Somers Cove Marina, fighting the famous Eastern Shore horseflies all the way and arriving at 1540 hours after a 41 nautical mile trip. We were met with a friendly smile and helpful hands of the marina staff getting us into Slip E-15. After settling Reflections in for the evening, we cleaned up and headed over to The Cove restaurant for a good supper of grilled tuna and flounder. Then it was early to bed.

On Saturday morning we went downtown to take in two events going on in Crisfield. The first, the 4th Annual Just Folk Festival was taking place at the city dock, featuring special music from local bands and arts and crafts by the Accohannock Indian Tribe. The second event was the 1st Annual Harry Clifton “Curley” Byrd Music Festival, again featuring local musicians at various places around Crisfield. The band playing at the J. Millard Tawes Musuem, next to Somers Cove, was especially good. When we returned to the marina, Mark and Carrie had just arrived from Smith Island. We told them about the festivities in Crisfield and made a date for happy hour.

At 1700 hours we had our happy hour at one of the pavilions in the marina. We went to the Waterman’s Inn for a great supper of the local seafood. We then returned to Reflections for some post supper libation and story telling.

We both departed Somers Cove around 0700 hours and the winds were very light. Wavedancer turned a more westerly course back to their temporary base on the Potomac, and we soon lost sight of them in the morning haze. We tried to sail but there just wasn’t enough wind to make it reasonable. We returned the same route and near the Hooper Island Light the winds became Southwest at 7 to 10 knots. We were able to sail the rest of the way home.

Near the buoy “H1” off Cedar Point we encountered Captain John Smith’s shallop making its way North up the Bay. We were able to get a good look at the crew, some of who were wearing period costumes. We entered our slip at Spring Cove Marina about 1500 hours. While it was somewhat hot, and there was little wind most of the way home on Sunday, the cruise was a success because all of us enjoyed ourselves on and off the water.

Rich Freeman, Reflections

Classified

LOWRANCE iFINDER EXPEDITION C - mapping GPS & MP3 player with black plastic mount, anodized aluminum bracket, and power cord - $200. Navionics Gold US Southeast - Bahamas SD906 Jun 2006 -- $100. Navionics Gold US Mid Atlantic & Canyons SD905G Jun 2006 -- $150. Both charts for $225, or $400 for the total package. Call (410) 394-6972 or email sykoel@verizon.net,

1986 CATALINA 34 - Two owners, 30’ LWL, fin keel, 5’ 6” draft and 14,000 lbs displacement. The cabin has two state rooms and a main salon capable of sleeping 6 adults. A great looking, well equipped coastal cruiser in excellent running condition. Brigadoon has good sails that have been lightly used and she comes with a bimini and dodger, pressure hot and cold water system, Adler Barbour refrigerator, Heart inverter/charger, high capacity house battery banks, wind generator and a battery monitor system. The dependable Universal diesel engine that has been recently overhauled with a rebuilt fuel injectors and main fuel pump. Many extras are included to complete a sail away package. Asking $43,900. Call Walt Rupp, 301-863-0175.

1988 CATALINA 34 - Wing keel, one owner since new, well maintained, 500 hours on 3-cylinder diesel and well equipped. Located at Flag Harbor in St. Leonard, MD. Slip available for 2007. $54,000. 301-373-8509.

SMSA LOGO SPORTSWEAR - Shirts and Baseball Hats are available with the SMSA logo. Proceeds to support the SMSA Junior Program, so help the team and look sharp too! Polo Shirts (S/M/L/XL) are $45 and are only Hats $25. Available at SMSA Club House or via email tmoulds@dtiweb.net.

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