In this Issue

Officer of the Deck

My head is just spinning with all of the stuff going on at SMSA right now:  Junior camp, cruises, socials, big boat races, training, small boat races, parties, board meetings, program meetings, preparations for the Scott Kirby concert, and SCREWPILE!!!  It is tough to keep it all straight, but these activities demonstrate that SMSA can provide an outlet for any sailing interest that you have.

I am sorry that I was unable to attend the last Board of Directors meeting, due to a work commitment, because the Directors presented their well-considered strategic plan for SMSA. You will find an article elsewhere in this edition of The Clew about it, and I hope that you will take the time to read it, and review additional material that will be posted on the SMSA Forum. The group of Directors that you elected has challenged the Officers to expand and enhance the programs offered by SMSA.  They also actively pitch-in to support management of the club.  For example, the Directors have taken on special tasks such as developing the strategic plan and reviewing SMSA's insurance. These are big, time-consuming tasks that have continually slipped because of lack of time, which, as I was taught in engineering school, is our most precious resource. Their attention to these details is critical for the future success of SMSA and all of the Officers appreciate their involvement and commitment.

It is getting close to the time of year when candidates are nominated for Officer and Director elections.  If you have an interest in charting SMSA's future and assisting with operational management of the club, then contact Shawn Stanley.

Even if you do not want to take an active role with management of the club, one thing that we all need to work on is increasing SMSA's membership, which will increase our social network and help the club financially.  Growing the number of members is the key to SMSA's future, as you will see in the strategic plan.  Growing membership is easier said than done. It requires a proactive approach that cannot be left to just the Membership Program Chair or the Publicity Chair.  Both Laura Comeau-Stanley and Tim Flaherty do great jobs, but just the administrative aspect of their positions is plenty to ask of a volunteer.  Tack on outreach for membership recruiting and we have given them more than a full-time job! 

Every member has to assist with recruiting.  We have some promotional material to assist with the recruiting process and are in the process of developing more, but anything you can do to "talk-up" membership in SMSA with your sailing acquaintances is a way for you to directly contribute to the club.  If you find entertainment and value with your SMSA membership, then it is likely that your friends will, too.  So don't be shy about asking them to consider joining, and follow-up by giving them a membership application.  Hey, maybe we can incentivise outreach by discounting a member's dues for every application that they nominate!  If we had this incentive in place this year, I think that Tom and Shonna Meiser would be lounging around the club "dues-free" with all of the new members that they have nominated!  In fact though, we are all incentivised to perform this outreach: Each new member helps carry SMSA and lightens the load for the rest of us.  So do your part and chat-up SMSA to your friends and acquaintances.

From a financial standpoint, SMSA is operating very close to budget, and the forecast indicates that we will be very close to budget at the end of the calendar year.  Last year we were in about the same position, that is, running close to budget, and we wound up better than budget at year end because of conservative assumptions.  Nobody has a crystal ball, but I think that we will do just as well this year.

The weather has been just great this sailing season and I hope that you are getting out on the water.  There were a few evenings when the wind was not blowing, but it was still fun to bob-around with people I enjoy being with.  For my 50th birthday, my wife gave me a Laser, a small, one-person racing dinghy, and I've been out on it a few times now, and have enjoyed it thoroughly.  It's not a great light-wind boat, and one recent Thursday I was cursing my decision to take it out in zero breeze.  But my grousing changed to elation when I was surrounded by skates at the end of Solomons Island.  It was magical to have dozens of the critters circling the boat while sitting becalmed and uncomfortable on a hot and humid summer evening.  My new motto when deciding to go sailing is "when in doubt - take it out", because you never know what you might experience in this beautiful area that we are all just blessed to have all to ourselves.

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Mixed Couples Race and Cruise - August 16-17

This informal race/cruise to Battle Creek is always a very popular SMSA event followed by a lively raft-up in Battle Creek with great snacks and camaraderie. 

The race starting window is between 10:00 and 10:30 AM  in the river at Red #6A off Sandy Point.  Complete sailing instructions can be found on the SMSA website. On the Racing Page, click on the Race Circular link at the top of the screen and go to page 34 of the circular for complete race instructions. 

If you don’t care to participate in the race, join us at your leisure in beautiful Battle Creek for the raft up and an evening at anchor. 

If you have any questions, please send us an email or give us a call.  Look forward to seeing you there.

Email: gerred@verizon.net
Phone: 410-326-2785 (new telephone number).

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Social - Geezer Squeezer and Crab Feast

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July.  Coming up we have the Geezer Squeezer and the Crab Feast.  Hope to see you all there.

Geezer Squeezer - Saturday, August 9, 2008 
This is a fun event, we get kids of all ages and stuff them into an OPTI and hold races.  Now the races may not be (I can almost guarantee they won't be) in accordance with the racing rules, but we do get a few laughs out it.  We have three categories by age groups, rock star (<30), the GenXers (30-40) and the Geezers (40+). Racing will start at 10:00 and go until about 2:00 so that all can have time to prep for the Crab Feast.

Crab Feast - Saturday, August 9, 2008  *RSVP Event*
This is a great time to get together and enjoy good food and conversation. We kick this one off at 4:00.  Reservations for the crabs are required; price per person will depend on the price of the crabs, please RSVP by email social@smsa.com or call 301-863-8285 and leave a message. I will post the price during the first week of August on the Website and in the weekly clubhouse email.

If you do not eat crab (like some of us) bring something to grill on the BBQ as it will be ready for all to use. The Club will provide non-alcoholic beverages and the bar will have the normal set up. Members are asked to bring a dish to share.

After this, the next event we have is the October 18th, Chili Cook Off/Oyster Scald, followed by the November 1st, Annual Membership Meeting and Brunch.

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Proposed By-Law Change - Membership Classes

In response to input from members and in consideration for long range strategic planning, the SMSA Board of Directors supports a change to the By-Laws to redefine some of our membership classes.  The purposes of the proposed changes are to:

1. Remove the distinction between the current “Individual” and “Family/Joint” membership classes by combining them into one “Regular” membership class.  Rationale for combining these classes is recognition that both individual and family members of the club are equally important and should have equal status in voting power and equal dues obligations.  There would no longer be "Individual" and "Family" membership classes. It also helps simplify budget forecasting, membership accounting, and voting procedures.
2. Establish a new “Young Adult” membership class.  Rationale for establishing this class is recognition that we have very few members in this age group (18 - 29) and it is felt that reduced dues for this age group would be an incentive for formal participation by this untapped resource, resulting in a net increase in membership.  It also provides a more affordable transition path for those who are post high school/college and are just starting a career, establishing a household, and saving for their first boat.
3. Formally recognize minor children of adult club members as “Junior” members.  Rationale for formal recognition of “Junior” members is to clarify what is already considered common practice.

Key attributes of the proposed changes include:

• Four membership classes: “Regular”, “Young Adult”, “Junior”, and “Emeritus”.
• One vote for each membership, except “Junior” which has no voting rights.
• “Young Adult” dues are indexed at 50% of “Regular” dues.
• Adult members of all membership classes are eligible to hold elected office.

A link to the full text of a smooth draft of this proposed By-Law change is available for review on the SMSA Web Page at www.smsa.com.  The changed/added language is highlighted in bold red text.  Please forward any constructive comments to Rod Schroeder (SMSA Director) at rodschroeder@comcast.net for consolidation and further review by the SMSA BOD.  The BOD anticipates that the final proposal for this change will be put to the membership for a vote in the October time frame along with election of Officers and Directors.

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Second Saturday Cruiser's Raft at the Clubhouse, August 9th

The next Second Saturday Cruiser's Raft will be at the clubhouse on Saturday, August 9. In fact, all future Second Saturday Cruiser's Rafts will be at the clubhouse, based on the feedback from a number of members. The August raft will be coordinated with the Crab Feast, so see details in the Social section of this Clew. For the rafts in September through December, we need volunteers to bartend and host the raft at the clubhouse. Please contact Max Munger to sign up.

The Raft on July 12th was on the water in Cuckold Creek. Wavedancer was the only sailboat at anchor, but we were joined for happy hour by Decoy (Curt and Judy Larsen) and Easy Time (Ron and Suzie Williams), who came by motor launch.

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Cruise

Are we really to August already?  It seems just yesterday we were meeting to learn about the ICW, weather, and to plan the Delmarva trip.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re too busy sailing to notice the time going by!

SMSA continues to have a great summer schedule - last month we had a great turn-out for the fireworks gathering.  And the weather cleared just in time for fireworks!  The Second Saturday rafts continue to be a huge success - though it appears that many of cruiser's would prefer to have them at the clubhouse.  July saw our first “spontaneous” cruise with an invite up to Mill Creek for an evening of fun.  I’d love to see more of these in the future- thanks to the Holts for hosting this first one.  This one had a great turnout.

Coming August 16th is one of the club events Kate and I really enjoy- the Mixed Couples Race/Cruise.  I’d really like to encourage our SMSA cruising community to enjoy the fun cruising side of this event.  There’s no need to take it too seriously, and I’d love to have another picture of a 15+ boat raft to hang on the wall of the SMSA clubhouse this year. 

Also in August is the Annapolis cruise… Armadillos and the Annapolis summer theatre, then heading out to the eastern shore, if you like, for the "extended" cruise - that’s what summer cruising on the bay is all about!

After two great years as Cruise Chair, I will be passing on the baton to someone new for next year. If you are interested, let me or one of the other Officers know in time for the upcoming elections.

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Delmarva Cruise Report, May 24-June 6, 2008

The Southern Maryland Sailing Association Delmarva cruise started from our home port of Solomons, MD on May 24, 2008, with two boats; Virginia Dare (Sally and Wayne Wilson) and Reflections (Rich Freeman and Patty Kimmel).  Carrie and Mark Brownhill (of Wavedancer) were assisting crew on Reflections, and we were all looking forward to our two week cruise. 

Our first day found the winds on the nose as we headed to Whitehall Bay, just south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Much of the day we motored against the chop.  The next morning we departed the anchorage around 0815 hours.  Reflections motored into Worton Creek to top off the fuel and pump out.  We found great shopping and ice cream treats at the Marina ship’s store. After this detour, we joined Virginia Dare in Still Pond and enjoyed the excellent Brownhill cuisine of Hungarian goulash and Wayne’s signature happy hour martinis. 

The next morning we departed around 0800 hours and motored up the Bay to approach the C & D Canal.  Our objective was to run with the tide through the canal.  At 1115 hours we entered the canal and made the passage in two hours.  Due to questionable weather forecasts, we decided to make way into the Delaware City Marina instead of anchoring behind the Reedy Island Bar. The entrance into Delaware City can be tricky with a significant shoal area at the entrance off the Delaware River.  Reflections, with a depth requirement of only 4.5 feet, led the way with Mark calling out the depths to Virginia Dare who was not interested being a "stick in the mud". The current in the inlet, part of the original C & D Canal, ran swift.  We found the marina very accommodating and Delaware City quaint.  Our group tried Kathy’s Crab house the first night and found the food somewhat marginal; steamed crabs seemed to be the popular choice, but none of us had tried that selection.

On May 27, we had our first lay day in Delaware City to wait out the weather, looking for that perfect run (ha, ha) down the Delaware Bay. We had dinner that evening at Crabby Dick’s – a much better choice. We sat on the veranda and had a great view of the Delaware River and Pea Patch Island.

Everyone was up early on Wednesday for our trip down the Delaware Bay; we left at 0415 hours to ride the tide. Virginia Dare led the way, favoring the northeastern side of the bay channel.  Several large freighters passed us in the early morning light as we motored in 3 ft chop with NE winds around 10 knots.  At 0930 hours we passed Miah Maull Shoal Light and Reflections took a course of 142 degrees to head for the Cape May canal, on the Bay side. With a mast height of only 52 feet we could duck under the two bridges inside the canal. Unfortunately, Virginia Dare had to go around to the outside Cape May entrance. Reflections pulled into Utsch’s Marina for the evening. This marina is a good spot to stop but you will need to contact the marina for directions in from the harbor. The charts don’t accurately reflect the entrance to the marina. The Reflections crew had a great dinner at Lucky Bones, just up the road from the marina.  Virginia Dare anchored off the Coast Guard station and just took a snooze.

We had planned a lay day in Cape May but due to weather fronts approaching from the west we all agreed to leave the next day, Thursday, May 29, to make our trip down the Atlantic Coast. 

We left Utsch’s Marina at 0740 hours and maneuvered out to meet with Virginia Dare. Several other sailboats were leaving this day as we all took to the ocean through the inlet. The wind was on the nose and varied during the course of the day and night from 12 knots to 19 knots.  Virginia Dare motored the distance, slugging it out into 3 to 4 feet waves, but they made far better time than Reflections.  Reflections motored some of the way but tried to conserve fuel with a strained zig zag sailing pattern. At 1430 hours we were still off of Ocean City with 18 knot gusts doing about 5.3 knots in 60 degree temperature. We started shift schedules about 1800 hours May 29 with three hours on three hours off. This worked well throughout the night. As the wind changed we sailed with main and headsail and then with main reefed.  It was an absolutely beautiful star filled night.  Stars were so bright and layed down to the horizon.  A sliver of a crescent moon rose out of the ocean in the east in red, orange, yellow and white.  Night sailing challenges the vision, and as Patty and Rich left the night time watch, they alerted Carrie and Mark of a boat close to shore – which turned out to be a lighthouse.  Over the night we saw little traffic on the ocean, but the crews of both boats were amused by the conversations of two salty fishermen talking on channel 78. The wind died down a bit and we let out the main and sailed along doing 6 plus knots.

As the night turned into day on Friday, May 30, and the wind died down we started to motor. The fuel gage on Reflections had broken early in the trip and we were estimating on consumption. At 0930 hours we decided to refuel using two fuel cans that were brought along for just such an occasion.  The seas had calmed down which made the task a bit easier.  About 8 gallons later we were a little relieved.  As the day passed and we moved down the coast the wind came around to the SSW, still 12 to 15 knots.  We took advantage of this change to sail and conserve fuel. Virginia Dare was out of radio and cell range.  As we approached Cape Charles the wind began to increase and we reefed the main again.  At 1812 hours we crossed the Chesapeake Tunnel.  At 1945 hours we pulled into the Bay Point Marina, slip B47. It was great to see Wayne and Sally and all aboard were happy to have that leg behind us.  Virginia Dare was gracious enough to help us all celebrate the ocean passage with a bottle of champagne and a martini happy hour.

We used Saturday, May 31, as a lay day.  The Bay Point Marina has very nice facilities and a cute little boatyard establishment for breakfast, just off their yard – the Cutty Sark.  There was a Food Lion and West Marine within walking distance, about a mile. For dinner we went to Captain Groovey’s, a neat little place that offered selections from Greek salads to ahi tuna and burgers. There were many storms crossing the Chesapeake Bay on this Saturday and were thankful to be tucked into Little Creek.

Sunday, June 1, Mark and Carrie departed the cruise for Charlottesville as they had to get back to work. Virginia Dare and Reflections left Little Creek at 0835 hours for Jackson Creek, just north of the Piankatank River. Both vessels were attacked by biting flies until we reached the creek. We were both sailing in the middle of the bay but the flies kept on coming. The winds were light, but both boats sailed for brief periods. We rafted up at about 0530 hours. That evening a storm front blew through with winds maxing out at 22 knots. 

Monday, June 2, we departed at 0948 hours at high tide.  Our next destination was the western branch of the Corratoman River; we arrived at 1750 hours.  Winds were out of the NE about 12 knots then dropped to light and variable.  Rich fished while we watched Virginia Dare do the zig zag dance up the Rappanock River.  Reflections took a detour into the Yankee Point Marina to fuel up and pump out.

On Tuesday, June 3, Reflections departed at 0840 to explore the remainder of the western branch of the Corratoman.  Virginia Dare went on up the eastern branch for exploration.  Both branches are beautiful and offer wonderful anchorages and protection.  Both vessels then sailed in the Rappahanock on the way to Urbanna.  We tied up at the Urbanna Town Marina around 1145 hours. Diane is the Dockmaster and did a wonderful job welcoming both boats. This is a clean and convenient place to stay.  We explored the town, had lunch at the old Drug store and dinner at Olivia’s – great new restaurant on Virginia Street.  That evening we had blowing rain and storms.  June 4 we took another lay day in Urbanna, once again to wait out some nasty weather.  Based on Diane’s recommendation, we ate at Angelos Colonial Pizza, across the bridge on the other side of the creek. Their food is quite tasty and very reasonable.

Thursday, June 5 we left Urbanna at 0700 hours and headed to Jutland Creek off of Smith Creek off the Potomac River. We motored all day into north winds blowing 10 to 14 knots. Reflections stopped at Point Lookout Marina to refuel, and we rafted up with Virginia Dare about 1630 hours. Jutland Creek provides a good anchorage with lots of protection.

On Friday, June 6, both boats left around 0800 hours to travel back to our homeport.  Reflections entered the Patuxent  River at 1300 hours.  We were thankful to be home but more grateful for the company of the Brownhills and the Wilsons on a great Delmarva adventure.

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Potomac Fireworks Cruise Report, July 3-6, 2008

Wavedancer had a fantastic sail down to Smith Creek on the Potomac. We pulled up the sails in Solomons and actually hit 8.2 knots, surfing on a beam reach leaving the Patuxent River. For a while, we changed from the big Genoa and used the small storm sail, still making 6 knots. The south west wind had us close-hauled all the way down to the Potomac. A couple of tacks had us sailing up the Potomac and we sailed into Smith Creek and dawdled under mainsail until Mongoose Magic (Dale and Antha Koontz) arrived and dropped anchor. A few minutes later, Kelly Ann (Frank and Nancy McCabe) arrived and rafted up on the other side of Mongoose Magic. Happy hour extended until the sun set and it was getting very dark. Kelly Ann broke off the raft and anchored a few boat lengths away.

Friday we again rafted with Mongoose Magic in Horseshoe Bend, as the anchorage started to fill up, everyone waiting for the fireworks. At about 5 pm, Dale ferried Wavedancer’s crew over to the shore for happy hour in the college grounds, and then returned to pick up Antha. They loaded up and headed for shore. After going only a few yards, the outboard ran out of gas. After a refill, the engine would not go into neutral. As they started to paddle back to the mothership, Calypso (Frank and Rita Gerred) arrived on the beach.  Frank landed Rita and then headed back out to tow Antha and Dale ashore. Frank and Nancy McCabe joined from the dinghy dock. After a few drinks, Denis Chandler and friend arrived by land and joined us for happy hour. 

Just before the River Concert was scheduled to begin, they announced that stormy weather was on the way. The rain started as the band played a few special arrangements of patriotic songs. Hilary Kole joined them to sing jazz songs. When the lightening started, the concert became a sequence of a few songs, then a 15 minute delay, with most people taking cover in the various buildings around the campus. When it was dark, the storm had mostly passed by and the band created the mood for the fireworks with the 1812 Overture. Frank again played taxi, towing the Koontz’s dinghy back to the raft.

The troubles continued the next day as Frank and Rita reported that their house batteries had died. Antha’s brother assisted Frank via land to purchase new batteries, as Dale fixed the linkage in his outboard to allow it to move back into neutral. Dale then reported his refrigeration unit was also having problems and had killed his relatively new batteries. As Wavedancer reversed from the raft next morning, we backed over our dingy line and tangled it good around the prop-shaft.  It could have been worse though, as it was reported that several boats had dragged right across the anchorage during the previous night’s storm, one going right past our raft.

Kelly Ann headed back to Solomons, and after a prolonged battery replacement procedure, Calypso decided to anchor in Indigo Creek with a few other cruisers. Mongoose Magic and Wavedancer motored to Palmer Cove for another happy hour and dinner, and we were rewarded by wrap-around firework displays.

Wavedancer left early Sunday morning, sailing out of the Potomac at hull speed, only to have to motor the rest of the way home as the wind died.

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Labor Day Cruise August 29-31

This year the SMSA Labor Day cruise will again be to Annapolis.  For those who can, we will leave Solomons Friday morning August 29th and proceed 44 miles to Whitehall Bay (38°59.9N/76°25.5W), there are no facilities but it is a large well protected anchorage.  We will monitor channel 9 at 1000, 1200, 1400 and 1600.

We will be just 5 miles from Annapolis in order to get there Saturday morning, and we expect to find moorings available in Spa Creek, or even dockside space in Ego Alley.  The moorings and dockside space are maintained by the Harbormaster and they are available on a first come first served basis with, unfortunately, no rafting.  Alternatively, boats under 35 feet can anchor on the other side of the Spa Creek Bridge.

The last performance of the summer at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre is that evening, Saturday August 30th.  The musical is “All Shook Up”, based on music from the Fifties.  The price is $18 ($15 for seniors), the performance is at 8:30pm and the outdoor theatre is a short walk from Ego Alley.  For reservations call them at 410-268-9212.  They have a web site at www.summergarden.com but you have to call to make reservations.  You do not pay for the tickets until you pick them up on the evening of the performance. Some of us will plan to gather around 6:30pm at Armadillo’s on Ego Alley for happy hour priced drinks and a simple supper before the show.

On Sunday, we will proceed 35 miles to Hudson Creek on the Little Choptank where we plan to anchor (38°32.6N/76°14.9W).  Then back to Solomons, 26 miles, on Labor Day.
We look forward to having many boats join us.  On previous years we have had a great time.  We highly recommend the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre.

Email:darbuthnot@comcast.net
Home: 410-326-9202
Cell: 410-474-9179.

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Labor Day Cruise Extended - August 31-September 7

On Sunday, August 31, we will say goodbye to the Annapolis weekend cruisers as they head back toward Solomons. 

We’ll head for the Corsica River for an evening at anchor and then onto Chestertown on Monday.  If you are planning to join us, please make your reservations early directly with the Chestertown Marina (410-778-3616).  We will have a layday to explore historic colonial Chestertown and then head for the beautiful Wye River East.  On September 4 we’ll have a short trip to St. Michaels and another layday to enjoy this great cruising town and the Chesapeake Marine Museum.  We are still looking into marina possibilities, or we may anchor out.  Then on to Hudson Creek on the Little Choptank on September 6.  We'll return to Solomons on the 7th.  

Please give us a call or send us an email if you plan to join us.   

Email: gerred@verizon.net
Phone: 410-326-2785 (new telephone number).

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St. Jerome Creek - Go! Go! Go!

St Jerome Creek is a beautiful, quiet, sheltered, very conveniently located gunkhole on the western shore, between the Potomac and the Patuxent – just south of Point No Point.  It is really a lagoon, and as such has a significant current in its narrow entrance around max ebb and max flood.  It has plenty of water inside, but the entrance is narrow, tricky, and has been known to silt up.  The Bergsmans enjoyed it many times, years ago, in what is now the Siessegers’ Kalypso (drawing approximately  4.3 feet with the board up), but hadn’t been in there for several years.

We decided to investigate its current status, and on a sunny, flat day (2 July 2008), embarked in the Bergsmans’ Whaler "Circe” (makes men act like swine), an old GPS, and an even older lead line to plumb the depths.

The creek entrance was dredged to the controlling depth of 7 feet (ref to MLLW) in 2006, by the Army Corps of Engineers.  The survey describing the entrance depths after the dredging can be found at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Navigation/055.htm and links thereto.  Our survey found that nothing essential about the depths reported there had changed, but the aids to navigation are now slightly different from those reported by Wavedancer a season ago.  The chart available on the web at http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/12230.shtml seems to have an accurate depiction of the aids to navigation as we found them.  A useful view of the shape and location of the channel can also be had from Google Maps, which shows the darker water of the channel and the lighter water of the shoals quite clearly.

Our survey was taken just before and during slack high water, when the predicted high water at Point Lookout was 1.35 feet above MLLW.  There had been no significant wind for over 24 hours, and slack water occurred on schedule, so the actual height of high tide  at the time of our survey can safely be assumed to be pretty close to the predicted one.  Dropping our lead line where the channel is supposed to be, we found nothing under 9 feet, from mark “SJ1” through to mark “11.”  So we think that an assumption of 7 feet at MLLW would be a safe operating parameter.

The table above provides more detailed information about the current aids to navigation, the shape of the channel, etc.  Your printed charts, if they are more than a year old, are unlikely to show the proper numbers and locations of these aids – so pay attention!  As the charts do show correctly, there is ample water to the north of the last marker, now lighted beacon “11,” both close to it and also for a considerable distance north, past Fishers Point (to starboard going up), which might be handy under an east wind.

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New York City Cruise, 2009

We have put together the outline for a cruise to Manhattan for 2009. (Yeah – 2009, it may not be too early to start planning for a three-week cruise.) In this case, “outline” means a sketch that can be adjustable in duration, start date and ports of call. The outline currently shows three weeks – with ample weather reserve and an optional lay day. The ports of call have been used before, in part or all by Virginia Dare or Reflections.

If you think that you may want to join this cruise, and we hope some of you will, then feel free to join in on its planning with us. Everything is adjustable to attract the greatest amount of participation. The table below shows the current draft.

Delaware City proved to be a great hit with all on the 2008 Delmarva cruise. Good eats, deep (enough) water and floating docks: It sets just north of Reedy Point and sets-up the fleet for a nice, with-the tide-run down the Delaware Bay in the morning.

Cape May offers a nice little anchorage right by the USCG station, or a number of 1st class marinas if you prefer. If you fit the Cape May Canal, reduce the distance by 9-nm. Cape May is the right place to spend some weather reserve waiting for a gentle following breeze up the New Jersey coast.

Absecon Inlet, aka Atlantic City has little to recommend it other than the right distance for a decent day-sail and a place to set the hook for the night (in a 2-3-kt tidal current). Like Cape May, it offers an easy, jetty-protected entrance from the sea.

Barnegat Inlet allows the long grind to NYC to be sliced back some. According to SSCA sailors who have used the inlet, it is a very good anchorage, but not to be used in a tide vs. wind situation, as the entrance lumps up. We have no personal experience with Barnegat, so some additional research will have to be made on this port. For those hard-nosed Atlantic sailors, who scoff at 6:00 o’clock martinis under anchor, in raft… sail on! You can leave either Cape May, or Absecon and make a night sail of it, tucking in next day at Sandy Hook’s pretty Horseshoe Cove for a day (or two) to wait for the rest.

Newport Yachting Center is situated on the Hudson, directly across the river from lower Manhattan. The marina has modern floating docks – large clean restrooms and showers and laundry facilities. In 2007, the marina charged $2.00 per foot – maybe upper-end by Chesapeake standards, but a steal by the standards of the NYC area! The marina is rolly by day, because of the Hudson River ferries, but it flattens out nicely at night. The town of Newport is an unexpected jewel of a place to stop. It has tree-lined boulevards, outdoor restaurants, provisioning and shopping. Even better, it has a one-block walk from the marina to the NJ light rail (The PATH) leading directly (under the harbor) to Manhattan and the NYC subway system.

We hope to gather a fleet of half a dozen or so boats. We need not confine the cruise to SMSA boats. If you have friends who might be interested, invite them along for the sail and to join in on the planning.

To offer your thoughts or intention to join, contact me at vadare@gmai.com.

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