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Sailing the Chesapeake Bay 2023

4028 Views 27 Replies 12 Participants Last post by AWT2_Sail, 1 d ago

Jeff_H

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago

Well, it's happened again.... Another year has passed. I hope that your 2022 was a year filled with joy, and lots of super sails.

Whatever your 2022 was like, I hope your 2023 is even better: filled with legendary sails, beautiful anchorages, lessons gently learned, and the joys of being a member of the worldwide community of sailors.

I look forward to hearing from you all with your sailing adventures, accomplishments, and quiet moments that make sailing the Chesapeake so wonderful.

As for me, Synergy is iced in or else I would be down on the dock getting her rigged for a day out on the Bay....

Jeff

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Skipper Jer

· #2 · 5 mo ago

Yep, Sparky has ice all around her. The cove is frozen from shore to shore. Should have bought an ice breaker.

Reactions: 1

GlanRock

· #3 · 5 mo ago

Looking forward to 2023! We hauled Serendipity this winter again to check over the work from last year. This year we're hoping to increase the live-aboard time exponentially, fingers crossed.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!!

Reactions: 1

marcjsmith

· #4 · 5 mo ago

Crossed the bay bridge on my way to DE today. If not for the bitter cold displayed on the instrument cluster. Might have been a nice day...

Reactions: 2

Keyframe42

· #5 · 5 mo ago

Mystery Ship is on the hard, going to start some real maintenance this year. Hope 2023 is when i figure out what the Hell i am doing, if not, at least have fun trying .

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marcjsmith

· #6 · 5 mo ago

Keyframe42 said:
, at least have fun trying .

this is the key

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olson34

· #7 · 5 mo ago

Thanks to you all for your help and for listening in 2022, and I look forward to these discussions in 2023.
We are not going anywhere much by boat this winter, but did have to motor over to another slip yesterday so some maintenance could be done on the structure next to our slip. Now to consider whether and when to re-winterize the engine again!

Our Oregon weather is boring compared to the East Coast, but in the last week we have seen 17 degrees and 60 mph winds, and an abrupt bounce back to the the high 40's and no wind at all. And the snow and sleet that fell, mostly melted by Christmas day. "Interesting" weather, as the saying goes.
Take care and stay warm!

Reactions: 2

AWT2_Sail

· #8 · 5 mo ago

I had the pleasure to enjoy beautiful weather and light winds with my kids to start what I hope will be a new tradition. My first New Year’s Day last year with the boat saw her torn apart doing winter projects.
Here’s to a great year sailing!

Reactions: 1

Pendragon35

· #9 · 5 mo ago

AWT2_Sail said:
I had the pleasure to enjoy beautiful weather and light winds with my kids to start what I hope will be a new tradition. My first New Year’s Day last year with the boat saw her torn apart doing winter projects.
Here’s to a great year sailing!

You got a good day for a New Years sail! Last year we hardly had the boat out of the slip because of various illnesses...here's hoping for a better 2023!

Jeff_H

Discussion Starter · #10 · 5 mo ago

Happy belated New Year.

Yesterday was a super day to be out on the Chesapeake.
I have an Italian friend who says that the tradition in her region is that whatever you do on New Year day, you will do lots of during the rest of the year. After a year with a severe sailing deficit, I was not about to take chances and so slipped out for a sail with a few friends.

We mostly saw winds in the 7 to 10 knot range, with a few bigger gusts up in the 12-14 knot range, and a brief 2-3knot lull while the northwesterly breezes shifted to a southeast wind.

We sailed down into Annapolis Harbor to watch the starts of the Hangover Bowl race fleets before heading home.
It was a wonderful way to welcome in this brand new year.

Best wishes,
Jeff

Sailstrong

· #11 · 4 mo ago

Thanks to all here who helped with advice, answered questions and offered opinions to me in 2022.

It helped a great deal in my move up here from NC. I'm excited about having my boat up here on the Middle Bay (Urbanna) for the first time and the adventures that await this year.
Have sailed in Eastern NC since '85, being up here is gonna be a whole new experience.

I've been down through the Bay many times as a delivery captain but have never had the opportunity to dedicate any time toward exploring or spending time at all the many different destinations the Bay has to offer. Even as an "Old Man", I'm sure I've got a lot to learn about everything Bay related and I'm excited about doing so. Glad that I've discovered the great bunch of sailors here in this Community.
Looking forward to seeing you all out there on the water!

Fair Winds!
Steven
s/v Brilliant Cut

Reactions: 1

AWT2_Sail

· #12 · 3 mo ago

Anyone else notice the sailing conditions on the Bay for Thursday FEBRUARY 23rd??
Im feeling a little cabin fever coming over me. Any other takers?

GlanRock

· #13 · 3 mo ago

If we could get them to drop our boat in for a couple days and right back out, I'd love to get out there. Oh jeez, I'm in training anyway so it wouldn't work out for me anyway. Nice to dream though.

Skipper Jer

· #14 · 3 mo ago

Zero wind here in the Solomons this Thursday and of course it is near 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jeff_H

Discussion Starter · #15 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

2

I have been trying to do the Spinsheet Century Challenge this year. It hasn't gone exactly as planned. At this point I only have 8 days in 8 weeks. I need double that number to somehow reach 100 days on the water. I had thought about slipping out for a sail this afternoon, but then I opened my calendar and checked my to-do list and found that the day was chock full of meetings and conference calls, and some deadlines for tomorrow. Nuts!

On the other hand, I don't know about you all, but Sunday was some super sailing. By early afternoon, out in the Bay it was blowing in the high teens and low 20's with some bigger gusts. We ducked into Annapolis Harbor to watch the start of the Frost Bite races and tuck in a reef. We then beat out across the Bay and tacked over to Thomas Point Light. It was a fast hard driving beat/close reach before we wear ship and headed for home. It was a wild surfing broad reach with the high speed of 10.5 knots under the reefed mainsail and 110 % jib. Ye haw.... Jeff

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AWT2_Sail

· #16 · 3 mo ago

Jeff_H said:
I have been trying to do the Spinsheet Century Challenge this year. It hasn't gone exactly as planned. At this point I only have 8 days in 8 weeks. I need double that number to somehow reach 100 days on the water. I had thought about slipping out for a sail this afternoon, but then I opened my calendar and checked my to-do list and found that the day was chock full of meetings and conference calls, and some deadlines for tomorrow. Nuts!

On the other hand, I don't know about you all, but Sunday was some super sailing. By early afternoon, out in the Bay it was blowing in the high teens and low 20's with some bigger gusts. We ducked into Annapolis Harbor to watch the start of the Frost Bite races and tuck in a reef. We then beat out across the Bay and tacked over to Thomas Point Light. It was a fast hard driving beat/close reach before we wear ship and headed for home. It was a wild surfing broad reach with the high speed of 10.5 knots under the reefed mainsail and 110 % jib. Ye haw....
Jeff

Yee haw indeed. I love the century challenge idea.

I have more modest goals for the year, at least once each calendar month. Today was my second for this month and I did a New Year’s Day sail also. Today had light winds early, exactly opposite direction and half the speed of the forecasts, enough to get me down to 79A, 10 miles from home, and then of course it died. I’m mean dead dead. 0.8 kts best I could tell.
So at least a peaceful motor back on VERY smooth water.
Not complaining. Still a great day sailing.

Reactions: 2

AWT2_Sail

· #17 · 3 mo ago

Hope others got out today to enjoy great conditions (other than temps in the 40s). Turned into an amazing sail.

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Skipper Jer

· #18 · 3 mo ago

Thinking about doing a trip around the eastern shore. Pop out at the C&D Canal. turn south sail down to the Chesapeake Bay bridge then turn north for the home leg. The big but here is I don't see any anchorage spots along the east shore. Can anyone post some spots to anchor along the leg from the canal to the bridge?

Jeff_H

Discussion Starter · #19 · 3 mo ago

Skipper Jer said:
Thinking about doing a trip around the eastern shore. Pop out at the C&D Canal. turn south sail down to the Chesapeake Bay bridge then turn north for the home leg. The big but here is I don't see any anchorage spots along the east shore. Can anyone post some spots to anchor along the leg from the canal to the bridge?

I had looked at this on a chart thinking I might try to do this single-hand. Depending on your draft, it seemed like it was possible to tuck in at Lewes or Cape May (near the mouth of Delaware Bay), Ocean City inlet, Chincoteague Inlet, Wachapreteague Inlet, Quinby Inlet, Great Machipongo Inlet, and Sand Shoal Inlet. Some of these do not appear to be very well protected or only offer protection in some condition. Most do not offer places to go ashore for supplies, or offer wide areas to swing on the hook, but I saw these as places that I was able to get into mainly as containing an anchorage or marina where I could duck in and grab some sleep.

Jeff

Reactions: 1

Skipper Jer

· #20 · 3 mo ago

Jeff_H said:
I had looked at this on a chart thinking I might try to do this single-hand. Depending on your draft, it seemed like it was possible to tuck in at Lewes or Cape May (near the mouth of Delaware Bay), Ocean City inlet, Chincoteague Inlet, Wachapreteague Inlet, Quinby Inlet, Great Machipongo Inlet, and Sand Shoal Inlet. Some of these do not appear to be very well protected or only offer protection in some condition. Most do not offer places to go ashore for supplies, or offer wide areas to swing on the hook, but I saw these as places that I was able to get into mainly as containing an anchorage or marina where I could duck in and grab some sleep.

Jeff

Our boat draws 5 feet. This looks to be at least 4 to 5 days out along the east shore. Some days one has to do around 60 miles (C&D to Lewes) the other days 30 to 40 miles. 10 days for the round trip weather permitting? Do able.

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