Wednesday, June
21, 2017, Day 1
All arrived on time and are eager to go cruising. We meet briefly at 0900
in the classroom to get to know one another, discuss cruise plans, and listen
to the NOAA Weather report for today: SW 15, gusts 20, a frontal boundary in
the evening with gusts to 30 knots. After line handling and dinghy practice in
the harbor (even small boats can present challenges), Paul and Mike shop for
provisions while Sarah, Aiden, and the Captain work on the navigation plan and
boat preparations. All aboard! We’re off. While tacking down the Chester
River, and finding the wind diminishing during late afternoon, we plan to and
anchor in Queenstown Creek on two anchors and make a hopefully workable plan.
Of two boats moving ahead of us in the channel, one runs aground. Mike at the
helm correctly concludes that “she’s not on the range,” i.e., she has
not lined up both the buoys ahead AND astern. As she is motoring off,
we invite her to follow astern, which she did and all ends well.
Day 2
Our anchors held us well overnight, and, Aiden at the helm, calls for
anchors aweigh, takes us safely through the channel, and conducts the first of
several COB (Crew Overboard) exercises. As winds are calm, there is time to
learn about GPS latitude/longitude values to find nav markers. It is time well
spent. With electronics off, crew also learns that they can find markers like
G “9” Fl G 4s in the Chester R by following the 30’ depth contour.
Waters being flat, we now concentrate on developing a deviation table for Acadame
in 30º increments around the compass. Using a hand-bearing compass at the bow
as a less-then-perfect technique, the results all fall between 0º and 4º
West deviation and none toward the expected East deviation; so don’t trust
the results, discard our efforts, and make our way to Annapolis. Once in the
Severn River, we practice landfall entering Chesapeake Harbor, with Mike
navigating us in. There we take on water, and Sarah navigates us back out.
Finally, we pick up a mooring in Annapolis, shower ashore and meet at
Pusser’s restaurant for a Caribbean dinner.
Day 3
This student crew, already adept at plotting in True North rather than
Magnetic North, is now making short work of today’s navigation plan past
Thomas Pt Light to G “1A” Fl G 2.5s at the entrance of the West River.
Now, on to engineering topics related to the power plant of an auxiliary
engine and its electrical plant. Last afternoon, and again this morning, all
get VHF radio communications practice hailing the pumpout boat on Ch 17 and,
later, Annapolis City Marina on Ch 09 to buy ice to ease the load on our
refrigeration system. In a brisk breeze with one reef in the main sail and
Sarah at the wheel, we make a long leg at 130ºM across the Bay and a tack on
to 265ºM. Now Aiden at the wheel takes us to G “1A” as the breeze
freshens. It's now time to take in sails and negotiate the narrow,
winding channel—with precise courses plotted by Paul and Mike—to
Pirate’s Cove in Galesville. We then dock in slip No. 33, closely watched by
fellow Maryland School sailors aboard S/V SCHOLARSHIP, which had
arrived here minutes earlier. Hot
showers and a good dinner ashore revives us all.
Day 4
We begin this day by taking the ASA104 written test. All pass with flying
colors. Next, Sarah and Aiden are getting their first taste of taking on the
responsibility of skipper. Sarah asks Paul to lay a DR course to Bloody Pt Lt
and Aiden asks Mike to plot a DR course from G “1E” Fl G 4s S off Bloody
Pt. Winds are favorable for an exciting evolution: We set the whisker pole for
the genoa on starboard with mainsail on portside providing a photo-op for some
to take photos as we glide along sailing wing-on-wing. On our way, we hail a
southbound pusher tow to arrange safe passage. Once in Eastern Bay following a
course change, Aiden wonders whether our pole is still useful. He is right;
down comes the pole. From R N “6” off Tilghman Pt and steering 185ºT,
Sarah has calculated a hand-bearing compass direction of 320ºM to Tilghman
Point as our turning mark to secluded Tilghman Creek. As we arrive in this
beautiful anchorage, we cancel plans for a fore-and-aft anchoring (no swing)
exercise when a trawler arrives ahead of us and sets a single anchor with a
potential swing of 360º. Time to cool off with a swim, the occasional jelly
fish notwithstanding. Paul’s superb pesto and beans dish is rightfully
applauded.
Day 5
Today, Paul will be skipper until we reach Kent Narrows Bridge, followed
by Mike for the final leg to home port. To get an early start, Paul and the
Captain get us underway at 0600 and all enjoy a final breakfast in the
cockpit. Winds being light from the S, we motor and Paul has the is crew
concentrated on the navigation plan to and through the winding, challenging
Narrows. While our VHF communication on VHF Ch 13 with the Bridge tender
ensures there is no southbound traffic, a boat of weekend fishermen cuts
across our bow as Paul approaches the open bridge. The fishermen apologize
profusely. Paul keeps his cool, and we are safely through. Now Mike, conscious
of the strong current, posts two lookouts to ensure we are not pushed outside
the still winding channel. In the freshening breeze, he asks for full sails to
be set, and we make it on a broad reach all the way back to the Marina. Here,
the Maryland School's ocean boat NAVIGATOR, arriving from
Norfolk, hails us and we agree on taking turns pumping out and topping off
fuel. Mike docks Acadame
safely in our slip where, after cleaning the boat, we all bid each other a
fond farewell. Well done, shipmates.
Captain H. Jochen Hoffmann
On board S/V
AcaDame
Rock Hall, Maryland
June 25, 2017
