Baltimore Light North of the Bay Bridge

Mike Heilman on Adventure

June and Tom and Reddy

Paddle boat

Gladding's Lady Meadow at her pier

This buoy marks the spot that the Star Spangled Banner was written in Baltimore Harbor West of the Francis Scott Key Bridge

Lady Maryland sailing out of the harbor as we entered

Fort McHenry

Water Wheel on the Falls River solar  powered

Trash is collected and fed into the conveyor and then into a dumpster

This is the explaination, enlarge it and you should be able to read it

This is  Calypso, she came to the aquarium weighing 6 lbs. and an injured front flipper, which she lost.  This green turtle, so named because her fat is green due to her diet.  Now she weighs 300 lbs.

Dolphin show

A relaxing weekend on Cattail Creek off the Magothy River

   Mike Heilman was kind enough to have us stay at his dock for the whole weekend.  Dave did some polishing on the boat and put in a new circuit breaker for the pressure water.  Saturday we got to spend the afternoon sailing on Mike’s Tartan, Adventure, an immaculately kept vessel, with June and Tom Reddy.  The wind was light so it was a rather lazy day.  We came home and with a combined effort Mike and I got dinner together for the five of us.

   Dave and I have enjoyed the time to read novels and the big time newspapers.  Sunday Mike had more sailing plans and we stayed at the house doing laundry and going to the grocery store.  He has a wonderful spot on the water and his neighbors use their boats so there was always someone to watch going out or coming in.  Miss Caroline puts on a show each time.  The paddlewheeler was interesting too.

   Monday morning we filled the water tank and headed to Inner Harbor Baltimore for the week.  On the way we took a lap by the Gladding’s and saw their lovely Lady Meadow in the slip.  Wind was light from the Southeast so we did not have much chop to contend with on our trip up the Bay and into the Patapsco River. There are not many changes on the river but the Inner Harbor has had many since we left in 2003. 

   We arrived at 12 noon and there was a band playing in the street in front of our slip, a special feeling even though we are now docked with the smaller boats.  We were lucky we called in time to get a slip, every size boat is being turned away for the holiday weekend.

   Our first adventure in Baltimore was to Barnes and Noble to get books for Dave.  His heel was really bothering him so we didn’t do any other walking until after dinner.  The heat and humidity was oppressive so showers felt great.  After dinner we did walk to Vaccaro’s for dessert.  YUMMY!  Leftovers for tonight’s desert.

   This morning we reminisced our early years here and took our bikes to the Blue Moon Restaurant for breakfast.  I think we have been saving ourselves for the eateries here.  Dave’s heel was not bothering him so we decided a midweek non-school trip time was a good time to go to the Baltimore Aquarium.  Of course I enjoyed the dolphin show.  So many more exhibits now than when we took our children.  A morning well spent.

Elinor and Tom Adensam

View from their deck, their sailboat Meridian and our Cross Over.

Sunset from their deck

Jeff and Darlene Forte at Cantler's on Mill Creek

Susan and Chuck Gladding

No room on the property for a pool, just float one.

Sailing school  in  Annapolis Harbor

This is the BEAR, one of two sail boats at the Annapolis dock.  The other is the BULL.  They represent the return of the 1869 Sandbagger.  Sailboats of this type were used in the NYC Harbor to harvest oysters. The crew and sandbags were used on the rail to balance the huge sails.  Launched in 1997, built at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia.  Overall length 28', bowsprit 18', draft with center board down 7'  beam 11' and mast 40.  They are impressive and we would have loved to see them sail.

The Oyster Boys in Concert

Annapolis Day 30

   We had a wonderful and relaxing visit at the home of our Tartan friends,  Elinor and Tom Adensam.  Tom and Dave made a return trip to Bacons with the faulty pressure water pump and hose clamps that were the wrong size.  Elinor and I did water aerobics at her Y pool and then she took me out to the Deep Creek Restaurant at lunch time so I could experience Scallops Monterey again, so YUMMY!  That evening we met Darlene and Jeff Forte at Cantler’s on Mill Creek.  Eating crabs is a pricey habit!  Dave enjoyed his clams and I Rockfish.  The Fortes had anchored their Tartan 41’ off the restaurant. They are one of the few club members who still sail a Tartan. 

   Tuesday Elinor had plans to play Mahjong with friends for the day and of course Tom was off on his 36 mile ride.  Dave and I relaxed, did laundry and grocery shopping in the afternoon and I made dinner preparations for the evening.  We ate on the deck and enjoyed another one of their unobstructed sunsets.

  We had a call from Susan and Chuck Gladding and they were free between all their summer plans to meet us for breakfast.  It is so good to catch up with all these special friends.  The Gladdings sailed with us on many occasions and we have fond memories of our trip to Bermuda with them.  They too still sail a Tartan.

   By 10 AM we were under way to enjoy time in the Annapolis area.  Coming down the Severn River we explored  some creeks and then dodged the sailing schools at the Naval Academy and the other private clubs.  The dock here at Mears Marina in Back Creek is newly redone.   The pool in the afternoon was great.  After an early dinner we took the bikes into Annapolis and indulged in small ice creams and checked out the boats in Ego Alley.  The lightening show later was spectacular, the rain leaked in the port window.  

   Thursday after breakfast Dave biked to West Marine and then recaulked the window and did some stainless polishing.   I worked on pictures and the blog.  After lunch we went into town and did some of the shops but bought nothing.  The pool and a new book topped off the afternoon.

   We had and early dinner and biked to the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport.  The Oyster boys gave a fun concert.  If any of you have heard them they did their signature song, “Good Hat, Good Dog, Good Boat.”  During the concert we watched the J- boats return to Back Creek with their spinnakers up.  You never know what will be going on when you come to a new port.

Next stop Cornfield Creek off the Magothy River and spend the night at Mike Heilman’s.  Interestingly enough he too still sails a Tartan.

Bowsprit on the Kalmar Nyckel,  Lion's mane was done in gold leaft when the king of Sweden visited.

Kalmar Nyckel visit Kalmar Nyckel.org for more information

The ship has carved heads of major donors.  Hails from Wilmington, DE

Fish trap  with the owner tending the trap

Cove Point Light with the light flashing

Sky after the storm

This Home is above Hartge's Marina,  The osprey liked it too.

Osprey are plentiful on the Bay.

I got lucky and captured the flashing light at Thomas Point.  You can see the haze.

Ego Alley, Downtown Annapolis, MD

Our audience

Annapolis has their pirate boat.

along the Severen River

Closer to the Adensam's home

There is Meridian and the Adensam's house.

Bike shop on the dock,  my bike has two gears now.  Thanks Tom.

Dave relaxing on the deck.

We now are officially on a summer cruise.

From Solomon’s Island we motored up the Bay on fairly calm water, light wind out of the North.  On past Cove light and more fish traps.  We saw the Pride II headed south with all her sails set but she was too far away to get a photo. 

  On to Galesville; anchoring in our favorite stop off Chalk Point.  Without a keel on the boat  it is no longer our favorite stop.   We moved to the East and the water was calmer.  We took a short swim but the water seemed cold to me and the towel showed how much sediment was in the water.  Heavy rain storms came through but no wind to speak of.  The boat did have a few leaks.  An interesting sky in the evening and the rest of the night was quiet and cool.

  After breakfast we did a tour of the whole area; reaching places we had not been before because of our previous boat having a 5 foot draft.  Presently we only draw 2 ½ feet of water.  We got fuel and proceeded to the Rhode River and cruised around there and found an anchorage before lunch.   Later the weekend boats arrived.  After a swim (water seemed cleaner) we rowed over to a Tartan 37, Shadowfax and met Bob Keene a former member of the Tartan Club.  They now live in Florida. 

This anchorage was not idea, again for the same reason, we road sideways to the waves and rocked until the small boats went home at dark.  

   The next morning dawned over cast and cool.  Dave pulled up the murkiest anchor he had ever seen.  What a mess to wash down!  The Captain set the course to Annapolis, past Thomas Point Light House in the haze. By 10 AM we had reached town, the Naval Academy ahead and CrossOver wanted to show off and headed by the mooring field to Ego Alley.  The viewing audience was there at the hotel to greet us.   The alley seemed very narrow; boats have gotten longer and wider.

   Now out into the Severn River, under the two big bridges and on our way to Elinor and Tom Adensams.  There are many huge homes and boats along the way.  Some had three staircases to reach the water from the house.  We arrived in time for lunch and a short visit before Dave and Tom  headed for Bacon’s, a used boat equipment consignment store.  Elinor and I visited and worked on dinner preparations.   Mike Heilman and Jim Meenen joined us for dinner on the fabulous new deck.

Today is sunny and hot in the sun.  Dave and Tom are doing boat and bicycle work.