Annapolis - A Wild Harbor on the Weekends!

Trip Day:	77	Latitude:	38°58.55 ' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	18	Longitude:	076°28.93 ' W	Locks Total:	8
Total Miles:	1,520	Location:	Annapolis Basin Mooring Field

Awakened a little lazy this morning knowing there was no hurry to depart our comfy creek.  After checking the weather we got underway and followed KatMan2 through the bridge at Kent Island Narrows.  The bridge was extremely narrow and the current was ripping through the opening.  As soon as we passed through, Marc headed toward the restaurant dock ahead of us.  We pulled in as well, knowing he had been experiencing electrical problems with his engine.  Ron grabbed his multimeter and he and Marc went to work.  About an hour passed as they hunted down the loose connection and corrected the problem.

We sailed under the Bay Bridge with the water very much like a washing machine.  Waves seemed to be coming from every direction, boats of every size were tacking across the bay, ships, and tugs pushing barges were in the main shipping channel.  The closer we got to Annapolis Harbor the crazier it got until it was total chaos!  Sixty foot sailboats were tacking in every direction, then there was a fleet of 420s, kayaks and even paddle boarders right in the mix seemingly oblivious to the large boats.  I had a hard time rounding into the wind for Ron to drop the mainsail dodging the boat traffic and the crab traps, but we managed to get into the city basin and pick up a mooring ball.  The local sport seems to be sailing through the mooring field which entertained us for awhile, as did the harbor ducks,  before boarding our dinghy to go ashore to do laundry.  


As we headed back out to our boat, a sailor we met earlier hailed us over to his Beneteau 41 for drinks and snacks.  Bill, Tom, Ed and Vince are college buddies who sail together for one week each year and they gave us the low down on Annapolis, Baltimore and the surrounding bay area. As we enjoyed happy hour with them, a steady stream of boats, from 20 footers to 60  footers motored into the basin, up as far as they could, then turned around to leave.  Bill said this is known as “Ego Alley” and the parade is never ending.