I am in the middle of my summer cruise. It started off pretty good but for the past few days I have been holed up in Solomons Island, MD.
I left the dock on a Friday and sailed to a place called Price's Cove. It was beautiful weather with the winds out of the North West holding at 15 knots.
The next day we did a short sail to Smith Creek where I met up with Jim Seamans and a few other boats for a raft up. This was a great time and the highlight of the trip. Too bad the highlight of the trip is the second day!!!!
On the third day we left for Solomons Island, MD. The winds were out of the South. I made good time and had a good sail. I even got to fly the asymmetrical spinnaker for a while until the winds went back up to 15 knots steady. It was a wild ride into the Pax river with a sudden strong wind coming up to 20 knots out of the south. There were huge waves coming into the Pax because the wind was going against the current and deep water is meeting shallower water in the area. I surfed off of the waves at 7 knots (hull speed is 6 knots on my boat).
Since that day I have been stuck in Solomons Island. The original plan was to sail north to the Choptank River and go to Cainbridge, Oxford, and St. Michaels (Via San Domingo Creek). I decided that it wasn't a good idea to go further north since the winds all week have been forecast to stay South. Every day the wind forecast has been 10-15 out of the South with gusts over 20 knots. That is a recipe for a bad passage on a 23 foot boat.
Tomorrow is the only day where the winds lighten up a little and, of course, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms. I am going to run like hell to get back into the Potomac River because the winds are going to go back up to 10-15 knots out of the south.
I have never seen the winds stay this consistently strong this time of year, especially out of the South. I was sure that I would get Some North winds at some point.
I left the dock on a Friday and sailed to a place called Price's Cove. It was beautiful weather with the winds out of the North West holding at 15 knots.
The next day we did a short sail to Smith Creek where I met up with Jim Seamans and a few other boats for a raft up. This was a great time and the highlight of the trip. Too bad the highlight of the trip is the second day!!!!
On the third day we left for Solomons Island, MD. The winds were out of the South. I made good time and had a good sail. I even got to fly the asymmetrical spinnaker for a while until the winds went back up to 15 knots steady. It was a wild ride into the Pax river with a sudden strong wind coming up to 20 knots out of the south. There were huge waves coming into the Pax because the wind was going against the current and deep water is meeting shallower water in the area. I surfed off of the waves at 7 knots (hull speed is 6 knots on my boat).
Since that day I have been stuck in Solomons Island. The original plan was to sail north to the Choptank River and go to Cainbridge, Oxford, and St. Michaels (Via San Domingo Creek). I decided that it wasn't a good idea to go further north since the winds all week have been forecast to stay South. Every day the wind forecast has been 10-15 out of the South with gusts over 20 knots. That is a recipe for a bad passage on a 23 foot boat.
Tomorrow is the only day where the winds lighten up a little and, of course, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms. I am going to run like hell to get back into the Potomac River because the winds are going to go back up to 10-15 knots out of the south.
I have never seen the winds stay this consistently strong this time of year, especially out of the South. I was sure that I would get Some North winds at some point.
Same on Sailflow which is really too far away weatherwise. Are you anchored or at a marina?
