2011-10-12 - in St. Michaels, MD

This morning it is raining and blowing in the anchorage.  We are enjoying the moment where we can just hang out and catch up on school work. Currently, however, we are enjoying a video of the Shards (from a boat called Distant Shores) and getting exciting about the Bahamas portion of the trip.  We just saw an episode outlining Compass Cay where you can swim with the sharks right in the marina.  Connor is so excited about that!  For me, the clear, warm water is what I can't wait for!  After a lively school session, we put the table back down into a 'couch'.  We decided to put it back up a few days ago but we soon realized that the comfy couch configuration is way better for hanging out on.  Especially for Dylan as well.  Without the couch he needs to remain seated, so this is great for him.  As soon as the last cushion went in - the wrestling began!  School was officially over.  The wind and rocking had settled down so we had decided to make a run for shore.  Sure enough, however a big rain cloud moved in as we were getting in the dinghy. Connor and Kerry decided that they would make a run for it.  I didn't feel as adventurous.  I had decided to stay behind with Dylan and play with him for a bit.  Kerry and Connor hit the museum again.  He wanted to see if they had live crabs to look at today.  It turned out they didn't.  We have been trying to catch them today off the back of the boat.  Just to have a look at and put back.  To do this, you take a piece of chicken with bone and tie it to a piece of string and dangle it over the edge of the boat.  When you think you have a crab on it, you slowly lift if up until you have your crab.  We didn't have the right foods to put on but an assure you that banana isn't a crab favourite!

2011-10-11 - to St. Michaels, MD

We left the 'Spoony's' at 10:00am.  It was so nice to see them again but it was time to throw our lines if we ever want to make it to the warmer climate.  We landed in St. Michaels later in the afternoon.  St. Michaels is one of the most popular places on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake.  It was first settled in the 17th century which is evident from all of the older buildings in the town.  We dinghied to shore to enjoy the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  It was a pleasant surprise as there was a lot to see and do there.  The Hooper Strait Lighthouse  is a real Chesapeake Bay lighthouse that we got to climb as well. On our way to shore Connor spotted a jellyfish called a stinging nettle.  He was so thrilled, as he has never seen a wild jellyfish and was so happy to spot it so that we could also see it.   Great Day! 



The teacher has to increase discipline in the boat



Is this fish in season? 

Kerry and Connor try to harvest Oysters off of the dock at the Maritime Museum

Dylan tries his hand at the Oyster harvest!  Looks like we're having spaghetti tonight!!

Dylan has a new friend!

Climbing the old Chesapeake lighthouse.

The Chesapeake lighthouse at the Maritime Museum - Connor had to climb one more time
to the top!

2011-10-10 - in Little Round Bay, MD

2011-10-09 - to Little Round Bay, MD

The lovely view from the dock!

Today, we are leaving Annapolis.  It is a great town...but, there are so many other places to see and do.  We pulled anchor at 9:30am to head up river to visit a lovely family that we met last trip.  They have a wonderful spot on the water that they were gracious enough to allow us to stay on their dock.   It was really great to see them and catch up.  It's been 2 years since we have seen them and we always look forward to reminiscing about life on the water.  They hope that they can do it again and something tells me that they just might.




2011-10-08 - in Annapolis, MD

The anchorage here was so rocky from the passing boats in the outside channel.  We decided to run into town to get a bit of peace.  But first we had to call the "pump-out" boat.  No one really likes a pump out, let alone calling for one over the public radio, but, Annapolis has a pump out boat and when your tanks are full, for $5 they will take care of you.  We got that order of business out of the way and headed into town.  We went to the shore opposite the boat show and tied up at the end of one of the streets.  Every street has a little tie up which is great.  It was just a short walk over the bridge back to downtown.   Connor was obsessed with spending his allowance on an Iron Man figure from a comic store.  With some attempt at coaching him on this purchase (trying to persuade him that he didn't need it) he did it anyway.  We are trying to teach him to save a bit of his money, but it is a new concept and, I am sure with a little bit of time he will hold onto it for longer than a day.  Fingers crossed.  We stayed on shore until the very last minute when we jumped back in the dinghy before sunrise.  The anchorage had settled down.  When we got back to the boat not too many things were out of place from the rocking. 

2011-10-07 - in Annapolis, MD

Connor checks out the stairs leading down to the water
while Kerry finalizes the bill on our new boat !  ;)

Today we did the boat show.  We ended up taking the water taxi into the show today, instead of braving the dingy dock.  Yesterday, it was very busy and today it is the first full day of regular admission...it may be busier.  The water taxi is neat.  You hail them over the radio, describe your boat and location and they come right over.  Quite handy.  We lined up and  got our tickets for the boat show.  It is such a busy place.  The show is all outside and mostly on the docks so you soon get disoriented.  We went to the catamaran section first.  They had, I think, one 'small' catamaran that was 39 feet...but, the rest were in the 40's and 50's.  They are quite large and have way too many features and space that they seem a little overboard (But, for the record, if one showed up at the dock with our name on it....I could get quite used to it! ;)  )  Connor got hooked on a small sailboat demo section that they had set up for kids.  It was the first time he had tried the small boats and now he is hooked.  We definitely will set him up for sailing school for the summer.  The treat today was seeing the large gang from QCYC that take a pilgrimage to the boat show every year.  We ended up meeting up for happy hour and then called it a night when the boat show ended early evening.  It was a long day and the scorching sun all day made crashing into bed early the next item on the days agenda. 

Connor has definitely caught the 'bug'!  This was from the first session.  The last 3 he did solo!