A Nice September Weekend (Sailing with Jim & Xiaosheng)

 

After skipping sailing last weekend for some theater organ events, we headed back down to Rock Hall on Saturday morning and headed right out onto the bay.  It was much cooler than during our Labor Day vacation and shorts and polo shirts have given way to sweat jackets and long pants.

But it was a beautiful sunny day and we set out right after our arrival.  Winds were light and the bay was flat.  There were a lot of boat out on the bay but few were actually sailing (and those that were sailing weren't really moving much).  Still it was a nice brisk day and a welcome respite from the heat of recent months.

We motored around for a while and then headed in.  

Following the excursion, Vicky worked on cleaning her boat and then cooked one of her blue apron meals which we enjoyed right after sunset.  Following that we hung out in the cockpit and enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

Sunday morning started with a sunrise walk.  For some reason, my knee was a bit stiff but it seemed to loosen up with the stroll.

I caught "Killer" in mid stroke practicing her fly zapping skills.

Mid-morning, Jim and Xiaosheng arrived with Anan and MeiMei for a day on the water followed by a crab/cookout feast.

The day was a bit cloudy.  Winds were expected to be steady at the 12 knots and I was hopeful that we could get some sailing in, but for some reason the sea state was a bit rough.  (There was a small craft advisory starting later in the day, but we were hopeful to get out and back before that began.)

Xiaosheng's photo

Vicky had fun with MeiMei.

Jim happens to be my boss and I always enjoy putting him to work for a brief change of pace.

Once we set sail, we did feel "the motion of the ocean" a bit more.  We sailed out into the bay for a bit until I suddenly decided to turn back and head home.

Vicky has insisted that I not relay what has happened between these two photos to avoid any embarrassment, so I'll let it suffice to say that I was reminded of the time Aerosmith visited Wayne's World... especially about 5:25 into the clip in the link.

(Hint for next time, carefully consider your line of sight during times like this.)

We floored it (reaching a top speed of 8 kts... a little under 10 mph) on the way home and then immediately headed to the picnic tables.

Xiaosheng's photo

Jim and I went to get a dozen crabs from Chester River Seafood, and we had a mini-crab feast.  Added some hot dogs, dumplings and corn on the cob.  The sun came out and we were able to squeeze in a nice time for enjoying food and each other.

"I don't like crabs" were the first words out of her mouth.  That changed.

We knew there was a bad storm coming, so I headed back to Seas The Day to begin to batten down as they finished the remaining crabs.  While there, I slipped on the companionway steps and over-extended my bad knee.  (Note, see addendum below for more details.)  Fortunately with all the help (special thanks to Anan for helping to schlep everything) we were able to quickly load and go... getting in the car just as the first raindrops were falling in Rock Hall.

As we motored out of Rock Hall and through Chestertown, we were aware that we where heading straight towards this huge thunderhead.  Fortunately, we only had a few minutes of intense rain followed by a few nice rainbows!

ADDENDUM

Well, it turns out the over extended knee from my slip and fall wasn't the only issue.  While slipping down the companionway steps, I banged the back of my head.  Vicky noticed some bruising the following (Monday) morning and since I'm on certain meds, that prompted a trip to the Middletown ER to confirm that everything was alright (it was).  So I now have a 3D study proving conclusively that I do have a brain - even if there isn't always outwardly visible evidence of that fact.