Dreamtime has left the harbor

What’s that behind Bob?  Could it be land?

And what’s between Bob and the land?  Could that be water?

Yesterday we ventured out of the slip, past the breakwater and into the Bay by ourselves – woo hoo!!!!

There was absolutely no wind and the Bay was like a lake of still water, so the sails did not go up, but we did go out.

I must report that I LOVE the new headsets we bought.  They are bluetooth connected and allow Bob and me to talk to each other as if we were right next to each other even when we are on opposite ends of the boat.  It was great to have him right in my ear.  I was able to tell him when the dock lines were free, when I saw crab pots to avoid, and he was able to tell me what he needed me to do.  Bob reported loving them too – that is until I sneezed and nearly blew out his eardrum, oops.  And again as we passed by some new friends (more on them in the next post) and I called over to them while still wearing the microphone.  Lessons learned – cover the mouthpiece when I am not talking directly to Bob and when sneezing.

We left the slip, motored out into the Bay for about an hour or so getting more familiar with the navigational aids and markers,  and re-entered the slip without incident.

I enjoyed being at the bow and seeing the sights.  Osprey nest atop the channel markers but don’t like boats getting to close to their young.  This mother let us know she was not pleased.

When we returned to the dock we tested the genoa (front sail) and staysail (middle sail) to be sure they would run smoothly and we would have no major surprises when we actually get to use them.

We are definitely getting better with prep work before departure and set-up work after arrival.  The air conditioning was re-installed easily, the sail cover was reattached relatively easily (it probably helped that the sail hadn’t been used), the windshield/windscreen cover was replaced easily and even the middle piece of canvas between the bimini and dodger was reattached without drama (or cussing).  We didn’t time the process, but it didn’t seem to take nearly as long as the first two times.  But yes, we were both still covered in sweat by the time the processes were over.

The weather forecast for the next few days is rain and thunderstorms, so we probably won’t go out again for a few days.

Our next planned adventure may be our first overnight excursion to Annapolis.  Will keep you posted.