Sail to Worton Creek, MD

June 17, 2013

We left Havre Da Grace after a nice cup of coffee at Jana’s Java with a new friend from the marina. The wind was again coming from the south, not very strongly at first, so progress was slow. Toward the evening however, rainclouds built up off the western shore and brought some sprinkling rain and stronger winds to us. We enjoyed excellent, if wet, sailing down the bay.

As the clouds continued to build on the western shore, we decided to head in a little earlier and anchor in the sheltered mouth of Worton Creek. Kris fired up the grill again and cooked us a delicious dinner of burgers and sweet corn. After, we explored the nearby shores a bit, discovering a great deal of driftwood on the northern shore of the inlet. This beach had good evening bonfire potential, but perhaps for another night, as more rain seemed to be heading our way. Kris and I got the dingy over to the boat just in time, the rain beginning to patter and ripple across the water.  Glad we’d put up a makeshift canvas tent to cover the cockpit, Kris and I watched the sun set and the steady rain settle in.

Storms passed over us in the night, more than we had thought were predicted and certainly more than we had the previous night in Havre de Grace. Though we turned about in the shifting winds, the storms seemed to be passing, and the anchor was holding well. Then, around 11:30, a hurling gust ripped across the water. The boat healed over from the force of the wind and the canvas tore loose. Barefooted and barely able to get our jackets on in time, Kris and I rushed out into the cockpit. I felt as though someone had dumped an icy bucket of water straight over my head. Everything, everything was soaked instantly.  The torrential downpour half blinded us with water, but we were able to quickly rescue the canvas, tie up the bimini, and batten down the hatches. Then we stayed up, awaiting storm front after storm front until we felt sure that the anchor would hold and that the worst was over. We’d seen much stronger storms, but that blast of wind caught us off guard, nature reminding us that just when you think the storm’s past, she’s not finished yet! Perhaps next time we see storm clouds rolling in, we’ll be sure to fully batten everything down, not matter how light the storm may seem.