The morning started off as many did for me during this trip. Up early, have a shower, engine room checks, turn on the navigation equipment, start my log for the day, check the weather, take Tank for a walk and fire up the engines before preparing to leave the dock.
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Sunrise in Oxford.
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This time leaving the dock was very easy and we slipped away silently into the morning. The ride up the Chesapeake was yet another picture perfect day. We timed our departure so that we would be arriving at Schaffer's Canal House just around slack current with maybe a bit of current on the stern. This would require me too make a 180 degree turn to have our nose into the current as we would approach the dock, or at least that is what we thought would happen.
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Off the dock and on our way.
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Goodbye Oxford, next stop, Schaffer's Canal House
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We spent the day keeping a watchful eye on the horizon and also to our stern, sometimes commercial traffic just creeps up on you and before you know it you are being overtaken by a very large freighter. Tank spent most of the day, as he almost always does, by my side at the helm station and Karen was busy snapping lots of photos. Steve and Diane would periodically pop into the wheelhouse but would spend their time catching up on work or checking their computers and phones for messages and I was as happy as can be at the helm, using the radar and confirming different objects on the plotter and charts. There is no better time to practice with the radar than a clear sunny day, learning how to use the unit while you are in fog is not a great idea.
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Not sure why they call these "fish havens"?
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Annapolis in the distance.
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Chesapeake Bay lighthouse.
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Lots of tanker traffic on the bay.
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Pleasure boat traffic increased as we approached Annapolis.
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We passed under the Bay Bridge, I've driven over it many times but this was a first.
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I do hope they restore this lighthouse.
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The US Naval Academy with Annapolis in the background.
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As we approached the C&D Canal, we did come across some commercial traffic, but most traffic was recreational in nature and even more challenging. You see professional mariners know the rules and know what to do, recreational boaters out for a weekend cruise in small day boats, pontoon boats, runabouts, and personal watercraft not so much. I place myself somewhere in between. I have worked on the water years ago when I was a commercial diver. I've also taken seamanship training in college and have had rigging training as well as towing training. I've worked on various tug boats, barges, and other commercial vessels and have a good base knowledge and respect for the rules that govern shipping. However, that being said, I am always learning.
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More and more smaller boats zipping around.
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Some lighthouses can easily be missed.
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Houses on the banks of the C&D Canal.
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We continued into the C&D Canal and the pleasure boat traffic was still building. It would seem that they were all heading to the same place we were. We arrived at Shaffer's Canal House as planned and hailed the harbor master on the radio. When instructed where to tie up at first it looked like it would be a tight fit, but on approach, we had plenty of space. Karen and Diane were on the fore deck and Karen had some concerns, but this would be the least of her worries.
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Commercial tugboats remind you that this is a working canal.
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| Some things are just unexpected! |
As we approached we were considering a starboard tie since the current was supposed to be at our stern and I find it best to have the current on your bow in order to maintain control. We headed past the wall where we would be tying up and I turned the boat around in the channel only to realize that the current was not as expected. Karen and Diane had all the lines set up for the expected starboard tie and I made the call to change over to a port side tie. Karen was not happy. She now had to move all of her lines over the the other side and with her knee issues, this was quite difficult for her. I tried to calm Karen down as much as possible and told her she had plenty of time as I would take my time to turn the boat before heading in. We informed the dock hands that we were changing our approach and it would take a bit more time before we came in.
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Shaffer's Canal House just ahead under the bridge.
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Now for those of you familiar with the movie Captain Ron, this was a scene straight out of that movie. Picture the wall that we were tying to was just beside an outdoor dining patio with patrons dining away as we approached. Boats to both sides forward and aft and we were on our way in. Now I didn't approach at full throttle as my philosophy is to approach at slow to dead slow always. I brought her in and the dock hands caught almost all the lines with the exception of the bow line that was dropped in the water. This was a very stressful docking for Karen and though I tried to calm her down, it did not work. She was stressed with having to change all of the lines from one side to the other. I made the decision that this would have to change.
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Docked along the wall at Shaffer's Canal House.
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Tank was the most relaxed crew member.
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Back in my bunk...."This boat seems to be listing more and more??"
