Mill Creek - We depart Thursday with a south wind

Ingram Bay Marina - gas and ice today

We could have gone north today but the wind was still gusting to 30 kts at 11:00 although it was predicted to decrease to 5 to 10 by the afternoon. We decided we would rather stay another day in the pleasant anchorage and leave on Friday with a fair wind at our backs and the tide with us, neither of which we would have had if we left this afternoon. We appreciate fair passages, we've made many. Others may have a schedule to meet but we have none.

A fixture in the area, a duck blind

So Ann painted today on her pastels while I went for ice at the nearest marina which was almost three miles away. I had to leave the anchorage and strike out into the bay so I waited until the predicted winds actually slowed to less than 10 kts in the afternoon. The marina is Ingram Bay Marina which is hard to find visually. I didn't take a GPS with me (should have...) and just sighted the route by eye using the markers. I had been used to using the chartplotter and had gotten out of practice using visual navigation. The markers are surprisingly hard to see on open water with a confusing background of houses and land and I think I wandered around more than I should have finding the way in.

The entrance is almost impossible to see from the water until you get within 500 yards of the channel in. I eventually found it and filled up the gas tank for the dinghy and bought 20 lbs of ice, the original reason for the trip. The way back was just as uncertain. Next time I'll be sure to bring a GPS with a route active. I had my iPhone with a navigation app but with no route installed. I thought I could just eyeball the route but with the overhead, very bright sun, it was very hard to see anything on the display.

Jacey Vineyards - Lunch in the summer but not now

Nevertheless, I eventually found my way back ("What took you so long?", said Ann) and all was well. We took a ride in the afternoon to find the Jacey Vineyards. We had looked a couple of days ago but couldn't find the house where they held afternoon lunches. It turns out that it's right across from the 7 ft mark on Mill Creek by a side stream with a mark across the entrance. Just go down the stream and tie up but they were not open today, too early in the season I guess.

Finally we have good weather for the next several days and we hope to make Chesapeake City by Sunday evening and if all holds to plan, make the run up the coast from Atlantic City on Thursday but that's probably too much to hope for as far as weather prediction. For tomorrow, Friday, we plan on reaching Solomons and we'll take it from there.