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Cat TalesOctober 2002 |
Richard Schatz, Commodore
The Crab Feast Raftup weekend was a
perfect example of the joys of Fall sailing. We left on a brisk Friday
afternoon that was supposed to be rainy. We had enough time to sail from
Annapolis to the West River, get fuel, have a nice hot chili dinner and be snug
in our bunks before the rain began. There's nothing like sleeping on a boat on
rainy night. We beat the weather forecast for that day by a wide
margin.
We awoke well rested to a morning with a nip in the air. There
was a mist, but no rain as predicted. We turned on the heater to take the chill
out, and had some warm, strong coffee. After a hearty breakfast of scrambled
eggs and sausage, we motored out to what was supposed to be 15 knots of wind.
Well, it was still early in the morning and perhaps the winds will pickup
later. At least there were very few powerboats (They seem to hibernate after
Labor Day weekend.) so, the motor across the bay was smooth and as it turned
out, warm - over 70 degrees! What a glorious day!
Well, we really tried
to sail, we even tried putting up the sails while motoring (…it sort of
felt like sailing). There were wind shifts and puffs but the wind gods were not
with us. We had to be satisfied with cruising on the bay on a perfect Autumn
Day. All in all not a bad thing to be doing.
As we passed through the
Eastern Bay and turned North towards the Narrows, we got our 15 knots.
Unfortunately the wind was right on our nose and if we wanted to make the Crab
Feast before 9:30 p.m., tacking was not an option. Our weatherman had predicted
NE winds all day and of course was wrong again.
We arrived in due time
and had a great feast with 16 of our good friends. Afterwards, thanks to Don
McBride's able navigating, we were able to nestle into Kirwan Creek for the
night. The evening was cool and pleasant , Vicky and Al on "Laid Back" treated
us to dessert and a nightcap. Very satisfying!
The next day was an
Autumn dream for sailors. With the winds on our beam, we were able to have the
sails up and pulling within a half-hour of leaving the raftup. We sailed with
9-10 knot winds through the length of Prospect Bay and when we turned into
Eastern Bay the wind shifted slightly in our favor and gave us 15-21 knots
close hauled through the bay.
When we finally reached the Chesapeake,
the winds shifted again and under 10- 15 knots, we sailed on a single tack to
Annapolis and home. The Bay was a playground for sailboats of all sizes and
shapes. Everyone seemed to want to get that last perfect sailing day and they
weren't disappointed. Cool sailing under a warming sun, with great wind on a
beautiful bay. It gives me chills just thinking about the feeling.
The
final note to this writing is that we have the best of the best when it comes
to sailing, no one has better. Autumn can be the most gratifying as we found
out this weekend. There are few if any powerboaters, and no annoying jet
skiers. The air is crisp and clean with no insects. So don't just blindly
listen to the weatherman, stick your head out the window and if it looks good,
"Go sailing!"
Seize the Bay!
Ray VanHorn, Scimitar
The November Member Meeting will be
November 10th, 5 - 7 PM, at the Cantina D'Italia restaurant in
Annapolis.
Fred Wagner from West Marine will do a presentation on New
Toys from West Marine so we can get ideas for "Christmas Gifts for
Sailors".
We will also have the election of officers for 2003. Please
send any nominations to Vice Commodore Ray VanHorn
(rayvanhorn@comcast.net).
The evening will also include discussion of
incredible raft-up possibilities for 2003.
To get to the restaurant:
From Route 50 in Annapolis, take the MD-450 exit - exit number 23 - toward
MD-178/ Parole. Take the MD-450 W ramp toward Crownsville. Turn slight right
onto West St. Look for and turn left onto MD-450/Defense Hwy. Cantina D'Italia
will be on your right at 126 Defense Highway. If you need to call them, their
phone number is410-224-1330.
PS There will be a meeting of all officers
beginning at 4:00 for Planning Purposes.
It's not too early to start planning your schedule for the Holidays. The
weekends fill up fast and you don't want to miss out on the fun.
The
annual CCYC Holiday Party will be at Rich Schatz and Diane Benyus' house in
Annapolis this year on December 8th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Bring your singing
voice or any other instrument you can play, as we will be singing songs of
Christmas. Dress is informal.
The club will furnish a turkey or ham as
well as wine and beer. Attendees should bring hors' d'oeuvres, a side dish or a
dessert. In addition, each person should bring a wrapped gift. The gift should
be boat-related but be no more than $10 value. There is a gift exchange game we
will play.
Please call Diane or Richard (443-482-9563) or send them an
email r.schatz@att.net to coordinate the dish you plan to bring
You'll
be receiving another notice about the party with directions and other details
but we wanted to remind you of the date and location.