Shipwright Harbor, Deale, MD to Beacon Marina, Solomon's Island, MD
We left Shipwright Harbor Marina in Deale, MD at 10 am this morning. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, 76 degrees, and not much wind on the Bay. Winds were 6 knots, gusting 12 knots according to the weather report, but we really never felt the gusts while we were cruising. The water was very calm. We saw a lot of fish and crabs swimming just below the surface, and also a couple of skates. The water was so smooth that both Richard and I took turns at the helm while the other either sat or laid on the forward deck (now known as Angie's sun pad) and watched the bow wave as the water hit the boat, or we just looked forward at deck level watching as the water with its gentle swells just rolled by. It is very calming and mesmerizing.
For the last few days, the water in the Bay has been the color of coffee and has stained our boat. Today the water was back to a clear green, but the stain remains.
We pulled into Beacon Marina at 2:20 pm this afternoon after cruising for 4 hours and 20 minutes (34 miles), and we met a nice couple, Bob and Trish, who helped us with our dock lines. They have a Mainship and have done a portion of the Great Loop. We talked with them quite a while about it.
There are several marinas in this one location and people can take advantage of a floating tiki bar to take them around. We saw the barge with the fireworks loaded on for tonight's display. Pretty impressive. It left out around 7:00 pm with a tug pushing it. After dinner, Richard and I sat up on our flybridge to await the fireworks. Bob and Trish and their family sat alongside us on their boat and waited with us. The fireworks finally began around 9:30 and we had a spectacular show!
We are only staying here one night and will continue heading South tomorrow to Point Lookout Marina at the mouth of the Potomac River, where it meets the Chesapeake Bay.
