Salt Ponds Marina
Monday June 29, 2009
Latitude 37º03.77'N
Longitude 076º16.78'W

Well, we got off the boat and no one offered me a Cuban Cigar, so I guess we are back where we are supposed to be. 

When we entered Salt Ponds, on our way to the Marina, three things happened. I called Karen and Dennis on Kailani, Kay spotted Tom Pantelides on Mazi and called a greeting, and, for the first time that day, it started to rain. The rain did not last long. Just long enough for us to get into our slip and tie up. As soon as we could seek shelter, the rain stopped. All in all it provided a nice summary of our days trip. Sort of a harbinger of the past.

The weather for yesterday seemed perfect for a fast trip South. Little wind, little waves and strong outgoing tidal currents. We left at 7:15 and once we cleared land we found little wind indeed, but, also, big rollers on our beam. Usually wind in the sails will keep the boat steady, but there was not enough wind to even fill them. The result was some serious "Rocken & Rollin".

We measure the result of such rude treatment by the number of stored items that loose their shackles and find their way to the lowest point available, the Cabin Sole (floor). Usually such events are measured in twos and threes but yesterday was a record 22. This included our coffee pot complete with the morning grounds. A first for it, us and Spindrift.  But not to worry, our coffee maker is one of the old fashioned percolator types and made of steel. None of the glass drip types for us.

There has always been a discussion on when is a boat a yacht? Some say size matters, if that were true the Staten Island ferry would be a yacht. Others point to a paid crew as the key, thus embracing container ships in this category. Though not spoken of openly, price is thought to draw the line. If this were so the Hinkley Picnic boat would be a yacht. And, while all of us would love to own one of these fine boats, it is a boat not a yacht.

If a sea going boat safely carries actual glassware for food and drink service, it is a Yacht, otherwise it is a boat. Unless, of course, the boat in question, never leaves the slip, then it claim to be anything, boat, tug, yacht or Summer Home. Not a bad idea at that.

The condition of never leaving the slip is widely known as "mal de port." Its symptoms are big plans failing because of small causes, such as, a sea gull landing on the mast in the morning or a recent downturn in pork futures. A rope stuck on a cleat is always good for a day or two of delay, providing helpful neighbors can be kept at bay.

The final question for us, then, comes to this "Will we or won't we?" Will we get back to our favorite places in the upper bay? Among these are Baltimore Inner Harbor, Rock Hall, and the Sassafras River. Will we finally explore the Chester River, the one place we have never been that was always had high on our list of priorities. It comes down to this. Spindrift is ready, willing and able. Kay is ready, willing and able. Carl is ready, willing and ?

But, the future is never certain, Kay is a genius at fixing the unfixable with Super Glue and Duct Tape. So what seemingly can't be fixed now may change, and no mast-decorating-sea-gull will keep us in port. Destinations may have to be modified but our expectations will not.

END