On the Boat Again and Bahama Bound (Hopefully!)

Al and I have started our second trip south, planning to winter in the Bahamas this year if all goes well.  We came down to our marina in Swan Creek, Md. on Wednesday, Sept.29th thanks to our daughter-in-law and our youngest son who came to keep her company on the way back to Lancaster.  The remnants of tropical storm Nicole  poured on us all day and night Thursday, which gave us lots of time to do inventory and small projects that needed to be done inside the boat.  We got to see our boat rise with the tide as the water crept to two inches over the docks, but luckily the winds shifted to blow out of the north which helped the waters recede.  The next day we still worked on various projects but were disheartened to discover that our single side band radio which is of the 1980's vintage was fried on the inside which we feel might have been caused by lightning.  We did not use it much on the last trip but would have liked it for over in the Bahamas.  Some decisions of what to do about it will have to be made before crossing over in December..

We finally left the slip on Saturday, Oct. 2nd after filling the water tanks to go to the Magothy River which is not very far south but we wanted to attend our sailing association's Wine Tasting Cruise. Six boats attended which made for a great wine tasting with appetizers and desserts served before and after.  And guess whose red wine won?  Yours truly with our $3.50 bottle of Malbec by Crane Lake.  So you can see that a wine does not have to be expensive to be liked!

Chatting with friends and saying our good byes for the next 8 months as the orange sky silhouetted the far shore, I thought, "What a great beginning to our trip!".