…back again!

We are!  My reunions with Mikaela always pop up in the most random and unexpected ways.  But more on that later.  Also, please ignore my general sunburnt- and unshowered-ness in that picture.

Sunday 9 September

Yet another picturesque morning on board the Bay Cat!  When we awoke, Rock Hall was perfectly calm and gave no indication of the previous day’s crazy storm.

Sunday was a glorious day.  Our plan was to head south to St. Michaels and/or Oxford (my two favorite stops from last year’s trip).  The north wind was pushing us in exactly the direction we wanted to go.  We just had to hoist the sails, set our course, and let nature do the rest.

(FYI, for any non-sailors, that is a beautifully trimmed sail.)

We made a mid-sail stop for daiquiris while going through Kent Narrows.  Susannah and I had tried the daiquiris at one of the other dock bars along the narrows when we’d stopped on our way to Reed Creek, and they were upsettingly subpar.  So we gave up on trying new things and begged Paul to take us back to our favorite place from last year: Fisherman’s Crab Deck.

Old habits die hard.

Anyway, our downwind run tapered off a bit after getting through the narrows and we lost some of the speed we’d been enjoying that morning, but we still made it to St. Michaels harbor with plenty of time left in the day.

In a deja-vu repeat of last year’s visit, we walked into town, grabbed a few necessary supplies from the Acme supermarket, and picked up some fresh fish from Billy’s Seafood.  Then, in the best repeat of all, my favorite Maryland resident/most excellent Kiwi flatmate joined us on board for dinner!

Townes looks WAY too cool for us in this picture.  In reality, he loves Mikaela and was almost as excited as I was that she was coming to meet up with us!  I love that my little cousin loves one of my best pals who lived with me in New Zealand.  Magical worlds collide.

The five of us enjoyed salmon from the grill and a beautiful evening on deck, while Mikaela and I got to catch up on most of the past six months (we hadn’t seen each other since she came to visit me in February).  Our evening together, which was also our last evening on board the boat, ended with a wonderful farewell:

Is there anything better than that view?

Mikaela said it best when she texted me the next day that “our time together is always so short but so sweet!”  After living in the same apartment for five months straight, we’ll probably never be completely used to seeing each other only a couple times a year – but I’m still so glad that we get to see each other the times that we do!  New Zealand, New York City, St. Michaels, the Outer Banks… where should our next adventure be, Mik?!

After Mikaela hitched a ride back to shore, Paul, Susannah, Townes and I tucked in to our berths, sure of a peaceful night’s sleep at our serene anchorage because the forecast called for barely a breath of wind overnight.  Things turned out a little differently…

TR Quote of the Day:

After being audibly… well, gassy… at dinner…

“Look out!  Small craft advisory!!”