After leaving Annapolis we pass under the Bay Bridge and anchor out in Worton Creek at about 8 pm. Matt and the boys jump in the water as the sun sets; a huge amber-gold moon comes up later that night.
We leave the next morning and sail to Chesapeake City, MD. It’s an adorable town and just happens to be Ice Cream Day.On Monday, we motor through the canal to Delaware City, DE and arrive by lunch. Another cute town. We have lunch out, get fresh bread from the bakery, and happen upon a blacksmith’s shop. I don’t realize it’s closed and stumble in a side door. I’m fascinated by anyone who makes a living with their hands (e.g., carpenters, potters, weavers, etc.). The owner (Kerry Rhoades) is there and graciously allows us to walk around, ask questions and look at a binder of his work. It’s gorgeous – both functional and artistic – and we see evidence of it as we walk through town (see his portfolio at www.forgedcreations.com). We play kickball and hang out at the library during the hottest part of the day.
On Wednesday, we leave at 5:45 am and head for Lewes (pronounced Louis), DE. It’s wonderfully chilly in the morning and the boys sleep in. I make a cup of tea, go up on deck and sip it from the one breakable item I’ve allowed on board – a wood-fired tea bowl. During a week-long pottery workshop last summer, every afternoon Kevin, the instructor, would stop our work and make tea for us. We would gather around a table and talk. He was quiet but asked good questions and struck me as someone who had a lot of wisdom. In addition to learning technical skills and watching him work, those conversations were a highlight of the workshop. In my head, I referred to them as Tea with Yoda. He brought a variety of tea bowls and there was one I was always drawn to. It was not only beautiful but also felt amazing in my hands. It is one of the few objects I couldn’t leave in storage (see his work at www.kevincrowepottery.com).
We anchor out for a few hours in the late morning to wait for wind and the tide. The boys want to swim. Thankfully, Matt is mindful of the strong currents and jacklines Malachi to the boat. Who knows how much time would have passed before I noticed he had floated quickly away? We make it to Lewes at sunset. The next day, we wander around the town – visiting the bookstore and the beach.
It’s a great town and we could have stayed another day but a weather window presents itself and we have our first off-shore overnight passage ahead of us.