Brian driving

Maiden voyage from the boat to shore with the outboard motor. I miss rowing a little (shh, don’t tell Brian)

We’ve been running our engine several hours per day in order to charge the ancient, decrepit batteries that power our boat’s systems, lights, and portable electronics. This  routine of horrible noise and vibration has been the blight on an otherwise fantastic first week out, and we’re looking forward to our arrival in Deltaville, VA, where we’ll be installing new batteries and enough solar panels to cover all of our needs.

With that mission pressing us onward, we said goodbye to new friends in Weems Creek yesterday and sailed over to St. Michaels, 36 miles across the bay. Once we’d charged up enough en route to kill the din of the engine, we were quite happy to inch along peacefully, making three nautical miles per hour, with the sun glittering on the horizon and all three sails unfurled. The San Domingo Creek anchorage revealed spectacular views and a photo-ready sunset – the perfect end to a day of chilling in the cockpit.

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My “three knots on a sunny day” sandwich – bacon and heirloom tomato on homemade foccacia with Old Bay chips

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Brian, negotiating with Nico in the cockpit

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OK, I guess I’ll watch another sunset

 Victory was ours this morning as we made our maiden voyage powered by outboard motor, courtesy of a brand new spark plug. St. Michaels turned out to be a quaint, porch swing community that I described to Brian numerous times as “painfully adorable”.  I resisted temptations in the numerous nautical boutiques as we proceeded to the Irish pub that was happy to provide hours of free wi-fi for the cost of two beers and sandwiches.

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So much cuteness and nautical charm in St. Michaels, I had to advert my eyes

sign

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Me, with a boat named Delaware

terrier

I lobbied hard for us to stay in town until Sunday and catch the Jack Russell Terrier Races

NT approach

Approaching Nightingale Tune in the Pudge

Now back on the boat, we’re running the damn engine again, sorting out boatyard arrangements for next week’s projects, and planning tomorrow’s sail to the Solomon Islands. We’ll do well to remember this irritation next week when we’re on the hard (when the boat is propped up on land and we’ll be climbing in and out by ladder – oh joy) next week. For now, I’m going to pour myself some wine, pull on my wool socks, and enjoy another sunset. (Travel logged: 10/15 and 10/16/2015)