Fall
is here and we have donned our traveling shoes and headed north. The
provisions for a short, six week voyage are pulled together, onboard
entertainments and diversions gathered, the fridge and freezer
stocked, and our duffels packed for any kind of weather. We are off
to explore the cities of the Chesapeake Bay -- DC, Baltimore and
Annapolis!
Captain
Bill and friend Bernie Mansheim, who recently added the
responsibilities of Officer First Class to his Chief Medical Officer
duties, left Haig Point early on a Tuesday morning - clear skies and
calm seas predicted for their offshore passage north. Less than
sixty hours later (304 nautical miles), they arrived at the River
Dunes Marina near Oriental, NC. I took the inland route and drove for
8 hours to arrive at the same destination. Bernie and I did a super
quick swap -- I traded him a used SUV, for his drive back south, for
a low mileage trawler with a great looking Captain. I win!!
Let's
Dance is in great form, and in just a few short days we arrive at the
10 mile wide mouth of the Potomac River. It will take us two days to
travel the 95 miles from the Chesapeake Bay to Washington, DC. We
begin the journey up the Potomac, pushed by a small but helpful one
knot current. The river is quiet, smooth and surprisingly devoid of
other travelers. We pass only a few other pleasure boats (or rather,
they pass us), no commercial or military vessels and only a handful
of local fishermen.
Just
after lunch on day one of the Potomac cruise, I notice on the chart
that we are nearing the "Middle Danger Zone". What? Did
we already pass through the "Lower Danger Zone"? Did we
miss it? It is soon made clear as a young, strong voice comes over
the VHF radio:
"This
is Range Control Boat Four calling northbound white trawler near red
nun 14A."
We
check around -- he's talking to us! Captain Bill responds, "This
is the trawler Let's Dance! How can we help you?"
RCB
#4: "We are conducting tracking exercises in this area for the
Navy. Captain, you must move your vessel to the far side of the
river to be out of the line of fire." Okay, sir! Yes, sir!
He
very helpfully walks us through the marks on the chart we need to
follow to stay out of the danger zone, while assuring that we will
have plenty of water to keep us off the shore. Lucky us! He then
notes that today there will, actually, be no live gunfire -- it's all
just practice, but he had us going there for a while.
Day
two on the river provides even less marine traffic as we glide past
Quantico, Mount Vernon, Fort Washington and Alexandria. We know
we're getting close to our destination, however, when low-flying air
traffic chases us up the river to the edge of Reagan National. Past
the airport, we veer slightly to starboard to round the tip of the
East Potomac Park into the Washington Channel and our temporary home
-- the Capitol Yacht Club. Dockmaster "Big Kelvin" and his
trainee assistant help with our lines and we have arrived!
The
Capitol Yacht Club -- just the name evokes images of luxurious yachts
with smartly uniformed crews awaiting the travel whims of domestic
and foreign dignitaries. Perhaps a Presidential yacht even -- the
Manitou, Dolphin or Sequoia. Alas, the Capitol Yacht Club is only
home to a rag-tag group of live-aboards and is strategically located
directly beneath the helicopter flight path from the White House to
the Pentagon. For safety and, apparently, maximum noise effect, they
mostly travel in groups of three or more. Definitely not conducive
to relaxed, waterfront living.
Morning
one of the DC adventure we check out the sprawling fish market
adjoining the marina. Tons of fish and crustaceans from the area to
admire and consider for dinner. We were especially taken by the
volume of crabs --- bins and bins of them. And we learn from "Mr.
Crab" himself that, in addition to the obvious pink bootie/blue
bootie method for determining the sex of a crab, there is local lore
to ponder. To demonstrate, he held up two crabs, bellies to the
front. The females, he said, have the outline of the Capitol
Building on their tummies while the males of the species sport a
distinct outline of the Washington Monument on theirs. Really, I
can't make this stuff up!
For
the next three days we do the tourist thing to the max -- and touring
Washington is not for sissies. We rode the Big Bus Red Line and the
Blue Line for the overview; explored the Smithsonian Castle; took in
lunch and a tom tom demo at the American Indian Museum; soared
through the Air and Space exhibits; gaped at modern art at the
Hirshhorn and cried at the Holocaust Memorial.
For
a busman's holiday we took a short river cruise aboard the
"Nightingale" in choppy Potomac waters. (Let's Dance has a
smoother ride, better food and a cuter crew....just FYI!) We rode
the Metro to meet up with Daufuskie friends Laura and Jim Hageman (in
DC to welcome a new grandchild) for lunch at Bullfeathers. Always
fun to see folks from home! After, Bill and I toured the Capitol and
a tiny part of the Library of Congress.
Our
brains are now full to overflowing and our feet are tired....time to
bring this leg of the trip to an end and head north to Baltimore.
Just for fun, Bill checked the Amtrak alternative.....a dizzying 32
minute train ride at a cost of $16 or three lazy days and nights aboard
Let's Dance. No contest!
Let's
Dance......Carol and Bill
