When
last we wrote, Captain Bill and I had completed our third annual
winter cruise to the Bahamas and successfully navigated to (and from)
the remote Ragged Islands. Once back in West Palm Beach, Let's Dance
was treated to the usual post-voyage pampering and then ferried up
the Florida coast by Bill and his friend Mark. We chose Charleston
as the spring destination so we could check out the charms of the
Holy City and enjoy several weeks of history and culture and (mostly)
good eats.
Our
summer plans were sketchy and quickly scuttled when we learned in
late May that Bill's mother was ill. Her 94 years on this earth
were filled with infectious joy and laughter and, when her family was
gathered around her, she quietly passed away. Hers was truly a life
well lived.
So,
as the heat of the summer gathered strength in the old south, Bill
decided to set off on a solo voyage from South Carolina to the
Chesapeake Bay. A way to test his marine mettle, if you will. Was I
skeptical? Of course! How could he possibly run the boat without me
there to supervise -- as first mate, dock hand, chef, navigator, etc?
Really, how could he?? As it turns out, he could very well.
I
wasn't on board for his two week "freedom cruise", but I
was around for the prep, and I can tell you that he bought enough
food at Costco for a crew of 20 on a cross-Atlantic run. Prepared
chicken salad, shrimp salad, fruits, frozen meats and pizzas, chips
and salsa, popcorn, nuts, sodas! And the ice cream! A choice of
caramel or chocolate sundae sauce -- and, because he is
health-conscious, one bag of frozen edamame.
OK,
he would not starve, but how could he handle docking or anchoring
without me to guide his every move? Again, the answer is, quite
well. A fancy new, and possibly expensive, gadget called a Micro
Commander Handheld Remote Control System, allows him to roam the
decks of our ship freely while controlling the functions of the main
engine. Forward or reverse! Port or starboard! Wow! He can now
escape the limited visibility of the pilot house and dock by judging
the distance from the hull to the edge of the pier for himself as
opposed to enduring the frustration of my stuttering, "Well,
it's about 7 feet away, no, maybe 4. Wait, what pier?
A
theme is developing here. Without me on board, there is no one to
tell Bill what to do or how or when to do it. No one to suggest or
hint or demand. No one to whine or complain or wheedle. In short,
no me. Bill claims the company was great! This is an unexpected
development. My admiral status could be in serious jeopardy. I make
plans to join the expedition as soon as possible.
Meanwhile,
Bill leaves the boat at a friendly marina in Deltaville, VA for our
super quick jaunt to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota to pick up nine
year old granddaughter Maddie at summer camp.
After
our return to South Carolina, we buckled up for the 9 hour drive
north to Virginia to retrieve Let's Dance and the Love Me Tender.
For miles along I-95, gaudy but eye-catching signage touts a stop
called "South of the Border." Anticipating a refreshing
lunch of quesadillas or fish tacos in lieu of our usual Subway
sandwich, I urge a noontime stop. Turns out that there is no Mexican
food here -- the only thing this place is south of is North Carolina!
Hmmmmm......
The
August cruise we are undertaking is designed by Bill to showcase
lovely bayside villages, quiet anchorages and fine dining. The best
of the Chesapeake Bay. Having set the culinary bar so incredibly low
at the beginning of the trip, there is truly nowhere to go but up.
In Deltaville, we enjoyed delightful crab cakes at Toby's and the
offerings of a local veggie stand. Fresh corn and melons, squash and
tomatoes -- the bar is already on the rise! With the larder full, we
headed north, further up the Chesapeake Bay. One night we anchored
in Mill Creek, another in Cornfield Harbor at the mouth of the
Potomac River. The following day we motored past the absurdly named
"Point No Point", then spent a delightful two days at a
marina in Solomons, MD.
This
quaint little village holds fond associations for me as it was the
first home of my parents after their 1944 marriage at the Little
Church Around the Corner in New York City. Dad had just received his
commission in the Navy, and the newlyweds were posted to Solomons
Island. As a newly-minted officer, Dad was tasked with teaching the
basics of navigation to the enlisted men on the base. Apparently
removing the sextant from its wooden box was one of the harder
concepts....at least for Ensign Weaver. (I knew I came by my
exceptional navigational skills naturally!)
While
in Solomons we lifted the foodie bar another notch or two at the Dry
Dock Restaurant. Yum! We are on a roll, and decide to move on to
Annapolis and points north while the weather is fine and our
appetites are hearty. We are finding that the Chesapeake has a great
deal to offer us as we float about the bay. Who knows what delights
we will find around the next bend in the shoreline?
Let's
Dance........Carol and Bill
