Annapolis, MD - 38 58.33N 076 29.11W

OOJAH's AWESOME ODYSSEY
Peter & Christene Tanner
Sat 24 May 2014 21:42
Shirley & David Keane joined us in Solomon Island for a week & left from Annapolis. We we're grateful to them for undertaking the last minute uncertainties of finding us as it is absolutely impossible for us to plan very far ahead. We sailed across to the East side of Chesapeake Bay & visited Oxford on the beautiful Tread Avon River. From there we wound our way up the San Domingo Creek to anchor at the back of St Michaels, a touristy but charming waterside town. After riding out some strong wind & a thunderstorm or two we sailed North West to Annapolis, the State capital of Maryland & the yachting capital of Chesapeake, if not the Eastern Seaboard. We were fortunate to be able to use the superb waterside clubhouse of the Annapolis Yacht Club & they provided us with a berth for the week within a short walk of the centre of town.
As if that wasn't enough we we're admiring a lovely 300 year old house in an area of sublime period property when the owner arrived & asked us if we'd like to look inside. It transpired that he was deputy chairman of the Maryland State Senate & a personal tour of the historic domed State House followed - we we're thrilled to bits & dined out the following evening at his private table in the best restaurant in town. As if we had not already been showered with riches Annapolis is the home of the US Naval Academy & it was graduation week. The college grounds are open to visitors & the atmosphere was electric. The US Navy's Blue Angles performed a stunning low level aerobatic display over the River Severn & our ladies fell in love with the young midshipmen all perfectly clad in their white uniforms.
Christene & I fell in love with the Yacht Club which surpassed even our lovely facilities at the Royal Southern in Hamble. There were I guess over a hundred J Boats (definitely the yacht of choice here) being dry sailed from their 'hard' with a massive turn out for mid week racing - they were bemused to see a J122 with cockpit table, bimini & even an anchor roller. The club catering was second to none & we dined there two nights running.
What an experience. It was with some reluctance that we left under the 3.5 mile long Bay Bridge today (into wind as usual) to continue our odyssey Northward while the race fleet spinnakered off down tide to the South (rotten buggers!)

With love to all from Peter & Christene