November 6th, 2019
MEXICAN
Not expecting much we were blown away as we walked into the most authentic and colorful Mexican one could wish for. The food was amazing and the staff all the more delightful for their lack of English. Loved it
November 6th, 2019
MEXICAN
St Marys is really quite remote and with no cafe at the Plantation Museum John kindly offered to drive us in search of a local eatery. Sat on its own this rather drab block building claimed to be a Mexican restaurant and was entered with some trepidation.
November 6th, 2019
SHAUN
We met John a year ago and have remained in contact. As he happened to be driving past he joined us for a day and left us with a new member of the menagerie - I introduce Shaun. You guessed it, John is an Irishman.
November 6th, 2019
DOVE
This is a replica of the Dove which arrived in 1634. I popped out in the dinghy to take pictures and was amazed at how well she sailed and handled. I would happily take on an ocean crossing in her.
November 6th, 2019
DUNKIN CANADIAN
You will all know Ian by now but what you don't know is that we have been slowly edjumacating him in Cornish heritage. He had never dunked a biscuit before he met us and is now a fully confirmed Biscuit Dunking Tea Jenny who is able to naturally drop Proper Job, Geddon and Wasson into his daily dialogue.
This is Ian discovering that dunking chocolate coated biscuits into rum is actually quite nice. I worry what we have created sometimes.
November 6th, 2019
SHINY
Pearl looking pretty
November 6th, 2019
MUSEUM
The staff were so passionate about their subject as they made rope, ran the farm, cooked and made bees wax candles on an open fire.
November 6th, 2019
St MARYS
From St Michaels we made for a safe anchorage just up the river from Solomons Island to sit out a forecast with 50knt gusts. This necessitated taking the Bimini and dodger down and making off the leading edge of the solar panel to the patented Pete Goss paddleboard rack. The cunning idea worked like a charm so we were very pleased to see it in action after lying redundant since we added the rack a year ago. I grabbed the opportunity during the calm before the storm to explore the creek and was accompanied by a very grumpy Heron, Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Duck and a variety of fish.
The night proved to be a long one for when 50knts is forecast on a front I like to sit up and see it through for if you get hit by 50knts and you're still in bed then its too late. As it transpired we didn't see more than 30knts with bursts to keep things lively. It did offer a bonus in that it provided a chance to try out my cunning hurricane anchorage set-up which will benefit from some consequent mods.
We went into the night in shorts and came out of it in full thermals, hats and gloves as the northerly that followed the front brought winter weather. With cold often comes crisp air and so it was that we hoisted the anchor and set off for a fantastic sail in gusty conditions of up to 30knts. As ever Pearl looked after us well and made the experience a pleasurable day that blew the cobwebs out of our system. Chesapeake is a funny place for it seems there is either no wind or loads of wind.
St Marys Bay is a stunning spot which saw the arrival of the vessels Dove and the Ark in 1634 looking for a place devoid of religious persecution. St Marys City became Marylands first capital until the legislature moved to Annapolis. At this point it quickly fell into disrepair until the St Marys Living Museum started to breathe life into its past.
We spent a lovely day walking about the reconstructed plantation with many re-creations from a farm through to a church, Indian village and Inn.
