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A side visit to Solomons Island

0800 hours Wednesday October 20, 2010

Moored alongside the Solomons Island Yacht Club pier.

It is raining and has been since 0315 this morning. It is promised to rain through much of the day. With such weather coming in today…yesterday I contacted our friends at the Solomons Island Yacht Club to see if they had space and willingness to permit PRIDE alongside last night in anticipation of the rain. Fortunately they were not full up and PRIDE was welcome. Today, after breakfast, I gave all aboard the morning off. Nothing much to do in the rain and there is a great maritime museum less than a mile away…the Calvert Maritime Museum.  Weather is expected to change late today and actually become pretty fresh from southwest to west tomorrow…which should make for a good and fast sail to Cambridge.

Over the years, Solomons Island Yacht Club has hosted PRIDE for those times when she visited to provide the opportunity for school groups to visit. It has been a number of years since PRIDE’s last visit. In the meanwhile the yacht club has done some major adjusting. They expanded and upgraded their clubhouse and re-did some of the main dock. I am most appreciative of their continued willingness to permit PRIDE alongside. Their dock is popular with other yacht club organization members looking for reciprocal docking and membership privileges. Pride of Baltimore, Inc. does not have facilities to reciprocate with…so the generosity and support of Marylander’s PRIDE by the Solomons Island Yacht Club is truly welcomed. 

Departing Norfolk Harbor on Monday the wind was favorably on the beam from the east so the crew and our new Guest Crew set all of PRIDE’s sail…including the studding sail…for a little while. The wind pushed PRIDE all the way to the Great Wicomico River, just south of Smith Point, the lower lip of the entrance of the Potomac River. We sailed in right up to the anchor at about 2100 hours. Wind near 10 knots from the ESE.

The Great Wicomico River is home to Reedville, Virginia and the Menhaden fishing industry. As PRIDE made her approach to the river she was overtaken by some five of the Menhaden fishing vessels on their way home. These are not small vessels. At least as long as PRIDE is. The Menhaden fish is used for several things including animal food and fertilizer.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II