LORD’S PRAYER LOG, Part 382:

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Anchored off Smith Point in the Chesapeake.

0244 The wind is SE 4-6 kts.

0317 We’re underway; we take up a NNW heading to cross the mouth of the Potomac River.

0324 We turn 30˚ port and pass around unlighted green fish trap area buoy #1, which is invisible to the eye until we’re abeam; then we turn back onto our heading.

1325 We pass from Virginia into Maryland.

0345 Lights from Smith Island are visible 8 nm to starboard.

0430 We pass a couple of tugs with barges in tow.

0600 The 0350 NOAA weather forecast for the northern Chesapeake is:

Today: VARIABLE WINDS LESS THAN 10 KT BECOMING NW 15 KT. WAVES BUILDING TO 2 TO 3 FT.

Tonight: NW WINDS 10 KT BECOMING NE. WAVES 1 FT.

0612 The wind is SW 4 kts. The tidal current is slack.

0640 Sunrise.

0645 The sun rises over Middle Hooper Island; the island is wreathed in a veil of ground fog. On our port hand is Naval Air Station Patuxent River with a hangar by the Bay and roofs of others peeking over the treetops.

0830 Chris adds: Jim is taking a rest. We are now crossing the Bay and Dorchester County – home – is abeam to starboard. The Choptank River beckons.

1152 As we motor up the Choptank, the wind (SW 15-22 kts) is such that we could set the sails. That would delay our arrival, however, and right now we’re most eager to get home. Therefore the sails remain stowed.

1205 We rig the docking lines.

1300 We tie up in our slip and secure the engine! Engine time: 919.7 hours. Position: 38 34.268 N 76 04.459 W. This voyage began in St Augustine, FL on January 9, 2004. It ends today April 7, 2004, 89 days later. During the voyage Lord’s Prayer has traveled 2325 nm, or an average of about 26 nm per day. During the trip, Lord’s Prayer visited Florida’s east and southwest coasts, the Keys and the Everglades, coastal Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia’s Inland waters. We’ve put 395.8 hours on the engine since the voyage began in St Augustine. For further information about this trip, our entire sailing log is posted on the Internet at www.easyave.net/lordsprayer. After offloading gear, the boat will be hauled for a maintenance period at the Generation III Marina/Boatyard; maintenance is likely to last through much of May. We expect Lord’s Prayer to be back in the water, reloaded, replenished, and ready by late June to depart on a summer trip into New England.

1300 My Daughter Jodie and her kids Grady and Quinn (our grandbabies) arrive for a visit… Golly it is GOOD to be home!

END OF LORD’S PRAYER LOG, Part 382

END OF LOG, WINTER VOYAGE 2004

Jim and Christine Kidd

Onyx, the sailing cat