"Kelly IV" Cruises the Chesapeake, July 4-6, 2012

Thanks to a terrific effort by Keith Otto and his friend Stephanie, "Kelly IV" began her first real (albeit brief) cruise on the Chesapeake Bay.

Brief cruise to Whitehall Creek

Keith and Stephanie arrived on Wednesday afternoon, loaded their gear on board and we immediately motored away from Back Creek.  Unfortunately, we couldn't raise the sails as they weren't yet bent onto  the boom and forestay and we were eager to enjoy a neighborhood celebration on Whitehall Creek with Don and Donna Hekler.  Whitehall Creek is only 5 miles from Annapolis Landing Marina by boat so Kelly motored there easily within an hour.  Thanks to Don's waypoints, we found the “crab free zone” in Whitehall Bay and avoided picking up any crab pots with Kelly's propeller.  We set the anchor, settled into the dinghy and were soon sitting down to enjoy a terrific meal with Don, Donna, Gail and Alex, among many others.

The Hekler's were kind enough to invite us for their Independence Day celebration complete with Maryland crabs steamed with Old Bay seasonings.  It was a classic Chesapeake Fourth of July.  The kids were running races around the block on their scooters while the adults cracked open the crabs and laughed at each others' jokes and stories.  After cleaning up and enjoying the refreshing air conditioning in the Hekler's home, the “Evelyn Marie” hosted the seven of us for a bayside view of the famed Annapolis fireworks.  Don and Donna have spent the past several years bringing the classic wooden 1960, 35 foot bay-built deadrise, to pristine condition.  As a stable, open platform, she was ideal for  hosting our group interested in the glorious flashes of red, white & blue fireworks,  Don's rousing collection of patriotic band marches, and relaxing conversation among friends.

Kelly IV with her windscoop rigged on an earlier cruise

With a comfortable breeze wafting through Kelly from the wind scoop at the forward hatch, we slept well and awakened to a bright, warm morning.  Keith went to work immediately as we bent the mainsail on.  This involves many different lines, all threading their way back to the cockpit through a number of blocks and stoppers.  After an hour of reeving, hoisting and knotting, we had the mainsail settled smoothly on her boom and a first rate hunger raging in our stomachs.

Kelly took us into Spa Creek for a traditional breakfast and pledge of allegiance at Chick and Ruth's on Main Street.  Then we rushed her back into Back Creek as I had to work while Keith and Stephanie played tourist in downtown Annapolis.  That evening I put Keith back to work as we rigged the 155 Genoa jib onto its furler on the headstay.  Now Kelly was truly ready to take her crew sailing.

The next morning Stephanie got her first true taste of sailing as Keith and I put "Kelly IV" through her paces with full main and genny drawing the breeze on a beam reach across the mouth of the Severn River.  Keith introduced Stephanie to the simple pleasure of lying on your back on the foredeck gazing upward at the sails.  The full sails present a wonderful kalidescope with the blue sky splintered by the bulging white sails, sparkled with the burnished sphere of the radar detector and flapping flags.  With the light breeze, the sailing was comfortable and easy, a great way to introduce Stephanie to the joys of travel under sail.