The Bridge Looms Nearby, July 7-9, 2012

Saturday afternoon on the Chesapeake is often a hot, hazy, humid stereotypical day, but Saturday, July 7 was special when John and his grandson, Nathanael, showed up early for their weekend on “Kelly IV.”

Track of sailing with John and Nathanael

John and Nathanael packed their gear on board and “Kelly” nosed out of her slip, through the dogleg that makes up the channel out of Back Creek, and into the Severn River. The wind was light but there was enough air that sailing on a close reach made the heat dissipate, thanks to the moderate apparent breeze of “Kelly's” forward motion through the small, choppy wavelets left over from the many other boats enjoying the summer weekend.

First John, then Nathanael, took the helm and steered “Kelly IV” through the maze of crabs pots that cluttered the waterway at the southeast corner of the Severn's mouth. The proof of their excellent boat handling is that no pots were snagged and the sailing was a blast. We never heeled more than a few degrees, but the mild breeze created by the 12,000 pounds of fiberglass pressing forward made it clear we had two great crew. In fact, John's instruction led Nathanael to a near perfect execution of helm control, keeping “Kelly” on a very straight, unwavering track as we tacked northwest towards the three now-defunct, radio towers.

Nathanael at the helm

With the sun slipping lower behind the domes and towers of Annapolis, we docked “Kelly” and enjoyed various crab dinners at “Buddy's” in downtown Annapolis.

The next day after a few hours in the office, I joined John & Nathanael on board for another sail, this time our goal was to reach the 4 mile long ChesapeakeBay Bridge. Once again John instructed his grandson in the nuances of handling and steering a small keelboat under sail. Nathanael proved that his superb steering skills were no fluke as he consistently steered “Kelly IV” on a close hauled tack keeping her as close to the light breeze as she'd go. Since the wind was coming directly from the bridge we had to tack several times taking over 2 hours to finally approach within about a mile of the bridge.

Nathanael had learned quickly from his grandfather and all three of us enjoyed a terrific day of sailing until, during and after the bridge loomed nearby.