April 9, 2007

Solomon’s Island, MD: Spring Cove is a boater’s haven with lots of docks filled with sailboats and cruisers of all sizes. Directly across from our dock, there is a sandy beach backed by woods studded with blooming dogwoods. It is very peaceful here with almost no motion of the boat. The plan was to head up the Potomac River today, but we have discovered a problem. All boating stories start off with what doesn’t work! So today we discovered that a connection in our water system was pumping our water supply into the bilge. Humm... we don’t sink because we have a bilge pump that pumps the water out into the river. But there is no water where it is supposed to be... like the sink or shower. When we realized that our storage tank was empty, we refilled it from the dock, but the water still didn’t work. After a while we decided to call the Yacht Center. So now, Lance has driven from Grasonville to Solomon Island and has fixed the water system. I love the boat. We will finally get off around 2 PM.

Colonial Beach, Va: Tom and I had reservations at the Nightingale Marina tonight. As we cruised up the Potomac River, we became very concerned about the water depth because our boat draft is documented as 3 ft, 8 inches. As the depth finder approached 3 feet, we began calling other marinas in the bay to change our plans. Since it was after 5:00 pm, we got only answering machines. Finally a boat came by that we decided to follow up the creek, and we finally made it to a slip with the gauge reading 2.2 feet of depth. We were kicking up mud as we came, but we made it. So maybe the depth finder really is off a little, or the measurement is too conservative. Anyway, we now know a little more about where we can go.

As we were docking the boat at around 6:00 pm, a nearby church was chiming out an evening hymn. The clarion music wafted out over the water and was incredibly welcoming and beautiful. I felt like I was in a fairy tale; it was so delightful – I am sure it was just for us. When we took our shore walk, I went by and took a picture of the pretty little church, Colonial Beach Baptist Church. Colonial Beach, Va is on the Potomac River at the junction with Monroe Bay. More national leaders were born in this county than in any other in the nation. Native sons include President George Washington, James Monroe (fifth President) and General Robert E. Lee.