Ariosa, my comments.

It was a great 3 day cruise! 
The fourth of July Raft was fun for all. Good conversation, good wine, and Champagne. The captain and crew of Ariosa started the evening with toast to Champagne, and her owner Jim Huber who supplied a couple of bottles for our enjoyment and joined us at anchor, but let’s start at the beginning

I was not going to be able to sail with SOS on the 4th because of a prior commitment. I found out on Tuesday prior to the fourth that the plans had been cancelled. I invited crew to spend Thursday night aboard if they wanted too. My entire crew Keith Knepp, Mary Urbine , Linda Halcom, and Ed Petersohn are all from the Philadelphia Area. They made the trek down 95 on Thursday with personal gear and food in tow. 

Ariosa had the “Liberty Bell ” crew onboard for the fourth of July! 

Friday morning was a slow relaxed breakfast morning, with Eggs Benedict and fresh fruit. Since the crew only found out they had a boat and berths two days prior we made a run to the local market for some last minute stuff. Soon everything from the market was stowed in the  “magic never emptying refrigerator”.   

We shuffled one car to a boat ramp close to Broad Creek for Mary’s Urbine’s early Sunday departure. Mary had a client change a meeting to Sunday afternoon so as to make a Monday House closing date. She found out about all this after all the weekend plans were made and initially thought she would just have to give up on the cruise. Knowing the area I offered a second option, come cruising and get off early if she had too. So we just picked the closest public launch and drove her car to it.
Ariosa finally departed the dock in the afternoon for a slow motor, sail, motor, sail, to the anchorage at Gibson Island. We rafted up with two of the Maryland Yacht Club boats skippers, Deiter Langendorf and Winfred Wegman of who were out for an overnight sail on Deiters’ Nauticat Sloop, “Koln Overseas”.

Jim Huber made a late run across the bay to come over and raft with us after replacing batteries. He wasn’t on the weekend cruise list because he didn’t know if Champagne would be ready in time. The battery project got finished up early enough for him to sail on Friday morning, but too late to “officially” join the group. So Jim called on the radio on Friday and found the Ariosa was going to spend the “Captains Choice” night in the Magothy just north of Gibson Island.  Jim reported Champagne was in Rock Hall.

The raft had just started when Keith mentioned that Champagne had just rounded the point. Since we thought Jim was going to stay in Rock Hall for the fireworks we really did not expect this treat. We put out some fenders since Jim was single handing and got Ariosa’s lines ready to pass to him. As a single handing skipper it really makes it easier to have someone else’s line eye passed to you when you raft up. You can always then replace those initial lines with your own after the ride comes to a full and complete stop.

We watched Jim stop and render assistance to a small sailing sloop by pulling it off the mud where she was aground. The skipper once freed the first time managed to get her stuck a second time. Jim repeated the performance and the skipper was able to get into the channel and anchorage without any further incidents. 

Champagne was asked to drop a hook and sandwich Ariosa between two Anchor boats since some weather was forecasted for the evening hours. The hook was set and a masterful display of boat handling was performed by Jim placing Champagne alongside so we could get her secured for the night. The evening seemed to go on for hours with a wonderful marinated grilled salmon dinner prepared by Ed and great German beer supplied Koln Overseas.

We ate under the canvas as a group on Koln Overseas with the rain and storms blowing by us. Dinner was finished with espresso from Ariosa and Godiva white chocolate liquor provided by Linda. It was one of those great evenings on the bay with good food, good friends and the added touch of fireworks all around. We set an anchor watch of myself, Keith and Ed since two boats close to us that were only using  rope anchor rode and we had two boats with chain only. Since we would swing differently in light air we set the watch in case they got too close.

Saturday morning we had to do the “anchor chain dance” since we had to wrapped chains. So as a raft we pivoted with Jim and Deiter being the two power boats.  I then went forward to direct and indicate the angle of the anchor chains. After spinning the raft twice counterclockwise and a couple of quick boat hook pulls the anchors were untangled and Koln could leave to go home. Deiter was headed off for an afternoon with his wife at a BBQ and Winfred was going sailing for the rest of the weekend on his boat with his son.

An hour later after breaking up the raft Jim was headed up the Magothy to get fuel. Since the wind did not want to come out and play Ariosa was doing the slow motor tour of the Magothy. We got a radio call from Dave Enos of  “Northern Song” off our port side that they were headed home after the night of rain. The sky had cleared and we had just a slight breeze while we toured the river. We enjoyed fresh salad plate with chunk chicken and a tasty Vidalia Onion dressing.

We had music playing and we were dancing in the cockpit as we cruised down the river back toward Broad Creek. 

We crept into broad creek, as I had not been there before. I did a loop of the area where I wanted to anchor, slowing mapping the area in my mind as to where the water got shallower than 9 feet. Once I knew we had enough swing room we when back to the center of that area and dropped the hook. We backed down on the anchor to set it and proceeded to get the Dingy in to the water. The crew got a chance to swim. Jim came in after a taking on some fuel and rafted up on the port side. 

We got Ariosa’s dink in the water and cleared the stern to lower the swim ladder. Swim call was now available if anyone wanted to cool off. I took a nap below while swim call happened.

Somewhere in the late afternoon Jim asked if we had heard from any other boats. We both realized that neither of us had been on the channel for the afternoon “Whisker Pole’ call. I will never forget to do that again as we missed the call from Don Foster on “Eclipse 1”. Since Dave had called me to say he was headed home it was then my job to answer the whisker pole calls!  It was late afternoon by the time Jim had reached Don on the cell phone. Unfortunately Don stayed at the dock since he did not hear anyone form the raft.

The afternoon slowly turned into evening and the Champagne from “Champagne” was open when I woke up and went on deck. After more appetizers from the “Magic, never getting emptier” galley fridge we danced the early evening away on Champagnes’ wide open foredeck. The “Magic Chill Box” supplied some wonderful Blue Cheese stuffed steaks that were complemented by fresh steamed green beans and a nice sauté of potatoes and mushrooms in white wine. We had a red with dinner and then finished the meal with desert and espresso and white Godiva chocolate. We sipped a bottle of white the rest of the evening.
We finished the evening with a night swim to cool off from the humidity. We played with baby bio luminescent jelly fish and caught brief glimpses of other obscure marine life. A warn deck shower on “Champagne” finished the refreshing swim. The evening ended with good conversation and the end of the chilled wine.

Sunday morning after another great breakfast  found Mary packing to go home. I took her to her car in the Dink and come back to a clean boat just about ready to get underway. Ed and I picked up the Dink and got everything aft stowed. Linda and Keith got everything else stowed, the grill back inboard and the lines and fenders put away. We bid farewell to Jim and “Champagne” once again after hearty thanks all around. It was a wonderful raft and one of the most remarkable evenings I have spent on the bay.

Ed and Keith picked up the anchor and got it stowed while I got the engine going and electronics turn on. Ed came aft while Keith finished and slowly took Ariosa out of the anchorage and Broad Creek with just gentle direction from the skipper. He did a great job in handling the boat for the first time. Add the fact that he did not know the area he did well with the navigation for a first timer behind Ariosa’s helm.

We sailed out of the Magothy on the main and jib close hauled. We cleared the entrance channel just as the wind died for good. After a half hour of sails flapping we became a power boat and finished the trip on the engine arriving in the mid afternoon back at MYC. 
   

Mike  Captain of Ariosa