Hello Annapolis!

On the morning of October 5, I kissed Allen (and Cat Stevens) goodbye and boarded a train to BWI airport to catch a flight to Cleveland. An hour later, Allen threw off the dock lines and began his solo 4-hour journey to the Magothy River near Annapolis, where Meshuggana would be docked for two weeks. Weather conditions were still a bit dicey and although Allen knows our boat well and is confident taking her out alone, it’s not an ideal situation.

While leaving Baltimore harbour, Allen again needed to make room for a cargo ship to pass him in the shipping channel. Not worried a bit because water depth was still 35 feet just outside the channel, Allen moved over. What he did not expect was another propeller fouling – as he re-entered the channel he heard the dreaded big clunk that means something has just fouled the propeller. Not one to panic, he quickly threw the transmission into neutral, checked that the rudder was free, and raised the sails to continue his journey. After almost 2 hours of sailing and fiddling with the transmission, the rope fouling the propellor had worked its way off and he was able to continue to his destination under motor.

Allen landed at the Magothy Marina, about 9 miles from the Annapolis Town Docks, the location of the United States Sailboat Show. The show was cancelled the last 2 years due to the pandemic and this year’s show was expected to be bigger and more crowded than usual, so it was imperative we arrive early. The only dockage we were able to secure in advance was this marina, and although it was a bit of a hike, it was in a lovely, peaceful harbour and was a welcome place to relax away from the crowds after several hectic days of “boat-showing”.

After spending 6 wonderful days with family and friends in the Cleveland area, it was time for me to return to my boys aboard Meshuggana and go to the boat show. As predicted, the show had great turn-out and except for the rainy first day, the weather was perfect for an outdoor, on-water show. This show offers anything and everything any boater needs, from nautically themed jewelry to new boat engines. We spent four days and way too much money buying necessities (jibe preventer, water de-salinator) and some fun stuff (hookah diving system, silver earrings); however, we broke the bank on one major item – we bought a new boat!

It still feels a bit surreal and its something we’ve been thinking about for a while, but when Allen signed the contract, it became very real. We love Meshuggana, our current Jeanneau 42 DS boat. She has served us beautifully and is the perfect size for two “live-aboards”, but she is just a bit too cozy when we have guests. We’re also running out of storage space for toys (kayak, SUP) and tools that we simply must carry, and those tools take-up a lot of room. The new boat is a Jeanneau 490, will be built in the Jeanneau factory in France and will be delivered to us next Fall. In the meantime, we will continue to sail (and love) our Meshuggana and will put her up for sale next Spring.

Annapolis was a fantastic stop for many reasons besides the boat show. We connected with Toronto friends, Nina and John, also visiting the show and welcomed Cindy and Ron, who spent a couple days with us on Meshuggana. Not only was it fantastic to reconnect with friends from home, both couples provided valuable advice for our journey as they both have also cruised this coast and live on their boats for part of the year.

No trip to Annapolis is complete without a tour of the US Naval Academy, which is how we spent our last day. Founded in 1845, the Academy is a four-year university that educates midshipmen (men and women) for the US Navy and Marine Corps. Tuition is free (paid for by US taxpayers); however, entrance requirements are stringent and only about 1000 of the brightest and fittest get accepted each year – each “plebe”, as they are called during their freshman year, has proven academic excellence, physical strength and endurance and a resume filled with community service and leadership achievements. They are relentlessly trained and tested academically and physically throughout their four years, and upon graduation they serve as officers in the Navy or Marine Corp for a minimum of five years. Some notable graduates include President Jimmy Carter, Senator John McCain, football great Roger Staubach and basketball legend David Robinson.

It was time for our two-week hiatus to end and to get back out on the water. For the first time in this journey, we did not have a hard-wired calendar date to meet and were free to go where the wind takes us. Also, for the first time, we were part of a pack of cruising boats heading south. Until NYC, we had not met any other boat heading south, we were the only ones and we felt kind of special, but not anymore. Most cruisers use the Annapolis boat show as their jumping-off time and location, and now we starting to see familiar boats and faces in every port. It will be different, but it is also exciting to start meeting kindred spirits, sharing tips and stories, looking out for one another and making new friends.