northern bay wins

After a great respite in Baltimore's inner harbor, we set out southward.  We quickly noted that everywhere we looked, from 10 miles north of the Bay Bridge to 10 miles south of it, all we saw were sails!   Two days prior, I had counted 76 sailboats sailing in and around the mouth of the Severn River (Annapolis).  Granted, today was Sunday, but I could not count the sails this time.  Just too many.  Because we have no working Genoa, we cannot point close to the wind, so we motored under the Bay bridge.  Offshore from Annapolis we saw the passion for sailing flair up again.  We saw fine Hinckly ketches with all sails up, we saw one-off custom sloops, we saw nicely outfitted production boats, we saw spinnakers flying, kids diving off sailboats, swimming and squealing amid hundreds of boats tacking and gybing back and forth across the Bay.  It was too much.  I had to take us off course, pull out the drifter, and sail off the wind back and forth across the bay with them.  Smiles and waves all over.  I have spent a lot of time on the water in the southern Bay, and except for Southern Bay Race Week, I have never seen so many boats on the water.  Come to think of it, I have never seen so many families enjoying a Sunday sail.  I have to hand it to them - the northern Bay wins.

A note about the 14 year old girl who died this past Thursday while sailing her 420 with the summer camp group in Annapolis:  The irony is that we coach our high school sailing club on the same type of boats, and in the same conditions.  We were probably strolling the streets of Annapolis when the tragedy occurred just off the seawall where we were walking.  We had no idea it happened until seeing the news item two days later.  It should be pointed out that no-one can ever recall another tragedy like this.  It was a small group in sound boats with coaches in their "coach boats" keeping an eye on everyone - and the weather was great.  It was a freak accident, but it haunts me.  I can't quit thinking about it and I keep trying to put myself in their respective positions.  I just cannot imagine.....