We planned to head in to Baltimore Saturday to give Deeter a taste of the how diverse cruising in the Chesapeake can be (besides, the contemplation of hot shower was enticing, and with temperatures dropping to freezing the next couple of nights, being able to plug in and use the electric heater would be welcome). We were underway as the sun rose under very pleasant conditions - cool, but with light winds.
Once we cleared the entrance to the Sassafras River, we sailed across the bay toward the Patapsco River as the NW wind filled in, making for a pleasant trip. We'd heard small craft warnings issued by NOAH earlier, but with the conditions so benign, weren't concerned about the weather. As we approached the Patapsco River, the wind began to build, but with such a short distance to sail before we'd need to drop sail (it would be dead into the wind once we started up river) we didn't bother to reef when the gusts started getting to 20ks. Fortunately, we managed to slurp the jib and get the main down just before the piped up into the mid 20's - yup, small craft advisories were in order!
Regatta on the Patapsco with the Baltimore skyline and
Fort Henry as a back drop (Camera Setting ??)
A novel nun!
It was a slog into the wind and waves as we headed up
river to Baltimore. We'd heard announcements on the
VHF about a regatta taking place on the river, and watched
as the boats headed down the Patapsco, with the current
and downwind - one of the smaller boats, under spinnaker,
flew past, almost leaving a rooster tail. It looked
to be an exciting and fast race unless they had to head
back into the wind for the finish. We didn't stick around
to watch.It always seems to blow when we go to Baltimore. We saw apparent gusts approaching 30kts, and realized it would be interesting getting into a slip at the marina unassisted. I'd called earlier and reserved a slip for 2 nights. The gal on the phone didn't mention the office had cut back on hours, closing at 1400 on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Unable to reach anyone on the cell phone after we'd started in toward our slip (E59 when I spoke to her) Leonard tried the VHF and finally reached the security guard who said he'd meet us at the dock. It appeared they'd painted the pilings, but neglected to redo the dock letters, so we had no idea which was E dock. It proved interesting to turn the boat around in close quarters in the wind while we waited for the guy to arrive, but Leonard managed, just. It was equally interesting getting into our slip - fortunately it was into the wind, but less than 20' wide - Antares is 12', with docks on either side and a 90 degree turn. We were glad to have both Deeter on board to help, and someone on the dock to catch a line.
We'd wondered why he'd gone to the starboard side dock, but soon saw it was because the port side dock was full of bird poop and grass growing from some of the gaps, and not exactly in great shape We'd noticed the docks had been in less than pristine condition last fall, and it appeared little upkeep had been since. Maintenance has to be costly, and with the number of empty slips I wondered if income is down and they are having trouble meeting expenses. It was interesting that we'd been 'stuck in the boonies' with so many closer, empty slips available - I'd requested to be closer to the office and facilities and was told given our length, we would be assigned a 30' slip, not a longer one that would have been closer. Fine, but when we got to the office (closed - .the security guard eventually came to the door to give us our paper work) our slip assignment had been switched to E14, considerably closer, but she hadn't bothered to call me. After looking at E14 - a down wind slip - we decided we'd rather walk than move, especially in the gusty wind! After the security guard replaced one of our keys that only worked intermittently we were settled in for the night.
Pumping Station
St Vincent dePaul Church and the Phoenix Shot Tower
Once the salt was rinsed from the decks, we went exploring, walking along the wharves into the inner harbor before heading back to Canton for dinner. We introduced Deeter to Dangerously Delicious Pies, where we each chose a slice of pie to take back to the boat for some future dessert. After a long and varied day, it felt good to crawl into our bunks after a well deserved, hot shower. Given the dip in the temperature, it also felt good to have the little electric heater warming up the cabin.
10/18/2015
The problem with Baltimore is choosing what to do from myriad of choices available. The Russian festival was this weekend which we'd enjoyed a few trips back, along with a long list of other possibilities, more things to see and places to go than time or energy allowed. We decided to check out a puppet show at one of the parks out past the Johns Hopkins campus and then catch the Russian Festival.
Beermobile advertising micro brews in Fell's Point -
Beer Week had just ended.
Bats on a building ready for Halloween!
I managed to beat the crowd to the laundry room, and with both breakfast and laundry accomplished, we hiked over to Fell's Point to catch a ride on the free bus system, heading for the Arboretum (our latest choice) which looked to be a reasonable hike from the end of the Purple bus route. The free bus system, used by both locals and tourists, covers parts of town most visited by tourists. Road construction, however can play havoc with routes, and it was only after about a 10 minute wait that Leonard saw the message that our stop was currently not in use - on to the next bus stop!
Interesting juxtaposition of tear down, old and modern
architecture
Mercury and Atlas perched over an entrance
By the time we got to the end of the line, the sky had numerous clouds and the NW wind had picked up a few notches lending a damp chill to the air making us rethink the advisability of spending much of the day out in the elements. As we walked past the Baltimore Museum of Art, dropping in for a visit looked to be a reasonable alternative, offering protection from the weather and the opportunity to soak up some culture. So we checked it out. I asked the woman who greeted us at the museum how far it was to the arboretum and was told it wasn't far - that was until she checked. Eleven minutes by car translated into 3.5 miles which wouldn't include any walking once there. The museum was free, and became our serendipitous choice for the day.
Baltimore Museum of Art
We had a good time wandering the galleries - like many museums, once you start going through the galleries, each leading into the next, there are more interesting things to see. The base of the collection came from the Cone sisters' collection of art (donated by the spinsters Eta and Claribel Cone) consisting of a wide variety of 19th and 20th century of American and European works, a number of which they purchased directly from the artists before they became famous. It was interesting to learn Theodore Robinson, a Vermont artist from Hinesburg, was the first piece they purchased. The museum also has modern and contemporary galleries as well as African and Asian collections. The special exhibition was an interesting and eclectic pieces by contemporary artists with some very interesting installations.
Interactive contemporary sculpture - viewers can walk
inside and see
this view looking up
It was a bit of a surprise to notice Antioch Court, the center courtyard, was wet and we realized some of the clouds must have dropped more than a few drops while we'd been soaking up a dose of culture. We wandered through a wonderful sculpture garden on the museum grounds before we headed to catch the Purple line back into town. After missing lunch, it was a treat to spy a cookie shop across the street as we waited for the bus. They guaranteed delivery of hot cookies until 0300 - it was on the campus of Johns Hopkins. The cookies were warm and delicious and quickly disappeared. We all agreed the museum had been an excellent choice.
Triple Crown Trophies inn the English Sporting Art
Gallery
Deeter and Lynnea in the sculpture garden
On the way back we stopped in the Mount Vernon section of town, home to the Washington Monument, commissioned in 1781 and some beautiful churches. We decided we didn't need to climb the 200 some steps to the top of the Monument, having walked more than a few miles, with more to go before we got back to the boat.
We didn't escape the rain completely, getting caught in a brief shower as we waited to catch the Green line back to Fell's Point. It was approaching 1700 by the time we stepped back on board, more than ready to sit down and call it a day. Once again, we've revisited a place where we've done a lot of exploring in the past and found something new and interesting to see, and had the pleasure of sharing the experience with a friend. Given the freeze warnings and NW breeze still holding the flags well away from their staffs, we were content to be hunkered down in a protected harbor with the heater going and eat dinner on board.
George Washington and his horse in Monument Park
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