Century Club: Hank Messick
Hot and almost no breeze but better than mowing the lawn!
I was going to race in the DISC Mt Vernon Boomerang but could not find any crew. Instead I went sailing by myself. Sunny day, warm and breezy. Took a picture of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge which spans the Annacostia River connecting DC to MD.
Took a friend sailing. Perfect weather with wind gusting in the double digits. Got up to 7 knots with just a sliver of headsail to keep the boat balanced. Another friend sipping beer on the deck of the Old Dominion Boat Club in Alexandria, VA, took the picture below as we passed.
We were RC tonight.
Strong NW winds blew us down the Bay but proved to be a challenge going up the Potomac. We overnighted in Solomons, Kinsale, Colonial Beach, and Occaquan. Spent an extra day in Kinsale because the wind was blowing 20 knots from the North and Arcas' 12 hp diesel was no match for the wind, waves and current. Next day we shoved off for Colonial Beach and our impeller shredded. Lucky for us we were able to sail most of the way and then called for a tow to take us to the Boat House marina at Colonial Beach. Friends drove down from DC that evening, delivered a new impeller, and we departed the next day for Occaquan. A delightful passage.
