Dodging Showers: A Blustery Sail from Tall Timbers to Leonardtown

The forecast warned of morning showers, so I kicked off the day with a hearty breakfast, fueling up before casting off. A glance at the weather surprised me: a strong northeasterly wind was whipping across the water, not the expected southeast. And the radar? Rain systems to the east were stubbornly backing up, creeping westward at a snail's pace. The hourly forecast kept pushing the clear-up time further and further out, but I decided to go for it. My route: a straight shot down the Potomac, then a turn north into the welcoming shelter of Breton Bay, just ten miles away. At least the current was slack.

Leaving the Tall Timbers jetty, I started under mizzen only, waiting for open water to hoist the main. The sky behind me was growing ominously dark, and the wind was really building. My boat speed was now 6 knots. Time to reef the main. No sooner had I tucked it in than I was back up to 6 knots again. I hate being overpowered on a run, especially with those menacing dark clouds hinting at something more significant. So, I dropped the main entirely.

Running on mizzen alone, I was still clocking a respectable 4.5 to 5.5 knots. Checking the wind, my instruments showed a sustained apparent wind of 16.5 knots with 21-knot gusts. Factoring in my boat speed, the true wind was a solid 22 knots, gusting to 26.5. I was genuinely glad to have only the mizzen up, making good time towards Breton Bay. The waves were nearing two feet, so I hugged the shoreline, eagerly anticipating that turn north.

And just as I rounded the bend, the conditions transformed remarkably—exactly as I'd hoped! With the land now blocking the easterly wind, it dropped a blissful ten knots, and the waves flattened to less than a foot. The tension melted away. The rest of the sail up to Leonardtown was pure enjoyment. The dock was empty so I had my pick of slips. I slipped into a berth, walked up the steep hill into town, and rewarded myself with a well-earned ice cream.