Wednesday Cruise to St. Mary's: A Day of Sails and Shifting Winds

I started my Wednesday early with a walk down to the fishing pier. A few early birds were already out, hoping for a catch, but luck didn't seem to be on their side.

I was hoping the brisk south wind would ease up, but also worried it might die completely if I waited too long. My destination, the City of St. Mary's, was only 15 miles away, but the first mile would be straight into the current and wind. Deciding it was time, I raised the mizzen and prepared the main for after that initial stretch.

The wind had dropped to 10-12 knots, with gusts still hitting closer to 20. With a tight mizzen, I motored 15 degrees off the wind at about 4 knots. The average 1.5-foot waves kept me from pushing any faster, and the mizzen did a fantastic job assisting the motor.

After heading south, I could finally turn west—first a close reach, then a beam reach. The main went up, the motor shut off, and I was sailing at a comfortable 4.5 knots. The beam waves were a bit uncomfortable but definitely bearable.

As I neared the mouth of the St. Mary's River, my course shifted due north, a dead-downwind run. And wouldn't you know it, the wind started to die.

I didn't have far to go and was determined not to restart the engine. With the wind speed down to 5-6 knots, steering became a challenge. I decided to launch my large staysail to keep moving, and it worked remarkably well after I doused the mizzen. Then, wing-on-wing with the main, I managed to maintain 2 knots boat speed, even as the apparent wind dropped to a mere 3 knots. It was slow, but I was in no rush.

As I continued, a welcome bay breeze began to fill in, and my boat speed shot up to 5 knots! The true wind speed was still under 10 knots, making it very manageable with the big sail. I zipped past the Dove and on to the anchorage. Lowering the staysail, I then dropped anchor as I headed into the wind, followed by the main. No need for the engine to set the anchor today.

I dinghied ashore to stretch my legs and check out another boat at anchor before heading back to fix dinner. Today was, without a doubt, the most I've ever used the staysail.

Tomorrow, I'll be exploring the large City of St. Mary's museum.



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