August 2007
We sailed north under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and up the Chester River which is the first river on the east side. Well up the sinuous and shallow river we found a good inlet for the night behind a sheltering promontory. We learned from another boat that this was owned by the Russian Embassy as their weekend retreat. Sure enough a large coach arrived the following morning and disgorged all the staff for their weekend break.
This bay was also notable for the antics of many large skate swimming along at the surface, looking for all the world like twin shark’s fins. They chased one another around in groups of two or three, often at high speed.
As we left the river on Sunday we noted the red brick building that was the Russian Embassy dacha, not at all like the local architecture.

Sunset over the Russian Embassy recreational compound - before we knew what it was!
Skate wings on the water surface at sunset
The coach has arrived with off duty Russian Embassy staff
The Red Brick built Russian Embassy dacha on the Bay
The beautiful Thomas Point lighthouse - the water does not look shallow but it is!
Tom learning to steer a course on the first day

Our return to Cambridge took us past the Thomas Point Light which is the only screwpile lighthouse left in situ on the Bay. Good to see it preserved there considering how many of these historic structures have been destroyed over the years. The rocks protect the piles from ice flows in the Spring.

Gail enjoying a quiet moment and hating having her photo taken!
Tom manages to catch a small fish - replaced for further growth
The huge gas tanker arriving at the Washington area terminal on the Bay
The skipper at the masthead

It was great to see Gail and Tom who were joining us for a week before they visited family in Massachusetts. They took to sailing with no problems whatever and thoroughly enjoyed their visit. We took them to some remote anchorages and then down to Solomons.

En route down the Bay we pass the major natural gas terminal for the Washington area but we have never seen any activity there. On this trip it was very misty and we picked up a large target heading up towards us beyond our visibility. It gradually separated into other targets as well and appeared as a huge bulk. It was of course a gas tanker with three tugs and two coastguard escorts. We had to deviate from our course to avoid.
At Solomons we enjoyed a gourmet Italian meal in a restaurant we love and then dispatched our guests to the museum for the morning. We met up again for lunch and after some essential shopping we enjoyed a quiet afternoon apart from some maintenance up the top of the mast while there was plenty of available muscle on tap. Sadly our efforts did not resolve our lazy anemometer and this will need attention later.

Back up the Bay again and past Oxford for fuel and fishing. We had set up a fishing licence for the boat so that Tom could indulge one of his major passions. The skipper had no luck but lost a lot of bait.
Tom caught two small fish from the Sea Bass family but nothing worth eating - he lost a lot of bait too. The skipper did catch a Blue Crab on a trolling lure!
Back to Cambridge and a haul out to touch up the bottom paint and replace the anodes - it rained!

And now we fly back to the UK for a ten day visit with our children there.

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