Privateer LYNX reaches the Chesapeake Bay- Destination Fell's Point Baltimore, Maryland

Privateer LYNX en-route to Fells Point Baltimore, Maryland.

10 October, 2010
Day Four: Mid-coast Maine to Baltimore
1200 Pos. 38° 49.1' N, 075° 01.6' W
202 NM Run since 1200 9 October.
Barometer at 1017Mb and steady
Breeze at Force 2, ENE
Seas: < 1'.
Motoring at 1800 RPM, Pitch 2, with Fores'l and Stays'l set in hopes of the forecast Southwesterlies.

Lynx has made it to the Delaware before the Southwesterlies did. In rolling conditions across from Montauk Point to Cape May, we were anxious as to whether we'd encounter another violent onset of wind that could stop us in our tracks or force us to divert. But that weather hasn't arrived yet, and we are inside the relative protection of the Delaware Bay. Some hard pushing, but worth it to make the weather window that was available to us. By this evening, Lynx will be into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and on her way to three weeks in the Chesapeake Bay, the very place her ancestors were designed and built and sailed from with great success back in 1812.

The C&D Canal essentially makes one big, connected bay out the Chesapeake and Delaware. But as we motor up the Delaware, the contrast between these two mid-Atlantic Bays is striking. Delaware is wide open and has only one major tributary, making it a little light on coves and bays to thread up and anchor in. Unless your vessel only draws six feet.

The Chesapeake, on the other hand, has tributaries abounding. Lots of little rivers with twists and turns that reveal serene tidewater landscapes and protected anchorages. All these challenging waterways - and the need to navigate them - were part of the reason the Baltimore Schooner design evolved the way it did, allowing for quick turning and nimble navigation. After an action packed six months of voyaging from Florida to Chicago via Gaspe, the crew, and probably Lynx herself, is looking forward to enjoying some of those sedate anchorages.

We'll start with the Sassafras River, the first deep river we'll encounter after the canal. Before we can properly enter Baltimore, there are guns to hoist out of the bilge, stores to re-stow in anticipation of guests for the upcoming Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, and details in the rig to deal with so we're ready for the race. A nice, quite Eastern Shore anchorage is perfect for all of that.

All best,

Jamie Trost and the crew of Lynx