Cruise Report Shakedown/Early Bird Cruise to St. Michaels April 23 – 25, 2021 It was nice to be able to plan a cruise. Lots of interest among the cruisers, but the challenges of staging the Early Bird begin with getting the boat ready early in the season and weather. This year we faced new challenges to the mix which included COVID, the need for body repairs, and foreign made parts taking a toll. But the weather, although not perfect, did not interfere with our plans. As the weekend rolled around two boats remained for the cruise – au Lapin Agile II, and Festina Lente the Chiangs and Dawsons respectively. The Dawsons arrived at St. Michaels Chesapeake Maritime Museum on Friday and the Chiangs joined them Saturday afternoon. The museum is open to the public with little restrictions other than masking up. Rest rooms and showers are open. Visitors have returned although not yet crowding the town, but it was clear that they were glad to be able to get out and about. The town’s masking rule is simple – wear one if proper distancing cannot be maintained and most of the visitors complied; restaurants for the most part was open with indoor as well as outdoor seating. Our boats were together on the W dock and the 5 o’clock cocktail hour lasted until after 7 PM just as the rain began. It rained throughout the night, heavy at times, but came to a stop around 8 AM Sunday morning. While Maggie and I took a walk around town which featured the nature trail leading to San Domingo Creek, Dave and Rachel prepared for their return to the West River. By 11 AM the wind subsided somewhat, and the sunshine dominated the day. Festina Lente headed home sometime after 11 while Maggie and I enjoyed an early lunch at Awful Arthur’s before cruising home. The weekend brought back the enjoyment of cruising, being on the water, and enjoying the visit to one of the club’s favorite destinations.
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