Spring cruise 2021 part 2

Troubleshooting of the auto pilot continues. Results are totally inconclusive at this time. It works sometimes. It seems when the batteries are being charged fully by the solar panel and the alternator and the batteries are fully charged it might be causing interference with the auto helm’s internal compass. Or else the thing is fried. Who can say? We stayed late at smith creek then made for point lookout marina for a diesel fill up- the first of the year- and some ice. Had a nice short trip to saint Mary’s city. We tried to anchor by the dock with the historic ship and dinghy to the beach but we were shooed away immediately. I guess we weren’t colonial enough. 

The dove: 

Then we went around the corner to big bend and spent the night there. Very still and protected. There is a little colonial “village” thing surrounding the original capitol building of Maryland and a nice hilltop graveyard. 

The next day we sailed/ motored up the Potomac to shark tooth island.  The charts showed no way to approach the westward shore of the island.  We tried multiple approaches but ran aground each time.  When Sugaree arrived, she announced she was heading for a line of crab pots and got through right away on the first attempt so we hauled anchor and followed her trail in.  It was a truly lovely anchorage on a week night out of the season but I could definitely imagine it as a mega power boat hangout. 

Allegedly the property owner wanders around extorting 150 bucks from people for a “season pass” to his itty bitty island but he did not make an appearance.