Day Thirteen Floating in the Direction of the North Pole
We slept in until almost 9 am after a fun night and had pancakes in the already warm morning. Our anchorage afforded us a broad view of the Chesapeake Bay where hundreds of sailboats were already out. The vessels represented a huge variety of sizes and rigs, from tiny Boston Whalers to seventy-foot charter schooners. Triangles of canvas thickly papered the horizon, a truly beautiful site to regard as we sipped our coffee.
After breakfast, we took the dinghy into the busy town center of Annapolis, where bars and restaurants and people walled the narrow but heavily-trafficked canal to the dinghy dock. Hundreds of people sat basking in the summer sun and judiciously observing the skill of pilots guiding boats into dock. With such a jury, we were extra careful to maintain a façade of competence. Aaron went for a run and I walked around the crowded downtown.
We rendezvoused at the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley memorial, where Kunta Kinte apparently landed in America. A short walk to the visitor’s center resulted in the discovery of shower facilities, and for $1 each we finally bathed adequately for the first time in far too long. Refreshed, we went back to the boat and relaxed for the afternoon, watching other boaters, reading and keeping out of the sun.
In the evening, we met Aaron’s friends, Ryans Waggoner and Learmouth and went to a few bars. Whether the novelty of civilization had started to wear thin or whether we were tired from the night before, everything seemed less attractive than the previous night. Still, we had a good time visiting with friends, and had a few drinks on the boat before calling it a night.