Dog Days of May

Solomons Island, MD

38 20.24 N 076 27.64 W

Dog days are supposed to be part of summer, not May.   That's what it was like today however.  Hot, humid and still.   We motored all day long to get here out on the Bay waters that were almost smooth as glass.

We skirted the bombing target area.  We avoided the anchored target warship.  I searched the sky every time I heard the roar of a nearby fighter plane.  (I saw it only two times out of four.)  Does it sound like a military area?  It is.   We are just across the river from the Pawtuxet Naval Air Station.  That's where they do test flights.   

Anyhow, we were cool enough out on the bay.  It made for a nice day.  In an hour or so we may get to see a spectacular full moon rising.

Coming into the Pawtuxet river we were boarded by the US Coast Guard for a safety inspection.   First time since 2005 if I remember right.   We had all the required equpiment; no violations.  I'm a big envious of those Coast Guard guys who get to drive those very fast, very rugged boats that look like inflatables.   They aren't really inflatable, they are aluminum boats surrounded by rings of rigid foam flotation.   They sport two enormous outboards on the back.  I bet they can do 60 knots.

I was shooting for an offshore window Cape May-New York next Monday.  When I checked this morning it change to a window on Sunday and another on Tuesday.   (Any weather forecast 7 day in the future is highly speculative.)   If we shoot for Sunday offshore, then time is short.  We'll have to leave Solomons Thursday morning, and motor Thu, Fri, Sat to reach Cape May.   Libby planned on doing groceries and laundry here tomorrow.  Maybe we'll do a half day and motor past dark.   Tomorrow night will be only one day past full moon.  If the sky is clear it could be very pretty to be out there at night.