The weather window closed....

actually, it slammed shut. We left Chesapeake City on Monday (after waiting out : 1- a canal CLOSED because of fog and 2- gale force winds) and traveled to Tolchester, Maryland and the Tolchester Marina, where we stopped for fuel. We didn't have enough sun left to make it to Annapolis , so we decided to stay for the night. The next morning, the weather forecast was for two days of winds to 30 knots, gusting to 35/40 and a week of temperatures in the low 40's in the daytime and 20's at night. At this rate it would take a week or more to get to Norfolk, and temperatures there were similar. No warming trend in the near future. Our friends on the Corbin 39 were in Oriental NC and also complaining of cold conditions. This was not any fun and beginning to seem futile. It is one thing to deliver a boat in fair weather, quite another in miserable weather. So......rather than learn to HATE sailing the Tartan south, we decided to "pull the plug" and look forward to another sailing season with anticipation of challenge, beauty and joy!

Tolchester Marina is a great facility, with a big yard, 4 travel lifts, and friendly, helpful people. They were able to accommodate us. The boat was hauled yesterday, in a snowstorm. The last two days we were there, the temperatures didn't climb out of the 30's, even when the sun came out. We are home now, with a fire in the wood stove. We return after Thanksgiving to finish cleaning out the boat.

Plans are to bring the boat back to Lake Champlain for the summer, then to leave for the south MUCH EARLIER next fall!

Travels aboard Trefoil to continue....