Tug Calypso's Great Loop Adventure: Gray and gloomy means great going

We are docked at the Solomons Island Yacht Club in Solomons, MD after a fairly smooth trip across the mouth of the Potomac River. We left Hampton YC Wed afternoon approximately 1 hr. after my plane landed. It was pouring down rain, but the seas were flat and the winds were calm, so we motored out into the Chesapeake Bay. For our non-boating friends, here is a little weather primer - when we talk about good weather, we are not necessarily talking about sunshine and blue skies. We are talking about flat seas and calm winds. Actually the winds don't have to be calm as long as the seas are flat. Thursday was the kind of day that most people would have called "beautiful" - lots of sun and blue skies, but we stayed anchored in the East River for a second night because the wind was blowing 15-20 out of the north and the waves were 3 ft. That does not make for a good ride when you are headed north. Yesterday was still a bit choppy on the Bay, but we did make it from the East River to Fishing Bay. Today was a good day and we are glad to be able to step off the boat for the first time since Wednesday. Our plans for the next week include stops in Annapolis and Baltimore before heading thru the C&D Canal to the Delaware Bay and New Jersey.