07 June 08 Great Circle Route

The Bay never fails to provide us with new and exciting ways to see her and this trip was no exception.

If you have spent anytime on our web site then you already know that The Great Circle Route is the trip for our true 'die-hard' lighthouse enthusiasts. This trip takes in 10 lights of the Bay plus a chance to see some of the smaller shipping channel range lights in action as we travel north above the Bay Bridge.

When we left the dock on this morning the visibility was extremely tight....we were socked in with heavy wet fog ...not uncommon for a hot summer morning. We headed north up through the Poplar Island Narrows towards the Eastern Bay expecting the fog to lift at any moment but on this day it wasn't going anywhere.

While this made the navigation fairly tricky it also lent a sense of excitement to the trip. Our passengers were really great fun....and participated fully as look outs on the foredeck. The lack of visibility made every light that we approached a real surprise as they would loom up at us out of the fog in a way that we have not seen before.
The conditions remained this way through the morning....our approach to the shipping channel and under the Bay Bridge was unbelievable...we were actually under the bridge before you could see any of the structure.

We stopped at Tolchester for our lunch and by the time we had eaten and headed back north around Pooles Island the fog had lifted and we were treated to an amazing sunny hot afternoon...the bow spray was a welcomed refresher.

We would like to thank everyone of the passengers from this trip....and invite them to send some additional pictures of our foggy morning together! It was a real pleasure having you all aboard!

Capt. Mike

Mother Nature runs the show 31 May 2008

Safety is always our number one priority...we watch the weather reports, keep a tight eye on the radar and tune in to the Coast Guard weather updates...but even with all of these measures sometimes mother nature still rules.

After we returned to the dock with the 9am passengers we could see that there was a storm front to the North. After much debate and review it seemed that we could still get in the 12 o'clock trip and not let down the 12 passengers who were waiting anxiously in the barge house.

We had a great run out to the light, passengers disembarked and we anchored off the shoal to wait for the completion of their tour. Within 10 minutes it became apparent that the storm was not going to hang North as we had hoped.

The lightning was absolutely incredible...a bit daunting but spectacular.

We secured the boat to emergency standards and just rode it out. The storm moved by quickly and the worst had passed by the time that the tour was finished.

We were most concerned about the folks in the lighthouse and the possibility that they might have been very uncomfortable or nervous during the storm.

When we docked at the light to pick everyone up we were met with cheers and a very jubilant group. They were all so excited to have been in the lighthouse for such a show. Jokes flew back and forth about having been the one and only group to have such an exciting experience. Someone commented that they were the 'first people to ride out a storm since the last lighthouse tenders had manned the light!'.

While this is not something that we would intentionally repeat we were certainly thankful to have such an enthusiastic group of passengers who were so willing to roll with the situation and come away with such a great attitude.

For these folks the once in a life time visit to the interior of Thomas Point Shoal Light really WAS once in a lifetime.

Capt. Mike

Thomas Point Shoal Light VIP Tour 31 May 2008

The 9am trip this Saturday was reserved for the Mayor and Council members. The Annapolis Maritime Museum invited these folks out so that they could have a full appreciation for what this historic landmark and it's restoration bring to The City of Annapolis. A great time was had by all!

The weather and visibility were perfect for this trip...allowing for the best views heading out to the lighthouse...and terrific photos as well.

The group was really enthusiastic and interested in hearing about the light, the growth of The Annapolis Maritime Museum and the fantastic opportunity that this light presents to the visitors and citizens of Annapolis.

Many thanks to Mayor Ellen Moyor and council members for joining us and for their support of this amazing landmark.

Special thanks to Dale for sharing all of his photographs.

Capt. Mike

Memorial Day Weekend trips....a terrific time had by all!!!

PASSAGE TRIP

25 May, 2008
1230

wind

seas

A fantastic trip up the Bay. We did have to run against the wind which made for some heavy sea spray but at least one of our younger passengers took full advantage of this! Heading out to the bow several times and placing himself directly in the spray wearing a huge grin the entire time.

Our trip this day included two families with their sons and it was really a pleasure to have these young men on board. They were really well mannered and still managed to had a great time...of course at one point between light houses they discovered the best napping spot on the boat.

It was also lovely to be part of the birthday celebration of their grandfather...a momentous occassion to be sure. Hopefully the event will be added to his excellent collection of life memories.

A great thank you to Alan Romefelt and his family for their continued patronage!

Capt. Mike