We finally peeled away from the dock again this afternoon, two months after arriving in Rock Hall. It felt like forever. Rolling in from home and reaching the marina by early afternoon didn’t leave us with much time; just a few hours to get out and sail before the day slipped away. There was almost zero wind, but we were itching to escape the heat-soaked marina. Even a lazy drift sounded better than roasting in place. Plus, the neighboring slip with a starboard tie-up had just opened up, so we figured it was the perfect chance to make the switch.

We nudged Koko away from the dock and tip-toed through the mud flats of Swan Creek, holding our breath every time the depth sounder got closer to four feet. Koko slid right on track, though, and before we knew it we were floating free in the bay.

Late in the afternoon, a surprise puff rolled in. We hoisted the main and opened the Yankee, Koko heeled over gently, and for a sweet 1 1/2 hours we actually sailed, with waves clicking on the hull and sunlight dancing under the boom. It felt so good to be moving again. We cannot wait to hunt a bigger breeze soon. When was the last time you made a break for open water after a long layup?

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