The snowbirds are on the move. You can tell. It’s early October, a regular Friday, barely a whisper of wind, and yet the water’s busy like it’s a Saturday in July. We were tucked away in our quiet corner of Sellman Creek, just us and the ospreys, but peek around the little island to the south and—boom—eleven anchored sailboats, all looking very much in cruising mode. Two snuck in close to midnight, probably hoping not to wake the anchorage. That spot’s just off the southbound highway for boats, so no surprise really. Still, it felt like someone had flipped a switch and the migration was suddenly in full swing.

Bettina and I had a bit of a chat over breakfast. Could we imagine heading south again right now? Honestly, no. We loved the trip up from St. Pete, and the summer in the Chesapeake was a dream. Koko’s getting hauled out in a few weeks, and yes, we’ll miss her. But we’re also looking forward to dry land adventures—visiting Jenny and Gabe with zero boat chores, catching Jessica’s hockey games at UMD, maybe even braving the cold up north to watch Dennis play in his beer league. But that’s only happening if Emma and we get invited for the post-game beer, mind you. And of course, Devils games on the big screen with Kevin and Jaxi. Let’s go. We had booked our spot at Haven Harbour for this winter already a year ago, and it’s looking like a solid call. Maybe heading south next year? No idea. That’s half the fun.

So while the snowbirds had their headings locked in, we were more in the “let’s see what happens” camp. No wind today, none forecasted for tomorrow, and Monday’s not looking much better. You’d think we’d just stay put, enjoy the peace, maybe read a book or two. But there’s something about lifting anchor and poking our noses into a new spot. We like the guessing game, chart reading, wind checks, anchorage reviews, and then that moment when you round the bend and see it for the first time. Is it how we pictured it? Are there boats already? Will we get a good spot? And will the wind behave overnight? The best part is when the anchor drops and we do our little victory hug. It’s silly, but it’s ours.

So yes, we moved today. Mostly motoring, which I’ve grumbled about before, but today I was in the mood. We decided to use the same strategy as we did with St. Michaels a couple weeks back—anchor near the marina the night before, so that we can roll in at the earliest check-in time the next day. That way, we get the most out of our stay and have plenty of time to explore the town.

This time the target was Cambridge, MD, another tip by Bob and Linda. We figured we’d anchor about 5 nautical miles north, in a big bay that’s lovely unless the wind comes from the north or east. The forecast said southwest, so we banked on the trees giving us a bit of shelter.

We left around 10:00 after a slow breakfast and a bit of lazy cockpit time. The crab pots were out in full force. It felt like we dodged a thousand of them. Twice we got hopeful with a breeze, hoisted the sails, shut the engine, and then… nothing. Back to motoring. We made good time and dropped anchor just after 16:00. Big bay, wide open, and not another boat in sight. A total contrast to last night’s snug little nook. We like mixing it up.

Now we’re settled in, usual late afternoon cockpit routine. But no coffee and cookies today. Instead, “healthy” veggies. Something fishy is bubbling up from the galley—Bettina’s at it again. We’ve got leftover red wine from yesterday, and the only thing missing was the sunset. Or so we thought. Turns out the sun’s down, but the sky’s still glowing orange. So maybe not missing anything after all.

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