Tuesday 03July

The Lord of the Flies, or,  Lordy! the Flies!
Before it gets too hot in the cabin to be fun I will try to write up my last two days. High today on the bay is to be low 90's, which is a lot better than the low 100's. Of course, the average for this date is 86 degrees, so we are well above normal.
  Will was excited when he learned that I was stopping at The Great Wicomico River. The geologic structure he is studying emerges to the surface at the Wicomico, as described in a 1901 publication. That is the Wicomico River. Not The Great Wicomico, or even another river, the Small Wicomico. But when I turned around I had the opportunity to go to the Wicomico, (or the Not-So-Great Wicomico as Normandie calls it.) Well it is a beautiful river. And I could have anchored anywhere along it if I wanted a longer stay. I motored a long way up the river to the Wicomico Creek, then went up the creek for a mile or so, to the co-ordinates Will had given me. His geologic outcroppings, at high ground along a beautiful river, had been developed. I took pictures, but unless one goes there and digs holes, nothing interesting can be gained. He and I both expected it to be like the bluffs on the Tar River between Greenville and Washington. So after discussing it with him on the telephone I turned around and headed back downstream.
  The day started with another save-yourself-first-then-look-out-for-the-boat thunderstorm. Will had seen it coming and had alerted me via telephone text. It was not as bad as the other two, but I was in exposed water and it lasted for 2.5 hours. I was glad when it ended. I was mightily tossed around. Then, after a pleasant cruise up and down the river the flies arrived. Many, many housefly sortta creatures, which would draw blood if one sat on the skin for about 20 seconds. And there were hundreds of them. Insect repellant only worked while it was still wet on my skin. I could protect myself with a swatter as long as I continually used it, at a rate of about one kill every five seconds. I had piles of dead flies on the floor, and many times the swatted fly on my leg would fall into my shoe. I had dead flies everywhere. At one point I had to sign off a telephone call with Normandie because I needed that hand to swat flies. It was spectacular. I had to control myself to keep from becoming frustrated. After I anchored I put up the screens and proceeded to kill them inside the cabin, which worked. At least that worked. And wonderfully, at nightfall I was not bothered on the foredeck.
  Today I have only occasional flies, controlled with the swatter. Give Thanks! And another reason to give thanks is that I have wind, and am actually sailing! I am on the Eastern Shore, and the wind is forecasted to be from the south at 10 kts. If this continues I will be able to go southwest, and cross the bay. I may end up at Deltaville for the night. That is where we picked up Bailey's new boat for a wonderful trip down to Sunset Beach. The last time I sailed to Deltaville I spent several hours aground with a crab pot on my propeller. So Deltaville has lots of memories for me.
  Tomorrow's forecast is for southwest wind at 10. I may be able to sail diagonally across the bay to Cape Charles, or maybe down to Norfolk. We'll see how it turns out. Except for the first day when I sailed down the Pamlico and up the Pungo, I have motored all day every day. Right now I am sailing a comfortable 3 knots. This is really a good change.
  Bill Doar
P.S.
It was an absolutely glorious sail across the bay to Deltaville; the kind of day I wish everyone could have been with me. I want to give this to everybody reading this (not at the same time, however). The wind was about 10 kts, the bay smooth, and Advent II "in her groove". It was wonderful. After all the motor-motor-motor in the blazing hot, it was just gliding along, and the breeze was only pleasantly warm; I never got hot. It was simply wonderful. No flies, a swim, shower, and sundowners as the full moon rises.