I just took the helm after Shelly’s shift/watch. There are a whole bunch of ships showing up 5-10 miles ahead of us on the horizon.

Above, this is what they look like on the chart plotter with AIS. If I click on one of them, I can get their speed over ground (SOG), vessel name, and other info.

There is a total of six large cargo vessels all anchored in the area just outside of Annapolis, which is our destination for this afternoon.

It is most likely that they are all waiting their turn to go up into Baltimore to unload their cargo OR to make their way into the C&D Canal. That canal cuts across from the northern Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. We might be passing through that canal on Sunday!

Here are a couple of the ships to our right.

Here is Freedom, a gold Looper from Ann Arbor MI. Looks like she’s having another go at it!

Below is Thomas Point Shoal Light which was close to all this activity.

Here is a larger than average tow that we passed earlier on our way into Solomons MD.

Once in Annapolis Harbor, Shelly prepares to throw Steve a line at the fuel dock. We pumped out got some ice, and squared up for one night right in close to town at The Yacht Basin Company.