Leaving Annapolis behind early this morning was like saying good bye to an old friend.  On the way out of our anchorage around 6:00 a.m., I took more pictures of the Naval Academy field with about five hundred high school students doing pushups and jumping jacks as they shouted to the rising sun, “Let’s go Navy!”  This is a camp designed to show them academy life, and from what we could see, is sure to scare off a few.  With 22,000 applications and only 1,200 accepted to the school, they would be extremely lucky to get a place in the exclusive freshman class of 2013.

There’s an old saying among sailors, that when there’s another boat on the water with the same heading, it’s a race.  This morning as Aurora headed north with 10mph NE winds she was out ahead of the “other” boat, and remained in the lead most of the twenty-seven miles to Baltimore.  Captain did his best to stay there, even taking shortcut, and going out of the channel, which is not something he does…ever.  But in this case it was a necessity to avoid the 82,000 ton bulk carrier.  In the end, though the “United Fortune” from Singapore eased on up, winning by several lengths, into her dock.  Foiled again! 

Baltimore, Inner Harbor has been an unusual experience, especially after just spent four days and nights in clean-cut Annapolis.  Leaving the Chesapeake, heading up the Patapsco River, then passing under Francis Scott Key Bridge we began to notice an odor, but thought it was just the industrial pollutants floating acrid across the water.  Just as we were happy with our set in the narrow Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Fire Department boat came over and suggested we move away for 30 minutes or so as they were going to do a water display, and as he put it, “you might not want this water on your boat.”  We complied and were glad we did.  Sorry to the locals in Baltimore but this place stinks.  The murky water is littered with so much trash they have a special boat with metal baskets on the front to scoop up the debris.  It is like being anchored in a cess pool.  Dennis tried sitting out in the cockpit, but was driven back inside by the overpowering smell.  Sure hope they clean up their act soon, as this cannot be healthy.

On a lighter note, all around the edges of the harbor there are water activities and rides of one sort or the other.  As we tied up the dinghy to take Fritz ashore three little boys ran over to the boat and one said, “How much for that?” thinking it was for rides too.  Smart kid shopping around, you just never know when you might get a great dinghy deal.

Tonight we made it back to the downtown waterfront, and found the foul odor not so bad there.  In the restaurant the waiter said it was some kind of algae problem.  We’re still not sure that is the total answer, but hopefully if it is, it will soon be gone.

An exciting end to our day, another “blue light special” team paid a visit at 9:00p.m.  Thankfully we were still up and dressed when Coast Guard officers came calling off our port.  One good thing about having an inspection in Wrightsville Beach a month ago is they were happy to be on their way after seeing the recent paperwork.       

Tomorrow we’re heading out early again, trying to make Chesapeake City on the flooding tide.