July 3, 1998: Magothy River
Jeff and I out for a sail. #1 and Main. Sailed around for an hour and a half. No real direction, just in the vicinity of J, B, and A marks. Back to the pier to pick up John and pizza.

July 3, 1998: Yacht Club Races
John, Jeff and I out for a Friday Race. Course was B(r), H(r), C(r), J(g) but was shortened to BHC. Started at J, 2 minutes late. Made up some time upwind, but lost it in light air downwind. Pulled centerboard downwind, but unsure if it helped. Came in second to last. Corrected over Double Trouble. Battery power failed while we were sailing after the race. Need to connect the battery to the motor so it'll charge.

July 4, 1998: Fireworks off Gibson Island
John and I sailed across the Magothy River to raft up with Coyote to watch the fireworks. Had the main and jib up in light winds. John at the tiller. Replaced the battery today. Lights are now so strong they are almost blinding. Rafted up with Coyote. Good except for the waves. Any movement at all is bad. Alt Escape feels every wave, while Coyote stays still. I worry about the boats banging together during our trip south. We may have to use two seperate anchors.

July 6, 1998: Magothy River
Barb and I out for an evening sail. Cruised around between B and C marks, with side trips to A and H. Medium winds (5-10 knots) from the south. Had the full main and storm jib up for pleasant flat sailing. Barb took the tiller for about half an hour. Back at the pier Barb starts reorganizing the boat. Guess everything is back to normal with only repairs to the boat remaining.

July 10, 1998: Yacht Club Races
John and I out for Friday night races. Course: start at B, AJB (red). We had a better start but died downwind. Tried a sail change, but lost a lot of time. Winds were from the North at 5-10. Main and jib up. Sailed out to Baltimore Light after the race. Two to three foot chop on the Bay and the boat did fine. Once in the Magothy reefed main, tacked, and .... no lights! Battery slid and pulled out the wires again. Little water in the port locker. Need to rewire the battery and tighten the shrouds.

July 12, 1998: Magothy River
Barbara and I out for an afternoon sail. Sailed from the channel bouys to C, over to A, D, and H. Anchored for the first time to the lee of Gibson Island. Had a pleasant dinner aboard, pulled anchor, and headed back to Deep Creek. Let Barbara take the tiller into the creek and into the slip. She did great. With a little more practice, she could be a good first mate.