 Our original plan was to leave Osprey Point at 9:30am, but the fog was very thick as it has been for the past few days. We took a selfie, and sent a text to our captain/trainer to let him know we were started our journey. We are thankful for all the guidance he gave us as we began the boating lifestyle. The fog started to burn off enough for us to leave the dock about 10:20am. We rolled up the shore power cord, untied all the lines and shoved off. Winds were calm, so it was an easy departure.  The Chesapeake was extremely quiet and the fog was lifting outside of Swan Creek. There were only a few boats out on the water, but we took things slow since the fog was still evident. We couldn’t see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Kent Island to Annapolis until we were within a half mile, and even then, we only saw the bridge pilings. The roadway was masked in fog. It was weird to see the road disappear into the clouds. A northbound boater hailed on the radio asking about the fog conditions north of the bridge. We told him that the visibility was about a quarter mile just north of the bridge, but was better further north. He let us know that it cleared out nicely south of the bridge. He was right! It was uncanny, that as soon as we passed under the bridge, the fog cleared. Enough so that we had to dodge many sailboats out of Annapolis. It may have been a regatta as it looked organized.  Once through the maze of sailboats we gained speed and made good time until we got to the Patuxent River. We hit a thick fog bank and were very thankful for AIS and radar. Those technical marvels gave us a good idea what was ahead and allowed us to adjust course to avoid any problems. At one point we had a big natural gas tanker ship anchored on the starboard side and a large container ship passing on port. It was eery watching these huge ships appear in silence and then go by in the fog. Once past the Patuxent, things cleared up all the way beyond the entrance to the Potomac. The water was calm and made for an extremely smooth ride. This was the most calm we have seen these waters and we were making great time. We were very thankful that this crossing of the mouth of the Potomac was so calm.  No sooner had we become comfortable with our progress, and we hit another fog bank. This time we had no visibility. Maybe a hundred yards at times and then 20 yards at others. We slowed to 8 knots and kept a close watch on the chartplotter and the surroundings. I felt like my head was on a swivel. I also felt like we joined the trawler world. Not that that is a bad thing, but we paid a lot of money for these engines that are supposed to get you to your destination fast!  The fog bank lasted until we got to the Rappahannock River entrance. At that point, everything cleared up and the sun was shining beautifully. There were a few boats out on the water as we passed the Rappahannock and headed to the Piankatank River to find our anchorage in Fishing Bay. There were only four boats in the anchorage, so we found a spot in 17 feet of water and dropped the hook. The wind is light, so I think we will be ok for the night, and I hope that there is little fog tomorrow.  We just finished a glass of wine to celebrate a successful first day as the neighbor sailboater blew the customary blast on his conch shell to signal the setting sun. We are thankful for a good first day and look forward to the adventures yet to come. If the first day is any indication, this is going to be a trip full of exciting new boating experiences.
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