Ahhh, what a feeling, gliding smoothly into a peaceful Chesapeake cove, just as you drop the main. The sunset throws long shadows from the mast, scaring up a squawking heron as you coast up to the perfect spot to set the hook. You can almost taste that first cold drink and hear dinner sizzling on the stern rail BBQ. Pure satisfaction. For you anyway. For the kids though, pure satisfaction is not described as floating on the anchor and reclining to watch the sunset. They want you to hop in the dinghy, blast around the anchorage for a while and then start exploring the muddy shoreline. For you, the act of sailing to your destination is half of the fun, for the kids, the fun usually starts at the destination. What to do, what to do?

On our weeklong sailing trip during commissioning week, we came up with an unplanned compromise that met everyone’s expectations for fun. Our initial plan had been to head south and cruise the bay as far as the wind and our weeklong timeframe would allow. The abysmal weather would throw a monkey wrench into that plan.

If They’re Not Happy….
As sailing parents, we have learned to recognize and accept the true bottom line - if the kids are not happy, we’re not happy. Our kids are aged 4 and 5 so planning for their entertainment was an important part of the trip. In addition to loading lots of toys and kid snacks, we left prepared with a bag of little prizes. They would get one special little prize each day from a box of tradeshow knick knacks that we had picked up during a business trip. The prizebag (as it was soon dubbed) had lots of cool stuff in it like cheap calculators, key chains and tiny radios, pens, daytimer pads and compasses. This was a huge hit with the girls and even now, they still mention the prizebag with a wistful fondness.

Fizzle
Our trip began with a fizzle. We had rented out our house for commissioning week so we left the dock late in the afternoon after giving the renters the grand tour. We motored down the creek to the Rhode River and anchored for the night. The girls were snuggled into their warm V-berth and our spirits were high as we spent our first night floating peacefully on the hook. Unfortunately, we awoke the next morning to pouring rain and zero breeze. Discretion being the better part of valor we sailed right back to our neighbor’s dock and tied up, anything is better than just motoring in the rain. We grabbed the car and went out for breakfast and to pick up a new anchor light. It rained all day so after a movie at the mall we had dinner with our neighbors, who by then were calling us the “boat people”. With our new anchor light glowing at the top of the mast, we slept that night at the neighbor’s dock. We awoke to glorious sunshine and an ideal Chesapeake day, time to get sailing.

South in the Sun
Our first leg took us to Solomon’s Island with a fine breeze and plenty of sun. We anchored in Mill Creek for the night and took a 2 hour stroll through town the next morning. A bag of ice and we were off to Smith Island for another beautiful day of sailing. The kids were doing great, they took longer naps and woke up later than they normally did at home. It had to be the sea air and the rocking boat but we were grateful whatever the reason. On this leg we gave each of the girls an opportunity to helm the boat solo. They did surprisingly well after a little coaching and a lot of patience. After leaving only one little keelmark on the bottom when we strayed out of the channel, we tied up at the Smith Island public pier. There was no one to be seen on the dock and a couple of junker cars and rusty old boat engines were our only company. We put out extra lines for the ripping current and went below for dinner.

Riot at the Hyatt
At the Marina office, they were busy taking cancellation calls due to the pitiful weather. This was to be the big opening weekend for them but the nor’easter kept most of their customers ashore. Our girls were ready for their payoff so we gathered up the swimming gear and walked the quarter mile to the hotel. Wow. It was as impressive as you’d expect a world class resort to be, but not in a pretentious way. Nobody was too dressed up and we were happy to see people in the lobby in swimsuits with towels draped over their shoulders. We headed straight for the indoor pool at the Wintergarden. It was a nice big glass enclosed pool with a bubbling hot tub, a snack bar and an attentive lifeguard. The hot tub was an indoor/outdoor type where you could swim under a glass wall and you were outside. This was a favorite feature of ours since we could duck outside and laugh in the face of the storm. The Wintergarden turned out to be our favorite hangout in the hotel. It also offered a game room, ping pong, foosball and a workout room. Each evening the hotel sponsored a s’mores cookout at the main courtyard fireplace. You could bring your own supplies or purchase a s’mores kit from the hotel. Picture a crowd of kids busily setting marshmallows alight while their parents struggled to dodge the flaming sticks of goo. I had forgotten how tasty those s’mores are.

On our final day, we decided to check the kids into “Camp Hyatt”. This is a kid camp that lasts from 9 to 4 and includes lunch. The facility is brand new and staffed with lots of energetic and smiling people. We were heartened that we didn’t spy a single TV in the facility. Rather than babysitting, the emphasis is on activities and included bingo, drawing contests, three legged races, swimming and crafts. Our kids had a ball with a dozen other kids and literally begged us to send them back again. Christy and I used the free afternoon to clean up the boat and explore downtown Cambridge.

Sailing home on our last soggy day, we reflected on the Hyatt experience. Although it was a welcome haven from the storm, it would be even more fun on a sunny weekend. They have a sandy beach complete with volleyball, paddle boats and sunfish available for the taking. They also have tennis courts and two outdoor pools, one of which has a long and twisty waterslide. True, it is not our usual type of sailing destination but you have to admit, it offers something for everyone in a convenient package. Imagine this. A free weekend comes up and you pile the family into the boat for the trip to Cambridge, about 35 miles from Annapolis. Dad could play golf (with Calloway rental clubs even), mom could do whatever it is that they do at the spa, the kids could have a busy day full of new friends and experiences at Camp Hyatt and then everyone meets back on the boat for dinner. It might not be that quiet secluded cove that I was dreaming of but I suppose it won’t hurt for me to broaden my sailing horizons as well. For the whole scoop on the Hyatt, go to www.chesapeakebay.hyatt.com.

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