We just returned from our first great cruise for the year. This past week was the first in what seems like months where thunderstorms were not predicted at 30% or greater most days of the week. We launched Thursday around 5 PM at Gwynn Island off a great ramp conveniently next to a mom & pop-style restaurant where we had dinner once Carol II was in the water and ready to go. Winds were a bit dicey - S SE at 15 to 20 with stronger gusts but a quick ride around the North side of the Isle convinced an apprehensive wife that calmer waters would be found. We were unable to raise the bridge attendant by radio but my old drill field "Hello up there ! " brought results and the bridge pivoted open for us. We headed West to Queens Creek to find an anchorage for the night, passing one lovely 28' sailboat moored midstream. The skipper watched us passing and called out his admiration, "That's the prettiest li'l boat I've ever seen." Found a fairly secluded cove, anchored, rigged for the night, heralded in the almost-full moon with a couple of glasses of wine, and retired for a peaceful night. Hot coffee, cold cereal and lots of fresh fruit for breakfast then departed under sail across Godfrey Bay to explore the Piankatank (just South of the Rappahannock on the Chesapeake). We sailed upstream as far as the Route 3 bridge, some of the time wing to wing with a sunshade fastened to the bimini to give us some more shade, but decided not to go beyond because we'd be tacking all the way out on the return journey. Lots of Osprey, a few eagles and falcons, fish jumping and small white turns (?) crashing into the water after them. Winds were 10 to 15 with enough chop to make the return run exciting but not abusive and we had a very comfortable time exploring Fishing Bay - touching bottom in the shallows but twice. We motored into Jackson Creek (very twisted entry) for the night to find an anchorage. I had been there several times on a much larger boat when the skipper was able to take advantage of the reciprocal between yacht clubs but this time we were "undocumented" so found a place to anchor at the head of the Creek. While we enjoyed "happy hour" a huge old two masted wooden schooner passed us and the skipper called over that we looked very cozy - that's probably as accurate a term as one can come up with to describe two old folks sipping wine and eating pretzels and almonds on a 15' boat. Stew for dinner and another grand evening with another beautiful moonrise, again sleeping with the hatch fully open to a sky full of stars and no mosquito netting. Work boats left at 4 AM - one with a very loud diesel - but it was quiet thereafter until schools of small fish began their morning synchronized calisthenics roiling the waters around our boat, wakening the ducks and Canada geese that had spent the night nearby. We discovered that morning that we'd forgotten something with which to lube the frying pan so we poached our eggs. The old single burner Coleman continues to work well with the tip-proof rig keeping the coffee pot in place while we mess about on board. Haven't come up with a rig for the frying pan so that warranted a bit more monitoring. The winds were very light when we pulled out into the River and we were glad again for the sun screen. After an hour of tooling along watching fish jumping and birds feeding and the speed doubling then dropping back (from 2 to 1 knot) the winds rose again S SE at about 12 and we had a great morning sail tacking back and forth out into the Bay then back toward Gwynn Island as we headed South. I thought we must have made better time that I expected and headed for a clear channel at the South end of the Island but became wary when there were no channel markers. Checked the GPS coordinates and realized one of the hurricanes must have blasted a breach through the island. Although we might have been able to get through the new opening with our shallow draft I decided against testing the passage on a fast broad reach. The "real" entrance channel to the other side of the Island was another serpentine approach starting way out with sandy fingers on either side. I started taking one leg a bit short but the kickup rudder convinced me of the error of my ways so I honored the reds and greens the rest of the way in as we watched several skates skimming the shallows close at hand. We sailed back North wing-to-wing with my boat hook serving as a whisker pole until we reached the dock and launching ramp. Although the wind stayed constant we roasted while we recovered Carol II, dropped the mast and secured things for the trip home. The A/C was cranked up high for quite a while once we got on the road. Some lessons learned this trip: 1. I like the stock tiller when there is more than one person on board. The experimental extension (PVC pipe and two bunge sail-ties) worked very well permitting the helmsman to sit well forward and could be gotten out of the way easily when coming about or to permit easier movement about the cockpit. It needs a bit of improving but I'll stick with it rather than getting the J-30 as I intended. 2. There is too much wasted space on board ! - I've got to come up with better ways of storing things. We keep two ice chests on a level deck installed under the starboard bench but they are difficult to get out or into. We will try a larger ice chest stuck far forward on the berth - gets the weight forward and will be easier to get to. It should be relatively easy to secure up there and not difficult to move to the cockpit for an evening. Food storage is in a box under the port bench (adequate) and dishes and pots and pans etc. in a long slide out box under the cockpit floor starboard of the centerboard trunk (also adequate). I'm going to fashion some partitions behind the seat backs for storing canopies, bumpers, life jackets and perhaps even some vitals. (Our M-15 has two shallow seat wells which I do not want to open as some have done to gain access to the space below.) Hopefully, adhesives will hold the thin wooden shelves and supports in place. 3. And one lesson reinforced: The Mongomery is indeed a beautiful and fun boat ! Stan & Carol M-15, # 177, Carol II