Yesterday evening, I sailed upriver into a 10-knot northerly breeze and riding the flood tide. Just north of the lighthouse I passed a couple of paddlers in kayaks. All of us watched as a bald eagle swooped down to the water and grabbed a fish. I continued beating into the wind for a couple of miles until the tide started to reverse flow. Before I started my turn, I waited for a large, red-hulled vessel to pass going downriver. As the boat neared, water began spouting from the forward part of the vessel, streaming in two large jets and arching over the water. Had I been any closer, I may have gotten a shower. The markings on the side of the vessel read “City of Baltimore.” I watched as the vessel continued downriver past the lighthouse and around the bend, spouting water the whole way. Later, when I got back home, a quick internet search revealed that Baltimore is getting a new fireboat, transiting from Ontario via the Hudson River. There’s even a website charting its journey: http://www.baltimorefireboat.com/BoatTrialsPhotos.asp