Time to Cross The Bay

Our plans would take us over to the western shore to visit with friends on Rock Creek in Pasadena, MD. We decided to go down river and find an anchorage that would put us closer to the Bay and make our trip to Rock Creek shorter the next day. The options were Langford Creek or Grays Inn Creek, near the mouth of the Chester River. We departed Chestertown on Sunday afternoon, and as usual, the boat traffic was pretty heavy. We had tried to wait for the powerboat group at the marina to leave because we knew they'd be running full speed down the river to get home before their normal boat slips ran away. All of them had left but one Cruisers Inc. 455, and it came past us full throttle, throwing up a huge wake that rocked every boat on the river. The lack of consideration for the safety of others still baffles us today. The decision to stop in Grays Inn Creek instead of Langford Creek was made mostly because there is always lots of boat traffic in Langford on weekends. It turned out to be a good decision.

We haven't anchored in Grays Inn Creek before so it was nice to experience a new place. The creek is deep and there are several anchoring opportunities depending on wind direction. We traveled a little farther up the creek than we might have because the winds were forecast to increase and the river was open to the forecast direction. We knew from past experience that there was a good probability that winds would be stronger than forecast, so we headed up the Grays Inn Creek branch of the river and dropped anchor near the western side. It was another beautiful anchorage with little boating activity other than a local small sailboat and a couple of waterman working a trot line. The wind increased to over 20 knots during the afternoon, but the creek offered good protection and holding. By early evening, there was little more than a light breeze. This was a good sign and the next morning we were underway shortly after the sun came up to take advantage of  light conditions to cross the Bay to the western shore.

Wind and seas were on our nose making the crossing from the Chester River over to the Patapsco River. The wind had picked up to about 5 to 8 knots and seas were 1 to 2 feet. Not at all uncomfortable. The river leads up to Baltimore and is very heavily industrialized. The remnants of the Bethlehem Steel Plant and the current shipyard can be seen on the north shore and a large power plant is opposite. Rock Creek, our destination, is near the power plant which is always visible by the belching smoke from the stacks. Spanning the river is the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the gateway to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Once we sighted the well-known "White Rocks" near the entrance to Rock Creek, it was almost like coming home again. We spent many years in this creek before we headed off to do some serious cruising. On this trip, we would only be spending a few days visiting at a friend's dock. There is a long shoal that extends almost to the ship channel off Ft. Smallwood that has to be cleared before turning directly into Rock Creek. Once inside, the speed limit in the entire creek is 6 miles per hour. There are two marinas and a yacht club inside the creek entrance. The yacht club takes transient vessels from time to time.

Staying at any of the marinas will put you a long way from anything, so if you have plans for provisioning, etc., a car is needed. None of the marinas offer a courtesy car. Farther in there are two service yards with limited dockage and haul-out facilities. Our friends live past all of the marinas and yards in a section of the creek that has been utilizing a bubbler system to try and bring back the health of the waterway. This gives the creek the look of a white water river, even though the depths are 12 feet all the way in. There is no anchoring allowed in the creek where the bubbler system begins. There are a couple of good anchorages near the large marinas and the yacht club. We were soon tied up at our friends dock and enjoying their hospitality. Our friend Bill was in his skiff checking his crab pots as we arrived. A crab feast was planned for the afternoon and we were certainly looking forward to it. It's always good to reconnect with friends, especially those we haven't seen for a long time.

After a few days, we needed to move on to the Baltimore Inner Harbor, where we planned to stay put for about a month to take care of a few personal things and finish The Great Book Of Anchorages, The Bahamas. We want the book available in the stores by mid to late September so boaters heading south to the Bahamas will have a copy on board. We made reservations at Henderson's Wharf in Fells Point through the Marinalife website reservations system. The trip from Rock Creek to the Inner Harbor at a leisurely pace took about an hour and fifteen minutes. Along the way, we passed ship yards, power plants, commercial wharfs, the Baltimore Marine Terminal and historic Fort McHenry. The Patapsco River is very industrialized and we wouldn't call this a scenic trip, unless you're into commercial industry. Henderson's Wharf juts out on a point just as one enters the Inner Harbor area. It was early when we arrived so we had to stand off and wait for a few minutes until someone could get down the dock, assign us a slip and help with lines. Except for some of the T-docks and side ties, most of the slips have very short finger piers and many do not have pilings on which to tie between the slips. This required us to back into the slip or we wouldn't be able to get off the boat without trying to climb over the anchor platform. The weather cooperated and backing in didn't present any problems. In wind and current conditions, this can be challenging with our single engine and no thrusters. Tied snugly in the slip, it was time to take care of business and do some exploration around Fells Point. We also had a concert to attend in Washington over the weekend, so we were looking forward to a change of pace and a little distraction. More on that later. Don't forget, as always, for more photos and information, visit our Facebook page. 

Enjoying the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay

Our time spent with friends is always too short, but we convinced our friends Edwin and Silvia to come along with us on our trip from their house on the Wye River to Chestertown. Their son dropped off their car so they could get back home, and the weather couldn't have cooperated more. The trip down the Wye was just as spectacular as the trip upriver. Our only challenge for the day would be transiting Kent Narrows. The channel out the north end is well known for its shallow spots, being narrow and constantly moving. As we approached the drawbridge in the narrows, we called the bridgetender to let him know we needed an opening. He decided he didn't need to open on time, and boats on both side waited until he was good and ready. Fortunately, we made the bridge at slack water so we didn't have to deal with the strong currents that can make waiting for the bridge interesting. Once we finally did get through, we would have to negotiate the channel on the other side.

There is a shoal just on the north side of the bridge that is marked by a special purpose buoy. Other than that spot, the depths in the Narrows are pretty good with marinas and restaurants on both sides. Once past the marinas, etc., the channel makes a turn to the east and then to the west. At red marker 8, the depths dropped to 6.9 feet. We were at high tide. From red 8, we took a direct course to green 5 then green 3, which is a relocated floating buoy. Using this approach, other than at red 8, we saw 10 to 12 feet of water throughout. It's important to stay in the channel and not let the currents carry you into the shallows. Once clear of the last set of markers, we set a course to take us up the Chester River.

The mouth of the Chester River is wide, and if the wind is out of a westerly or southerly component, a pretty good chop can build up. This day had light winds, and our trip up the river was comfortable and pleasant. It's about 25 miles up river to Chestertown, which was our destination. The Chester is just as stunning as the Wye River, maybe more so since there is much less development. There are the ever present commercial crabbers running their trot lines back and forth, up and down the river. There is also a lot more recreational traffic on the Chester than the Wye. For the first 10 miles or so, we had the current with us, and then the tide switched, slowing us down considerably. This was important since we had reservations at Chestertown Marina and they closed promptly at 5:00 PM. The chartplotter put our ETA at 4:58 PM, so we were cutting it close.

At 4:00 PM, we began calling the marina to let them know we were arriving near 5:00 PM. They didn't answer the phone and had already told us they didn't have a working VHF radio. We continued calling for the next hour with no answer and began to get concerned that we would not have a place to dock for the night. We had to get our guests ashore, rain and thunderstorms were possible for the afternoon, we had plans for dinner and the reversing currents in the Chester River are pretty strong for anchoring. It was really annoying that we couldn't get the marina on the phone. Other than that, it was a great trip. We finally reached the marina a few minutes after 5:00 PM and found someone working on their boat at the fuel dock. We asked them if there was anyone in the office and they finally got someone on the dock for us. We settled into a slip for the night and went to dinner with our friends.

Chestertown Marina is an interesting place. The marina has been purchased by the town and they have spent nothing to refurbish or repair the place other than replace a few dock boards. What makes it more interesting is that several of the docks and a good amount of the restaurant parking lot are under water every day at high tide. If you happen to be unlucky enough to be tied to one of those docks, you will have to wade through the water to get ashore. The docks are very, very slippery when wet from constantly being under water, so caution is required. The restrooms are just okay and kept clean, but there is one toilet, one hand sink and one shower. If someone is already in there, you have to wait. This is the only marina in town so they have a captive audience and seem to know it. The rates are $ 1.75 for weekdays and $2.00 per foot for weekends. Electric is extra. In our opinion, this is very expensive for the poor conditions of the marina. After two days, we were asked to move to the town dock with no power or water because a group of boats were coming in and most of the slips in the marina are too shallow for cruising boats. The town dock was offered at half price since we had paid full price for 2 weekdays.

Chestertown still maintains its colonial charm. This is Susan's home town (the home pictured to left is where her mother was born) and we were here for a few days so that she could reconnect with relatives, friends and former classmates. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and wanted to visit the weekly Farmers Market held in the park each Saturday during April through October. The Market offers fruits, vegetables, baked goods and even grass fed beef from local farms. There are also arts and crafts from local artisans and merchants. It had been raining on this Saturday so the turnout wasn't great, but it was still good. The downtown area offers a variety of restaurants, boutiques, a small pharmacy and shops. Walks along the side streets offer a glimpse of the homes dating back to the 1700s, all beautifully maintained and restored. There is a small convenience store a few blocks from the waterfront. Unfortunately any serious shopping for groceries, etc. needs to be done well out of town and will require transportation. Several festivals are held in town every year and the Annual Tea Party Festival is a don't miss with reenactments, complete with ship boardings and cannon fire. Despite the drawbacks of the marina, we completely enjoyed our stay and Susan connected with many childhood friends and classmates. Too soon it was time to head back down river to our next destination.

Trawlering The Chesapeake Bay

Warning; This is a long post.
Great Bridge, VA is always a good stop along the waterway before entering the Chesapeake Bay northbound or after the Chesapeake if southbound. The free tie up on the wall between the bridge and lock gives access to groceries, shopping of all sorts, restaurants, hardware stores, pharmacies and most anything you might need. For us, it was an opportunity to visit with friends that live nearby. But after a few days of visiting and then waiting for the rains to let up, we locked through the Great Bridge Lock once more and motored north through the Norfolk/Portsmouth waterway. Cruising past our Naval Fleet and the many different types of vessels encountered along this stretch is always an amazing experience. We see everything from riverboats and nuclear submarines, to aircraft carriers and working tug boats. All against Norfolk's and Portsmouth's towering backdrop. There is always a visible security presence all along the waterfront, and they are serious about their job. It's imperative that anyone give the Naval vessels a wide berth.

Our destination for the day would be Hampton, Virginia. We wanted to explore the anchorages in the harbor, spend some time in the marina to catch up on laundry and give the boat a good bath. Entering Hampton Harbor is pretty straightforward as long as you follow the marked channel. Once inside the harbor, there are two potential anchorages; one directly across from the Public Piers and the other past a fixed 29-foot bridge. We chose the anchorage past the bridge to give us somewhat of a break from the constant boat wakes and also because it was less crowded than the one across from the docks. We found the depths to be shallower on the west side (it quickly dropped to 4 feet at low tide) and deeper on the east side, with 7 to 8 feet at low tide. There were also a number of floats to contend with, a sure sign we were finally in the Chesapeake Bay. We found a spot and settled in just as the rain began once again. This is a very nice anchorage with good holding and only a few local boats that enjoy coming by and waking boats at anchor. Fortunately, they all go home at night.

After a quiet evening, we called the marina the next morning and inquired about the availability of a slip for the night. They told us the marina was booked for the next couple of days with a Power Squadron group that was due to arrive, but they would put us on a waiting list if someone canceled. About the time we were trying to decide if we wanted to stay another day at anchor, the marina called to say a slip was open. This just might not have been a sign of good luck as we later found out. Up came the anchor and we moved into a slip at the Hampton Public Piers. There is a small dock near the bridge at the marina that can be used to tie up the dinghy and go ashore from the anchorage. Three dock hands met us at the slip and helped us tie up in the current. We immediately began the process of doing laundry and cleaning the boat. Thankfully, the rains seemed to have finally subsided, and the day was sunny and very warm. This would be the beginning of a long heat wave that stretched on for almost two weeks.

The slips on both side of us were empty when we pulled into the marina. About midday, a 40+ foot sailboat pulled into the slip next to us and promptly ran into the boat. They seemed to care very little since they "had a fender out," which didn't do much at all. Susan finally told them they needed to fend their boat off ours, fender or no. Just because people can afford to own a boat, they still may have no clue as to how to operate one. They finally got their boat tied up in the slip and we could breath a little easier. The marina soon began to fill up, all with very noisy go-fast boats. This was not a good sign and they began to party almost as soon as they arrived, some apparently before they arrived. The marina neglected to tell us that this "Power Squadron" group would be partying on the dock all night with drinking, loud music and folks that can only talk at the top of their lungs. Had we known this, we would have passed on the slip.

Hampton is a very nice town and we were fortunate that on the day we arrived there was a street festival going on only a few blocks from the marina. A large stage had been set up and several bands were scheduled to perform. There were several street vendors selling food and drinks, many restaurants and shops along the street and a couple of kid's bouncy castles for the younger ones. We enjoyed listening to the music and, of course, visited the local ice cream shop. Hampton is one of those towns where you can just walk around and enjoy the sights. The Virginia Air and Space Center is right at the waterfront and open to the public. A visit to the restored 1920s carousel is like stepping back in time. You can visit the Hampton History Museum or visit Fort Monroe by ferry or bus. The grocery store isn't nearby, but a taxi or bus ride will get you there. Our visit was a short one, just the one day, but well worth the stop and maybe the next time we will stay longer. With all of the weather delays, we were anxious to move up the bay.

Beach House was underway at dawn the next day to take advantage of light morning winds crossing the Bay. Our next destination was Nandua Creek on the eastern shore of Virginia. The plan for our Bay transit this trip was to move up the eastern shore all the way until we were north of the Bay Bridge, and then cross over to the western shore. Nandua Creek is a little known creek, and we wanted to explore it and see if it would be a good anchorage between Hampton and Crisfield, MD for our Chesapeake anchorage book. By noon, we were at the outer marker. A closer look at the chart showed that there may be a shallow bar with 4 feet about halfway into the channel. We were about an hour before high tide, so we hoped we would have enough water to get in. Between green "5A" and red marker "6," the depth sounder alarm went off telling us we were in less than 5 feet of water. The actual depth showed 4.7 feet. Once past the markers, the depths rose to 7 feet or more. This might be a concern to us since at low tide the depths would be 3 feet or less. Once inside, the depths were 8 to 11 feet and the holding where we anchored was very good. The anchor dug in immediately and the anchorage was beautiful. But we would have to plan our departure for high tide the next day to avoid grounding in the channel. High tide the next day, of course, was before sunrise or late afternoon. Neither was a good choice, but one we had to deal with.

The plan was to be up before sunrise and to be prepared to leave the minute there was enough light. That would put us in the channel at about the same tide on which we arrived. It would be close, but if we got in, we should be able to get back out. The problem would be that we would be on a falling tide, so if there was a problem, we would be stuck. Not something we looked forward to. The next morning we were underway as planned. As we headed out the channel, it was apparent the wind had picked up quite a bit and swells were rolling in the channel. As we approached the shallow spot, we tried a slightly different side of the channel in the hopes that there might be a little more depth. Just as we reach the shallow spot, a swell rolled under us and we hit the bottom hard in the trough of the swell. The crest picked us up again and the boat bounced once more in the next trough. It only lasted less than a minute, but seemed like an eternity. We felt the boat moving into deeper water and breathed a sigh of relief. The depth sounder had read 3.8 in the troughs, something that wasn't a problem when we came in. Once clear of the channel and in deeper water, the bilge and rudder shaft had to be checked to be sure we didn't see any obvious damage. No water was coming in and the boat appeared to be steering normally. Beach House has a full keel running the length of the boat and it protects the hull and rudder. With such a problem channel approach, we decided that this creek would be best left out of our Chesapeake Bay Anchorage Book.

Crisfield was our next stop and we decided to take a slip at the marina rather than anchor in the harbor basin. Our pretty hard bounce that morning did give us a little cause for concern, so we wanted a diver to check the rudder area and be sure we didn't do any damage to the rudder or the shoe on which the rudder sits. Everything felt okay, but an inspection would give us piece of mind. With the number of jellyfish in the water, we didn't want to go in ourselves. Another issue in Crisfield is the problem of landing the dinghy. There are no public dinghy docks and the marina charges $10.00 per day to land the dinghy. This does include using the marina facilities, restrooms, showers and pool, however. It just made sense to tie up to the dock. Transient rates at the marina are $1.75 per foot plus electric. If you stay two nights, the third is free. There was a one-day festival going on in town, The J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake, so we stayed the entire three days. Crisfield is one of those small eastern shore working waterfront towns that is trying to become more. Beyond the few restaurants around the waterfront, and of course the festival, the town doesn't have a lot to offer. Many shops are boarded up and have been long closed. The marina is nice, but we felt a bit expensive for the location. The staff was very friendly and helpful and even didn't charge us for a rental bike to get out on the highway to the grocery store. 

After our three days, we were anxious to get underway. Three days in Crisfield is about our limit. Next stop would be a quiet anchorage in the Little Choptank River. Susan has a cousin that lives just off the river and one of her cousin's neighbors has a dock right where we wanted to anchor. We left Crisfield at 6:00 am and arrived at our anchoring spot at 3:00 pm. We anchored just out of the middle of the river near a spot called Solomons Cove. Susan's cousin drove over and picked us up at the neighbor's dock and brought us back to her house for a great dinner and conversation. We had a good visit and the night was quiet and calm. Winds were forecast to pick up from the south, but they never did. That's a good thing since this part of the river is wide open to the south.

The next morning early, we pulled up the anchor and headed for Cambridge, MD. The trip around from the Little Choptank to the Choptank and Cambridge took about 3 hours at our average cruising speed. The entrance to Cambridge is deep and well marked. Just inside the harbor and to starboard is a long town dock (a concrete seawall with numerous cleats) that is free to transients. As we approached the dock, we spotted folks we had met at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Station. It's funny how we keep meeting up with the same people at different places as we travel. The depths alongside the dock are not consistent, and the wall behind the County Building has depths of only about 4 feet at low tide. From the middle of the dock and toward Snapper's restaurant, the depths range from 7 to 9 feet. The dock is very nice at a park-like setting right in downtown Cambridge. There is no power or water at the dock, but trash cans are available. Good fenders are needed to protect the boat from wakes by passing waterman and pleasure craft. The tidal range is about 2 feet and will require a number of fenders to allow for the rise and fall of the boat at the concrete seawall. If the dock is full, there is an anchorage just off the dock with room for several boats. There was a sailboat at anchor when we arrived.

Downtown Cambridge is a quaint eastern shore town with a revitalized historic district. The storefronts are full with shops, galleries, restaurants and boutiques.The main area for supplies and provisions are just outside of town. There is a bus service that will take you to the shopping center where the grocery store, hardware store, marine supply, pharmacy and several other shops are located. You can do your shopping and ride the bus back to the downtown area near the town dock. Cambridge is another town to walk the streets and view the old historic homes. We did notice that some of the homes were in serious need of renovation and restoration. At the harbor entrance is a small park where a farmers market is held every Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning. There is also a reproduction of the Little Choptank Lighthouse that is open to the public. The original lighthouse is at the Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. Everything from fine dining to sandwiches are available within a short walk. Snapper's restaurant, at the seawall, specializes in Jamaican cuisine and seafood, and is quite good, if not a bit pricy. 

From Cambridge, we crossed the Choptank over to Oxford on the Tred Avon, with Susan's cousin Barbara on board for the trip. From the seawall in Cambridge to the anchorage in Oxford, it was a two-hour leisurely cruise for us. There is an anchorage off Oxford with a beach to land the dinghy. This is open to the river and subject to lots of wakes from passing pleasure boats, waterman and the Oxford Ferry, all running full blast. This is a very rolly anchorage so we passed on it and instead headed into the harbor and anchored just out of the channel past green marker "5" in Town Creek. Water depths in this small pocket range from 5 to 8 feet, depending on how far out of the channel you anchor. While anchoring, we saw something in the water that at first we thought was another float. Once the anchor was down, we looked closer and saw that it was a bird struggling in the water to stay afloat. When he saw the boat, he tried to swim to it and grab on to anything he could. Susan tried to scoop him up in a bucket, but he swam away and got under our swim platform. I was able to reach under and grab him just before he gave up and went under for the last time. We put him up on deck so his feathers could dry out and to see if he was going to recover. He did and we eventually took him back to shore.

We noticed the Schooner Restaurant across the harbor and called them to see if we needed reservations for lunch. They told us they weren't needed and we were welcome to tie the dinghy up at their docks when we came in. We had a nice lunch with Susan's cousin, who had made the trip over with us, and her son, who had driven over to pick her up. There is an ice cream shop in the same building, but on the other side from the restaurant. Lunch and dessert were enjoyed by all. It was time to do some exploration, and what better way to do it than by dinghy. A quick cruise around the harbor gave us the lay of the land and we found the public dinghy dock at the Hinkley facilities. The sign on the dock say Hinkley Ship Store/Dinghy Dock, but we checked in at the Hinkley office to be sure it was okay to tie up for awhile. They had no problem and welcomed cruisers as long as the dinghies were not tied up in such a manner as to interfere with boats in the slips. The rest of the exploration was done on foot.

Oxford is a very small, but very nice town. The Promenade is a walkway along the beach facing the Tred Avon River attached to the town park and is the terminal for the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, considered to be one of the oldest privately owned, continuous running ferries in the U.S. The Oxford Museum is directly across the street from the park. Many visitors to Oxford consider a meal at the Robert Morris Inn a must. There are several marinas in Oxford including full service at Hinkley or Oxford Boatyard. To see some beautifully restored wooden boats, visit the Cutts and Case Shipyard for a real treat. Take a walking tour along the many tree-lined streets and enjoy the quiet, laid-back atmosphere. But it is a small town, and other than relaxing and enjoying the sights, there is not much else to do. We stayed only one day and a half and decided that because the weather was good we would move on. Our next destination was St. Michaels, and we wanted to save some time and miles by transiting through Knapps Narrows, a narrow channel well known for shoaling in on a regular basis. If we wanted to go through the Narrows at high tide, we would need to be close, early in the morning.

Just after noon, we pulled the anchor and headed back out on the Tred Avon. The breeze had picked up, but it wasn't uncomfortable, so we continued on toward Tilghman Island and Knapps Narrows. Our plan was to anchor just north of the Narrows in a spot called Dun Cove. The cove would put us about 45 minutes away from Knapps Narrows the next morning at just before high tide. Dun Cove is a beautiful spot with plenty of room to anchor. The only thing ashore is private homes, but there is an old abandoned dock near the entrance where you can land a dinghy and go ashore for a walk or to walk the dog. Protection is good from all around by utilizing one of the side branches depending on wind direction. In our easterly winds, we pulled straight in to the cove and dropped the hook in about 8 feet of water. The anchor set immediately. We sat back and enjoyed the peace and solitude, at least until a local came by and waked us a couple of times coming back and forth from his dock.

At 6:00 am the next morning, we were underway towards Knapps Narrows. The channel is narrow and the currents can be strong, so attention to the current is important to not be swept out of the channel into very shallow water. Even this early, the waterman were out en masse. One impatient skipper followed us into the channel. There is a drawbridge across the Narrows that opens on demand. We called the bridgetender well in advance to let him know we were on our way. Our impatient waterman called him also. The bridgetender was excellent and had the bridge up just as we arrived. Our waterman came quickly around us before we transited the bridge just so he could turn out of the channel to a dock just in front of us. As we went through the channel on the west side of the bridge, we slowed down looking for the notorious bar the extends into the channel at the red marker coming out of the Narrows. It was about a half hour before high tide, but we never saw anything less then 8.5 feet. At low tide, this would translate to 6.5 feet, plenty of water for our draft. Once again, we were not sure what all the fuss was about other than some folks not paying attention.

The rest of the trip to St. Michaels was uneventful, and by 9:30 am that morning, we had the anchor down just off the Maritime Museum. There were three boats already anchored when we arrived. This is a small anchorage just out of the channel between the Maritime Museum and the Inn At Perry Cabin. You must stay out of the channel when anchoring and consider this when swinging to wind changes. We tried a couple of spots before we found a location we were comfortable with that didn't bother the other boats at anchor. Once we felt confident in our anchor set and location, it was again time for exploration. The dinghy was launched and the outboard attached. With our electric winch system for the dinghy and the outboard lift, the entire process is fast and easy. The dinghy dock is a short run around to the inside of the harbor and is a long, floating dock to the left of and behind the Crab Claw restaurant. This is along the Harbor Walk and about a block or two to the downtown area. The anchorage can be quite rolly with traffic on the river and boats entering the harbor at high speeds causing the wakes to roll in. Winds from the east can also build up a good fetch. There is an anchorage inside the harbor itself or out in the river, but the river anchorage is very exposed from all directions. We were very surprised that the Maritime Museum now encompasses most of the waterfront with the exception of a small amount near the downtown. It's unfortunate since you can't access any of this waterfront without paying admission to the museum. If you haven't visited the museum before, it is worth the price of admission. But if you just want to walk the waterfront, you're going to be very limited in what you'll be able to see. 

Downtown St. Michaels is bustling with tourists, and even on a weekday, we found ourselves competing with the crowds for a table at the restaurant or a place in line at the ice cream shop. One very nice feature in St. Michaels is the Acme grocery store located right in the heart of downtown and a few short blocks from the dinghy dock. We haven't found groceries this convenient in any of our previous stops anywhere on the waterway. St. Michaels has become a tourist town with all of the shops and restaurants that a tourist spots offers. It made us feel a little sad to see just how much it has transformed. But on the other hand, the economy seems to be in full swing and that should be good for the locals. This isn't the sleepy historic community we came to visit many years ago. The prices reflect this, too, in the restaurants, marinas and shops. The grocery store, however, was reasonably priced. A pharmacy and the post office are right in town, also just blocks from the dinghy dock. Other supplies will require transportation to reach them.

After a few days, we considered that Friday was upon us. There is no way we wanted to be here on a weekend. The crowds and boat wakes were enough on a weekday and we were sure the boats and crowds would descend like an army come Saturday and Sunday. Even by Friday afternoon, the boats were already coming and the wakes off the river were getting pretty constant. Just after lunch, we pulled anchor and left the harbor, heading to the Wye River with plans to spend several days visiting friends that live near the head of the Wye. Once out on Eastern Bay, the boat traffic blew us away, keeping in mind this was midday on Friday. Every boat on the river was running at full throttle and waking everything in sight as if their destination might disappear if they didn't get there immediately. We ran a short distance up the Bay and turned into the mouth of the Wye River.

Once away from the craziness and in the Wye, we could again relax and enjoy the scenery. The trip up the river is beautiful, and a bit surprising to us were the number of McMansions that have been built along the banks of the river since our last visit. From St. Michaels to our planned anchorage, we covered about 20 miles. The river twists and winds and is very deep until you approach the extreme upper end. Within a couple of miles of our friend's house, it decreases to 9 and 10 feet, and then within about an 1/8 of a mile from their dock, it drops off to 6 and 7 feet, where we anchored. Any farther in and the depths drop to 3 and 4 feet. An 1/8 of a mile from their dock is just fine with us. On our sailboat with a 6-foot draft, we had to anchor much farther away. This end of the river gives all around protection, and the holding for the anchor has always been excellent. It's a very peaceful setting and the only disturbances are from the large population of osprey that live in the area. They are constantly chattering all day long. We did have a few weekend warriors that would make the trip all the way up the river and turn around at full speed near where we anchored. There were also a few locals that felt they didn't need to slow down going past us, but they were few and far between. We arrived the day before our friends were due back from vacation so we just spent the rest of the day relaxing on the boat. We have excellent phone and wifi signals in the river. Our only plans are to enjoy good company for a few days with old friends that we haven't seen for a while. We are also waiting for the next shipment of our anchorage books that are being shipped to us here. Then we will move on to the next wonderful destination...Chestertown.

Hallelujah We Are Down The Bay

We spent 5 days in Reedville, Virginia waiting for the southerly winds to die down so we could get to Norfolk. My friend John Denver once wrote, “I spent a week there one day.” Of course he was writing about Toledo, Ohio. Now don’t get me wrong, Reedville is a very beautiful area with great old houses once owned by Sea Captains alongside new McMansions being built as retirement homes. But a major metropolitan area it is not. We needed to get on our way and make some time. The day did finally come.

We did have a good stay. Eddie and the crew at Buzzard’s Point Marina could not have been more friendly and accommodating. We made a couple of new friends at the marina, Joe and Barbara on the trawler Barbara Ann, named after, guess who. They own a rental house there in Reedville which is very nice and quite affordable for folks looking for a quiet vacation getaway (www.barbarascozycottage.com). They took us out for a great dinner at the Crazy Crab restaurant (http://www.reedvillemarina.com/) and homemade ice cream at the Chitterchats (sorry, no website, just great ice cream), both places we highly recommend. But if you stay at Buzzard’s Point, you will need transportation to get anywhere (http://www.tangiercruise.com/buzzardspoint-marina.asp).


Finally, on Saturday we had a decent forecast that did not suddenly change for the worse the morning we planned to leave. I get very frustrated with weather forecasts. You would think that with all of the modern technology they have and the billions of dollars in budgets, they could at least get it right once in a while. We would get a good forecast for light winds out of a decent direction at 10 PM and by 5 AM the next morning, it was changed and not for the better. We went through this for 3 days. Finally, their guesscast held and we were able to leave the dock and get underway. Even then the forecast was for light westerly winds although all of the buoy reports were for southerlies all the way down the Bay. But they were still light enough that the seas laid down enough for us to get to Norfolk. By 2 PM we were motoring past the International Shipping Terminal in Norfolk and heading for our fuel stop at Tidewater Yacht Marina. We had done some research and found that they had the best fuel prices in the area and we needed fuel before we headed down the ICW. We found the best source and most current fuel prices are on Claiborne Young’s website, cruisersnet.net. A quick fuel stop and we moved on to our destination for the evening at Great Bridge, Virginia.


We arrived at Great Bridge at 6:45 PM after locking through the Great Bridge Lock with a couple of other pleasure boats and a commercial tug. The free dock just outside the lock was pretty full, but there was just enough room at the end for us to squeeze in. The boat we tied up behind was the exact same boat that was tied up with us when we made the trip north from South Carolina two years ago. It is indeed a small world when it comes to boaters. We had a chance to catch up for a few minutes before settling in for the night.  We like Great Bridge very much, not only because of the free tie up, but because everything you might need--groceries, restaurants, hardware, laundry and more--is within walking distance of the free docks.

The docks, more of a bulkhead, are between the lock and the bridge, so in order to leave heading south, we wanted to catch the first bridge opening at 6 AM the next morning. After our usual pre-departure check list, we untied the dock lines and pushed off to wait for the bridge. It took about four calls before the bridge tender finally answered even though we were sitting next to the span. After Great Bridge, there were two more bridges we had to have open for us. Both the Centerville and North Landing bridges opened as we arrived so there was little delay. Our only other bridge we would have to deal with would be the Alligator River swing bridge. The weather was not the best and it rained off and on almost all day. But the winds were very light so we just had to deal with some rain. These are the times we really appreciate the inside steering station on the trawler.

Crossing the Albemarle Sound can be a very daunting experience if conditions are not right. We have crossed in flat calm conditions and in roller coaster conditions. The shallow water can make very uncomfortable seas when the wind is up and especially if there is a wind against current conditions. No matter what the wind direction, it seems to funnel either straight up or down the Sound and steep seas spaced close together don’t take long to develop even in less than strong winds. This day we would be lucky since the winds were light, on our stern and the rains were scattered and light. Crossing the Sound was uneventful and the run down the Alligator River also had the winds and small waves on our stern all day. At about 2:40 PM, we called the Alligator Swing Bridge to ask for an opening. The bridge tender here is very accommodating and efficient. We did not even have to slow down and the bridge was completely open by the time we arrived. By 5:30 PM, we had the anchor down at Tuckahoe Point at the south end of the Alligator River. We have anchored here in the past and there were several other cruising boats anchored just outside the ICW channel. This area always has a primeval feeling to it. In 8 1/2 hours, we had covered 93 statute miles. Not a bad day for us and it helped make up for some of our delay in Reedville. There are still a lot of clouds and potential rain around so we will see if we have a peaceful night.

Trying To Get Down The Chesapeake Bay

Our first attempt to get off the dock and get underway was aborted, once again due to a lousy weather forecast courtesy of the NWS. I don't mean the forecast was for lousy weather, instead it was another forecast that did not come close to actual conditions. There were hints that we should probably postpone our departure, but since we have been tied to the dock for so long, we ignored the subtle hints. The forecast winds were to be 10 to 15 out of the northwest and indeed they were. But much more 15 then 10 and the gust were 20 and increasing as the morning progressed. Eventually the gusts reached 25. The hint we ignored was the fact that the tide on the Chesapeake would be incoming most of the day. This put a north flowing current against a wind blowing from the northwest to the southeast. Any time there is wind against tide or current, the seas are considerably larger. That was the case as we headed out of the Magothy and into the Bay. We had pretty big swells rolling right onto our beam, making for a very uncomfortable ride. Beam seas in a trawler are worst case conditions. A quick decision was made to head back to the slip and try again tomorrow. As we turned to head back, we had seas breaking over the bow and splashing up on the windshield. We were only 30 minutes out, so after we turned around, we were back in the slip in another 30 minutes. But even that was no fun at all and we always say, if it ain't fun, why do it. The wind continued all day and began to ease up late in the afternoon. Forecast for the next day was light southerlies at 5 to 10. We'll see.

The next morning we indeed had light winds as forecast. Even though all of the buoy reports said west winds, the NWS insisted the wind was out of the southeast. As we set out, we marveled at the difference a day can make. We THOUGHT smooth seas would be the order of the day. Our destination for the day would be Solomons, Maryland, some 46 miles south of the Magothy. As the day progressed, it was obvious we were making excellent time and would reach Solomons at around one in the afternoon. We decided to look at the situation as we neared our goal for the day and maybe continue a little farther on to make up for our lost day. With light winds and a small chop, we were averaging about 8 knots for our speed.

We were indeed early at the mouth of the Patuxent River, so we decided to continue on and try to make Deltaville, Virginia before dark. According to our GPS, our ETA would be about a half hour before sunset, quite doable unless something changed. And of course we are out in the Chesapeake Bay on a boat so things did change. As we crossed the intersection with the Potomac River, the swells and wind waves began to build. Even though the wind was still only about 10 knots and finally from the southeast, one would think a storm was raging. The farther south we progressed, the bigger the waves and of course since they were on the nose, we were slowing down considerably. It always amazes us how relatively benign conditions on the Bay can become so uncomfortable. The decision was made at around 7 p.m. to head into Ingram Bay and find an anchorage for the night. Our ETA had changed to after sunset and was falling later as our progress slowed. The breaking waves over the bow all the way up to the flybridge also made the decision easier. The wind was still only about 10 knots out of the southeast.

Once in Ingram Bay, the seas flattened out considerably. We usually anchor a little north in the bay in a hook on the south side. But this time we decided to try a new anchorage and turned to port and entered Mill Creek. This is a very nice and well-sheltered creek so we were glad we made the choice. As we were coming in, a small trawler was coming out and there were already a couple of sailboats anchored for the evening. We ran into the creek for about a mile and dropped the hook not too far from one of the sailboats. For the first time, out new Manson Supreme anchor did not take hold right away. Our normal practice is to drop the anchor where we want, and then to back down slowly until we reach about 800 to 900 RPMs to be sure it is set. This time we dragged quite a distance and if we can not set the anchor we know we have to haul it up and try again. That is exactly what we did and we moved a bit farther back into the creek. This time the anchor took hold right away and we settled in for the night. The creek was very lovely, but the odor from the menhaden plant across the bay was pretty bad all night.

The next morning, we were up at 6 a.m. and under way by 7 a.m.. As we left Ingram Bay, it was apparent that things had actually gotten worse since the afternoon before. The bow was virtually out of the water part of the time and then would come crashing down in the swells, making our progress extremely slow. Add to this the millions of floats on crab pots and the situation got tense very quickly. I shudder to think what would happen if our prop was wrapped by one of these lines and we became dead in the water. Not in these seas. The large swells hid the floats until we were almost on top of them. We quickly turned back into Ingram Bay to lick our wounds and rest up until the weather would give us a break.

Listening to reports on the VHF, it was apparent that things were not going to get better anytime soon. And we were only 15 miles from our destination in Deltaville, Virginia. A marina stay for the next few days seemed to be in order so we called Buzzard's Point Marina for transient space since we were familiar with the marina. They had room for us so we headed into the creek at Reedville and proceeded to tie up for a few days. The weather reports will not allow us a window to head down the Bay until Friday. Susan has some work to do in Deltaville, which is not too far away, so it is not a total loss. If we are able to leave on Friday, Norfolk will be our next destination.

A Chesapeake Cruise

We finally untied the dock lines and left the dock for a few days of cruising instead of working on the boat. All of the must-do projects are done for now, and we need a little time off to relax and enjoy some of the fruits of our labors. One of the great things about cruising for as long as we have, is that you meet a lot of wonderful people, and we have met many. Over the years they have become friends and even if you don't see someone for years, when you next meet, it is like you saw each other yesterday. Our good friends Paul and Gail were anchored in San Pedro, Belize when we sailed over the reef early one morning and dropped anchor. We were very surprised to find two boats already anchored there, not because they were there ,but because both of the other boats were from Maryland and one lived within five miles of us. We continued on with both boats through Belize and into the Rio Dulce in Guatemala.

Paul and Gail live in North East, Maryland with a house right on the water near the entrance of the Susquehanna River. That would be our destination for Saturday, about 35 miles north of our marina. The weather forecast was for fabulous weather for the next four days, more about that later. The morning was sunny and very pleasant, a perfect day to cruise the Chesapeake Bay. We did not get under way until 10 a.m. as we had a few chores and preparations still to do. The winds were light and out of the northwest, the direction we needed to go, but all in all, a great start. We estimated the run to North East would take us four to five hours.

Being a Saturday, the Bay was very busy with all manor of craft, needing to get somewhere really fast before the last (fill in the blank) _____________ was sold, used, taken, claimed by someone else. We headed out of Rock Creek and turned north at the alternate small ship channel that runs near Pooles Island.

We always carry paper charts aboard no matter where we are cruising ,but since Susan and I were both born and raised on the Chesapeake, we don't find it necessary to have the charts sitting at the helm as we normally would. For the next few days, we would use our trusty Waterway Guide, our log book and, of course, our Standard Horizon Chartplotter at the helm of the flybridge. We also have our Toshiba laptop running at the lower helm station as a back-up and if we need to move to the lower station. We have been using an older version of the Capn First Mate navigation software for many years. It does not have all of the bells and whistles of many others, but it does everything we need it to do and, most of all, it will run the free NOAA charts that can be downloaded on-line. The laptop is connected to a handheld Garmin GPS via a USB to Serial cable and gives us the ability to use the handheld if needed. This has worked well for us now and for many year cruising on Sea Trek, our former sailboat. 

The commercial waterman were out on the water working their traps and trot lines. On the Chesapeake, this means keeping a sharp watch at all times while under way. The polypropylene lines and floats on their traps are everywhere just waiting to wind themselves around your propeller and shaft. The results can be a minor inconvenience, an unexpected dive over the stern, or a tow to the nearest haul-out facilities and an expensive repair. These floats are everywhere in the Bay except the ships channel. Although we so love the results of their hard work, it is really annoying to have to constantly dodge the floats and add many extra miles to our trips weaving back and forth to avoid them. 

The Corps of Engineers was also busy dredging the ship channel that leads north to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. These dredge operators do a fine job of keeping our Waterways open, when the funding is there to pay for the work. We did have one encounter with another Corps of Engineers boat, the Shuman. The Captain of the Shuman was kind enough to pass us close by, even though we were well out of the channel, and rolled us from side to side with a VERY large wake. Not even a hello, we are going to pass you or, sorry about that. And once they had tossed everything around on the boat, they came to a full stop a quarter of a mile ahead of us and sat there until we passed them. They were still there when we motored out of sight. I suppose the Captains are now recruited from sportfishing Captains, and the Corps has seriously lowered its standards. If you happen to see the Shuman coming, you might want to prepare yourself. We would have taken photos of their display of seamanship, but we were too busy holding on for dear life. But here is the Shuman in case you see them coming:

Whatever this job was, it must have been really important that they arrive at that very spot at precisely the exact second.

Other than a few inconsiderate operators, the trip went very well. Beach House behaved herself, and we arrived off Turkey Point at about 2:30 in the afternoon. The National Weather Service guesscast for the day was NW winds 5 to 10 knots with gusts to 20 - makes sense. We knew a front was coming through over night with rain and unknown winds since the NWS had changed their guess at least five times since we started the trip. Our original plan was to anchor off our friends house and dinghy in for our visit. But without enough information to determine just what weather was coming, we decided to take a cautionary approach and take a slip at a local marina. Our friends had made arrangements for a slip at Bay Boat Works, about seven miles from their house by water. Bay Boat Works usually does not have transient slips, but they do have a few from time to time. 

This is a working boat yard with a travel lift and haul out facilities. They have both open and covered slips, but most are long-term slip holders. They also have a mooring field, but the moorings are for sailboats only. We never did find out why. The folks at the marina were very helpful and friendly. We found the restrooms, while not fancy, very clean and maintained. There are showers for use by the slipholders and transients. We decided to stay at the marina both Saturday and Sunday night since the rains started Saturday night and were forecast to end midday Sunday. The NWS missed again, and it rained all day Sunday and into Sunday evening.

We had a great visit, and Susan was adventurous enough to walk out to the lighthouse on Turkey Point. It is really beautiful in the area. We spent some time in downtown North East, visiting the antique shops and doing a little shopping. It is a very friendly and quaint town with friendly locals. A stop at a roadside vegetable stand and some great meals at our friends made for a perfect weekend, in spite of the weather.

This is the view from their back deck and the approaching front Saturday evening. After the rains all day Sunday, we looked at what information was coming from the Neverright Weather Service. The guesscast was for another front to come through on Monday afternoon. We had planned to head south and visit other friends on the Wye River. The front coming through would be preceded by southwest winds and predicted at 20 knots by midday Monday, we would be heading south all day. On Tuesday, when we would be returning and heading north on the Bay, the winds would be out of the north and 20 knots. Now it is not that the boat can't handle this, but the question was, did we really want to pound into 20 knots for two days? And the answer is..., no. So we changed plans and headed back to our marina and back to our slip. 

Monday morning, we were under way very early to get back to the slip before the 20 knot winds kicked in. The morning started clear considering all of the rain, with just a light fog. The winds were calm, and there was an autumn chill in the air, a sure sign the season was changing. But a very pleasant change from the 100 degree temperatures we have had over the summer. The return trip was as pleasant and uneventful as the trip north, and there were a lot fewer boats on the water since it was Monday. 

We passed a few trawlers we were sure were heading for the MTOA Rendezvous in Baltimore, but no one we recognized. With the wind building on our nose and the currents against us all the way back, we added an extra hour to our time back to the marina. Once the boat was secured in the slip and everything connected and stowed, we jumped in the car and drove to our friends on the Wye River. We had a great visit and it was a whole lot less stressful than slogging into 20 knot winds and waves on the Bay for two days. The winds did materialize, so our decision turned out to be a good one. All in all, we declared the cruise a success. We did get to spend time with our friends and, more importantly, we took the boat out of the slip and spent some quality time on the water. We promised ourselves we would do this more often before the season comes to a close. We hope we will be able to keep that promise.

We did promise to report on the new Livingston Dinghy. Unfortunately we don't have much to report. Staying at the marina meant we did not use it. We can report though that it rode on the swim platform quite well, even with the big roll from the Corps of Engineers boat. We added the stand-offs and they helped keep everything in place and stabilized. More next time.

Deltaville, VA to Pasadena, MD

As expected, the weather forecast was as confusing in the morning as it was the night before. So we weighed anchor and stuck our nose out into the Bay. As we rounded Stingray Point and crossed the Rappahannock the west winds that were forecast were out of the northeast, right on our nose. The forecast called for 10 to 15 with gusts to 20. We checked the buoy reports and the winds were all pretty much in the 8 knot range so we pressed on. Our biggest concern was crossing the Potomac since it is ten miles across and can develop some pretty big waves. The wind against the current was also going to make it a bumpy ride. We had a fall back plan to head into Reedville, Virginia if the going really got rough. As we passed the Rappahannock Spit light and set a waypoint for Smith Point, the southern end of the Potomac, the winds continued to clock on our nose but the speed remained constant. The swells however, were getting larger. By the time we reached Smith Point, it was pretty uncomfortable pounding into the swells and whitecaps were everywhere. These are the conditions we usually stay in port for.


We considered turning back into Reedville, but a check of our boat speed showed us still doing at least 8 MPH, even against the swells and winds. The crossing might not be too long so we continued on. As we figured, the swells were giving us a roller coaster ride for the hour plus it took us to get from Smith Point to the light at Point Lookout at the northern point of the Potomac. As we approached Point Lookout we came more into the lee of the land and the seas began to lay down. Winds were still around 10 knots and had finally moved into the forecast west. At no time during the day did we ever see 15 knots and certainly not 20, not that we were complaining. Once we reached Point Lookout we planted our left foot on the beach and stayed close in for the run up to Point No Point, then Cedar Point where we would make the turn into the Patuxent River and on into Solomons Island, our destination for the evening.


As we made the turn into the Patuxent and headed for Solomons there were at least 12, and perhaps more, sailboats approaching from the north and headed the same direction we were. Fortunately we had a fair head start on them since the anchorages can get crowded. Once we arrived in Solomons we decided to turn into Mill Creek for the night since we knew the Back Creek anchorage had been filled with moorings by Zanhiser’s. There are many spots back in Mill Creek to anchor with lots of room, good holding and protection from all wind directions. Once in the creek, the wind and seas were as calm as can be and it warmed up in the sun. We were also thankful that the forecast mostly cloudy had turned out to be 100% sunny all day. But in the back of our mind we knew we were racing a front due Wednesday with “forecast” winds in the 30 knot range. Our total 67 plus miles for this leg and the 57 miles to Pasadena the next day should get us in and secure by Tuesday afternoon.




The following morning the lies continued to pour out of the VHF weather broadcasts. Yes, I know, what is the alternative? It would be an occasional correct forecast or issuing the truth, “this information is our best guess”. The radio for two days broadcast east winds 5 knots for our area and when we pulled up anchor the buoy reports were mostly east at 8 knots, not too bad. As we entered the Bay and headed north from Drum Point the seas were 3 to 4 feet instead of the 1 to 2 we expected. With seas directly on our beam, these would be the most uncomfortable hours we would spend on the entire trip.


The buoy reports we were monitoring every half hour now reported east 12 to 17 and the seas were getting larger and more uncomfortable. At this point the thought was to turn back but we tried one more strategy, one we would have done earlier on if the information we were receiving was correct. We turned the boat and headed directly into the winds and waves. Believe it or not this was a much more comfortable ride and our plan was to cross the Bay and get in the lee of the eastern shore, then turning north and crossing the Bay again at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The tactic worked and as soon as we near the eastern shore the seas laid down and the ride was very comfortable. But as we reached the center of the Bay a tug with a large tow was also heading north and closing on us. We tried over and over again to get him to respond on the VHF with little results. We finally altered course, ran parallel to him until he passed us and then crossed behind his tow.
 

By noon the winds had dropped to zero and the Bay was as smooth as glass. We crossed under the Bay Bridge for the first time in six years and headed up the ship channel to Pasadena. The rest of the day was quite relaxing and we eventually moved from the inside steering station back to the flybridge. One large benefit from steering on a sailboat to the trawler bridge is the ability to spot all of the trap floats, be able to see the patterns and plot a course through them. A benefit we had not considered. Soon the all to familiar sight of the old Bethlehem Steel Plant came into view with its belching smoke stacks. We had hoped the plant was closed but apparently not. This will mean lots of work over the winter keeping the decks clean.


At around 5:00 PM, we arrived at the marina on Rock Creek in Pasadena. Over the years we have noticed the sadness and even a little depression set in at the end of any cruise. Even if it is for the purpose of relocation as this one was, instead of just for pleasure. There is a certain amount of relief that we won't have to up anchor and move tomorrow and will not have to worry about weather and anchors dragging, but we also miss watching the scenery pass by while under way, meeting the great people along the waterways and visiting new places. This is the time the emotions are definitely in conflict. We do have to look at this as a new chapter and see what tomorrow will bring in this familiar yet strange place we have been away from for a long long time.


We secured the boat and ourselves and for the first time in a while were tied to the dock and plugged into shore power. We met an old friend that was still living at the marina, had dinner and settled in. It was comfortable not to worry about anchors, lights and other boats for a change. The front we were racing was still heading in our direction. We did get some rain overnight but not much. Also the breeze picked up a little, then died down by early morning. But by noon time, they had pick up to over 25 MPH with gusts all over the area to 40 and 49 MPH. It really felt good to be tucked into a protected creek and secure at the dock. We did put on a couple of extra dock lines just in case. From this point on for a while we will be back to posting projects, repairs and our occasional forays out on the Bay. But we will try and keep it interesting. We hope you enjoyed coming along on our nearly 800 mile shakedown cruise. We will be doing a post shortly on how the equipment held up, what worked and what did not, as well as what we learned regarding the equipment we will need for future cruises, so stay tuned.