St. Mary River, anchorage

The little blow passed us leaving smooth waters. We had a good bit of the Chesapeake Bay and the lower Potomac, which is very wide, so smooth waters was a must.

Not a long day, about 4 1/2 hours, but traveling a fair distance that, by land, was only a few miles away. Various books and websites recommended this anchorage due to it's mud, protection, and the college that provides a free dinghy dock. It is a bit out of the way, but we're taking our time, dragging our heals a bit before heading south. Letting those hurricanes do their thing.

Many sources said there were lots of walkways here. So we decided to get some exercise and check it out.

Good water today

From the dock you walk a short way to the college. It has quaint paving stone sidewalks. We followed one toward the water where we could talk good pics of the boats. Just beyond was a graveyard. Being from New Orleans, land of spooky graveyards everywhere, normally they don't appeal to us. But as we walked we realized some of the headstone were very old. Then it dawned on us what we were seeing. The original settlers. 

inQuest anchored where ships have anchored
for nearly 400 years.

St. Mary was the capitol city of Maryland (get it?). The settlers from England came here in 1634 on 2 vessels, the Dove and the Ark. Maryland was named Terra Maria, after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of England's King Charles I. St. Mary was the first settlement, and once the capitol was moved to Annapolis, fell to abandonment. Within the last 50 years or so an effort to bring back the history put it back on the maps. Some buildings were rebuilt, others just framed to show location and scale. It is quite impressive.

Graveyard overlooks the river.

Just a dedication but still impressive

It wasn't good business to lock up a man for a crime, since
there was work to be done. So public humiliation was used instead.

Full scale replica of the Dove. It's the smaller of the two vessels
that came here, and it carried cargo mostly. The Ark carried passengers.
In all around 140 people came to settle here.

The four month boat ride started in England and took
a southerly route before heading north.

Deale... which turned into Solomons

Paying attention to the weather there are a couple of fronts merging on the Chesapeake, one from the north and one from the south. Which always means bad water. We checked this morning, and today, while rainy, would be a good "go" day. The rest of the weekend, not so much. Wherever we are tonight, odds are we'll be there for 3 nights.

It was dark and dreary, but first thing, before even walking the dog, we pulled up the anchor and made our way to Deale. The trip would only be 2 hours. But because we left so early, and the decision was a last minute one, we couldn't call the marina until we were nearly there, around 9 am. We called the Herrington Marina North. Most folks rave about it. And we didn't fret over if they had space or not because there were anchorages nearby. We thought we had a plan.

However, the marina could only give is a slip for tonight, and not the next 2. Adding to that, Russ read reviews of the anchorages. None of them were positive. Comments included "small", "narrow", and "get waked a lot."

Dark and dreary. A little bouncy too.

So we made a snap decision to head down to Solomons.

Sadly there really isn't much between those two. Above, lots of bays and anchoring opportunities, same below, but that stretch has nothing.

Our little 2 hour trip turned into a 5 1/2 hour trip. As we neared Deale the ride was bouncy. When we made the turn back into the bay I really worried about the decision. As time went on, however, things calmed a bit. All in all the run was fine.

Red bluffs mark the entrance to Solomons.

Bella Gatto, who was on the east side and headed to Oxford, took a glance at the weather and came up with the same idea. They traveled across the bay and are anchored here in Solomons. We'll join them tomorrow.

Harness Creek, anchorage

Leaving Annapolis, I felt we really didn't get a chance to explore the historic town. We spend a full day there but rented a car and ran a bunch of errands, including doing some bulk laundry (bed blankets) which meant finding a laundromat. It was clear that there was a lot of charm and awesome architecture, and we could have spent days exploring. Next time we will. That said, we won't be using the main field of mooring balls. Beyond a bridge there are more. While the front is convenient, it's in the middle of a number of channels that surround it. Making it quite bouncy throughout the day. Not to mention a bit noisy.

Gray day.

We did get a visit from Martha and John, our friends from As You Wish. That boat is up for sale. (They even got an offer today, so fingers crossed). They came up to Annapolis to look at prospects for "the next boat." Finger crossed for that, too! We miss 'em!

Not a long ride here. Winds were calms and so was the bay, But a very dreary day. As we were setting the anchor it started to rain. Predictions are is will be a wet night.

Thomas Point Light House. Marks a LONG shoal
that juts into the bay. It's the reason we swing wide
on the route map above.

Annapolis, mooring ball

It was probably a mistake leaving the anchorage today. Mostly because it was a lovely location. But we had packages waiting for us in Annapolis so we thought it best to get over there.

We left just before 9 am, and the first 2 hours of travel were quite lovely as we snaked down the Chester River. But as we neared the bay, traffic picked up. Sail boats puttered along while power boats zipped by as fast as their motors would take them. The water became choppy and confused, only because of all the boaters.

Under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The trip was about 4 1/2 hours. The last half was bouncy and required a lot of concentration, watching for other boats and where they're heading and are we going to have to slow down/speed up/change course. Kind of exhausting.

Once we got under the bridge another flotilla of boats zipped and zig-zagged their way around all, all brandishing their "TRUMP" flags and banners. The Trump parade just ended in Annapolis, and a fair number were racing their way to the one in Baltimore. Waking protocols be damned. (I'm sure you heard that that attitude sank several weekend Trump boaters in Austin -- nope, no one learned anything by that).

Mooring balls make me nervous. We're so 
close to all the other boats!

We hooked ourselves onto a mooring ball in front of the Annapolis City Docks. We'd only every been on a mooring ball once before, while on the loop. We didn't have a great experience so we've avoided it and just anchored out given the opportunity. With all the traffic on the water, we've been jostled a fair bit this afternoon. I'm hoping it calms down tonight.

Night time in the field

On the hook for 3 days

Chestertown was the perfect long term anchorage. Between the cute town nearby and the still waters, we had easy dingying to the shore and quiet nights. The weather broke a bit, too, so things are dry; warm in the day and cool at night. Perfect for anchoring. All and all a great Labor Day weekend.

Wine our first night with the crews of Briny Bug and BellaGatto

Paving stone walkway along the shore.

The Stams House, now a B&B. Love the widow's walk.

Looking back at inQuest on anchor from shore.

Russ bringing up the anchor with BellaGatto in the distance.
We plan on hooking up with them later, hopefully to do the Potomac.

Gorgeous weather. 

Briny Bug (Rudy and Jill Sachez) on the hook.

Chestertown was all about social distancing.

Lovely sunrise.

Chestertown, anchorage

Russ taunted me this morning with "it's only 15 miles away" then added, "as the crow flies." 45 nautical miles later we arrived.

We're here for the Labor Day weekend. Typically that is a big boater weekend -- last of the summer, 3 days, warm weather -- and pandemics aside, folks want to enjoy their boats. When we got together with Foster, a man who knew the Chesapeake area very well, we asked where we could go to escape the holiday crowds and he recommended Chestertown. Remote, yet a real town with some of that colonial history. It was a 3 hour toot up here.

Recall last night's deluge? Russ is pumping out
water from the dingy, which only sat a couple of 
inches above the water line.

Upon arriving Russ noticed a boat already at anchor. "I think that's Briny Bug." As we neared, sure enough, it was. Briny Bug is crewed by Jill and Rudy Sachez, the "anchor people." They taught us how to anchor over a year ago.

After we got our anchor set, Bella Gatto did the same. The six of us went into Chestertown this evening and enjoyed a wine bar, seated outside.

More pics to follow, since we'll be here for a couple of days. I'm looking forward to the Farmer's Market tomorrow.  We need bread!

Fairlee Creek, anchorage

Last night, after our socially distant gathering, we had a squall go through. Just minutes before it hit Russ mentioned that our scope was only 5 to 1. Typically in a storm you want it at least 7 to 1 or closer to 10 to 1. Adjusting that for us is a bit of a bother, since we have to undo our bridle to let out more rode, then re-attached it. But we had luck and there wasn't enough of a breeze to move us just yet. Russ was able to adjust our bridle and put out way more scope without having to start the engines.

(Quick recap: rode is the line -- in our case, chain -- that connects your boat to the anchor. The longer it is the less strain on the anchor in storms, thus it holds you in place. The ratios 5-1, 7-1, and 10-1 are calculations based on depth. We had 6 feet beneath our keel, which give us about 9 feet of water depth -- round up to 10, since easier. That times 5 or 7 or 10 (50, 70, or 100 ft) is how much rode we put out.)

Turns out it wasn't necessary at all, but we slept more soundly as the storm passed over us.

Getting into Fairlee Creek

So today, given similar weather warnings, when we put down out anchor we gave that puppy a decent rode. Which is a good thing because there are tornado watches in our area as I type this.

Fairlee Creek is tucked just off the Chesapeake on the east side. Getting into it is a bit of a trick. Russ had read about the approach (which is a narrow strip right along the bank) and the inlet (which can have a sizeable current). He needed that experience, so he took her in. He followed the bank up to the inlet, then made a 90 degree turn into the bay. Even though we timed our arrival to slack-ish tide, there was still a ripping current. If you don't make that turn quickly, you get pushed into a 2 foot shoal. We made it... but it was challenging for him. Exciting for me.

Lovely afternoon once we got the anchor set. Russ even went swimming. I made the dog go too -- she needs more practice paddling. She was in her life vest, of course. She was not amused. It was pretty clear she wanted to get back on the boat.

The storm here had gotten exciting...

We are the blue dot.

inQuest is the boat closest to the camera.
Jayne took this from her boat with her phone!

But all good... even a rainbow on the marina!

Bohemia Bay, anchorage

 

A bit foggy when we got up this morning. But no rain or storms as the weather had predicted. So we took our time with coffee, breakfast, and getting Lizzie to shore. We pulled up the anchor around 9:30 and took a small cruise to the Bohemian Bay Yacht Harbor. 

Memorial Day of last year we were here for a few days, timing our travel down the Delaware, which can be tricky. So we knew the bay itself is thin (around 7 feet) and how to maneuver into the narrow channel of their entrance. Calm wind meant it was easy getting in, spun around, and sidled up to their fuel dock where we got some diesel and pumped out.

Bald eagle on a red buoy

A second bald eagle on a red buoy.

Third bald on a ... okay, clearly a glitch in the matrix.

Then we moved just offshore to anchor out for the night. Our friend joined us a couple of hours later. Labor Day weekend is coming up, and our friends John and Martha (crew of As You Wish) are heading our way to do some boat shopping. We have itineraries to discuss!

Bella Gatto on anchor with us in Bohemia Bay.

Sassafras River, anchorage

Finally, out and about on a boat! We said farewell to Baltimore (oh yes, we will be back) and started to make our way northward, just for a bit. We wanted to stop in Bohemia Bay and say hello to Foster and Susan, who are the harbor hosts there. They were incredibly friendly and helpful, taking time out of their Memorial Day holiday to drive us to Walmart and PetSmart, so we were hoping to take them to dinner. Socially distancing, of course.

Why I couldn't live in Baltimore year round.
The yellow box behind him reads Salt Box.

The plan was to leave early today. However, a package Russ expected didn't show up Monday. Just as we were thinking we'd leave Wednesday instead, he got notice that it got delivered late in the evening. He got his package, we packed up, and were out just after 10 in the morning.

Bohemia Bay was just far enough that, given the late start, we thought would make for a longer day. And the weather was looking threatening. So we picked an anchorage that would make for and easy run tomorrow.

One of the last gorgeous sunsets from Baltimore.

Russ got a new toy while in Baltimore, a range finder. One trick to anchoring is knowing (guessing, for us) how much space you have between you and the shore or other boats. Russ can stand on the deck and know exactly how far everything is. Should make anchoring very simple in future days, and we plan on doing a fair bit of it on the Potomac.

We have plans to meet up with Jonathon and Jayne of Bella Gatto, on the Bohemia Bay. They spent a couple of days in Philadelphia and are not heading southward. We're hoping to travel the Potomac together. 

Fleeing this storm. Which never hit us, so yay!

After 2 months of port living, it's really nice to get back on the water.