Georgetown to Havre de Grace

August 9th, Tues.  Georgetown to Havre de Grace MD

Today we travel to Havre de Grace on the west side of the bay.  This is the most northerly point we will visit this summer. The bay is only 5 miles across, east to west, but we still need to maneuver shoals and shallow areas.  The ride was calm and even warm again today.  Tom tried fishing, unsuccessfully, snagged our own lure. We were traveling 9 mph which is too fast for any fish to catch us -beef for dinner.  We entered the mooring field at Tidewater Marina only to find none of the mooring balls had any pennants attached.  We dropped the dingy, the first mate stood on the swim platform, ready with a line and the captain expertly and slowly pulled alongside the ball so the first mate could attach a line thru the eye by hand.  It was a tricky maneuver, and a first for this crew, and we were pleased with our success.  We celebrated with a victory beer.  We once again dinghied into the marina and started our explorations.  The marina had a nice courtesy van which we used to get an overview of the town. After dinner we headed out to Walmart to once again do provisioning.  When transportation is available, we have learned to take advantage of it.  Yesterday we bought milk for $4.95 a gallon and today it was $1.62. Between the  2 boats, we bought so much stuff, it took 2 trips with the dinghy to get the provisions onboard. 

August 10th.  Havre de Grace

This town consists of 3 streets, 3 blocks of stores and many, many antique stores with a large variety of collectibles.  Tom's favorite was Bahouka's Antiques.  Upstairs housed a beer muzium, with beer glass, beer sign, beer tray, beer tapper, beer mirror and beer can imaginable.  The store had an eclectic assortment of old "stuff".  Sister-in-law Cindy would have loved it all.  Lunch was a 3/4 pound burger at Roger's House Tavern housed in the oldest building in the city.  Once back on the boat, the wind and waves had kicked up so we swung around, bounced a little title but still enjoyed the sunshine.

Baltimore/ Fairlee Creek/ Georgetown

Friday August 5  Baltimore to Fairlee Creek

We have completed our adventures of these big cities, so we will head to the east side of the Bay to enjoy some smaller towns, creeks and  quiet anchorages.  Very quickly we learned that Fairlee Creek was far from quiet, at least on the weekend.  To enter Fairlee creek, a boat must follow the buoys carefully upon approach including a sharp turn to starboard, while powering thru the narrow opening against a strong current, and listening to the crowds on shore as they shout instructions and helpful hints for success.  The channel opens to a large bay and a busy harbor on the eastern shore. We anchored in 10 ft of water ( although the chart said there was only 3 ft) and s cured our spot for the weekend.  Little did we know what was to come.

Friday 5, Saturday 6, Sunday 7, -Fairlee Creek

This ended up being a great anchorage with a lot of action.  We met Matt and Julie, from Chesapeake City, in Baltimore and they suggested this anchorage so we found them and thanked them for the boating advice.  They also were our verbal guides as we entered the channel.  It's nice to have local friends.  Jellyfish Joel's is an outside bar area also at the mouth of the harbor.  Besides drinks and food, they also provided live music and lots of "bikini" sightings for Tom and John.  On Sunday, we sat at the mouth of the anchorage, like a local, and watched over 100 boats come into the anchorage, all kinds of boats, all kinds of people, a bridal party, party, small boats, go-fast boats, cruisers, weekend warriors, everyone looking for action and a good time.  

We enjoyed a cruise in the dingy, until we ran out of water, and swimming off the boat.  This is the first place where there is fresh water from the creek mixed with the salt water to make it brackish.  This is the first place where there are no sea nettles, the surface water was 84 degrees and swimming and floating was greatly enjoy.  John has decided this is his favorite anchorage and had he known this was waiting for him, he would have forgone the southern part of the Chesepeake Bay!

Beach time at Fairlee Creek opening. Watching the boats
enter and exit. What sport!

Finally, nettle free water we can swim in.

In the dinghies out on an explore up the creek

It is not all play. With water we could swim in the boats
water line gets a much needed scrubbing. I use a yellow suction
cup device to hold me close to the boat.

The yellow duck made his first appearance on the Chesapeake
Bay. 86 degree water. not real refreshing but swimmable

 

Monday, August 8 - Fairlee Creek to Georgetown MD

We waited for high tide to leave the anchorage, and followed some other boaters thru the channel with no issues.  We enjoyed the nine mile ride up the Sassafras River to Georgetown.   We grabbed a mooring ball at the Yacht Basin and headed into shore.  Our short visit into town consisted of a local fruit market, local small convenient store, liquor store and ice cream shop.  We needed to do some restocking but this was not the place to do it.  Everything was expensive and the choices were minimal.  Tom needed beer so that was the major concern and a definite purchase.  The marina had a nice pool which we enjoyed- just the four of us.  Dinner was leftovers and watched some of the Olympics.  

Georgetown Yacht Basin from there swimming pool

 

Herrington Harbor to Annapolis, Md

July 27 Harrington Harbor to San Domingo Creek.

We returned from Illinois, after a nine day hiatus, to continue our adventure in the Chesapeake bay.  Our traveling guess, sister Bonnie, is ready for some boating experience. We departed the marina and headed east into the Choptank River. We anchored in San Domingo creek which is close to the small, quaint town of St. Michaels. Because of the the heat and humidity, we decided to create our own breeze and go for a dinghy ride.  We explored all the little forks in the river but could not find the breeze.  The five if us, Jon and Pam too, enjoyed dinner of pasta and scallops and fun conversation. The heat was "beastly"so we were thankful for the generator and the air conditioning.

Departing Herrington Harbor

Bonnie had little difficulty getting into the cruising mode

July 28 Saint Michaels via San Domingo Creek

We rose earlier, due to the heat, and after a quick breakfast headed into town. We approached St. Michaels via the back door, meaning we parked off the creek and walked into town. A great little town with lots of shops for the girls, a famous Maritime Museum for the guys, pizza for lunch, ice cream for dessert, and beautiful, quaint, homes.  Some private homes had manicured gardens which they open to the public for viewing and enjoyment.  One could walk into their backyard, sit on their patio, and enjoy their flowers and plants. These homeowners were very proud of their gardens and enjoyed sharing them. Back on the boat we hauled anchor and headed to Cambridge,another small town south on the Chesapeake. As we approached the mouth of the town harbor, the dark skies opened and drown us with rain. Due to the lack of visibility, and not knowing exactly where we were headed, we returned to the bay to wait out the storm. As it let up we headed in to find the town wall on which we moored for the night. Just as we tied, and Short Vacation was about to dock, the skies let loose again and Tom and Colletta got drenched. Another wet adventure.

 

July 29 Cambridge.

This morning Tom went out for his walk and funny and Colletta headed into town to explore and "get their steps in".  The five of us then strolled into town for lunch at Jimmy and Sooks, with the specialty of crap. The girls shopped the few stores and of course the guys went to the hardware store. We then walked to the public marina and visited with Jim and Ann O'Malley, MTOA members. It was a long, eventful day so the captain and crew were tired. 

July 30 Cambridge to Annapolis

Another early morning departure in an effort to get to Annapolis by noon. The waters were fairly calm, sky mostly sunny, and Bonnie enjoy cruising while sitting on the bow. Our arrival in Annapolis had the goal of getting a convenient mooring ball close to the downtown dinghy dock and that was achieved.  We strolled through the historic district of Annapolis, walked up the Main Street hill, toured the State building and St. Mary's Church, and enjoyed exploring the old backstreet housing and row houses.  Bonnie and Colletta then shopped while the others found the local pub, Dockside, with some refreshments. Upon returning to the boat, Tom prepared his famous low country boil of shrimp, sausage, and red rice. The dinner on the back deck was enjoyed along with the red wine and lively discussion. The rain came hard that evening and we were bounced around through the night.

July 30 Annapolis.

We went to church at the First Presbyterian church and enjoy reverend Hathaway originally from Chicago.  The three of us then went to brunch at Chick and Ruth's deli. What an experience!!  A small landmark deli, people packed in, a lot of servers running around, great subs, and corn beef, and lots of photos honoring famous customers and military personnel.  We took a hot, sweaty, dinghy ride and explored the Spa Creek. Back at the boat we relax and eventually transported Bonnie to the marina to catch her ride to the airport.  Tom help John with boat issues, what else, then we dinghied crossed the harbor to dinner. We walked three blocks and found a local spot called Davis's pub.  Great local place.

Monday, August 1 Annapolis MD.

Parade Grounds at the Naval Academy

Tom and John wanted to experience breakfast at Chick and Ruth's deli so it was our first stop this morning. The creamed chipped beef on toast was to die for. The place was jumping this early in the morning, deliveries being made, he goes up and down three flights of stairs. Entertainment. Not so much for the delivery guy. With passports in hand, we made our way to the Naval Academy for a visit. Pam and Johns's friend, Commander Mike Jelinick, was our tour guide on campus. Mike will be a history teacher this year at the Academy. He showed us the campus and explain military life and training to us. We saw John Paul Jones crypt in the basement of the chapel, and a brief glimpse of a day in the life of a plebe. One of impressive things was the gathering of the plebe class and marching  in rank to the cafeteria for lunch.  We napped in the afternoon only to rise to an incoming storm. The wind blew fiercely, John lost a fender as it blew overboard, and another boat lost its dinghy as it too blew away.  When the 2 foot waves ceased, the rain stopped, Tom went to retrieve lost items. Once again he is saving things.  The evening calmed down and we enjoyed the lite skyline of Annapolis on our final evening.

Inside the Naval Academy


 

The plebes (incoming Cadets ) assembling for lunch

The Cathedral at Annapolis where we couldn't attend
church thanks to the state of Illinois

The crypt of John Paul Jones below the the cathredal

 



Annapolis to Baltimore, Md.

Tuesday, August 2. Annapolis to Baltimore Maryland

We left the mooring field early, fueled, and headed to our second major city, Baltimore. The majority of our travel time was out of Annapolis, a short way on the bay, and then 15 miles up the Patapsco river into the inner Harbor of Baltimore.  All boats pass Fort McHenry upon their entrance into Baltimore.  We stayed at Harborview marina on the western end of the inner Harbor. We have a slip for three nights and plan to explore the city.  The captain's philosophy when staying in a marina is to get there early to get our full use of the facilities, so we are tied and secure by 12:15. We got the bikes down and started riding.  The entire harbor has a " promenade " which goes about 4 miles along the waterfront.  However, the first stop was at Camden Yard to purchase tickets for tomorrows baseball game.  Our bike ride continued along the waterfront; which is a major attraction for visitors and locals. It is well developed with museums, music venues, parks and restaurants.  We rode thru Little Italy and into Fells Point and enjoyed some ice cream.  The waterfront is a busy place and even becomes more lively into the evening hour.  Tom and Colletta then met nephew Phil Sommer and his fiancé Victoria and enjoyed dinner at Little Havanna. It has great seeing them, had not seen them in a number of years.  "Anchor Dog" had grown into a wonderful young man.  They have our best wishes for their new life together.  

Going under the "Bay Bridge" on our way north to Baltimore

 

Wednesday, August 3. Baltimore

Bikes were our means of transportation once again as we headed west into an area called Federal Hill. We walked the market place, which was a disappointment, but continued to stroll the streets and explore. Found an Ace hardware store-always a welcome stop. Again on the bikes headed to the visitor center. Pam and Colletta decided to find some shopping while Tom and John headed to the Museum of Industry. Not much success for the girls but the boys loved the museum.  Did you know that Baltimore was home to Black & Decker, Sweetheart Cup  and now Under Armour?  For our evenings activity, we rode our bikes to Camden Yards to enjoy an Orioles baseball game.  The park is a great venue, historic setting, fan friendly, good food, (Tom had BBQ pork from Boog Powell's stand-even got an autograph).  The game was enjoyable as we cheered with the locals as the Orioles won the game and are still in first place.  

At the ball game

Got Boog Powell's autograph at his restaurant in the park. Cool guy.
Comes to work in flip flops.

 

Thursday, August 4 Baltimore

Today we tried a different form of transportation, the free Circulator, the local bus. We took the ride to Fort McHenry, which is out at the point. The British had burned Washington DC and were now going to attack Baltimore.  Th American soldiers along with local residents bombed the British fleet and survived the attack. This was the battle which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner-him seeing the flag still waving the morning after the battle.  Standing inside the fort, on the earthworks around the fort, and seeing boats and ships entering the harbor, leaves a person with a feeling of pride and of the sacrifices by our forefathers to secure our freedoms of today. After we returned to our boats, and had a little relaxation, we headed out for dinner.  Baltimore has many, many restaurants- if you can't find something you like, just look on the next block and there it will be.  That is what we did.  We rode into Little Italy for dinner, turned the corner and found Amici's; with eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, and pasta Delores.  Yum-yum.  

The flag still waving in the morning after the British
bombardment that inspired Francis Scott Key to
write our National Anthem



Over looking the entrance into Baltimore Harbor



 

On the Promenade around Baltimore Harbor

Leaving Baltimore harbor

 

Herrington Harbor to Annapolis, Md

July 27 Harrington Harbor to San Domingo Creek.

We returned from Illinois, after a nine day hiatus, to continue our adventure in the Chesapeake bay.  Our traveling guess, sister Bonnie, is ready for some boating experience. We departed the marina and headed east into the Choptank River. We anchored in San Domingo creek which is close to the small, quaint town of St. Michaels. Because of the the heat and humidity, we decided to create our own breeze and go for a dinghy ride.  We explored all the little forks in the river but could not find the breeze.  The five if us, Jon and Pam too, enjoyed dinner of pasta and scallops and fun conversation. The heat was "beastly"so we were thankful for the generator and the air conditioning.

Departing Herrington Harbor

Bonnie had little difficulty getting into the cruising mode

July 28 Saint Michaels via San Domingo Creek

We rose earlier, due to the heat, and after a quick breakfast headed into town. We approached St. Michaels via the back door, meaning we parked off the creek and walked into town. A great little town with lots of shops for the girls, a famous Maritime Museum for the guys, pizza for lunch, ice cream for dessert, and beautiful, quaint, homes.  Some private homes had manicured gardens which they open to the public for viewing and enjoyment.  One could walk into their backyard, sit on their patio, and enjoy their flowers and plants. These homeowners were very proud of their gardens and enjoyed sharing them. Back on the boat we hauled anchor and headed to Cambridge,another small town south on the Chesapeake. As we approached the mouth of the town harbor, the dark skies opened and drown us with rain. Due to the lack of visibility, and not knowing exactly where we were headed, we returned to the bay to wait out the storm. As it let up we headed in to find the town wall on which we moored for the night. Just as we tied, and Short Vacation was about to dock, the skies let loose again and Tom and Colletta got drenched. Another wet adventure.

 

July 29 Cambridge.

This morning Tom went out for his walk and funny and Colletta headed into town to explore and "get their steps in".  The five of us then strolled into town for lunch at Jimmy and Sooks, with the specialty of crap. The girls shopped the few stores and of course the guys went to the hardware store. We then walked to the public marina and visited with Jim and Ann O'Malley, MTOA members. It was a long, eventful day so the captain and crew were tired. 

July 30 Cambridge to Annapolis

Another early morning departure in an effort to get to Annapolis by noon. The waters were fairly calm, sky mostly sunny, and Bonnie enjoy cruising while sitting on the bow. Our arrival in Annapolis had the goal of getting a convenient mooring ball close to the downtown dinghy dock and that was achieved.  We strolled through the historic district of Annapolis, walked up the Main Street hill, toured the State building and St. Mary's Church, and enjoyed exploring the old backstreet housing and row houses.  Bonnie and Colletta then shopped while the others found the local pub, Dockside, with some refreshments. Upon returning to the boat, Tom prepared his famous low country boil of shrimp, sausage, and red rice. The dinner on the back deck was enjoyed along with the red wine and lively discussion. The rain came hard that evening and we were bounced around through the night.

July 30 Annapolis.

We went to church at the First Presbyterian church and enjoy reverend Hathaway originally from Chicago.  The three of us then went to brunch at Chick and Ruth's deli. What an experience!!  A small landmark deli, people packed in, a lot of servers running around, great subs, and corn beef, and lots of photos honoring famous customers and military personnel.  We took a hot, sweaty, dinghy ride and explored the Spa Creek. Back at the boat we relax and eventually transported Bonnie to the marina to catch her ride to the airport.  Tom help John with boat issues, what else, then we dinghied crossed the harbor to dinner. We walked three blocks and found a local spot called Davis's pub.  Great local place.

Monday, August 1 Annapolis MD.

Parade Grounds at the Naval Academy

Tom and John wanted to experience breakfast at Chick and Ruth's deli so it was our first stop this morning. The creamed chipped beef on toast was to die for. The place was jumping this early in the morning, deliveries being made, he goes up and down three flights of stairs. Entertainment. Not so much for the delivery guy. With passports in hand, we made our way to the Naval Academy for a visit. Pam and Johns's friend, Commander Mike Jelinick, was our tour guide on campus. Mike will be a history teacher this year at the Academy. He showed us the campus and explain military life and training to us. We saw John Paul Jones crypt in the basement of the chapel, and a brief glimpse of a day in the life of a plebe. One of impressive things was the gathering of the plebe class and marching  in rank to the cafeteria for lunch.  We napped in the afternoon only to rise to an incoming storm. The wind blew fiercely, John lost a fender as it blew overboard, and another boat lost its dinghy as it too blew away.  When the 2 foot waves ceased, the rain stopped, Tom went to retrieve lost items. Once again he is saving things.  The evening calmed down and we enjoyed the lite skyline of Annapolis on our final evening.

Inside the Naval Academy


 

The plebes (incoming Cadets ) assembling for lunch

The Cathedral at Annapolis where we couldn't attend
church thanks to the state of Illinois

The crypt of John Paul Jones below the the cathredal

 



July 15-Urbanna VA to Ingram Bay, Mill Creek Anchorage

It is hot! Took a quick shower at 9 AM and departed Bridges marina, Urbanna, headed north. At the mouth of the harbor saw multiple dolphin pods jumping out of water, playing and eating. Crossed paths with Short Vacation just west of bridge.  Once we got out to the Chesapeake Bay, there was a little breeze, and it was a pleasant ride to Reedville.  We anchored in Millcreek close to the mouth of the bay to continue to get as much breeze as possible. The afternoon was warm and relaxed in the shade on the aft deck. As the wind shifted,so did the boat.  The wind came from the south but the waves came from the east which caused a slow rolling motion. Started the generator, cooled the boat down, and slept peacefully.

July 16 - Ingram Bay Anchorage to Calvert Marina, Solomons MD

Cloudy and a little cooler for our travels today. We continue to head north and made it into Maryland. As we neared the Patuxent river, on the horizon we noticed sailboats, lots of sailboats.  Little did we know that this was the weekend of the Screwpile Regatta.  As we neared Solomons all of the sailboats also we're pulling into the river. There are a lot of marinas and a lot of sailboats.  Calvert Marina is on the shore opposite town. It use to be an amphibious training base. Now it is in the process of becoming a marina/resort.  Because of another hot day, we headed to the pool, which was very nice and refreshing.  A weather front blew through with dark clouds, but no rain and showed a beautiful sky.

First mate  keeping an eye on our progress

Long face dock where we tied up to at Calvert's Marina.
Our friends Al and Jane on InSpeyered 2 pulling in,

A kittle restaurant on marina property

July 17 - Solomons 

Tom prepared a wonderful breakfast and he chatted with a fellow boater, Jeff, about his chartering business in his Monk trawler.  We then boarded the dinghy for our exploration of Solomons.  We found the public dinghy dock, tied up and walked through town.  It was a short walk and ended at the a Tiki Bar for an Orange Crush cocktail. We then dinghied to the Calvert Maritime Museum.  This interesting museum showed the history of the town Solomon in relation to the Chesapeake Bay.  The many fossils and antique boats were a salute to the watermen and crabbing industry in the area.  The Drum Point lighthouse had also been restored and was on the property (without all the steps). It was realistic and a true example of the lighthouse facility.  We returned to our boat, to find that Inspeyered had arrived and Short Vacation was also due in.  Once everyone arrived we enjoyed cocktails in the shade of the boats on a hot day.  Great way to end the day- great friends and food.

Drum point screw pile lighthouse at musuem

July 18  - Solomons to Herrington Harbour North.

Again the Bay was comfortable with a 1 ft wave on a following sea.  The captain steered us in with no difficulty. It was very comforting for this first mate to be in the hands of such a capable captain.  Herrington Harbor is a very popular place with many boats, but not many people on the weekdays- just like we like it.  Another hot day, another dip in the pool, and another store blew through.  Lamb shanks for dinner with a fine red wine will finish our evening.

We will be moored here for nine days while we return to Illinois to celebrate Tom's mom's 90th birthday.  Even when traveling, family is still very important.    

Mobjack Bay to Deltaville

A side trip to our engine gurus at American Diesel in Kilmarnock, Va.

Harvey being filmed by students from University of Florida

about the history of Gloucester, VA.

Harvey and Mary Helen discussing options about Harvey's new

sailboat he was given, free.

Regluing the mounting pads on the dinghy at Thyra's dock

The crew after our cruise to Urbanna, Va. Harvey and Mary Helen Morgan, Colletta,

and Thrya Harris

J
uly 8- East River-Mobjack Bay to Deltaville

 Colletta joked that she emptied the water tank as she sprayed off the very, very, muddy anchor and chain.  As the anchor came up, a cedar log was lodged in its claws so it needed to be pried loose with the boat hook. Once underway, the ride to Deltaville was very enjoyable. The Chesapeake Bay had a refreshing breeze and a one foot chop of waves, as the sun shone brightly and the temperatures again began to rise.  We arrived at Deltaville Boat Yard. Tom wanted to talk with the manager and explore the marina as a possible place for winter storage.  It also is a harbor close to the home of our friends Harvey and Mary Helen Morgan.  We borrowed the marina's free bicycles and rode into town to discovere Nauti Nells, a good old fashioned hardware store and had lunch at Patty's Diner.  After a refreshing dip in the pool, the Morgans picked us up for dinner. We enjoyed a car ride through the area with a narrative of the local area and then dinner in Urbana at The Colonial Pizza which is a local restaurant run by Greeks; had Greek salad and Greek pizza.

 

July 9-14 Deltaville and Saluda

Harvey arranged for us to leave our boat at a friend's dock- Thyra's Dock is in deep water with a 30amp hookup so we ran the refrigerator, freezer, and battery chargers.  During this time, Harvey and Mary Helen graciously invited us to stay in their home and enjoy their southern hospitality.  We greatly enjoyed the whole, new, different adventure.  One day we all went to Gloucester as Harvey gave a verbal history to some college students who videotaped him as he strolled thru the town ending at the Presbyterian church where we attended service.  We also drove to West Point, the town, and explored there.  Tom took the opportunity to work on the dinghy and reglue the Weaver davits.  The culinary dishes of the south were many and had to be tested.  We tasted soft-shelled crabs, Greek pizza, BBQ tips  and pulled pork, crab cakes as well as homemade spoon bread and rice salad.  Tom also prepared a dinner of roasted lamb for Thyra and her guests. Our exploring experiences included the many marinas in Deltaville, Hurd's hardware store, the infamous American Standard Diesel, Nauti Nells and other shops in the area.

Harvey and Mary Helen were wonderful hosts and opened their home and hearts to us. We often sat together, along with their daughter Gail, and talked boating, politics, history, family and life.  It was a wonderful break from our boating lifestyle.  Tom often says the best thing about this trip is the wonderful people you meet and spend time with.  We may winter store the boat in Deltaville and hope to see them in the future.