At the mouth of the Chester River and about 4 miles NE from Kent Narrows is a small harbor, Queenstown Creek.  The entrance is narrow and shallow but getting inside makes the nail biting worth it.   Actually, we almost didn’t make it as we ran hard aground on a sand bank just inside the mouth after bumping a few times on the way in.  The tide was running out and still about 90min from dead low which made any mistakes doubly problematic.

So, here we were, after a run back down the Chester River, at 6:00 pm and hard aground about 100 yards from our destination.  What’s  a traveler to do?  Hmm…

After a few futile attempts to back off of the sand bank, I did what any head scratching captain would do, I lowered the anchor the few feet to the bottom (probably not needed as we were firmly stuck anyway) and opened a beer.

A short while later another boat came in and took a slightly different path, with more water it seemed, and passed us.  Armed with the confidence of now half of a beer and the new knowledge of a better path, I put the boat in gear and powered forward.  Alas, we were off and into deeper water.    Free, free, free at last!!!

So, 100 yards later we were happily swinging at anchor as the sun set over the bay.  The view, perhaps the best yet.

Perhaps you are asking yourself why I would subject myself to such a tricky entrance knowing that the likelihood of running aground was great.  Since you asked, here’s why.  We began sailing, about 40 years ago, in small boats with shallow draft and I still love the secluded cozy anchorage from my catboat days. I am also hopelessly optimistic and am confident that after all low tides, there comes a high tide.   So, there you are, I have bared all.  Besides, running aground here is much different than where the bottom is hard and rocky.  It almost doesn’t matter.  Besides, it keeps slime off of the bottom of the keel.

This spot is really lovely and after dinner last evening, fillet mignon, farm fresh heirloom tomatoes, from a farm stand in Essex, with mozzarella and herbs and fresh boat-baked bread, we enjoyed the twilight from the cockpit.   We have been experimenting with baking peasant bread aboard from a recipe that we got from a baker in Old Saybrook near home.  He also sold us high gluten flower (we have 20 lbs on board).  We are making progress.  After dinner, when it was totally dark, Brenda and I climbed into the dink and drifted for a while looking up at the stars.  Not a lot of light pollution here.   The sight was really beautiful.  With the help of the program, Star Walk, on the i-pad we picked out a few stars and constellations.

A benefit of being an early riser is to see sights like this, with mist flowing over the water. 

I love the golden light early in the morning just before the sun comes up. The offending sand bank.  I didn’t clear it by quite enough.  Oh well.

We decided to cut our visit short in Chester Town yesterday so that we could avoid motoring back down the Chester River into the wind which was forecast to shift to the south and to take advantage of a late afternoon ebb tide.

However, prior to departing, we spent the morning  exploring the local streets and lovely architecture of the area.  Here are a few of our favorites.There is a very pretty board/brick walk along a portion of the river near the town dock. Brick has been a very popular building material here over the years. The owners of these two homes aren’t prisoners of tradition or perhaps they are just pissed off.  “I swear, if you don’t change the color of your home from that ghastly yellow, I will paint my home purple!”  So, there…“Betty Sue, how about a mint julep on the veranda?  Which one, you say?  Well, of course, I mean the west veranda.   I just can’t believe you need to ask, every time!”
Speaking of mint juleps and verandas.  It seems that everyone has a spot to sit and enjoy the sights.  This is a lovely old hotel in town, porches and all. They were advertising a fig daiquiri.  Is that a Southern drink?  Perhaps a Southern yuppie drink.
I do love porches and shade lined streets.
This fountain was recently restored.  Not so sure about the color, a really pale green, but it’s in a nice spot surrounded by magnolia trees.And, of course, yet another photo of Pandora.  This time, framed by the bowsprit of Sultana.
Well, that’s all for now.  In a few hours, when the tide will allow me to escape this very pretty spot, hopefully, we’ll head to St. Michaels, about 15 miles south from here.  We plan to stay put there for a few days prior to heading to the SSCA gam on Thursday.

It’s Sunday morning and the sun has just peaked over the horizon to begin what promises to be another beautiful day.  Yesterday we came up the river, all 20+ miles of it from Rock Hall with a strong southerly wind.  We did have to motor into it for about 8 miles prior to turning into the river.

The winds were running in the low 20’s so I was able to sail up the river under jib and then genoa alone.  While this photo of Pandora wasn’t taken yesterday, this is what it would have looked like had someone been along with us.  This shot was taken by Julie Palm of Altair took it when we were sailing with them coming out of the canal the other day. Coming up the river was very pastoral with farms lining both sides all the way up.   Some of the farms certainly looked like the farm wasn’t their primary business as the main houses were massive brick buildings with many chimneys. The current was swift and it shoaled up quickly on each side.  Staying in the middle of the channel and watching the buoys was a good idea.  Fish traps are common here too.  The concept is for a net to be stretched across the current to lead the fish into an enclosure as they try to swim around the net.  The birds perched on the poles much think that they work as they hang out waiting for a meal.  This was an interesting building as it appeared to be made up from two silos.  Pretty interesting design.  I don’t think that it was the main house on the property though as there was a main house nearby that was much larger.  As we arrived in town it seemed like everyone came out to greet us.  Very heartwarming.  We waved back only to later learn that it was Parent’s Weekend at Washington College.   Oh well…sA reproduction British Revenue Schooner was constructed here a number of years ago, the Sultana, and she gives day sails on the river.  She’s very pretty under way.   Some of the colors are a bit garish though.  Perhaps the British didn’t have Martha Stewart to advise them back in the 1700s.

And, even better looking in the early morning light today with some of the town’s historic buildings in the background.  I liked this motor-sailer that came in yesterday.  The current runs hard in the river and with the strong south wind yesterday Pandora didn’t know which way to lay on her anchor with the wind and current opposing.  Last night a cold front came through and the winds shifted from the south to the north.  These winds are supposed to hold for another day so we should have a fair breeze to head back down the river on Monday.

Coming up the river yesterday we were struck by some of the names of boats that were hailing one another on channel 16.   They went something like this…

“Incognito, Incognito, this is You are making me crazy calling, come in Incognito”.   They called several times and I was wondering if perhaps Ingonitio didn’t want to be found and found You are making me crazy a bit annoying.  Hearing that name repeatedly was bugging me.   Another one (and no, I am not making this up)was,  “Sail Away, Sail Away, this is Brave Heart’.  Were they telling Brave Heart what do?  Hard to say.  I could just imagine Sail Away heading in the other direction when they heard their name on the radio.  I wonder if they are able to sail together often or if they get separated?  Hmm…

Two other boats sailing in company that seemed to be a better match were Patience and Steadfast as well as Living the Dream and Just Chillin.  I guess that the addage “birds of a feather flock together” is true.  Well, at least when it comes to boat names.

However, fit together or not,  WHO IS ADVISING THESE PEOPLE on boat names?  I mean, really!!!   The other day a friend said that when they named their boat they said the name three times fast, as they would when calling on the radio, so that they could hear how it sounded.  That’s good advice.  Not sure that these folks got the memo.   Just guessing.

Today we have a few chores to do, including laundry.   The local architecture is lovely as many of the buildings date from the Revolutionary period.  In fact, we are planning to have afternoon tea at an old inn today.  More to come on that.

 

It’s Friday morning and I am enjoying the sights and sounds on the water anchored near Rock Hall.   The anchorage is fairly small with room for perhaps a dozen boats.   While the harbor looks large, much of it is very shallow, less than 3′ deep, as one of the boats traveling with us for a few days discovered yesterday when they circled around to anchor and came up short on a shoal.  Not to worry though as the bottom is soft here so any groundings tend to be gentle and short lived.  Such a soft bottom does cause one to take chances such as yesterday when I cut across a shoal to take a shortcut into the harbor. The shoal was marked as 5′, a problem as we draw just under 6′.  However, we were a few hours from low tide and I gambled that there was enough water.  It was a bit of a nail biter as I logged depths under the keel of less than a foot for a good portion of the run.  We made it though.

Birdlife is abundant here too and we even saw a bald eagle yesterday, two actually, and that was a real treat.  The last time we saw one was last summer in Casco Bay Maine where they are fairly abundant.

Last evening Brenda and I were invited to dinner aboard Peregrine by our new friends Dave and Libby.   We had them over for dinner earlier in the week and they returned the favor.  They also invited the couple from Canada, Dave and Alex of Banyan.   Brenda contributed her first loaf of “boat made” bread.  We were striving for a loaf with lots of big holes and while it wasn’t perfect, it was very tasty.   To make it even better we concocted a mixture of olive oil, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and rosemary from our on board herb garden.   This “garden” lives in the dink while we are under way and on deck when in port.  There is actually a great spot just forward of the dodger where it fits perfectly.  We looked hard to find a pot that would fit there.   Perhaps I will title this photo “still life with rosemary and dorade vent.”  Does sound a bit high brow.  Well, we are on the Eastern Shore after all. 

The view from Pandora is lovely, especially early in the morning.  Check out the duck blind nestled into the point, in the reeds.  If you look carefully, you can see a heron standing on top of the blind.

It’s interesting to see the various types of watercraft in this area and how different they are compared to those we are used to seeing in our visits to Maine.  Here, the waters are more sheltered, and a lot more shallow.  This boat, with a husband and wife team, was dragging for something, perhaps oysters.  They went slowly by several time and then pulled up the dredge.   Not sure that they had success.In the area of “hey, let’s put a random photo on Bob’s blog” department, erosion is a real problem on the lands surrounding the bay.  In the Sassafras River yesterday we saw this staircase, a particularly elaborate  structure that someone had built so that they to get from their home, way up on the eroding bluff, down to their dock.   I wonder how tough it was to get the permits?   It’s safe to say that it’s good example of “form following function.”    I wonder how long this will last after a few winter storms.  Hopefully, the pilings are driven down really, really deep.   Do those who grant approvals consider aesthetics?  Perhaps not. Today we will do a bit of exploring in Rock Hall and perhaps head up to Chestertown, which we hear is very pretty.    We still have a week until the SSCA gam near Annapolis.  As it’s not much more than 15 miles from here to Annapolis, we have plenty of time to do some sightseeing.

Well, typing away here isn’t giving me much of an opportunity to see the sights so I’ll sign off for now.

Tuesday afternoon and evening lived up to it’s billing with big winds plenty of rain and dramatic wind shifts.  Happily, we were well secured on our anchor and in protected waters snug in Chesapeake City.

As the day progressed, the sky became darker and it was pretty obvious that things were going to get interesting.  As it hadn’t really begun raining, Brenda and I decided to go for a walk around town.   The tide was nearly high and it was really obvious that the storm was driving extra water up the bay as the water level kept going up and up.   This photo shows just how high it got and how the surrounding parking lots near the water were completely under water.

Pretty bold to leave cars in this area if you ask me. I took this photo from the cockpit of Pandora at high tide on Tuesday afternoon.  You can see just how high the tide was.The same view the next morning at low tide.  A bit different and the normal tide range for this part of the bay is only a few feet.  

Just before the most interesting part of the storm kicked in, we were ashore and decided to stop for some iced tea.  While we were sitting at the counter, someone said “I was looking at the weather radar and we should be in for quite a show in about 15 minutes.”   Brenda and I looked at each other, paid the check and bolted for the dink which was just outside on the dock.  We weren’t looking forward to getting caught in the rain.

The wind was really picking up and about 5 minutes after we arrived to Pandora, wow, the heavens opened up.   It was really impressive.  Happily, I had plenty of scope out so we didn’t drag even a little bit.  One of our neighbors did drag and had to reset their anchor though.

This is Pandora nearly alone in the small harbor at Chesapeake City.  The view in the other direction is less pastural as it’s the town.  However, a pretty nice view in every direction.

First thing on Wednesday we went for another walk down town to take in the gardens and lovely homes.  Brenda particularly liked these window boxes. Plenty of nice gardens in town. With the tiny lots it is easy to lavish loads of attention on their gardens.  One advantage of small property.    However, this one should probably be described as diminutive as small may overstate it. This home had particularly nice gardens.

On Wednesday we headed about 15 miles to the Sassafras River, enjoying a broad reach with a fresh north wind under genoa alone.   We were joined by Perigrine, a Catalina 41 from South Carolina and Banyan from Halifax.

Along the way the bay is lined with lovely farms and lots of green grass. 

All of us got together on Altair, the big sister to Pandora, the SAGA 48 for drinks.   We swapped stories and compared notes on where to visit in the Chesapeake.    Interestingly, of the 4 couples, three of us were headed to the SSCA gam next week and all are headed south.  The couple on Banyan, the boat from Halifax, had sold their house and about everything in it to move aboard.   They are headed out for a year and will then decide if they are going to head back.  Destination, Trinidad.

All of this talk makes our plans seem like a day sail.  Hmm..

Today we are headed to Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore to do some sightseeing.   Two of the boats from last evening are going too so it will be fun to catch up again.  Unfortunately, a motor boat ride all the way.

 

 

It’s Tuesday morning here in Chesapeake City and everyone is waiting for the “big blow” that is expected to arrive mid day today.  For days everyone has been focused on getting to a good harbor to hole up in when today’s forecasted weather  with strong winds and gale force gusts is expected to arrive.  The little harbor here is a great spot, well protected and good holding in mud.

For me, Chesapeake City is more than that, it’s the true beginning of our trip, new life and the fulfillment of a dream that I have sought to achieve for many years.   While the beginning of the Intra Coastal Waterway is actually in Norfolk VA, for me it begins here.   The drudgery of slogging down the coast of NJ is behind us and the fun of gunk-holing and exploring is about to begin.

As my friend Keith said when he called me to check in last night, “from now on you don’t have to run long days or go outside unless you make that choice”.  We are in protected waters, meeting new friends, renewing friendships and just enjoying living aboard and cruising.

I may be repeating myself when I say that this trip is something that I have been focused on ever since we took our first summer trip aboard TAO, a 20′ Cape Cod catboat and our first boat.  When we did our first cruise, a two week run up Long Island Sound and back from Black Rock CT, I found myself feeling depressed a week into our two week trip as I realized that our time aboard was half over and that I would have to head back to work very soon.  As that very first trip aboard TAO came to and end, I said to Brenda that someday I hoped to be in a position to continue on and not to need to cut the trip short to head back to work after such a short time aboard.

I was jealous of those that I perceived as doing such a journey and devoured all sorts of books about voyaging aboard small boats.   Frankly, I really never could grasp how we would ever be able to do this before we were too old to handle the rigors of sailing long distances.  However, amazingly, here we are in Chesapeake City and doing what I have always dreamed of.

So often the phrase, “living the dream” is used to describe what we are doing now and for me that’s exactly what it is.  I have to admit that I am having a little difficulty accepting the fact that we are really on our way, but here we are and we are doing it.  “Bob, you shouldn’t be having so much fun.  Zapp, take that” as lightning strikes me down.”  Perhaps it’s the ghosts of my Puritanical heritage speaking.

So, why Chesapeake City?  Why this small town on the D&C Canal?   Why is this place so important to me?

When we found and purchased Pandora some five years ago in Annapolis, we enjoyed some sailing in the area prior to my running Pandora up to CT and as I brought her up with crew (Brenda has not traditionally done long legs with me), we stopped for a night here.  All and all, I have visited here three times, each time that I have transited the canal.

So, being here with Brenda is the realization of a dream on a number of levels.  Beyond being a sort of “gateway” to cruising, it’s also having her here with me to experience our trip every step of the way instead of arriving by car to spend part of the trip together.  It’s being fully immersed in the cruising lifestyle and spending time with others who are doing, and enjoying, the same.

Over the last several years, as I prepared Pandora, and Brenda, for this trip, we were fortunate to join a cruising group, the Seven Seas Cruising Association, SSCA.  This group, with 10,000+ members from all over the world, is comprised primarily of individuals that spend a lot of time aboard.  A good number  live full time on their boats, but many, like us, split our time between homes ashore and afloat… something that seems right to me.

I would credit members of this group, perhaps more than any other influence, in leading Brenda to say, about a year ago, “it’s time.”

If you hang out with the yacht club set, a group that I thoroughly enjoy spending time with, you will meet sailors that really like boats and being on the water.  What you will not get is a lot of couples that are willing to make a boat their home beyond their one or two week annual cruise.  Frankly, I don’t blame them at all as their boats are not really set up for cruising.  So many don’t even have dodgers or any sort of canvas over the cockpit to shelter them from the sun or rain.   When it rains they get wet.  When the sun shines, they get sunburned.   Their sailing is focused locally, in races or weekend nights on the boat and social time at the club.   It’s a great life and one that we enjoyed for years.  However, now we are into something completely different.

So, why did Brenda come to the conclusion a year ago that she would do this trip with me?  There are many factors, not the least of which is that, in general, she found that most of the women she has who cruise are “just like me.”  No dreadlocks and they care about personal hygiene, dress nicely and complain about crappy weather and bouts of seasickness as much as she does.  They have been very encouraging to her and sympathetic to her fears.  “Brenda, it will be fine.  You will love it, the Bahamas are beautiful.  Let me tell you about this wonderful place that we visited…. You are going to have a great time. It will be great fun, trust me.”

Last evening we enjoyed dinner with Rick and Julie who cruise a good part of the year aboard their SAGA 48, Altair.   Frank and Julie have been sailing together for years in a succession of boats.   Their sailing has taken them to the Bahamas, Caribbean some some eight times and, to date, a trip around the world.    When asked about seasickness, both Julie and Frank confessed that they generally feel a bit off, or worse, their first day at sea but that they get over it fairly quickly.

When asked what their plans are for this season, they said that they still aren’t sure exactly where they will be after the Caribbean.  Perhaps they will head to Panama and into the Pacific as there are some places that they want to visit again or for the first time.   I’d say that Frank and Julie are indeed “living the dream.”  They have found a way to see the world together and that’s what I am hoping to do with Brenda.  Well, at least see a little corner of the world, the Bahamas.  Well, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself on this one.  One step at a time, Bob.

While Frank and Julie are exploring the world together, others, like our friends Bob and Ginnie aboard The Abby, have taken a somewhat different approach.  They too have a boat capable of sailing wherever the wish.  When they began cruising extensively about ten years ago, they had loose plans to begin in the Bahamas for a season, move on to the Caribbean and perhaps beyond.  However, for them, they fell in love with the Bahamas and are now going back for the 8th season.   They feel no compulsion to move on as they have found their place, their world to explore and are content to split their time with summer cruises in New England and winters in the Bahamas along with a generous amount of time ashore as they spend their time ashore in their Connecticut home.

As I have often remarked, I want to do whatever I can do to help make this trip fun for us, especially for Brenda, or there won’t be a second trip.   So, how’s it going?  Perhaps you’d better ask Brenda.  However, it’s my blog and from my perspective, it’s going swimmingly, thank you.  We’ve been underway for a week now, the toughest leg, that nasty Jersey Coast run, is behind us and now it’s up to us to choose when to go and when to stay.  Yes, we have a long way to go to get to Florida where we will leave Pandora for a month while we head north to enjoy the holidays with our family, but there’s plenty of time between now and mid December, when we return home for the holidays, to enjoy our time together aboard Pandora.   For me, I am really looking forward to making the most of it with Brenda.

So, now that I have spilled my guts on the why’s of our trip, let me close with a brief bit of what.  Chesepeak City is a very tiny and quaint harbor just off of a busy commercial waterway shared by cruisers and ships alike.  Shortly after we arrived here yesterday I looked up and saw a real behemoth glide silently by.  Man, that’s a big boat.  I guess that the Breton fisherman’s prayer, “O God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small” applies to some more than others. 

The town is very scenic and even has a really good knitting/weaving store.   Don’t think that I didn’t stoop to saying “Brenda, you really should visit Chesapeake City as there is a great yarn store!” as an additional lure to get here here.   Doesn’t she look like a happy knitter?A very pretty and well kept main street.  I particularly like the brick buildings.  Notice the details in this cornice. What a great building to house a gallery.  And the dominant highway bridge is always in evidence. Nice detail work on the well kept buildings.  The one on the end is a restaurant where we had dinner last night overlooking the canal with our friends.Today, in spite of the crappy weather, we hope to go for a walk and visit the canal museum which chronicles the history of the canal and area.  Besides, the town wouldn’t be here, or would we, if it weren’t for the canal.