Chesapeake Bay - Part III

 TRAVEL DAY 50 - Point Lookout to Solomons, MD

May 15, 2023

4.62 Hours/34.9 Miles

    We have been on the boat for 3 months now and about 1500 miles under the keel. If it weren't for a ship's log, I would have a difficult time remembering when and where specific things have happened.

 

Solomons Sunrise

    Every location we go to requires learning that body of water enough to navigate through it. Each area has specific weather patterns that affect the water. Different current and tide conditions determine how the boat is tied up or anchored.   I determined that the day would start out a little "lumpy" then gradually get better. Thankfully I was right. We left Smith Creek and the Potomac River and headed north on the bay again. As we past Point No Point lighthouse the seas started to lay down and the ride became more enjoyable.

Point No Point Lighthouse

    By the time we turned into the Patuxent River the conditions were perfect. We passed the Narrows then Solomons Island to our port, past Molly's Leg and into the town of Solomons. 

Solomons Island

Solomons Island Church

    We had gotten a heads up from the crew of Bama Breeze that the dock at the Tiki Bar was free and included electric. Bonus. When we arrived at the dock there were no boats there so we had our choice of spaces as I turned the Troll stern in for a portside tie. We scootered around town some and visited the Mariners Museum. We didn't pay to go in and instead went into their boatbuilding model shop. There we met an elderly couple that have lived in Solomons their entire life and were a joy to talk to as they showed us all the hand built boat models and stories about their hometown.

Drum Point Lighthouse - Relocated to the Mariners Museum

    Later we watched several other Loop boats come into the harbor. The crew of Bama Breeze came over to chat and we made plans for a 5:00 pm docktales at the Solomons Island Yacht Club. The yacht club is private but allows Loopers to dock. We were able to use their clubhouse bar. We had a great time visiting and discussing the next day's weather and travel options before returning to the boat for dinner.

Point Lookout to Solomons

TRAVEL DAY 51 - Solomons to St. Michaels

May 16, 2023

4.91 Hours/39.4 Miles

    Today was our first trip to the Eastern Shore. The winds had now shifted from the NE to the S/SW so it looked like an excellent opportunity to travel across the bay with following seas and a smooth ride. We weren't disappointed and the ride was easy. 

Calvert Cliffs - Used as practice for the Invasion of Normandy

    An hour into our trip, Bama Breeze called us on the radio to give us their anchoring plans. Traveling faster than us, they passed on our starboard side about 1/2 mile from us and we watched them gradually disappear into the distance.

Chesapeake Bay Crabber

    It was a pretty uneventful trip and we wove our way in from the bay to Broad Creek and then the narrower San Domingo Creek to our anchorage. This is the back way into the town of St. Michaels. Had we gone around the top point and into Miles River, it would have been a much longer trip.

    We anchored a little farther in the creek past the other 6 Looper boats already there. As we were dropping the hook, a few crab boats were working the area and we calculated our anchor spot so as to stay out of their way.

Anchored Loopers in San Domingo Creek

    With the "dink" deployed, we dinghied up the remainder of the narrow creek and tied to the floating dock at Waterfront Park and made a short trek to Talbot St. Immediately in front of us was Eastern Shore Brewing. What luck!

Eastern Shore Brewing

    Later in the afternoon, we met up with the crew of Bama Breeze for a beer and then walked to Ava's Pizza and joined the other Loopers that were anchored near us for dinner.

Beautiful St. Michaels colonial homes

Industrial buildings used as retail shops and distillery

    We decided that with the wind shifting and coming from the N, that staying another day in St. Michaels would be a good idea. There is a lot to see here so we knew we wouldn't get bored.  

St. Michaels ship building yard

    St. Michaels was laid out in 1770 and was known as a ship building town. The typical ship built was a Fast Schooner known as the Baltimore Clipper. As ship building declined, oystering became the dominant industry. Today oysters and crabs are the main fishery.

Mini Library shaped like a Chesapeake Lighthouse

    We ran the dinghy back to the dock the next morning for a day of sightseeing and exploring. We walked most of the town admiring the beautiful small old colonial homes, many of which have been restored, their yards full of flowers and trees.

St. Michaels House

   Later in the day we ran into other Loopers and sat for some snacks and discussions about trip highlights. The comradery with the Looping Community is probably one of the best parts of this whole adventure. We have met so many folks in so many different boats and with so many fascinating stories. Each one is at a different stage of the trip, some just starting, some nearly complete.

Docktales: Bama Breeze - Beachside - Sun Dancer

    Although there are many restaurants in St. Michaels and plenty of shops, there is only one grocery store. The market is small and pretty gourmet. Beth and I grabbed some much needed coffee and a few snacks and headed back to the boat.

The Captain giving much needed directions....again

    We ran the generator for a couple of hours to charge the batteries and watch some TV before heading to the bunk.

Solomons to St. Michaels

TRAVEL DAY 52 - St. Michaels to Oxford

May 18, 2023

2.15 Hours/14.9 Miles

    We woke up to 48 degrees in our quiet anchorage, pretty quiet, as there are 3 Crab boats that start their fishing at about 5 am and we can hear them rumble by.

Oxford Historical Marker

    We pulled the anchor with our intended stop at Oxford, a small town close by and our jump off point for Friday's bay crossing to the other side. The wind was forecast to be east/northeast 5 - 10 kts so one more day on this side for a smooth ride north tomorrow.

DiMillios Marina

    The ride was easy and uneventful. Tonight would be a marina night. Once we got tied up, I washed the boat which was getting pretty cruddy, then went into town on the loaner marina bicycles.

Excellent homemade ice cream

    Not much to say about Oxford. It is a nice town but there isn't much there, a market, a coffee shop, a post office, a restaurant and a few marinas. I saw the whole town in less than an hour.

St. Michaels to Oxford