Last of the Chesapeake Bay

 TRAVEL DAY 56 - Baltimore to Havre de Grace

May 30, 2023

6.5 Hours/48.5 Miles

    The mighty Chesapeake Bay continues to narrow down as we move north and to the end. The phrase is "The Bay in May", but May has shown us a lot of days with wind from the north, which for this body of water is not helpful. Besides being cold, north winds come straight at us and the long fetch of the bay builds the seas. 

Then there's "This Guy" blew close by us and threw a massive wake

    We set our sights on Havre de Grace, MD, situated at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, and the head of the Chesapeake Bay. During the first Congress of 1789, this "harbor of grace" named after the French seaport of Le Havre, missed by one vote as being named the capitol of the United States.

Havre de Grace Sunrise

    A Small craft advisory was set for 6 pm tonight until 11 am tomorrow but today looked good so we made a break for it.  It was easy going today although we pushed against an outgoing tide which slowed our progress. We moved up the bay as it narrowed, past Pooles Island, Aberdeen Proving Ground and into the mouth of the very broad Susquehanna River. Most of the opening is very shallow and the channel is narrow.  We called Tidewater Marina in Havre de Grace and received our slip assignment for the next 2 nights.

Tidewater Marina - Havre de Grace

Promenade Walkway 

    That evening we gathered with some of our favorite loopers and a few new ones. We each brought an appetizer to share and spent a few hours together.

Pau Hana - Sea Breeze - Changing Latitudes - Ripple - Gemini 

    The next day we set out to explore our last stop on the Chesapeake Bay. We started at the Decoy Museum, a lot more interesting than it sounds. Havre de Grace and the flats at the Susquehanna River have been a favorite for duck hunting since the 1800's and their long held tradition of handmade wood decoys continues today. The museum was a fantastic display and history of the art of decoy carving and waterfowl hunting.

Decoy Museum

Decoys

    We headed for lunch at the Promenade Grill, a stop at Bomboys Candy Shop, an ATM and last stop, ice cream at Bomboys Ice Cream (coincidentally across the street from the candy shop).

Concord Point Lighthouse

    Altogether a neat town and great staging spot for our transit out of the Chesapeake Bay.

Baltimore to Havre de Grace

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