Chesapeake Bay 2011

Trip Around Chesapeake Bay

October 2011

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We were going to the Bahamas this winter as I finished all my medical issues. However, Carey found out that she had to have her knees replaced. We decided to remain in Virginia and have the knees replaced. We'll do long range cruising after the knee work is complete. But we needed a boating fix so we planned a couple week trip this October. We're finally underway from Port Kinsale and we are planning to see a bunch of the Chesapeake during the next 2-3 weeks.
Date	Location	Log and pictures
Oct 6, 2011	Smith Creek, MD	Finally underway after some windy weather, Carey and I left Port Kinsale and traveled 8 miles to Smith Creek on the Maryland shore of the Potomac. We're anchored and are loving clear skies, 65 degree weather and calm winds. The views are beautiful. Carey is fixing spaghetti. We're loving life. Tomorrow morning we will put the dinghy in the water and explore the area around Smith Creek, then head for Tangier Island.
Oct 6, 2011	Smith Creek, MD
Oct 7, 2011	Onancock, VA	We left Smith Creek, heading for Tangier, a quaint island in the Chesapeake Bay. We had called ahead and expected a place to stay. Parks Marina ignored us on arrival as all places for us to stay were taken. We even sounded our air horn, a very loud horn. We decided the area was pretty and quaint but not worth waiting for a slip from a marina that would not answer our VHF, Cell phone or air horn, so we continued onto Onancock, VA. What a wise decision that was. We had a beautiful 17 NM trip that ended in a 4 mile trip up a creek to the very beautiful town of Onancock,. If the area wasn't almost 200 miles from our grandchild Oliver we would consider moving here.
	Piers and stowage sheds in Tangier
	More sheds in Tangier.
	At right, views from trip to Onancock and 3 "old" fellows telling tall tales as we docked at Onancock.
Oct 8, 2011	Onancock, VA	Last evening we went to a local hotel and restaurant, recommended as the best food in town. Food was ok but overpriced. We enjoyed it anyway and had a pleasant walk home. Up after a quiet and great sleep without air conditioning we had coffee and did some chores. We then went to lunch at the local Irish Pub. Great food and very enjoyable. We walked the town a bit seeing great homes, one with an auction going on, and ended up back at the Marina for the rest of the afternoon. We had a great salad aboard and went to the local retro movie house in town to see the movie Contagion with Matt Damon. We finished the evening with an Irish Coffee at the Irish Pub and are now back on the boat getting ready for our trip to Solomon's Island tomorrow.



Oct 9, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD	Underway from Onancock VA at 9 am we traveled 6 1/2 hours to an anchorage at Solomon's Island. The Chesapeake Bay was flat and beautiful. We had a great trip with clear skies and lots of sun. The first part of our trip this morning included the 4 mile trip from Onancock to the Bay, a very beautiful creek with gregarious homes. The pictures below are from the morning trip from Onancock to the Bay. More on Solomon's Island tomorrow.



Oct 10, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD	No pictures today. We slept late, then put the dinghy down and motored to a local dinghy dock and walked to Roy Rogers for breakfast (surprisingly good) and West Marine where we bought a few needed items. The hand held VHF radio that Barny Barnhill had contributed to the boat in 2005 for the Great Loop trip finally gave up the ghost. Had to get a new one. My dropping it may have contributed to its early demise. Not sure (smiling). We came back to the boat, relaxed and did a few chores. I have a problem with the raw water wash down system and have been working on this issue for a week or so. Today I discovered some of the hoses are rotten and must be replaced. They are all inside the walls between the hull and teak siding so replacing these hoses will not be fun. I now have a job for tomorrow, after finding a place to buy new hoses. We are also watching the weather as we want to cross the Chesapeake again and go to St Michaels on the eastern shore. The winds begin to build tomorrow with a real blow happening on Wednesday. Hopefully Thursday we'll be on our way to St Michaels.
Oct 11, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD, Calvert's Marina	Up to cloudy skies. We heard the weather forecast of 25 knots of wind with heavy rain for the next two days so we moved to Calvert's Marina, tied safely to a pier. Its the off season so slip fees are very inexpensive. We tied up about 1 pm and watched all afternoon as dozens of boats came in to tie up or anchor in advance of the big two day blow. We are tied up at the new floating docks at Calvert's Marina, as you can see from one of the pictures below. The other pictures of of the back bay area at Solomon's Island.


Oct 12, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD Calvert's Marina	No pictures today. We got up had coffee and started a few chores. Carey drove the courtesy car (an old Mercedes sedan) to town for oil and a few salad items while I worked to replace the hose to the raw water wash down system that is used to clean the anchor when we raise it after anchoring. It was installed when the boat was built and before the kitchen walls were installed. It was an amazing and frustrating job to replace this one hose. But finally done our anchor wash down system works again. It took 5 hours. Carey did some wash on the boat and finally learned that the combination washer/dryer, used for washing only, works great and our vented dryer does a nice job of really drying the clothes. All in all a great day. We're off tomorrow for St Michael's if the weather forecast holds true.
Oct 13, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD, Solomon's Harbor Marina	The weather was not to our liking this morning for the trip to St Michaels, 3-4 foot seas on the Bay, so we moved to Solomon's Harbor Marina a part of Holiday Inn Conference Center. They have a nice facility and we're thinking of coming back next year and wanted to check it out. Many boats were hunkering down for the next few days of 30 knots of wind. As the wind picked up we saw a few smaller boats sailing in the harbor, enjoying life. Carey and I went to dinner at Boomerangs, a local chicken and rib place. The meal was great. We're now back aboard and seeing what the weather holds for tomorrow. The high winds to date have pushed high tides so that many docks are underwater, as you see in one of the pictures below; just the pilings are above water.


Oct 14, 2011	Solomon's Island, MD, Solomon's Harbor Marina	Windy with rain, everyone is still hunkered down as the 25+ knot wind blows thru the area. I inspected an erratic pump. After taking it apart and exercising all parts I put it back together and low and behold it works correctly. We'll see for how long. After that, Carey and I walked into Solomon's, had breakfast and purchased a few items we needed. Carey stopped on the way home and got a pedicure and I went home and worked on the second of two pumps that were not working great. This second pump just needed to be replaced as the diaphragm was bad. Pump replaced and all is well with the world. We relaxed this afternoon enjoying the windy day from the safe confines of a boat tied safely to a pier. The forecast indicates the wind will be with us through Sunday so we'll just enjoy the area. A great place to be stuck during this windy weather.
Oct 15,2011	Solomon's Island, MD, Solomon's Harbor Marina	A great place to be stranded and that we are. Several sailboats left this morning and returned hours later re-anchoring. The 30 knots of wind may have had something to do with it. The two motor boats anchored in back bay dragged anchor, luckily catching it themselves and re-anchoring before they got in trouble. We're safely tied to the pier at reduced prices just waiting for good weather. We think that will happen on Monday, so tomorrow we'll watch the football games and enjoy the town some more. It's been a great stop as there is lots to do and we're enjoying the time to relax.
Oct 16, 2011	Solomon's Island,, MD, Solomon's Harbor Marina	Still having a great time. Today we had breakfast on board, watched the morning news shows and then the football games. Shame about the Redskins. They forgot how they played the first few games and reverted to last years game plan. Sad to watch. Carey is cooking dinner and we're watching a good number of boats arrive to anchor or tie up for the evening, one of them a beautiful and unique motor sailor. We're off for the Potomac River tomorrow with a planned arrival in Smith Creek sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Oct 17, 2011	Anchored Smith Creek, Point Lookout, MD	Underway from Solomon's Island we traveled 32 miles in 3.5 hours arriving at an anchorage in Smith Creek on the Potomac. Carey fixed a great meal after I cooked the steak on the grill. We are now relaxing on board. Tomorrow we'll probably head back to Port Kinsale and go to the house. The yard probably needs mowing. It was a beautiful evening as you can see below. We were anchored directly off the large home facility of the Corinthian Yacht Club and watched the sunset, particularly beautiful watching a small boat bring 4 boaters back to shore. We loved it.


Oct 18, 2011	Port Kinsale, VA	We are home now. Although we did not see many places we relaxed and enjoyed living on the boat for a while as we traveled a small bit. We saw a lot of Solomon's Island and love that place.
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