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| Mr. Hartge's last sailboat has been restored |
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| Drum Point Light was moved to Calvert Museum and restored. This is a screw pile lighthouse. |
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| One of the screw piles |
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| Dave and Adrienne waving from the lighthouse |
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Motoring North
Leaving Reedville, VA
June 16th, After a nice dinner with Mary, Walt and Ben at Tommy's on Sunday is was time to get underway again. We left
the idyllic spot that our friends Mary and Walt enjoy on Cockrell Creek. Their friend Ben Fulton left at 7 AM. We enjoyed breakfast and gathered our stores
from their refrigerator and repositioned things aboard. Our wave good bye was at 9:30 as we headed to
the fuel dock to top the tanks. CrossOver
was underway at 10:00.
On our way to the Great Wicomico I counted at least 9 Osprey nests. This trip was under good travel
conditions. The tide was coming up the
bay and winds light from the SE. We saw
numerous fish balls in the Bay before we reached Smith Point Light.
Let me tell you a bit about Reedville. This is the Menhaden fishing center. The industry flies spotter planes to find the
fish balls (large groups of fish in an area churning up the water) then
notifies the main ship is dispatched to those areas. Small boats with nets are lowered. The nets are spread and the boats then close
in and tightening the net. The main ship
picks up the nets. Fish are brought to
the plant and cooked, you really like to be down wind during that process. The plant has made changes to filter the
chimneys in recent years. The by product
is fishmeal used for fish food and fish oil.
Our trip was pleasant
this day. I enjoyed seeing familiar light
houses, Smith Point and Point No Point. Crossing
the Potomac River was no problem today. It is 10 miles across and the currents and
wind can make passage difficult at times.
Dave spotted 4 Mylar balloons on the water. They are an ever present danger to turtles
and other sea creatures. Next trip we
may carry a crab net to pick them out of the water.
As we rounded Cedar Point to enter the Patuxent River heading
to Solomon’s Island, I noticed our friends the Reynolds were heading down the
Bay to their home port in Mill Creek near Solomon’s Island. We communicated and were able to get together
in the evening.
This trip is special, no thunderstorm on the Bay to run from
as has happened many times in the past.
We were able to get a slip at Zahnisers’s Marina. We are just a few slips from the showers,
laundry and a nice porch (a new building with the Dry Dock Restaurant on the
second floor) and not many steps from the pool.
We docked at the same time our daughter, Adrienne, and her dog arrived. After some visiting and exchanging birthday
and Father’s Day gifts we headed to the pool to cool and work on tans.
We got directions and met the Reynolds at their condo for
cocktails and a tour of their dock.
Afterward we were introduced to the Ruddy Duck Restaurant, great meal
and a fun evening all by chance.
Adrienne dropped us off and she and Lt. went to the Comfort Inn for the
night.
Adrienne had never been to
Solomon’s , Brad however had worked here part of a summer. We took her to the Calvert Museum, which has
grown since our last visit. Lt. enjoyed
the otters through the glass in the outdoor tank.
We came back to the boat to cool off, have
lunch and nap. Dave was having pain in
his heel so he dropped Adrienne and I off at the Annmaire Sculpture garden and
did errands at ACE Hardware and West Marine.
The Sculpture Garden had 20 sculptures on loan from the Smithsonian,
Hirshhorn collection and 66 fairy gardens submitted by artists and individuals. The walk is easy but with temperatures of 98
and no breeze it was quite uncomfortable.
What a fascinating place; I hope my grandchildren get to go sometime.
The pool was a welcome relief, unfortunately
it closed at 6. We showered and headed
to what we thought would be a pet friendly restaurant but the only seating was
in the sun. We found a nice Mexican Restaurant
in the next town; by then the sun was down and we could leave Lt. in the car. After dinner Adrienne headed back to South
Riding and we found our pillows shortly after that.
Wednesday and another hot one! We got an early start and biked to the end of
the peninsula to see some Chris Crafts Dave spotted yesterday and to see the
Kalmar Nyckel, the tall ship from Wilmington, DE. We got to talk to two lady crew members. Interestingly the Capt. and Co-Capt. are
women. The Pride II from Baltimore,
Sultana from Chestertown and The Dove from St Mary’s are due her tomorrow to
take part in the Star-Spangled Celebration.
The occasion is to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the
Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek. The other
attraction this weekend is Sheryl Crow.
For you fans, she will be at Musikfest in Bethlehem.
We rode our bikes to the other end of town hoping we would
find a Minute Clinic at the CVS to have wax removed from Dave’s ear. He can hardly hear out of it. No luck. We find a thrift shop and got him
some more Tee shirts so I won’t have to do laundry so often.
After lunch Bonnie Shiplet drove over to say hello, see the
boat and take a dip in the pool. It was
so nice to get a chance to spend time together.
Bonnie lives in Columbus, Ohio and is our daughter-in-law’s aunt. She is visiting her father and brother before
going to London with her daughter.
We stayed at the pool;, later did laundry, dinner aboard and
when the sunset we walked the docks.
Tomorrow we head to Galesville, MD on our way to the Severn
River to visit with our friends the Adensams.
It would be nice if the storms hold off until we anchor and then bring
some cooler weather.
Friday, June 13, 2014
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| We were very glad to be at Walt and Mary's dock and home "Safe at Anchor Lodge" |
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| OK, bear with me. I have spent hours trying to get these pictures in order. Please take them as they come. The Reedville Fisherman's Museum is across the street from Walt and Mary. Reedville is the home of the Manhaden Fishing Fleet on the Chesapeake Bay and this is the museum explaining its history. |
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| This is the buy boat. the ELVA C. It met the oyster boats and brought back the Oysters to market. |
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| The Claud W. Somers is one of the few remaining skip-jacks on the Bay. She and the Elva C are on the National Historic Registry. The skip-sack sailed to the oyster beds and remained on the bay. The buy boats met them to take the oysters to market. |
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| The small boat is a replica of a push boat built at the museum. The push boats would position the skip-jacks in to place. |
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| The big plus is she is a gourmet cook |
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| Alyse and Nathan, can you guess the name of this boat? |
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| Entering Urbana, Brad can you make the bird call like you used too? |
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| Cousin Nancy Fisk and Dave |
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| Side view of her home |
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| Nancy's kennel |
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| This puppy caught my eye, never let go of the bone |
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| Second house for her friends, he cares for the property and she the kennel |
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| Front view looks over her acreage |
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| Tides Lodge Marina in Carter Creek is deserted except for the sailing school |
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| The white poles mark the oyster beds and they are all over Carter Creek |
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| This home was one we saw from anchor. It faces the river on the other side. How many volley balls do you think they lose? See the net to the right. |
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| Note the solar panels |
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| Lawn ornament, the prop spins in the wind |
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| Beautiful schooner in the anchorage |
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| Dave enjoying Victoria's balcony looking out Jackson Creek |
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| View of the dock with CrossOver on the right |
Weather changes
Day 16 Chesapeake Bay Trip
Sorry I have not gotten our adventures to you for almost a
week. We have wonderful visits with
folks and some adventures on the water.
Last Sunday, June8th we left our slip at Old Point Comfort
Marina at 9:00 AM and took our CrossOver into the Bay for the first time. The wind was light from the South and we had
a good trip to Jackson Creek. Victoria
Hitch was tracking us on “Find My Friends” and saw us heading toward her dock
at noon. She was kind enough to let us
use her slip at her condo. It was so
good to see her after many months. She invited
us to stay in her condo and at first we said we would pass, it would just be
one night.
After a late lunch the wind picked up out of the Southeast
and blew right into the creek.
CrossOver started to bob like our grandchildren on a trampoline. Graciously we accepted her invite to spend
the night with her. We went to dinner at
the Cosmos, now the Railroad something.
Very good seafood baskets. We
were amazed at the number of marinas. We had never spent that much time in this
area. Back at the condo we heard more
about her years with the Richmond Power Squadron and saw her trophy naming her
the Woman Sailor of the year three times.
After a wonderful breakfast she introduced us to the
Deltaville Hardware store. We found a gift for Joyce, a bicycle inter tube for
Dave’s bike and bolts to fasten her deck umbrella. Dave did what he does best and Victoria’s
umbrella should survive most anything.
Off her dock and next door for fuel. It was the first time we have called and been
told to pump ourselves and then come to the office with the gallon amount. Off then (11:30 AM) to head north to Carter
Creek off the Rappahannock River. We
cruised the creek up to the Tide’s Lodge in the Irvington, VA area, it is an
icon on the bay and next to Tide’s Lodge which is no longer in operation. Very unfortunate, it was a favorite place for
the Tartan Club to cruise to on the Southern Bay. We passed what had always been a favorite
house of mine across from Tide’s Lodge.
We chose an anchorage in the Eastern fork near the entrance of Carter Creek. We relaxed, read and watched boats. Locals told us that all the PCV pipes marked
oyster beds.
Tuesday morning we weighed anchor at 9 AM and headed to
Urbana, VA to dock at the Urbana Town Dock run by a good friend of Nancy Fisk’s. This marina can accommodate large boats and I
must tell you has the best restroom/shower facility I have been in….. After showers, which may have helped but the
day was VERY humid, we were greeted by Nancy Fisk. So good to see Dave’s Cousin’s wife after a
number of years. This area is her new
home and she has established herself well in the past year. She took us to a home she is rehabbing and
then to lunch at Willaby’s. Next we got
to see her acreage and the two homes and kennel on the property. She has 17 Akitas and’ If my count is right’
7 Beagles. It was a delightful
afternoon.
About 5 PM we took a bike ride into town and saw some of the
historic homes and took advantage of the grocery store. Dinner was lunch leftovers and a salad. We never spend time at a marina without
walking the dock. We got back to the
boat as powerful thunderstorm went though.
We had high winds but the rain was to the North.
Wednesday, another hot sticky and very overcast day
day. Our goal was to dock in Reedville,
VA at our friends Mary and Walt’s. The
trip down the Rappahannock River was choppy with winds out of the East. We needed to go around Windmill Point which marks
very shallow ground. The wind from the
East piled the water up on the shallows and the waves built to 4 and 5
feet. This was worse than our trip on
the Neuse River in NC. Life jackets on
and wishing we were a large sailboat we pounded on. We know now we need to be more mindful of the
winds direction with this boat. We were
finally were able to turn, after 3 ½ hours.
Conditions would dictate whether we need to change our destination. The going got easier with waves a bit less
and the boat rolling over them instead of into them. Reedville was a doable goal.
We blew our horns for Mary and Walt but they did not hear
us. After docking we walked up to the
house and surprised them at 12:30. Hot, very sweaty and shaken Mary offered me
the proper drink to calm me, a Dark and Stormy.
Lunch a brief tour around town and naps, lots of catching up and a
delicious dinner we were “Safe at Anchor Lodge.” Oh, I don’t want to forget the thunderstorm
we had at 4 AM with the most constant lightening I have EVERr seen. No sirens was a good sign.
Thursday Dave and Walt headed in one direction on errands
and Mary and I to hit the consignment shops in the area. Some good finds and yes I added to Dave’s
few tee shirts. It was the appropriate
day to be with friends and dry. The rain
continued for most of the day. When Mary
and I are together it is a recipe swap, dinner both nights will go in to my
book.
This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and shortly
afterward Walt and Mary’s friend Ben arrived on his way North from Marathon. Dave is doing boat chores and some
improvements and helping Walt with projects.
I took a walk around the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum. Mary is making jam and you know what I am
doing. We are hoping to see Jim and
Katie Walker at museum cocktail hour tonight.
We will be monitoring the weather; our plan is to provision on Sunday and head to Solomon’s
Island or the Eastern Shore on Monday.
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