St Michaels to Annapolis

We took the dinghy into St. Michaels yesterday afternoon. 

While the weather was cool and overcast, at least it was not raining!  

View of Seas the Day and Drift Away at anchor in St Michaels

This is a very touristy town with quite a few B&B’s and many, many shops selling what I call “kitch”.  Lots of pretty signs with clever sayings, jewellery, t-shirts etc.  One shop was interesting, in that it sold laser-etched maps of various waterways including the Chesapeake and Great Lakes.

While there are two crab restaurants near the water, including the one I ate at when we delivered C’est La Vie, we elected to have lunch in town at an Italian restaurant.  The food was delicious, including the cream of crab soup.

Portable saw mill for cutting logs

We then visited (another) Maritime Museum.  This one also had a screw jack lighthouse that had been saved. ( 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse)  This museum has a very active boat restoration/boat building program.  You can see from the pictures that they take logs and saw their own boards etc.

Building a 7 log boat

 The current project is to build a 7-log boat similar to the numerous boats built in the Chesapeake.

"Pusher Boat"

Pusher boat on display

One very interesting exhibit was a sailboat meant for oystering.  Rather than converting it to power, they used a small boat with an inboard engine to push it when required.  The throttle and transmission controls were led forward to the main boat.  Quite a sight!

There was an exhibit showing all of the recreational uses of the Chesapeake including an old Owens, one of the first mass produced boats.  They also had many examples of sailboats used for recreation.  A full size “Star” was on display.  I was impressed by the massive amount of sail for such a small boat.

Display of various tools used for Oystering

Numerous other exhibits explained in detail how they harvested oysters, including hand tongs, dragnets and hydraulic scoops for deeper water.  Did you know that they also harvested them using divers for a time?  Another display showed the difference between packing ousters flat in a bushel vs on end.  Only half the quantity was in the bushel when on end.  Apparently a good oysterman could shovel them so they all ended up on end!

The final exhibit was a public opening of a photographic exhibition.  Robert de Gast’s black and white photographs were taken in the late 60’s and 70’s documenting the Chesapeake oystering.

Also included was a standing exhibit of a 700 hp steam engine and its’ massive propeller that came from a tug. 

As we left the museum and did a little grocery shopping, it started to rain.  At least it held off for our visit.  Back to the boat for a quiet evening and another episode of Outlanders.

Solomons to St Michaels

We woke up yesterday to cool overcast weather.  Looking at the radar, it was going to rain.  We  waited until noon for the rain to stop but saw that it was going to rain all day so off we went.  It was cold, 12C, and raining the whole way.  We arrived in St Michaels around 5:00 and anchored just inside the harbour.

A great dinner aboard Drift Away.

This is our view this morning.  This is the Chesapeake Maritime Museum and they also have one of the screw Jack lighthouses.  Weather is still overcast and cool but we will go into town and look around.

Chesapeake Maritime Museum

Solomons to Oxford.

The weather has finally gotten better.  Sunshine and no wind.  It was a great trip today on calm seas and almost warm weather.

LNG Terminal

During our trip up we passed a LNG terminal that they have been building.  A massive structure built out into the water with the large LNG tanks off inland.

You can jus see he "Boards" dragging behind

Along the way we passed through a fleet of about 50 boats fishing.  I can only assume that there was some sort of tournament going on as there were so many boats in a confined space.  It is particular here how they fish.  There are multiple rods used and they pass the lines though "boards" that they drag on either side of the boat.  This apparently spreads out the line to gain maximum coverage.  They are fishing for Rock Fish that can grow to 40 to 50 lb.

We arrived at Oxford, Md around noon and are docked on the pier of the Oxford Yacht Agency.  They used to be a Grand Banks dealer and the dockmaster has apparently sold 300 of them.  There are 6 of them in the slips next to us.  He has another yard nearby and does a lot of repair and remodelling.  While we were here, one of them left to go to the other yard.  They had spent the winter in Florida and were now laying the boat up to go back to Ottawa for the summer.

Oxford is a lovely little town.  There are many boatyards here as well as marinas.

Sailboat at Hinkley yard

There is a sailmaker/boat yard that allows you to go into an area where they are storing their half finished projects.  They certainly know how to get a good finish on the woodwork.

Large Mahogany vessel

"FOTO"

  As we walked through town we were impressed with the level of landscaping, (everyone was mulching) and how pretty the houses were, many with lovely front porches.

A great visit to a lovely town.

Se Marys College to Solomons

 We left St Mary's and proceeded north toward Solomons Island.  The wind was still blowing and we faced 15 - 20 Kt and still 2-3 foot seas.  It was right on the nose so there was not much pitching and the ride was not that uncomfortable.

As we progressed we heard the navy call a few boats asking them to change course to avoid the area where they were doing target practice.  There is a Naval Air Station and also a Naval weapons research facility.  We saw quite a few fighter jets taking off and landing

Arriving at Calvert Marina we filled with fuel as they have an excellent price and proceeded to our space.  This was on long floating concrete docks.  As the boats were salt encrusted, we took the opportunity to give the boat a wash, which it certainly deserved. By the time we finished a few chores, there was no time to see the Museum that day so we elected to stay 2 nights.  The following day Drift Away wanted to replace the rode portion of their anchor and spent time watching U tube videos to learn how to weave a line into a chain.

Seas the Day decided to get the anchor out and re-mark the chain, also taking the opportunity to clean the chain locker.  By noon we were finished and we went off to the Maritime Museum just across the bay in our dinghy.

Drum Point light

It was a very worthwhile visit.  They have done an excellent job,  starting with the former drum Point lighthouse. They took the opportunity when they were building a large bridge here to take a barge, cut the lighthouse off, and transport it to the museum.  

Screws to secure lighthouse

It is one of only 3 left, of the screw jack method of securing the lighthouse to the sea floor.  The lighthouse marked the entrance to Solomons Island and as such was almost on shore.

They have a workshop here staffed by volunteers to re-store boats and they also take on some boat construction contracts.  All of the museum is set up to provide an educational experience for children. In this area they have the children make an "origami" boat which is constructed of plastic coated corrugated poster board.  They make it from one sheet which is folded to make a boat shape and then held together with tie-wraps.  The kids then get to launch it and ride in it.

Skipjack

You can take a cruise on the Wm B Tennyson a skipjack boat famous in the Chesapeake.

Fresnel Lens

Touring the lighthouse we saw the Fresnel Lens that concentrates the light as well as the hand wound fog bell that sounded during a fog.




In the outdoor exhibit, they displayed some of the many types of boats that you would have seen working on the Chesapeake.

Boat modified with gas motor to harvest clams

Oyster Rake

Solomons Island itself is home to many marinas and there is every shape, and size of boat there to serve the large population of boaters.  Washington is only a one hour drive away, so an easy commute.

Crisfield to St Mary's College

Due to the weather, we spent 3 days in Somers Cove Marina.  The day we were supposed to leave the winds were blowing up to 40 kt. and it just did not make sense to leave.  I talked to a 28 ft fishing boat that was going out on a tournament.  I said have fun, and he replied that he was not expecting it to be much!!

They were fishing for Rock Fish or striped bass.  They have a system here with a contraption hung off the side of the boat and the various lines they use are strung through it to give some separation for the lines.

Finally on Sunday, the rain had disappeared and the winds dissipated to a manageable amount.  The wind still blew from between 18 to 25 kt. and the waves were up to 4ft.  On one set of waves we got spray over the top of the flybridge soaking the windows on 4 successive waves.  The waves were mostly on our bow so there was not much rolling motion and with the waves fairly close together the pitching was at at minimum.

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As you can see the worst part was after we left the protection of Tangier Sound and crossed the bay.

1942 LIBERTY SHIP "AMERICAN MARINER"

Along the way we passed a derelict ship that the Navy uses for target practice.  It was a "Liberty Ship" (American Mariner) built on 1942.  It is the Navy's only Live Fire target ship on Chesapeake Bay.  Several times  month various Helicopter, and planes take off from the Patuxent Navy Air Station to use it as target practice using machine guns and missiles.

Our destination was to anchor off St Mary's College where a relation to Jimmy had gone to school.  This is a liberal arts college situated in historic St. Mary's which was the first capital of Maryland.  

This school is known for its sailing program and has an impressive amount of boats,   We saw people out windsurfing and the water temp was about 68 and the air temperature 60.  Oh to be young and hardy!

Just some of the boats

A foil boat

We took the opportunity to walk around the campus.  Attached to it is a historical display of when Maryland was founded.  They have done many archeological digs and constructed framework similar to the style of the day to explain where the buildings were.

Replica of original hotel/eating establishment

After a nice dinner on board we departed Monday am for Solomons Island.

Tangier Island and Crisfield

We left Onancock (Oh Nan Cock) early and travelled to Tangier Island.  The wind was blowing around 15 but the direction meant we only had about 2' seas.

Entering Tangier Island

This Island is a fishing community and is in the middle of Chesapeake bay.  It is not that successful economically and the number of crab and oyster boats plying their trade is diminishing.  On top of that they are losing their island as it gradually sinks.  Impressive upon entering the harbour is to see where the fishermen dock their boats.  After unloading on the shore, they move to their docks which are on pilings and only reachable by boat.

Crabbing is done from very long, open cockpit boats which have their engine mounted under a housing in the middle of the cockpit.  Much of the time the boats are driven from the stern quarter so that one man can handle the boat and the pots at the same time.  Boy can they handle their boats.  When the current and wind is blowing they come into their slip at full throttle then hard into reverse.  Seems to work every time!

The marina we stayed at was Park





s marina run by an 80 something crusty resident.  The docks were in need of repair and he certainly liked to give advice on how to dock?!!?

A walk into town showed that there are a few dominant families judging from the graveyards.  These graveyards are similar to many areas with low lying ground in that they are mostly above ground as the ground water would float a traditional grave.

Of particular interest was the individual grave (s) at specific houses.

I guess if we wanted to move here their is already a business that we would qualify for!

The next morning it was off to Crisfield, MD, but before we left we took delivery of 100 oysters that had been done by aquaculture on the island.  Jim steamed them and we had them for lunch.  Delicious!!

We are now at Somers Cove Marina, a huge state owned facility with many, many docks.  Weather however is horrible,rainy and windy, and after receiving a shipment of oil from the NAPA store 25 miles away it will be an oil change on tap for this afternoon.

Time is getting shorter on this trip!  We will be back in Ontario at the beginning of June so that we can join a group of friends and drive to Maine for lobster.  I like it better than crab!

 

ONANCOCK

We took a nice walk into town.  Unfortunately, almost everything is closed on Monday. 

We did get a chance to walk around the grounds of Ker Place built in 1789.  It is now a museum. While the museum was closed we did view their herb garden and a Log canoe,The Annie C. that was built in 1904 from 5 pine logs.  It was built by hand using an adze.  Apparently they were used for oystering and would stay out 2 or 3 days with a crew of 3.  Not very spacious accommodation.

There are many churches in this town many dating back to the early 1900’s .  A hotbed of Presbyterianism.

Many of the lovely homes had extensive gingerbread and in many of the gardens, the azaleas were out in full bloom.

 

Counter rotating sailboat wind decoration

The weather continued hot but we are expecting cooler weather as a front moves through. 

Great sign in shop window