Dream a Little Dream with Me? Okay!

How does one live a dream they never dreamt? I'm a hitch hiker here catching a ride on the Captain's Dream and LOVING IT!

Leaving our Anchorage this morning about 730a & cruising directly into the sun made it not only hard to see but very hot on the Bridge! Even with all the smileys opened we could not feel any breeze! Walter could not leave the boat on auto pilot long as

there was some junk in the C & D canal that he had to maneuver around. He occasionally got some relief standing behind the captain's chair where there was a little bit of shade.

The Chesapeake-Delaware Canal

Some Canal traffic

Hot Hot Hot!!.... I do not tolerant heat well....... would today be the day I jump ship? But before I could plan my escape we were out of the canal and had made a turn. This gave us a breeze so strong it made us almost chilly. And we gained 2 knots moving faster than expected due to the current in Delaware Bay. So we decided to skip the planned anchorage and go all the way to Cape May, NJ. However, we have now decided we will not do this long day travel again... just too many hours.. we arrived here at 545p.

Approaching Chesapeake City Bridge crossing C & D Canal

The water in the C & D canal was muddy but after we left the mouth of the canal and came into wide Delaware Bay the water was a pretty green.

The water stayed smooth a while and gave me time to make our lunch. But then white caps everywhere … it looked like little white dashes that would appear suddenly with the sun bright on them and then as one would go away another popped up.... so pretty. We began to have some current that was going against the waves and making them higher... this must be what it is like to ride a bucking bronco! This is just fun? unlike the side  to side rolling.  After we were past the point of no return to our anchorage and well on the way to Cape May the wind started increasing.  We made another turn which put the waves now at our quarter bow. The wind got higher and pounded us as we were rolling and bouncing!  I had to hold on to keep from flying out of my first mate's chair! This kept up until we were safely in the canal leading to Cape May.   

One of Several Lighthouses in Delaware Bay

The wind had come up and I couldn't believe what Walter was going to have to do to get into our slip! Tall piles that I thought we would hit but he was amazing and only had to back up once to line up a bit better to make a sharp turn into the marina... then at our slip were all these people, men and women to help.. this was so cool as they were all Loopers! They meet every night here to compare notes. I said to one guy that I was sure he could give us much advice. He said, “Oh, yeah... I know so much...he is from Los Angeles and just bought his first boat in FL and said he didn't even know there was a Cape May until recently.... I do hope we get to chat with these very nice folks soon... OH! They have got some big boats, too. One is a beautiful Grand Banks.

Leaving Baltimore

Francis Scott Keys Bridge at entry to Baltimore Harbor

As we left Baltimore we passed under the Francis Scott Keys Bridge and then out on the Chesapeake.  We had fairly smooth water but after a turn the waves came at us on the side of Miss gg... rollin' rollin' rollin'... yep, I put on my sea bands and stayed put up on the bridge. 

First Mate Cleaning up the Lines after
Departing Marina 

Continuing north the Bay narrows and the water became brown. We think this is because we were moving closer to the rivers that feed the north end of the Bay.  Where we have settled in for the night the water is greener. This was suppose to be a long day but we anchored about 3p very close to the C & D canal.  We had picked up almost 2knots from the incoming tide pushing us north.  There are three other boats anchored here, one sail boat and two motor vessels... one is flying a Looper flag!

This afternoon we have watched a few   huge container ships coming out of the canal! So we will have more experience passing by these big boys by tomorrow night.

God's special treat for us tonight... a sky on fire!  And a promise for tomorrow... His beautiful creation!

Red at Night Sailor's Delight

Back from Shore Leave

Up at 5a with a long taxi ride to Baltimore Washington International and off to Tampa.  Return flight was delayed 4 times but I am finally at the boat and preparing for a long day tomorrow cruising to our anchorage just outside the C & D (Chesapeake/Delaware) Canal.

I had the amazing privilege to be at the Baltimore airport this morning when the Honor Flight carrying World War II soldiers arrived just two gates down from where I would be departing.  This flight had been announced early so folks could welcome them.  I couldn't leave as my plane had already started loading.   I could hear all the shouts and great applause.   Then one by one the honorees in wheel chairs came by our gate... I thought about the many times I have seen soliders and not said anything to them... I have wanted to go right up to them and say, “thank you” but never did.  So today I stood out near their path and was the lone applauder at our gate.  As they passed me each retired soldier either waved or saluted and said a quiet thank you to me.  By the time I heard the final call for my flight my eyes were watering.   Some call these men the "Greatest Generation".  We should all call them Heroes!

A Dead Body & a Grand Ole Ship

We woke to a gloomy rainy day. But the strong winds had quit. Walter decided we needed to be at a marina so as not to take any chances on the dinghy not starting... I have a 6a.m. cab to catch to the airport tomorrow and we needed to wash clothes.

We had a quiet morning and when the rain had nearly stopped I rigged the lines for docking. I turned on Walter's nifty anchor wash system and began hauling up the anchor. We had 100 ft of chain down. I watched as the first 20 foot mark came up and then the 40 ft mark and THEN the winch started staining... way too early as the anchor was still 60 ft away from the boat.  Heavy mud was coming up and then.... GOBS of heavy mud entangled in junk began appearing... the hose would not wash it off the chain...so I lowered the chain some and we dragged it a little distance through the water. This really didn't help much so I got the boat hook. Over the headset I told Walter that a lot of weird stuff was coming up and he said, “As long as it isn't a body....” GREAT The power of suggestion!! THEN something that looked exactly like human hair came up! And a rope all tangled around it and the other junk! I told the Captain only removing this by hand was going to work and this was not part of my job description!.. I wasn't touching it! So I took over the helm and he came down to the fore deck. He gave me instructions on which gear to put forward and reverse but I was so concerned about the “body” that instead of putting the boat in neutral I had it in reverse! Praise God for headsets so the first mate could hear the LOUD & Clear message, “THERE IS A BOAT BEHIND US, GET THE BOAT IN FORWARD!!” Whew! Walter quickly got rid of the “body” by hand and returned to the helm.

With the anchor up and stowed we motored over to the marina across from our anchorage and had awesome assistance with the docking. After checking in and getting gate keys we walked to the Water Taxi station closest to the marina. Bought all day tickets which is cheapest way to ride and after two boat rides ended up in downtown at the beautiful Inner Harbor. We found a Spanish restaurant and had a delicious late lunch.

 There is so much to do in this pretty harbor but we elected to spend the rest of the afternoon touring the USS Constellation. It was first launched in 1854. This ship is credited with stopping and capturing many slave ships and setting the slaves free in Liberia to form a colony there. During the late 1800s it was the primary training vessel for the US Naval Academy. During the Civil War the Constellation was station in the Mediterranean where she protected US commerce & chased off confederate raiders.

The USS Constellation

We spent nearly 2 hours exploring 4 large decks that have been restored.  And restoration continues on this beautiful ship.  She became obsolete as an active naval vessel when steam ships started being used.

The Gun Deck with 8 Canons on Each Side

On our walk back to the boat after the water taxi ride we saw what we called a scooper cleaning up the nasty trash that floats everywhere... this was a neat machine and I hope we got a good photo... I think the guy piloting it was tickled to have his picture taken.

Flotsam Collector

Tomorrow I have “shore leave” as I fly to FL to see my eye doctor. I'm not sure I will be posting on the blog. Walter plans to stay on boat and fix things.. he needs to change the wire cable on the winches that haul up the dinghy...something about a "kink" in the cable. We will leave this harbor on Thursday heading toward the C & D canal... the Chesapeake/Delaware Canal. We probably won't make it all the way on Thursday but will be close....it goes from the Bay here to Delaware Bay.

ONE Seasick First Mate, TWO Stressed Ducklings and a THREE Hour Tour (Guiligan's Island?)

We did not go anywhere last night... I was too woozy to get off the boat!  Though I sure wanted to be on hard unmoving ground!!  Something about anchoring in a harbor.. a busy harbor... it was constant waves hitting us abeam & all around.  We anchored with the bow into the wind which usually helps the rocking but with the sea wall here we think the waves were just bouncing off it over and over.  I love the swinging on the “Hook” when we anchor up a river but this was/is up and down & rolling side to side.  This is no problem for me if we are under weigh.  On rough sea days I just stay put on the bridge and look off in the distance....no reading or working crossword puzzles... take over for the Captain when needed.   

Last night I couldn't wait until dark so I would no longer see the up and down through all our windows... only the side windows are shaded with blinds.. it was somewhat better as it got later but I sure didn't want any dinner!  Walter surprised me as he has been seasick in past years but he was fine. The water did calm a bit by 10p. 

The other thing to be concerned about was Drag Queen... would the siren go off in the middle of the night?!  Should I sleep in my clothes to be ready to help Walter retrieve the anchor/move the boat??  

I dared to take off my sea bands as I was slipping between the covers... It was nice and cool... Walter had turned on the AC to help me feel better but we turn off the generator at night.  The temps outside were now dropping into the 50s.  And praise God I slept well.  

First thing this morning:  I stood up and the next thing I knew I was back on the bed thankful for a soft landing!  Yep, someone in a big boat must have run the waterway just out from our boat.  It rolled so bad and I was just waking up..where was Walter??... oh! My Goodness! Was he moving the boat?.. it rolled bad again!... I mean really bad... I guess it is obvious that I don't know much about boating but I really did think that we might tip over!  THEN the Drag Queen siren went off!  I held on to every thing as I made my way to the salon.....Walter was on his way up to the sun deck to see what had caused the rolling. The water settled down and we never really found out what or who might have caused this disturbance.

I was feeling better than last night & after breakfast we decided a trip to West Marine was necessary.....it seems to me we should soon have all the parts to fix any boat on the water OR go into business to help pay for this trip!  We found out last night that the Water Taxi doesn't go to boats but only to docks. So we took our dinghy to a free dock nearby.  The store was only a few blocks away.  While Walter was tying up the dinghy I found a mother duck and two tiny darling fluffy ducklings on the dock.  I startled her and she took off landing in the water.  Her two babies began running up and down the dock in a real panic!  She called to them and they would get close to the edge but would not jump the foot to the water.  I wanted to take a picture but I was only a few feet in front of this scene and to move to get my camera out would have spooked them more.  Mama duck took off and flew over the dock all the while scolding the babies.  The bravest one then approached the edge and jumped in and swam furiously to the mother. But the other little guy just cried and paced back & forth and then hid behind a piling! So cute... I wanted to scoop him up and gently place him on the water but knew this was a lesson he needed to learn by himself... so then he peeked around the piling and saw mama duck swim off with the other baby! It was then that  "dock" baby got some nerve and still crying leaped into the water.. ever so happy to be joining the family.    And here is the fam drying off after their swim:

  

While Walter got the boat supplies I walked about a mile and came back and met him at the dinghy.  We put the packages on the boat and took off in the dinghy for a tour of the inner harbor.  We were hoping to find a dinghy dock.. there was one or two but they didn't look very safe and it cost $20 for 4 hours.  So thus what seemed like a 3 hour ride took place...Those dinghy seats are hard! We saw it all from the water.... really nice area and lots of folks out on Memorial Day. 

One thing that really disappointed us was all the trash in the water!  Styrofoam cups and plates, chip packages, bottles & cans were floating all over but everything else on the waterfront was so clean... it looked like someone had just thrown these things in the water after a big party.  Even where we anchored we were surprised to find this junk floating around our boat this morning.

One Cannon Ball Weighs 440 Pounds!

Late in the afternoon we took the last water taxi to Fort McHenry.....a very interesting place.  This is where Francis Scott Keys had his inspiration to write the Star Spangle Banner.  Did you know he was on a British ship during this, one of the last battles of the war of 1812, while the cannons were firing?  The British had a huge military presence on the Chesapeake Bay and were winning and now they wanted Baltimore!  But this fort sits at the entrance to the Harbor on a hill and had the advantage of being high and on solid ground... easier to aim those cannons than on a bobbing ship.  Francis was a lawyer and was trying to win freedom for a friend taken prisoner on this British ship... so while the battle raged he was there... they had told him that his friend would be freed but they kept both of them on the ship & wouldn't let them leave.  Finally, the noise of battle ceased but in the early morning light it was foggy and smoke was every where... they kept looking for the flag..which flag would they see?  And then they saw Old Glory... all 30 feet by 42 feet flying high!  The flag flying today was an exact replica.

From Outside Ft. McHenry

From Inside Ft McHenry 

We saw a reenactment in a short film that was very good and then toured the Fort before catching the water taxi home.. home?  Yes... this has become my home!  God is good!

Baltimore Harbor

Leaving Annapolis in Bright Early Morning Sunlight 

After filling our water tank and a pump out we left Annapolis about 8:30a. I was sure glad for my wrist bands...or sea bands that press an acupuncture point that keeps you from being sea sick. They work great! We had waves abeam (against the side of the boat) which made us roll from side to side as we went forward. It was too not bad.. Walter didn't even take Dramamine... maybe I was moving around too much... going up and down in the boat.

Bridge from Annapolis to the Eastern Shore

As we went north in the Bay it narrows and we passed under the bridge that connects Annapolis to the Eastern shore. 

After this bridge and up the Bay a ways we made a turn and the waves then hit us on our forward quarter which was little better. Our final turn as we approach Baltimore put the waves were right at us as we went against the going out tide which slowed us half a knot.

We passed a long barge that was carrying gravel and a lot of birds, sea gulls, riding on top getting a free ride to somewhere!

We motored all the way to the Inner Harbor where there was just too much action on this Sunday for us. The National Aquarium is there, a large Museum, a WWII submarine, a tall sailing ship and few restaurants & three of many Marinas! So we came back up the Patapsco River & found anchorage near a free dinghy dock and a small sailing club. One other boat is anchored here.

Approaching Baltimore Harbor

Walter walked out on deck and stood over the anchor and set the “Drag Queen” on his Iphone.. this tells us when the anchor might be dragging or pulling out of the mud. Then we cranked up the generator for a few minutes to heat some leftovers for lunch. We were just finishing lunch when a siren went off! It was not so loud a noise but disturbing none the less... it was DRAG QUEEN! Walter hurried up to the bridge and discovered we had moved probably 20 feet!!! Not good when you have a sail boat in same area and a sea wall around a condo development nearby! It took him a good while to reset it after we moved back out of this little inlet a ways... away from the condos.. giving us more privacy and further away from the sail boat.  But the alarm went off two more times! During this time our Grand Wonders, Amy & Eddy called. They wanted me to put the phone next to the alarm.. ha!  They thought this great fun and I tried to sound as if it were nothing we couldn't fix.....However, IF this should happen tonight in the dark I will NOT be calm! 

This is not the “anchoring out” that I like where we are nearly all alone up a river. We are almost downtown Baltimore but then the sites to see & things to do are nearby. We will be here until I fly out to FL to see my eye doctor on Wednesday.... a regular quarterly visit due to my hemi-facial spasm that is centered around my right eye. I hate to take this time out but we had to arrange this early and when we did we forgot about the holiday weekend! Otherwise I would have had this done tomorrow & been through with it.   It's good to have a fully refundable old lady (Senior) ticket!

Huge Roll-on Roll-off car carrier Ship passed us on way into Baltimore Harbor

The Captain has the charts laid out on the salon floor now planning how we can make up time when I return from FL.  By the way, I was doing the charting back at the home port but he made a 95% on the 10 hour navigation test and I only made a 86% so I thought he should do all the charting. :-)

I think we have about decided to stay on the boat until late today... just to make sure the anchor holds. If we feel confident about this we may call the $3 water taxi for a ride to downtown.  

 Here are a few photos of the Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore:

Rest Day in Chesapeake Harbor Marina??

Small craft warnings were posted for today so we snuggled in for the day still a bit chilled from yesterday. Sun came out bright from early morning on but temp was 54 degrees and with the wind blowing at 24mph it felt colder.  It did warm up in the 60s but the wind never stopped.

I downloaded a book I thought Walter would really like but the poor guy remembered he needed to fix the leaky faucet in our cabin. We both expected this to be a quick fix... is anything on a boat a quick job??!!  He had earlier purchased some different size washers & thought that was all that was needed.  However, when he took the old thing apart it disintegrated!! Then he checked the one in the guest cabin and found the same thing!  So it was off to the hardware store in the free shuttle provided by our marina. Long story short he ended up having to make two trips because the new faucets didn't come with the needed parts! Before these two trips he got a ride to the grocery store and walked back.... a little over a mile but not fun carrying the bags of groceries.  He is still working at this hour (655p) but it is all nearly done.

Walter Down in Engine Room prepping for Tomorrow's Cruise

I decided I needed some exercise, too, so I intended walking to the grocery store because Walter said this will be our last time near one for several days.. was I panicking?.. yeah, probably.... I started off walking and after about half mile the road ended at the water.. I went the wrong way so turned around and after 1.5 miles found the grocery.  I stocked up on more essentials and was blessed to catch the last shuttle ride back to the marina.

I best finish cooking dinner and feed the Captain. We cruise tomorrow!

Annapolis: A Dark and Rainy Day

Navel Academy from across the Severn River

We were excited to see this historical town so we layered our clothing and caught the 9a shuttle to town. Apparently, President Obama knew we were coming so he came along also with his 4 helicopters & many secret service men! Today was the U.S. Naval Academy graduation and he was the main speaker!  IF we had anchored out in that river we had looked at we probably would have been chased away early this morning as it appeared to be blocked by patrol boats when we later crossed the bridge near the Academy.  

The sequester has caught up with us! The Blue Angels do a fly over on this special day and also an air show over the town... that was all cancelled due to lack of funds. But it was at least nice seeing the cadets around town in their dress uniforms:  summer whites with short sleeves! Brrrr!

We were able to just walk onto the Naval Academy campus with picture ID.  We were too late for the tour and the museum there had closed early but the campus was open to walking self-guided tours. The Instructors/officers live in beautiful old homes. ALL the cadets, some 4000 plus, live & eat in one building that covers 32 acres! The Chapel is magnificent.....from outside...many weddings take place there each year... it was closed also.

The rain did let up about 2p but the wind blew stronger. It was almost bitter cold. We were pretty wet when we caught a ride on a tour trolley. So much history of our country is here... many men who signed the Declaration of Independence lived here. Much of the architecture copied the European style...A large traffic circle around the Governor's house is on the highest hill, then another circle goes around the church on the next highest hill. This says a lot about how important the church was to the town planners. The town streets radiate out from these two circles. 

We were told that Annapolis has the most Georgian style architecture in America.  

Main Street Looking Toward the Church on Second Highest Hill in Town

Cute Shop!

Winds and seas are not looking good for tomorrow. We will make a decision in the morning about traveling to Baltimore harbor... checking charts now and looking for anchorage. Watch the tracker!

Rockin' & Rollin' to Annapolis!

We are safely across the Bay on the West side near Annapolis, MD.   It was the roughest cruise yet although the worse part didn't last long....  On this wave ride we would swing from side to side and then down a wave. And making it harder was the fact that even with two smileys open on the bridge it was very hot!  This was because we were traveling with the wind. My sea bands were working great to keep me from being sick but I needed a cooler place and found one:  I opened the port side sun deck door and sat in a wicker chair right in front of it.  It was great!  

Then we started really rolling and my chair tipped over toward the rail where I caught myself and just as quick as that happened I rocked back and up & over on the coffee table!  I guess I could have flown out the door into the Bay and it would have been many miles before Walter would have missed me... but I was so enjoying the breeze I dismissed that thought.  :-0

Waves Coming Over Deck

And I took at least 10 photos trying my best to catch a wave exploding over the side of the boat and I also tried video but couldn't get that to work!   Here is the best of my photos.

If you wonder what all our wanderings were on the satellite tracker it is because we tried to get into the City Marinas to be closer to town but all were either full or we just didn't like the looks of them... too close to some very noisy parks.....we are so spoiled from anchoring out.

Our search for a place for Miss gg took us up the Severn River to look for the Navy's mooring balls which you are allowed to use without charge unless there is a hurricane coming then the Navy uses them for their boats.  We could see that we were getting further and further away from the city so came back to the place where we are now: Chesapeake Harbor Marina. A very nice place with 2 pools, beach and restaurant. They have a free shuttle we will take to explore the Naval Academy and the town tomorrow.

We are glad to be in this very protected area as a big storm is coming tonight.. Walter has crossed our lines and doubled them up just in case. Then a weary Captain swabbed the decks getting the salt spray off.

Captain Swabbing Deck

The first mate took a few minutes to rest her back … okay, she napped!!

First Mate Napping on Salon Sofa

St. Michaels..The Town that Fooled the British!

That's their story here in St. Michaels and they are stickin' to it! Today I found a beautiful old church

Church one block from Marina

with its doors open and a man there that love to tell this tale:

During the War of 1812 the British wanted to destroy St Michaels  mainly for the ship building industry.  Boats were being built here that were faster than British ships. The town's people had spies on the coast and they knew when the British were coming with big ships all set to fire large cannon balls into the town. So the people of St. Michaels hung lanterns high in the trees all around town. When the British fired their cannons from the ships off the coast all except one cannon ball over shot the town. Preserved is the “Cannon Ball house” where the cannon ball went through the roof and bounced down the staircase nearly missing the owner's wife and children.   

Cannon Ball House

At Walking Entrance to Maritime Museum

Drawbridge at Car Entrance to Chesapeake Maritime Museum

We spent one and half hours in the Maritime Museum this morning, came back to boat for lunch and went back for another hour plus... 18 acres is a lot to

cover in one day. 

However, Michener's book came alive there.  Here is Walter 

posing with one of the many Long Guns that Michener wrote about:  

Long guns at Maritime Museum

  We really liked this little town with its brick sidewalks and many interesting houses.   Here is one of my favorites.. kinda looked like Mary Poppin's house minus the widow's walk.  

Front of "Mary Poppin's House"

Side view of same House

    

We are heading for Annapolis in the morning and the weather  forecast indicates a rough trip.   

St Michaels MD

We had a slight delay this morning leaving our quiet anchorage. Walter had to fix one of the bilge pumps. Departing at 830a in gray weather with a little wind we were going against the tide so the ride was a little bumpy but not bad enough to take meds or wear wrist bands.

We came off the Tred Avon River and into the Choptank River not getting out in the Bay. And we took a couple of short cuts which I hoped wouldn't become LONG cuts! My heart got some exercise as I counted down the depth for Walter while he piloted Miss gg through the Knapps Narrows. To get to this short cut we had to carefully stay in a 5 ft deep channel. The depths on the sides of this channel were 1.0 ft on the port side and 0.7ft the starboard side!!! We had accidentally turned down the volume on the radio and thought the Knapps Narrows Bridge tender was not paying attention. But the bridge did begin to rise and another boat came through going the other way as we were passing under it. 

Knapps Narrows Draw Bridge

Then coming out on the other side of this narrow channel the depths were even shallower and at 0.7 we felt our keel slosh through the mud.... no damage but probably took off some paint on the prop. It is painted to keep barnacles from growing on it.

Then we headed for another short cut.. uh oh! The Poplar Island Narrows.  One could probably walk to St. Michaels from Oxford  on land in just short amount of time but it is a long way around to stay in the rivers to get there... thus these cuts were made through the islands. The second Narrows was a piece of cake compared to the first one.  

It was time to rig all the lines... you need them all in a slip to keep the boat centered.  I wore a life jacket to do this as the boat was moving at 8 knots and the wind across the deck was about 15 knots.  When I was done I just stood the on deck amazed..... could I be dreaming?  The sun had come out & St. Michaels harbor was coming into view.....I'm an old lady!....shouldn't I just be sitting & knitting somewhere?  This is such an awesome Adventure!

Arriving at St. Michaels I had to lasso two piles as the Captain skillfully back into our slip.  I did it!  Took only two tries.  When we radioed the marina that we were coming in and had a reservation they said they were sending two inexperience dock hands to help us. OH! GREAT!  The blind leading the blind!  But we did okay.... I was able to help Walter miss a pile on the port side that would have hit our dinghy engine.... Being the second mate is getting a little, well, just a tad easier for me.  

Coiling the Line after Cleating

We are not at the bigger marina across from us where a lot of the Loopers we met in Norfolk will be tomorrow because the cost there was $2.60/ft of your boat length on week days, more on weekends.  We pay $1.50/ft here at Higgins Yacht Yard.  In the Waterway Guide this marina listed all the same amenities including a laundry facility as the bigger marina.  Unfortunately they do not have a laundry!  Praise God we have our own washer/dryer on our boat so I will just do a few extra loads as they will need to be smaller.  The good part is our Looper clothes will be less loopy from being worn out from commercial washers! :-)

We had lunch on board, started the laundry and went to see the sights.  The sun light was not right for most of the pictures of this cute little town so hopefully tomorrow we will have more to share.  But here is one taken on the grounds of the Chesapeake Maritime Museum which we will see tomorrow.  It is right behind where we are docked.  

This sign says it all..... 

Oxford, MD

We left Solomons about 8a and traveled out of the harbor on flat water.  

Leaving Back Creek in the Harbor at Solomons

 

Still cloudy as we cruised into the Chesapeake.  But soon the sun came out and the water stayed calm with about a foot of fog over the water...... we could not have asked for a better day to be on the Bay.  We arrived at the small town of Oxford, MD about 1230p. Cruised the Harbor first then chose Plaindealing Creek... a pleasant area across the Tred Avon River from Oxford.  I love the names and English influence.

Oxford Harbor

   

 We fixed sandwiches for lunch and then boarded the dinghy to investigate the town.  But the dinghy would not start though Walter tried several times...the starter rope  was hung up and would not come out all the way.... we thought we would have to skip our tour but then it started.  I wanted a promise that it would start again in Oxford so we could get back.  But all I got was a "pretty sure" from the Captain!  There are no speed limits in the River so we went fast and the breeze on this 78 degree day felt wonderful.  As you enter the Harbor you must slow to 6 knots.

We found the dinghy dock at Hinckley's Marina and there was no charge.  As we were walking along a group of bikers stopped to ask us where they could find the main part of the town .  Ha!  We decided someone in the cute little library would know so we stopped in there and asked and got a map of the town.  The librarian said, "Your in it"!  So there is no commercial area.  There are about 1,200 full time residents... no water front condos as they have kept the quaint look of this place.  It is the oldest town on the Eastern shore of the Bay and nearly the oldest town in American with continuing residents.  It was founded around the mid 1600s when the immigrants settled on land already occupied by friendly Choptank Indians.    

At the one room museum we found out that most folks are employed at the lab at one end of the town.  It is run by The University of Maryland along with NOAA.  Others work in one of the many boat yards that repair boats or one of the 7 marinas. This used to be boat building town and a thriving oyster business here along with  factories that canned the oysters.  But the oysters were over harvested from the 1920s to the 1930s.  There are restrictions now so hopefully the oyster population is coming back.   The museum had some old photos showing how the workers shucking oysters had to wear boots and stand in these   three sided boxes.. all to keep them safe from the sharp shells.  

We walked down a couple of streets... beautiful park on one side that went all the way to the River.  Almost every house had the same unique picket style fence.                

   

  

  

We passed a 125 year old Methodist church but it surprised us that there were not more church buildings there.  So we went back to the knowledgeable lady who worked at the museum. She said there was another Methodist church, one black church & one white church!  She said they do everything together like dinners on the grounds etc and are very friendly but each likes their own favorite style of worship.  

Then she told a another story about what happened during the Civil War to the Methodist church for the whites called St Paul's.

St Paul's

She said the Southerners used to sit on one side and the Northerners on the other side.  They had taken down the American flag trying to keep the peace among the congregates.  Then when the war ended the pastor displayed the American flag and told the people the war was over and we are going to go out our door as one nation.  The folks from the North walked outside with the pastor but the Southerners climbed out the windows and went down the street and built the present Methodist church!  

This lovely church has been renovated and is now used by any and all for meetings or small weddings.  

Tomorrow we dock at St. Michael's for two nights...... much to see there including an 18 acre maritime museum! We both want to see the "long guns" talked about in Michener's book.