Leg #3A ~ Chesapeake Bay
Odysea II on the
Chesapeake Bay
The third leg of our Great Loop Journey started with the Chesapeake Bay. We spent 38 days traveling a little more than 700 nautical miles (800 statute miles) around the bay. We first traveled from Norfolk to Baltimore on the western shore with a detour up the Potomac to Washington DC and then down the bay’s eastern shore back to Norfolk and then the Intracoastal Waterway to head south.
I grew up just outside of Annapolis at the headwaters of the Severn River and was familiar with a number of the towns around the bay, however had never visited them by water. I had also never ventured up the different rivers that feed in to the bay that are full of small towns and peaceful coves, so in many ways this was a bucket list segment of our journey.
After spending a month in Texas we reprovisioned at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club before heading north, leaving the Elizabeth River and entering the Chesapeake Bay. Little did we know when we set out that our schedule for the coming month would be dominated by waiting on wind and weather, which in reality gave us extra time to explore in a number of towns and cities.
Our first stop was historic Yorktown, Virginia, which is approximately seven nautical miles up the York River. We had planned to stay only one night in Yorktown, however a brisk north wind rolled in so we decided it best to stay put for a couple of extra nights. The extra days gave us an opportunity to explore Yorktown and learn more about the towns role in ending the revolutionary war. One piece of trivia was that the battle that ended the war was on my birthday, October 19th in 1781.
One detail of the battle at Yorktown was the prominent part the French played in winning this battle and in turn the war against England. There is a bit of irony thinking of the relationship the USA has now with England and France. Our relationship with France is good however it is stronger with England.
Like a lot of people, I probably learned about the revolutionary war in school, however this was nearly 50 years ago and there is nothing like onsite learning.
Once the wind settled we left Yorktown for a 33 nm run to the town of Irvington, VA on the Rappahannock River and the famous Tides Inn. As we left the York River and entered the bay we passed the New Point Comfort Light at the mouth of Mobjack Bay and then Wolf Trap Light, which sits on the west edge of the Chesapeake shipping channel.
Wolf Trap was the first of a number of the caisson style lighthouses we would see as we traveled the Chesapeake. These lighthouses were built in the late 19th century; however with modern navigation and other updated aids these lighthouses are no longer in use and many have passed from government maintained to private ownership. Wolf Trap Light is one that is private with a new owner in 2022 year when it was sold for $125,000.
While at the Tides Inn we took advantage of the marina’s bikes to ride to church in the historic 18th century Christ Church just outside of town.
Change of Plans
After attending church in Irvington we set out with plans to enter the Potomac River and find a place to anchor for the night however the boat had different plans. An engine warning sounded about 30 nm in to our journey so we made a quick change of plans and made our way into Smith Point Marina near the mouth of the Potomac River.
I knew we had a lingering fuel problem as indicated by lingering high vacuum readings, especially when running at higher RPMs. I suspected it was the fuel tank pickup tube, however I had been unable to pull the tube on earlier attempts. Luckily the marina’s mechanic was gracious enough to loan me a larger wrench that allowed me to break the fitting holding the tube in place.
As suspected the screen at the end of the tube was covered with gunk and algae. Once removed I cleaned the debris and permanently removed the screen under the assumption that the fuel filter system would trap any future algae and the tube would not re-clog. The tube was reinstalled and the problem was fixed as vacuum stayed low even at higher RPM. Every days a school day….
With our problem fixed we left Smith Point and made our way a short distance up the Potomac River and turned off to anchor in the smaller Coan River. The night at anchor was perfect with little wind, clear skies and beautiful sunset and sunrise.
We left the anchorage early and set out up the Potomac River towards Washington, DC. We were blessed with fair weather so we could run a little faster as tropical storm Ophelia was building and was starting to affect our plans for the coming days.
Saint Clement’s Island
As we started up the Potomac we passed the first of many historical significant sites on the river, Saint Clement’s Island where in 1634 the first Maryland colonists landed having sailed from the Isle of Wight in England.
The site is also recognized as the location of the first Catholic Mass in the British-American colonies.
After running a few hours we stopped for fuel at Goose Bay Marina and Campground in Welcome Maryland. While fueling we met an Army veteran who shared with us the time he spent in the Army Honor Guard as a rifle catcher. Little did we know this was such an important position in the ceremonial group.
Mount Vernon
As we traveled up the Potomac we passed George Washington’s Mount Vernon. We have visited Mount Vernon by land but it was more majestic from the water.
Not long after passing Mount Vernon we started to see sights of Washington, DC, most prevalent was the steady stream of airplanes landing and taking off from Reagan Washington National Airport, which has its runway on the edge of the river.
When we were still a good way from the city we started to see the monuments. Like a number of cities we are visiting on our journey we have visited DC a number of times however nothing compares to arriving by water.
We had a bit of drama at our Wharf Marina for the night due to poor communication and signage on the part of the marina. Once we were docked we hurried to the monuments for sunset photos.
After a great, albeit short visit to DC we headed back down the Potomac and anchored just off St. Mary’s City as we continued to watch the approaching tropical storm.
Memorable Trip on the Potomac River
Our trip up the Potomac was memorable for the many sights we saw and the gorgeous weather we had for the two days on the river.
It’s amazing to think that some of the first settlers to America made their way up this river to settle nearly 400 years ago.
St. Mary’s City is home to the Maryland Dove, a replica of the wooden tall ship that arrived in Maryland in 1634 from England. The current Maryland Dove was built between 2019 and 2022 at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels Maryland in full public view.
Point No Point Light
After leaving our beautiful anchorage just off St. Mary’s College we rounded Point Lookout and before long could see Point No Point Light, which is charted on the edge of a Prohibited Area on the navigation charts. The areas are not uncommon however it is not always clear the reason for the caution.
As we approached this area we were hailed on the radio by a Navy patrol boat instructing us to move inshore as they were about to start a live fire exercise. Before long we started to see the fighter jets that had taken off from near by Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
It was interesting to listen to the Navy calling other boats in the area. One sailboat did not alter course so two patrol boats intervened, we assume to explain what live fire exercises were, after which the sailboat did change his course.
After the excitement of the live fire exercise we pulled in to Solomon’s Island Yacht Club to seek refuge for approaching tropical storm Ophelia. We stayed 3 days and saw 35-45 MPH winds and approximately 5 feet of storm surge. We had a couple of rocky nights, however we were safe and enjoyed the hospitality of the club while exploring the area around Solomon’s Island. We were also to meet up for dinner with a high school friend who lives in the area.
While waiting for the storm to pass I discovered that our main bilge pump was not pumping. I tried to clean it and repair it however was unsuccessful so it needed to be replaced. We were lucky there was a West Marine not far from the marina and they had one in stock. I was also lucky to discover this problem before something more serious happened. I encourage everyone to check their pumps in both automatic and manual mode on a regular basis.
After Ophelia passed we started moving up the bay towards Baltimore. Winds still had the bay churned up and as we moved north past the Chesapeake Bay Bridge the winds and waves increased to an uncomfortable 3-5 feet with a short 2-3 second period.
At one point there was a banging noise coming from the front of the boat and after a few minutes I realized our anchor had come loose and was banging against the front of the boat.
Anchor Security
I made my way to the bow and realized the anchor retention line had broken and the movement of the boat had pulled chain out of the windlass. After a few precarious minutes I was able to secure the anchor and once we were in port I installed a new, larger line to secure the anchor.
As we were bounced around heading up the bay we passed multiple lighthouses and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
After our experience getting bounced around on the upper Chesapeake we realized that 15 mph winds were our limit for cruising, especially on the bay where the waves are quick to build and have a short period.
As a rule of thumb you want the average period to be 2.5 times the wave height for a comfortable ride with waves 1.5 feet or more. If the period is less than 2.5 or even 3 times the wave height the ride gets pretty bumpy.
This realization resulted in us taking more weather days while on the Chesapeake rather than getting beat up for no reason. It is also forced us to slow down and not make poor decisions to meet a non-binding schedule.
The positive outcome from all of this was we decided to spend more days in Baltimore, which gave us time to visit the city and meet up with family. Our activities included an Oriole’s game at Camden Yards and a walk around the inner harbor all the way to Fort McHenry.
From Baltimore we headed back south with the first stop a visit to the home of some high school friends who live on the Magothy River just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It was great to catch up with friends we have seen very little in the past years.
Rock Hall
From the Magothy we headed back across the bay to Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore. We picked up a mooring ball rather than docking at the marina and dinghied in to town. We were able to borrow bikes from the marina and explore Rock Hall.
While in Rock Hall I wanted to purchase a Maryland fishing license so we headed to Larry’s Outdoor Store. While Vicki visited with the teenagers out front I chatted with Larry. He was not too keen to sell me a fishing license but he was full of information on using eels as Rock Fish bait. He explained in depth how eels are easier to handle if stored on ice in plastic bags. I felt bad not buying any eels from Larry however if I ever do fish with them I am educated on the proper handling technique.
From Rock Hall we headed back across the bay, past Annapolis up the Severn River and eventually to Ben Oaks, which is the neighborhood where I grew up from fourth grade through high school. We anchored and rowed to shore in the dinghy and walked through Ben Oaks and past the house where I lived.
I realized how nice this place was and how we didn’t fully appreciate the river and its beauty.
After lunch at anchor we headed back down the Severn River and anchored for the night off of Round Bay, behind St. Helena’s Island in a cove that was commonly called Cocktail Cove. While relaxing waiting for the sun to set another friend from high school called me and asked if we had a blue boat, to which I said yes and 10 seconds later he pulled up in his boat. I knew he lived on the river but how he found us is anyone’s guess. A neat surprise and better story to tell about the serendipity of our travels.
After another peaceful night at anchor we made our way to Annapolis to attend the Power Boat Show and visit friends. Once again the weather encouraged us to stay a few extra days, which allowed us time to explore catch up on boat projects, specifically changing engine and thruster batteries.
The marina we stayed in was across Spa Creek from downtown Annapolis in the neighborhood fondly known as The Maritime Republic of Eastport. We truly enjoyed the personality of this small area of Annapolis fighting for its unique, laidback identity.
After a few days visiting friends and attending the Powerboat Show we headed across the bay to Tilghman Island, home of the last working fleet of Skipjack Oyster boats.
The Skipjack is a unique wooded sailing vessel used for more than 100 years to dredge oysters in the Chesapeake. Current law permits Skipjacks to dredge oysters 3 days a week under sail and 2 days under power. Skipjacks are the last working sailing fleet in the US.
Deer Swimming
From Tilghman Island we headed east on the Choptank River towards Oxford. Halfway to Oxford we crossed path with what we think was a whitetail deer swimming haphazardly across the river.
We did our best to nudge the deer back towards land.
We took advantage of previous knowledge of a marina in the Oxford area to arrange for a quick-haul to clean and check the bottom and change zincs. Huge thanks to the team at Campbell’s Boatyard at Jack’s Point Oxford for their excellent work.
In the waters around the Oxford the Oyster fleet was hard at work tonging Oysters in the morning mist. As we left Oxford we were escorted by an Oyster “Buy boat” laden down with a load of oysters.
After a stop in Cambridge we ventured to Smith Island, which has a population of a little more than 200 people and is the last inhabited island in Maryland that is not accessible by vehicle. Our first stop after docking was the bakery home to the famous Smith Island Cake, which is Maryland State dessert and famous throughout the state.
Life on Smith Island is centered around the water. The local “school boat” ferries students daily to and from Crisfield for classes and doubles as a transport for groceries and just about anything else needed on the island. The population has been dropping over the past decade however we did meet a few new comers to the island so maybe the trend has turned. With the current advent of remote working Smith Island may see a recovery?
From Smith Island we eased south back into Virginia to Onancock. Another one of our favorite discoveries on our journey. With a population of only 1,200, Onancock has an impressive balance of culture, history and community. We attended the Onancock Baptist Church and were overwhelmed by the friendly greeting by the pastor and congregation. We ended up spending a couple of extra nights in Onancock waiting on weather and full moon flooding tides, which gave us even more time to explore the area using the marina’s courtesy car.
From Onancock we continued south to Cape Charles, Virginia, which sits at the southern tip of the Delmarva peninsula just across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Softshell Crab BLT
As our tour of the Chesapeake was coming to an end one thing left on the to-eat list was Softshell crabs. We enjoyed a Softshell BLT (bacon lettuce and tomato) sandwich in Cape Charles.
After our night in Cape Charles we cut back across the bay to re-entered the Elizabeth River and end our five weeks on Chesapeake Bay. We logged 700 nautical miles while visiting ports in Maryland and Virginia to create memories that will last a lifetime.