Back Door into St. Micheal's

St. Micheal's, MD is likely the top tourist attraction on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It hosts a maritime museum that is really worth visiting as well as numerous shops, restaurants and cottages catering to the tourist trade. White Pepper visited twice during her 2008 tour of the Chesapeake Bay. However, I was always frustrated by the shallow, crowded, and exposed anchorage available to the cruising yacht. This option was all that was there was for the cruiser entering via the Miles River, the front door. This year after reading and re reading an old cruising guide “Cruising the Chesapeake” by William H. Shellenberg I was determined to try to visit St. Micheal's by the back door—San Domingo Creek.

After leaving the Chester River White Pepper sailed down the Chesapeake, past Annapolis, entered the Choptank River and then motored into Broad Creek. Broad Creek is indeed broad, maybe several miles wide but quickly narrows. Then there was a jog west into Edge Creek and finally a wide turn into San Domingo Creek. San Domingo is very shallow and the navigable water is quite narrow. White Pepper did not read the most current cruising guide—Active Captain—until after the fact and ran aground near green day marker #3. Using the dingy Habanero as a tug boat we got off before the tide went down too far. We finally were able to continue up the creek and drop anchor in 6 feet of water only a quarter of a mile south of St. Michael's town dock.

The next morning we took Habanero up to the town dock at the foot of W. Chew Street. After walking 3 blocks we came to Talbot St.-- the main drag. All of St. Michael's was open to us while White Pepper lay at a secure and uncrowded anchorage. On a literary note Michner was reported to have rented a cottage on one of the creeks behind St. Michael's while he wrote his classic Chesapeake. Jan and I had great fun trying to pick out which house he rented. Michner would attended numerous cocktail parties thrown in his honor and soak up hundreds of local hoary old legends that become the meat of his historical fiction.

We did not visit the museum having toured it twice previously. We did visit the Eastern Shore brewery which served up some great craft beer. There was a winery next door, but on that day it was just too hot to drink wine. Beer was much better. We tasted and bought some infused Balsamic vinegar and high end olive oil at Olivins where “tasting is believing”. We had lunch at Awful Arthur's and then the next day at Blackthorn's Irish Pub. We viewed the old waterfront and the old homes. We shopped at the local store. It featured a great butcher shop and really cheap rum. White Pepper was quite pleased with her two days at St. Micheal's.

Leaving San Domingo Creek presented a dilemma. High tides were in the afternoon, but a storm was coming in the evening. Eventually, White Pepper chose to transit San Domingo Creek at high tide passing the problematic green #3 with 9 feet of water. We settled in the slightly less protected Edge Creek in 12 feet of water. Earlier in the day the storm was forecast to be mild, but by 9 pm 70 knot winds were being reported on the Bay. By 10:30 pm we were experiencing probably 45 knot winds and 2 foot waves. Regrettably, I had the Bruce style anchor down instead of the trusty Rocna anchor. We started dragging. After dragging about 1000 feet into deeper water I went out to the cockpit and motored into the wind until the storm passed. The Bruce anchor quickly reset, and White Pepper spent the rest of the night quietly. At 4 am watermen began to swarm into Edge Creek. There were dozens of them motoring about crabbing. I spent the next 2 hours until dawn using the running lights, the fore-deck light and the strobe light to warn off boats that came too close. Please note that all of these moves are illegal, but justified under the Florida Prudential Rule. All in all it was a long night. However, after a brief nap White Pepper was off to Solomon's by 10 am.

 Remarkable driftwood sculpture at local art shop

 Replica of the shallot boat that John Smith used to explore the Chesapeake Bay in 1609.

 Another ancient church.  There was a church on this site since 1670.

A quiet evening on San Domingo Creek

Chestertown, Maryland

White Pepper started up the Chester River almost on a lark just wanting to see what was happening in the wide empty space opposite Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. Also we had had one enthusiastic endorsement from friend, Drena of Journey. We bypassed the very popular Rock Hall, MD which guards the northern mouth of the Chester River and Kent Narrows which watches over the southern part of the entrance. Cruising up the river White Pepper passed numerous obviously prosperous farms. There were many duck blinds. We saw few residences and almost no crab pots which is remarkable for the Chesapeake.

During the passage White Pepper did not see another cruising yacht and only a few local runabouts. The river must have been much busier 300 years ago when Chestertown was the port of entry for the upper Eastern Shore and much of Delaware. Chestertown was a bustling seaport by 1690 and well into the 18^th century. When we arrived at Chestertown after about 30 nautical mile trip we chose to anchor in the river. There was only one other visiting yacht anchored nearby. The next morning Jan and I dingy-ed into the Chestertown Marina. It is frankly semi dilapidated. However, the dock master, JR, is so friendly and accommodating that the decay is easy to overlook. He informed us that the city has purchased the marina and is applying for grants to refurbish it.

The town itself was a delight and well worth the trip. Chestertown has managed to preserve all of the charms of the 18^th century while added a few tasty treats for today. Whole blocks of houses date back to the 18^th century. Regrettably the old wharves are long gone. It is a college town being home to Washington College, founded in 1790, and now a part of the Univ. of Maryland system.

While we were visiting we attended a great farmers market. There was local produce in abundance. We even saw wares from a local mushroom farm.

In town we explored a musty old book shop, the kind that has no longer exists in urban settings. These wonderful places have fallen by the wayside due to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. We ate lunch and bought bread daily at the Ever Grain Bread Company. However, the highlight of one lovely Saturday afternoon was an hour or so spent at the Chestertown Wine and Cheese shop sampling cheeses and drinking rose wine.

On Sunday morning White Pepper visited the ancient Episcopal Church, St Paul's. It has been a church since the 15^th century. In 1790 the church held the first meeting of the newly reorganized American Episcopal Church. The current building was built in the 1860s. At the coffee hour afterwards we were thoroughly charmed by the gracious locals.

So it was with reluctance that White Pepper hauled up the anchor and headed down river that Sunday afternoon. We anchored back at the head of the Chester River off of Queenstown Creek. We were clobbered that evening by one of the infamous Chesapeake Bay thunder storms, but no damage came from the episode.

 Great Farmer's Market

 St. Pauls

 One of many charming old houses.

 The Customs House from Colonial Days

The Chester River.  Jan and I were taken by this family of geese.

Pub Crawl at Fells Point, Baltimore, MD

Fells Point is a bohemian neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland near the Inner Harbor. Fells Point has existed for hundreds of years, mostly as a ship building area and center of shipping for Baltimore. It was also the home of Alexander Poe. He is revered in this city. The city of Baltimore has done a wonderful job of preserving the character of the neighborhood. At the turn of the 20^th century there where nearly 100 taverns catering to the needs of the seaman of the era. The ships are gone, but, thankfully, many of the taverns remain. After a day spent touring Fort Henry White Pepper embarked on a pub crawl of Fells Point. 

The Horse You Came in On Saloon

We had a beer each at “The Admiral's Cup”. “Alexander's Pub”, “Dog Watch”, and the famous “The Horse You Rode In On”. These were only 4 pubs of dozens available. Each had good points, but “The Horse” as the locals call it deserves especial mention. It is one of the oldest taverns in the USA going back to the 1700s. It claims to have operated during prohibition. The poet, Poe, was said to have had his last drink at The Horse. He was found dying and incoherent on a Baltimore street the next morning. White Pepper was humbled to host a Nati Bo beer to Edgar Alexander Poe in the The Horse You Rode In On. (Nati Bo is the national beer of Baltimore. It is not available in most of the rest of the country. It tastes like the old Schlitz beer.)

After all that beer, food was needed. White Pepper headed half a block away down Thames Street to “Bertha's Muscles.” Bertha imports fresh muscles from Cape Cod this time of year and later buys local product. These were fresh, plump, and tasty sea food treats. Our previous exposure to muscles was Wal Mart frozen muscles. Indeed, I am sure most of our restaurant meals that featured muscles were also recycled from Wal Mart. These fresh muscles were so much better as to be almost a different species.

Did I mention Fort McHenry? White Pepper took the water taxi from Fells Point to Fort McHenry which is famous of its defense of Baltimore in the war of 1812. Frances Scott Key penned the “The Stars Spangled Banner” after that battle. Our visit was very impressive. At the visitors center there is a recorded presentation which tells the story of Key and the battle. At the end of the movie there is a stirring rendition of “The Stars Spangled Banner.” Then the screen parts to reveal the huge 15 starred flag waving over the fort. The moment was quite emotional and the most patriotic moment of my life. There probably was not a dry American eye in the room. Foreigner visitors were likely puzzled.

 Not a dry eye in the room

Very stirring view, note the 15 stars

The fort has quite a history beyond its immortal moment in 1814. It served as an important Civil War fort and then became an immense rehabilitation hospital after WWI. It is now a national park.

White Pepper had docked at Inner Harbor Marina—East. This place is the most logical dockage for the cruising sailor visiting Baltimore. It is expensive but is within walking distance of Fells Point, the exclusive Inner Harbor district, Little Italy, and restored docks of the inner harbor including the National Aquarium. The Camden Yards baseball park is within walking distance. One block from the water front in the Inner Harbor district is the remarkable Katyn memorial statue. The statue is an artistic and emotional appeal to Polish nationalism. It recalled ancient Polish themes from the Middle Ages as well as the tragic event in the Katyn forest in WW II. The Poles were a prominent immigrant group and left quite a mark on Baltimore. I was moved by the statue even though I do not have any Polish heritage that I know of.

Katyn Memorial

White Pepper spent all of one day at the National Aquarium. The ticket price is eye watering but worthwhile. There are many rare fish on display as well at fine displays of familiar fish. The multi level display called the Atlantic Reef is amazing. We went though twice. There is display of aquatic life from Australia and another one of the Amazon tidal basin. However, my favorite exhibit was of the tropical rain forest. The display was huge, very tall, hot and humid with tree top displays of amazing creatures including the golden maned tamuri. The golden maned tamuri is one of the rarest creatures on earth, and we were able to see two.

Our National Aquarium

Two of the last few Golden Maned Tamuri

We did walk into Little Italy to have a great rustic Italian dinner at a small restaurant, “Ammeci's”. It was one of dozens in the district with every taste accommodated from high Italian fine dining to the more common. Our other dinning experience was in the Inner Harbor district at Nando's Peri-Peri. The restaurant serves chicken Portuguese-African style in a cafeteria setting. It was easily the best chicken I have ever had.

Although White Pepper dined very well on the low side, extremely fine dinning is available in Baltimore. We did not see any of 'The Wired' or Black Lives Matter style of violence that Baltimore is notorious for. I am sure it is out there, but we did not venture more than 4 blocks away from the waterfront. Finally, with some regret but a a great deal of satisfaction White Pepper cleared away for the Chester River on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Frog Mortar Creek, MD

White Pepper spent several days visiting friends, Pamela and Frank, at the Chesapeake Yachting Center. Frank owns the excellent Chesapeake Yachting Center which is a marina at the very head of the Frog Mortar Creek. Frog Mortar Creek is a tributary of the Middle River which is located in the northern reaches of the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay. It is just south of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. This area is not for the transient and cruising sailor, but we were visiting old friends from the halcyon days at Port Lucaya, Bahamas.

No, I do not know where the name Frog Mortar Creek comes from. But if you are visiting this area do not be put off by the charts. There is 7 foot depth all the way to the very end of the creek even though NOAA charts show 3 feet.

I was stuck by how many boats line the shores of Middle River and its numerous tributaries of which Frog Mortar is only one. Most of the boats are power boats, large and small; however, there are a fair number of traditional sailing yachts. Most of the owners seem to hail from southern Pennsylvania and the rest from Baltimore.

We had a delightful time catching up and visiting. There is a Wal Mart just outside the yard. White Pepper has always said that 'to cruise the East Coast is to know Wal Mart'. White Pepper had the best crab cake ever so far at a local restaurant, “By the Dock” in Middle River, MD. Two days were spent soaking in the pool riding out a local heat wave. Eventually, White Pepper had to say good bye and head for Baltimore, the Inner Harbor.

Washington Channel, Washington DC

The Washington Channel is a remarkable body of water at the head of sailboat navigation on the Potomac River. It lies along the waterfront of SW Washington DC. It is well marked and easy to access. The anchorage is about two miles long, 1/3 mile wide and about 15 deep. Fort McNair with the National War College guards the western entrance.

National War College

The East Potomac Park comprised the eastern shore of the anchorage. An amazing open air fish market, Captain White's lies to the north while I-395 thunders overhead. The Tidal Pool is continuous with the Washington Channel but is closed to traffic. The Washington Monument is clearly visible to the north. Most importantly it lies only 10 long blocks from the Washington Mall. Buses and Metro access is available for those who do not walk.

Few cruisers seem to come this way. It is at the end of a 110 n. mile run up the Potomac River. Most of the trip is by motor as breeze is a problem on the Potomac. White Pepper was the only boat to arrive in the week we were there. To be fair we were there in July when it is blisteringly hot.

Massive changes are about along the Washington Channel. The Wharf Corporation plans to remake the entire waterfront. No less than 6 cranes are busy all day erecting huge buildings.

Massive Construction

The Capitol Yacht Club and Gangplank Yacht Club will be consumed in the building. The docks are being completely reworked. Anchoring will be banned in the channel and 8 new mooring balls have been installed just this month, July 2016. Holding in the channel has been reported as poor. Thus White Pepper was pleased to be on one of these new mooring balls when on our second night a powerful thunder storm blew through. The wind was swirling about 40 knots and hail as large as golf balls rained down. Locals said it was the worst thunder storm in a long time.

White Pepper on a mooring ball. Washington Monument in background.

We visited family, who live in the area. We renewed acquaintance with old cruising friends, JR and Drena from Journey, who have temporarily swallowed the hook and live nearby.

However, the principal charm of this anchorage is its close proximity to the Washington Mall. The mall is in my opinion the best tourist attraction in this country and it is all completely free. One day we did all of the main monuments—Jefferson, FDR, MLK, Korean War, Lincoln, WWI, WWII, John Paul Jones and waved at the Washington Monument. Another entire day was spent at the Aerospace Museum. The next day we spent avoiding the ferocious heat viewing the National Gallery of Art. Jan and I could only see one quarter of one of the two buildings in one entire day. We spent the last day with the kids at the International Spy Museum which is a commercial, but very fun, experience.

I do have one snarky comment about the Aerospace Museum—that is that the artifacts of the old space race, such as the Gemini capsule, are starting to show signs of age. Then I realize that all of this was over 45-50 years ago. Very upsetting. Remarkably the paintings in the National Galley some of which are over 800 years old look quite fresh and new. I wonder if they have not been restored somewhere along the line. It was amazing to see some of the most famous paintings in history right there in our national gallery.

Finally after a week White Pepper was driven off the mooring ball by the relentless heat. Hopefully, it will be cooler on the Chesapeake Bay. However, Jan pointed out on our last day, that one week on our mooring ball was cheaper than one night at any Washington DC hotel. And since we took most of our meals on the boat, the cost of our Washington DC visit was almost negligible.

Potomac River

The Potomac River is widely hailed as a cruising ground; however, few yachts seem to visit. White Pepper saw few cruisers during her visit of July 2016, although to be fair it was blisteringly hot that week. Indeed we were virtually alone on the trip to and from Washington DC and saw no one else arrive during our week in DC. The trip from the Chesapeake to Washington, DC is about 110 nautical miles but well worth the effort.

Locals seem to divide the Potomac at the 301 bridge just north of Dahlgren, VA . The US highway 301 bridge is the only bridge spanning the Potomac until DC itself. This opinion seems reasonable. South of the 301 the river is wide, currents are mild, the river is salty with numerous jelly fish in the summer. South of the bridge, the country side is bucolic, the homes are river retreats and fishing camps. There are numerous creeks and inlets to shelter the cruiser. North of the 301 the river narrows and the current picks up. The water is mostly brackish with few jelly fish. The dwellings assume mansion size. Also history appears—Fort Belvior, Mount Vernon, Fort Washington, Quantico. More importantly to the cruising sailor there are no anchorages past Dahlgren (Upper Machodoc Creek) until Washington DC.

White Pepper chose to break up the trip upstream beyond the 301 bridge with a stop at Belmont Bay Marina in Woodbridge, VA on the Occoquan River. Belmont Bay is a fine marina but does charge $2/ft.

White Pepper favored the Virginia side going upstream with a stop at Kingscote Creek off of the Coan River. This is near the so called town of Lewisetta . The town consists of literally one broken down general store, two streets of modest homes and one general use chapel. White Pepper could not even buy a beer but was able to procure two delicious Popsicles.

Tongue in cheek at Lewisetta General Store

The next stop was Dahlgren on the Upper Machodoc Creek. Dahlgren is the home of the Naval Firing Range which actually fires live rounds down the Potomac on occasion. White Pepper stumbled into on of these firing sessions and had to be politely escorted off to the side of the Potomac much to the embarrassment of her captain, who could scarcely believe that such practices were still in place in 2016. Regardless the Upper Machodoc Creek is a lovely and straight forward anchorage.

Local racer going out for Thursday race. Dahlgren Naval station in background

Just be sure to check the Dahlgren Range firing schedule either online or by phone before venturing nearby. The next day found White Pepper picking her way carefully up the narrow and shallow Occoquan River to the Belmont Bay Marina which is carved out of a hillside near Woodbridge, VA. There is no anchorage in Belmont Bay or on the Occoquan River. At Belmont Bay Marina Jan and I had a delightful rendezvous with children Kristi, Layla, Pat and Richard all of whom live nearby. After three days it was off to Washington DC and the Washington Channel which is posted in another blog post.

After an eventful and thoroughly enjoyable week moored in the Washington Channel White Pepper started back downstream. Catching the ebb tide we clocked 8 plus knots downstream. This is not as hard as it sounds because a reasonably fast yacht can actually ride the ebb tide downstream. The ebb and flood are slow moving standing waves which can be rode much as a surfer rides his waves. Anyway we were able to cover 65 nautical miles in less than 10 hours to arrive back at Upper Machodoc Creek. Jan had taken the precaution of calling Dahlgren range control to assure there would be no firing when we arrived or left the next day. On the way downstream we favored the Maryland side of the Potomac. Our last stop of Smith Creek. Smith Creek is deep, well protected, and quite convenient to the Chesapeake Bay. It is near the lovely St. Mary's River which was the subject of a long blog post in 2008. From Smith Creek it will be on Solomon's.

 

Smith Creek

Tangier Island is a Cemetary

Tangier Island is a cemetery. Tangier Island is many things—a 250 year history treasury, a Godly respite from modernity, a disappearing wetlands testimony to “climate change”, a last bastion of the Chesapeake “waterman”, and I could go on. But the island is also a cemetery! I am sure that there are more graves and gravestones on the island than people. This fact should not be a surprise since Tangier has been inhabited by Europeans since 1680s. Also the current population is declining and maybe now numbers about 600 or less.

Tangier is a small, flat island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. There are about 800 acres of land exposed above the water line. Only 89 acres are dry enough to support habitation. When John Smith discovered the island and named it in 1608 there were about 2000 acres above ground. It is estimated that the island loses about 9 acres of area each year to erosion.

White Pepper has always heard about Tangier Island and desired a visit. We set out for the Island from Mobjac Bay in a surprise July norther. It was quite a bash to weather. The boat performed magnificently, the crew less so; and Aphrodite, cat, was miserably sick. There is no anchorage at Tangier. The only marina, Park's Marina, is primitive to say the least. Mr. Park is a marvelous specimen at age 92, but frankly the boating world has changed since 1976 when the marina was built.

Regardless, Tangier Island is worth all of the hassle to get there and dock.

However, White Pepper's overwhelming first impression was of the cemeteries which are everywhere. They surround the beautiful Methodist Church, they are in the parsonage, they are in lots all about the town, but most of all they are in people's yards. Most of the headstones carry the name Pruitt, followed by Crockett, Park and a few Dise. I am very sensitive to keeping relatives close by, but the custom of family plots in the front yard is fairly unique to White Pepper's voyages.

I conclude with a display of these cemeteries. Baring immense human intervention all of these will be underwater within a few centuries.