June 20th, 2013

We are expected back in Philadelphia in two days, so today we started out early, but not until we’d had breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s of course! The wind was light and from the south, so we enjoyed a relaxed sail with the main and the spinnaker for a little while. That is, until the wind almost died completely and we were forced to motor once more! This has been the unfortunate story of our trip, but we don’t let it dampen our spirits and have enjoyed our time out on the Chesapeake anyway.

After making our way up to the top of the bay, we said our goodbyes and headed back through the C&D Canal. We made it onto the Delaware Bay just as the sun was beginning to set. We pulled into the Delaware City Marina just before dark. By this time, much of the shops in this small town were closed, but we did manage to get some late night ice cream at the Ice Cream Parlor.

June 21st, 2013

Not much to report today. We made our way back up the Delaware River, motoring all the way. Philadelphia came into view by mid-day and we made it into the Philadelphia Marine Center in the afternoon. We had a wonderful time out on the Chesapeake. I only wish our trip could have lasted longer! There are so many little towns to stop in and visit on the bay, and we did not even get past Annapolis, to all that the southern half of the Chesapeake has to offer. Perhaps we will have to sail further on next time and explore this great bay another day!

June 19, 2013

The storms and rain subsided and we decided to sail down to Annapolis! Sail was apparently a hopeful word, as the wind began to die down the further we went on our journey south. Eventually we had to just take the sails down all together and motor into the sailing capital of America. But we tried valiantly with the main and the spinnaker until it became apparent that if we wanted to get into the city before dark, we’d have to give in and turn on the engine.

We tied up to a mooring ball just outside of the Annapolis City Dock. What a view of downtown! And as we pulled in on a Wednesday evening, we got to watch the Wednesday racers sail in and out of the harbor….well, sort of sail in and out, what with the light wind and all. It was a lovely night to walk around town and just enjoy the storm free evening!

Annapolis is a beautiful city. The capital of Maryland, the city also served as the nation’s capital for a very brief time as the nation’s capital,  just after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Downtown is still paved in brick, and many of the houses and buildings still date back to colonial and early American times. If you are a sailor of any experience level, you must visit Annapolis. There are a variety of resources at your disposal here, whether it be for supplies, lessons, or a boat itself. The city hosts one of the nation’s largest sailboat shows each October and a smaller one in the spring. Below we’ve listed not only some interesting places to visit downtown, but good sailboating resources as well.

Spot Specs: Annapolis, MD

• Restaurants: there are many in downtown Annapolis, but a few of our favorites are Mangia Italian Grill, Chick and Ruth’s Delly, Armadillo’s, Pusser’s, and City Dock Coffee, all located near the City Dock’s “Ego Alley”
• Shops: a wide variety of gift shops, galleries, and boutiques line the historic streets of Annapolis. A few shops of particular interest include the Annapolis Bookstore, the Spice and Tea Exchange, Capital Teas, and Paws Pet Boutique.
• Other points of interest: United States Naval Academy – located in the northeast corner of downtown, the grounds are usually open during the day. Stop by the Visitors Center for a tour of the academy and the museum. For more information visit http://www.usnabsd.com/for-visitors/
• The Woodwind and Woodwind II: two 74 foot wooden schooners in Annapolis offer 2 hour public sails and a variety of other events. Check them out at http://www.schoonerwoodwind.com
• Sailing Resources: Bacon Sails (located just a short drive out of downtown), APS store (across the bridge in Eastport), Backyard Boats (also located in Eastport)

June 18, 2013

The morning did not quite bring an end to the storms for us. In fact, storms and rain were forecasted for the entire day. So, Kris and I decided to move the boat into Worton Creek Marina for the day. Unfortunately, there is not much to do within walking distance of the marina. So we spent the day relaxing, walking around the marina and the nearby neighborhood, and trying to sneak up on the heron who hung around the marina.

Though our day is not much to report, we have visited this area many times before. We enjoy visiting the nearby town of Chestertown. So, though we did not visit it on this day, here are a few Spot Specs on Chestertown, MD.

Spot Specs: Chestertown, MD

• Marinas: Chestertown Marina; many boats also find good anchorage on the south side of the Chestertown bridge. Note: Chestertown is not located right off of the bay. You will have to navigate up the Chester River to reach it by boat.
• Restaurants: many local restaurants and a few chains. We recommend the Fish Whistle, Lemon Leaf Cafe, and Evergrain Bread Company.
• Shops: there are a few local shops located in town, and an Acme and Walgreens and a few other larger stores at a shopping center on the north side of town.
• Schooner Sultana: this replica of a pre-revolutionary British schooner hosts 2 hours sails at a variety of times throughout the year. Check sailing times and purchase tickets at http://www.sultanaprojects.org/publicsails.htm
• We always enjoy a little walk around town, as there are many old residential houses to admire and general feeling of relaxation in the air

June, 15 2013:

Kris and I took a week off from our busy schedules to enjoy a sailing trip on the Chesapeake Bay..We’ll post an entry for each day of our trip, and give you tips on navigating that leg of our trip (Navigation Tips) and write up a few specs on each place that we visit (Spot Specs).

We started out today at 9:00am, topped off the diesel on the boat and the gas in the dingy, and headed down the Delaware River. The current was with us, but the wind, sadly, was not.  Coming almost directly from the south, it was just off the bow most of the way. So we motored our way down, and put the main up for the occasional boost from the wind. Much of the trip down was spent avoiding collisions with the logs and flotsam in the river from the rainstorms we’d had earlier in the week. As I stood at the helm, I felt as though I was playing some odd reversed version of frogger, where the logs were deadly and undesirable and the space between was the only safe refuge. I’m just glad there were no alligators to be dealt with in this game!

We reached the C&D Canal around 2:00 and down came the main. The C&D is the canal that connects the Chesapeake and the Delaware Bays, up close to where they both begin to widen out from their sources. It can be a tricky one to navigate since the strong current that runs through it switches direction with the tides. The key is to go through the canal when the current is going in your direction of travel. We tried to time our arrival just so, and started just as the current was beginning to slow and turn from the Delaware Bay to the Chesapeake.

As we came around the bend, the water slowly stretched out before us and smiles lit up our faces. The bay! Now we could perhaps do what we’d came for: sail. We hoisted the main, unfurled the jib and adjusted the sails for a zig zagging series of tacks down the bay to the Sassafras River for the evening. We found a nice anchorage close to the mouth of the river, just outside of a little inlet and a long stretch of unclaimed sandy beach. A beautiful sunset painted the sky over the bay as we enjoyed hot dogs and sweet corn fresh off our little propane boat grill. It was a wonderful finish to long day. Kris and I will surely be sleeping soundly as the bay waves rock us gently through the night.

Spot Specs:

• Restaurants: On the C&D Canal – Schaefer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City, MD. Located right on the canal to the north, Schaefer’s has a dock that you can tie up to! We have not tried the food here yet, but there is wonderful outdoor deck seating and live bands on the weekends. If you do stop in, let us know what you think!
• Marinas: Delaware Bay, mouth of the C&D Canal – Delaware City Marina; C&D Canal – Summit North Marina; Chesapeake Bay, mouth of the C&D – Chesapeake Inn Restaurant and Marina