September 18-27 St. Michaels and back to the Solomons

Mary wasn't really up and awake and it was a calm morning so I just took care of the dinghy and the lines and left the mooring.  Since we were so close, I drove by Field Trip and had a quick parting conversation with them.  Bob’s nephew, a former nuclear sub captain, teaches at the Academy and is taking them on a behind the scenes tour tomorrow.  Wish we could join them!

Part of our route to St. Michaels (top right)

It was a beautiful day, clam waters and mild temps.  We could have saved 4 miles and about  an hour by cutting through a place called the Knapps Narrows which cuts across Tilghman Island but it was reported to have severe shoaling and I wanted to run the boat a little longer to let the batteries charged up properly.  So we took the long way around by entering the Choptank River and then into Broad Creek and finally wound our briefly into Edge Creek before entering San Domingo Creek which is right at the back end of Saint Michaels.  

The creeks are rather shallow but well marked so we had no trouble  There are several anchorages in San Domingo Creek but we chose one about ½ mile from the dinghy dock at Saint Michaels.  

Anchorage in San Domingo Creek

So after we dropped anchor near two other sailboats,  I got the dinghy running and did a little recon trying to find the dinghy dock.  It was right there at the end of the creek in about 3-4 feet of water.  Basically it was  a wall on the shore fronted by a sunken work boat.  But it was free and placed us within 4 blocks of the main street of the town.

So having discovered the dock I  drove back to get Mary and we headed in and tied up the dinghy and then walked about 4 blocks into town.  

Ice Cream Store

There are 2 grocery stores here and several restaurants, Ava's Pizzeria being one highly recommended which we’ll try maybe tomorrow night.  But we were in search of ice cream and found it almost at the other side of town in a little corner store.  Jo Jos  was the brightly colored store where we stopped in for a dish.  Pretty good! 

We stopped and bought a few items at both grocery stors and then came back to the boat.  The weather was supposed to be rainy and high winds later in the evening.  All we endured was cloudy skies, a little sprinkle of rain and cooler temperatures.  The winds were variable and almost calm so my worries about swinging around and breaking out the anchor seem unfounded.

So we grilled chicken, and watched FDR on PBS again over the satellite under almost clear skies and sparkling stars.  Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Sunset

And I located a superb open wifi connection which is giving us “normal” wifi access now! 

This as going to be explore St. Michaels day.  And we were actually able to be on the way into shore by 11AM!  Unprecedented.  

I went out to start up the engine on the dinghy but it was stumbling which was a first since its always run without an issue.  So not thinking much about it I untied the lines and the engine promptly quit. and I couldn't get it re-started.  I had to shout for Mary to toss me a line since I was drifting down stream and being carried away from the boat.  And I didn't have an oar on board.  Mary had to abruptly dash out of the bathroom and toss me a line.  I got it tied back up to the boat and got it running again but it still stumbles at idle.  I put some oars aboard just in case before we headed in to St. Michaels.

One of the quaint sides streets off the main street

Inside Blue Crab Coffee Shop

Anyway we got into the pier and wandered over the one of the grocery stores for Mary’s crab cookie before heading downtown in search of a coffee shop.  Blue Crab Coffee Shop on Fremont Street was what we found.  Very  nice and comfy place with good coffee.

Headed over to the Maritime Museum and spent several hours wandering around the 14 buildings and exhibits.  Had a nice chat with a shipwright in ther boat shop, and toured a land-based round lighthouse, and numerous old wooden boats  There was a vintage,  1960's Owens Cabin Cruiser on display and open so we could climb aboard.  Different design criteria back then.

The wind had picked up considerable so I dashed back to the dinghy and the boat to find the snubber had sprung off  the anchor chain so had to get it back on and make sure it didn't slip off again.  I had to let out another 20-30 feet of chain which puts us in 6 feet of water at low tide. 

In the restaurant waiting for their "plates"

Headed back to town and met Mary at Ava’s pizza where we had  really really good pizza.  Mary got grossed out when an elderly couple who had brought their 2 pugs into the restaurant, actually ahd ordered two dinners for the dogs.  Waiter brought the plates, and the couple put one down for each dog.  The couple were eating salad.  The dogs got some sort of beef and pasta thing. 

We walked half the bike/hiking trail before taking the dinghy back.  Or I should say trying to take the dinghy back since we couldn't get it off the bottom (low tide).  Mary had to scramble up in the bow which brought the stern up and we were able to power through the mud about 10 feet util we hit deeper water. 

To end the evening we fired up the generator at 8 and watched 2 hours of  The Roosevelts on the PBS through the satellite.

Neighbor anchored closer to shore than us

Boat cleaning today.  We spent the whole day basically cleaning the boat.  I cleaned off the water line sludge, and I do mean sludge, a muddy pudding-like growth along the hull and cleaned off the water stained parts of the hulk with lemon juice.  Mary did the stainless.  Then we took the dinghy out for a speed run and came back to enjoy some cocktails with pepperoni, cheese and crackers watching the sun set.  

We have acquired a few additional neighbors since yesterday.  And we didn't go ino town today being so committed to cleaning the boat.  Yeah ... right

Tomorrow Mary wants to attend church at 10am so, in preparation, we went to bed at 10pm.   She'll be at church while I scout out bars with possible packer game broadcasts.   We hell bound sinners have so much more fun!

We also have to be in Norfolk by the 27^th.  That leaves us about a week to go 200 miles which sounds easy but remembering we only cruise at 7mph and are mere pawns in the great game of weather, we need to be moving soon.  Latest forecasts have weather advisories out for Sunday night into Monday so we’ll probably haul up the anchor Tuesday. 

We really did go to bed at 10pm.  And overslept this morning resulting in no church for Mary.  We might have to start hitting the hay at 8.  

Several crab boats were out and about this morning as we were eating on the sundeck.   I overheard  some of the guys a on a crab boat telling another power boater who had anchored nearer to shore than us, that with the wind switch tonight he’d be aground.   He pulled up anchor and left shortly after.  We stayed put.

After a while we took the dinghy into town to find a bar with a packer game.  

We went into the dinghy dock and found three other dinghies tied up at the dock so it was a bit crowded.   We walked to the bars/restaurants on the water front on the Miles River much to may's chagrin no one was carrying the Packer game.  One of the hostesses suggested we try the Irish Pub, Blackthorn Irish Pub. which had a large contingent of TV’s.

We were the only people watching the Packers

As we walked in I could see they had a 7 TV's all showing various NFL games.and sure enough they had 7 TV’s, all showing NFL games.  Except the packer game.  The hostess there was sympathetic to Mary’s plight but couldn't change the game being shown in the main bar area.  But she offered an alternative.  We could go outside and she’d make sure that outdoor TV would be tuned to the channel showing the packer game.  So we did, and sure enough the game was on!  And she did.  The down side to being outside was the lack of chairs.  Not good, so I rummaged around and pilfered one from an unlocked garage next to the seating area.    So we took turns standing. 

We had a few drinks, some Ruben wraps and left when the score reached 19 to 7 in the 4^th.  We wandered back to the Maritime Museum gift store so Mary could buy a table cloth.  Walking back, we stopped to have an ice cream and then hit the Acme Market which is the local grocery store.  We needed a few things and lugged it all back to the dinghy.

It was near low tide and the drop to the dinghy from the dock was pretty high.  Consequently Mary came close to doing header into the dinghy.  Always exciting this dinghy boarding.

As we returned to the anchorage there were another 3 additional sailboats there.   Guess the weather is a driving factor for boats coming in here.  Its very protected.  Tomorrow will be a really windy and cool day.  Even Tuesday when we leave the temps are only going to reach a high of 68.  

The next day the winds did increase to 20 knot winds (25 mph).  We swung around to the northwest which was just fine since we had plenty of swing room here.  It got chilly too.  Good sleeping weather. 

Walking up Chew Street towards town from the dock

We didn't get into town until later in the afternoon simply because the winds were so strong and there was quite a chop even in this backwater creek.

We took in all our garbage and re-cycling in anticipation of leaving tomorrow morning.  We walked the bike/walking trail and came upon a little book lending stand where you would borrow a book and leave a book.  Mary picked one up and then we made our way to the Blue Crab Coffee House again.  

Mary decided  the book she had borrowed wasn't one she wanted so we walked back and returned it to the book lending stand and then swung back to Acme Grocery for one last shopping stop.  

We walked back up the street and stopped at the other grocery store, The Village Shoppe, and  bought a few things including Cow Tails, a favorite of someone's. 

Returning to the dinghy dock we ran into a couple from one of the sailboats that had entered the anchorage over the last day.  Had a nice conversation with them. 

Wayward Fender floating by someones dock

We sped back to the boat and noticed we had lost the fender we use to keep the dinghy from rubbing along the side of the boat where we tie it every night.   I went out in the dinghy looking for it and found the mutinous fender against a dock across the creek.  I quickly tied the dinghy up to their dock, ran the 25 yards to where the fender was bobbing up an down, snatched it and got back to the dinghy and away in  minute flat.  

Did a little course plotting and then was surprised by the latest nautical weather forecast for the area where we were heading.  3-4 foot waves and heavy winds.  Not good.  And this new forecast maintained the conditions would  persist until Friday, the day we are supposed to be docking at Tide Water Marina in Norfolk.

So we came up with an alternate plan to stay at Calvert Marina again in the Solomons and see  what Wednesday and Thursday brings.  Wednesday is supposed to be the bad day.  The boat can easily handle 4 foot seas, but the people aboard don’t really want to endure hours of pounding seas.  So we’ll have wait to see what the weather really brings. 

But in anticipation we are hauling up the dinghy tonight so we’ll be all set to leave tomorrow morning at 8.  Should be a cool quite night.

We had the anchor up and were on our way by 7:40 the next morning.   The weather forecast had moderated for today so we intended on holing up in the Solomons until the winds and swell abated.  

I really wanted to be out of  San Domingo Creek and Broad River before low tide which was at 10AM.   We started out the Creek and wound our way around the turns, passed through Choptank River and got into the Bay after about 2 hours.  

We had some rollers off our starboard quarter but they calmed down as we neared the Solomons which was across the Bay on the west side.  The grey skies stared to turn blue and the sun peeked out occasionally but it was cool, in the high sixties.

We came in to the Solomons and Calverts Marina directed us to the same dock we had stayed at a few weeks earlier.  We got tied and paid for two nights with an option for a third if the weather remains nasty.

We had to alter our plans from Friday arrival in Norfolk to a Monday arrival. 

Tied up at Calverts Marina again

We washed the boat off and and let out the anchor and brought it back aboard after using the dockside water to really wash it down.  The docks resembled the bottom of a mud slide after we were finished. Mary cleaned off the decks and I worked on the starboard hull sides where we had some pretty heavily soiled areas where the fenders would rub.

Mary did a few loads of laundry up at the laundry center while I cleaned up the dinghy and got the cover on.  I don’t anticipate using the dinghy much at all over the next few months so I got it covered up and out of the weather.

Took a couple of walks and met a couple from Manitowoc WI who were in a sailboat right in front of us.  They’re living on their boat just like us.  

We woke up the next stiff and creaky.  It has to be because of the chilly temperatures in the low 60's!  So now we wait out the weather.