Chesapeake Bay
ALICE'S ADVENTURES
ANDREW AND CELIA SHARPE
Mon 6 Jun 2011 15:35
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We had a lovely week in Norfolk. The weather got
hotter and hotter and we ended up visiting the Mall to get into the
air conditioning! We stayed to wait for parts and repairs
on Caduceus' bow thruster. We ordered another water pump which
Andrew has now fitted and so far its working well! Fingers crossed. The
third new pump since February!
We went to the Chrysler Museum of Art and saw
Curious George. A good afternoon of culture! We also went to the
Naval Museum and had a tour of the battleship USS Wisconsin.
Last Saturday we finally took our leave of Greta and
Gary and headed further north up the Chesapeake. We motored past the naval
ships and a submarine motored up the river past us. We had a lovely sail
up the bay and anchored in Fishing Bay for the night. On Sunday we set off
early and motor sailed to Solomons Island. Again we just anchored in a
pretty creek and didnt go ashore. On Monday we headed up to Galesville on
the West River. It was boiling hot and we stopped along the way to go for
a swim. It was a bank holiday in America too called Memorial Day when they
remember service people who have died in conflicts. Galesville did
not even have a shop but there was a post office and a couple of restaurants
and several boatyards. We moored in Pirates Cove Marina for two nights
and met up with the Ocean Cruising Club Spring Chesapeake Rally on Tuesday.
Elizabeth found a shady spot by the river to try and get away from the 95 degree
heat (temperatures are all in Fahrenheit here). There was a lovely
swimming pool by the marina but it was closed on Tuesdays, we were thinking
about swimming in the river. Then the harbour master came down and chatted
and he kindly opened the pool up specially for the 2 of us. Bliss!
We enjoyed a meal in the restaurant meeting up with OCC members. Sue and
Bob on Mawari arrived with their son Cameron, met them in Bermuda. On
Wednesday it was Celia's birthday. We had a lovely sail across the
Chesapeake to Shaw Bay. Managed an interesting piece of maneuvering with
Caduceus. We both anchored but then tied up alongside each other as we
were the raft for the evening party. Sid and Rebecca on Dovka came
alongside later - they had all the food and drink! Thunder was threatening
but we only had a bit of a shower later in the evening. Martin played
"Happy Birthday" on the bagpipes and Elizabeth had baked a lovely chocolate
birthday cake (cooked on the sail across). It was lovely to meet the other
members and we were given a lot of advice and information about where to go to
next. In the morning the wind had swung round 180 degrees and our
anchor chains had crossed. An interesting exercise getting them untangled
with help from Bob (Mawari). It was a 5 mile motor into wind to get over
to St Michaels. We had been there a few years ago when we came to stay
with Deborah and Derek in Washington. A delightful town which dates back
to the 1600s. We had a walk round town and a visit to the Maritime
Museum. Then it was a group meal at the Steak and Crab House (steak for
Andrew, crab cake and soft crab for Celia - soft crab is the local
specialty. The blue crabs shed their whole shell and grow another - they
are only soft for 24 hours and have to be harvested then - delicious).
Friday was the last day of the rally and we went back across the Chesapeake
to South River to Crab Creek - just across from London Towne! The
final night party was in Wolfgang and Gemma's garden. It was a pot luck
supper. The venison burgers were wonderful. There was music, singing
and a bit of dancing (Elizabeth and I doing the gay gordons). It was the
first time that anyone had played bagpipes at the rally!! Elizabeth did a
wonderful rendition of "Summertime". We are staying here a couple of
days before heading north again. Thankfully the weather has cooled down a
lot - it is probably only about 80 degrees now! Crab Creek is a beautiful
secluded anchorage. We are on a mooring belonging to neighbours of
Wolfgang and Gemma - Wallace and Molly Stone. Caduceus was also on the
mooring but went aground at low tide so is now anchored a short distance
away.
We spent a quieter day on Saturday. Sid took the chaps to the
chandlers and dropped Elizabeth and I off at Safeways! So more stocking
up. We had an evening barbeque on Caduceus.
Yesterday Wolfgang took us on a tour of the US Naval Academy in
Annapolis. A fascinating afternoon. Wolfgang was Chief Naval
Architect for the US Navy and had designed navy ships for many years so he was a
wonderful guide. Wolfgang and Gemma then joined us all on Alice for
supper.
Yesterday the generator suddenly smelt of burning rubber so we turned it
off quickly. The fan belt was shredded, the impellor lost a fin and the
bearings had seized on the motor (which was replaced in Las Palmas and has run
for only 50 hours). So today is a day of engineering repairs.
Again!! |