Annapolis and the Eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Wed 20 Jun 2012 22:05

39:22.14N 76:01.92W

 

Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon – 15th, 16th, 17th  18th June

 

Got up with some trepidation:  a long time on a boat with minimum walking is not the best preparation for a day's cycling.   We were a bit later than planned getting ashore and then Rob had to pump up all the tyres from flat with a variety of pumps.   My bike had loads of gears (no I did the usual settle for 3 middle ones) and Rob's had none and the original 30 year old seat.....

 

Lovely cycle through the woods to the main road where we chickened out (Wolfgang had explained that American drivers just aren't used to cyclists) and stuck to the un-used pavement.   First we visited the Tourist Information Office with the usual War of 1812 discussion and then set off for a little light shopping and coffee.   Annapolis wasn't quite the humming town I had expected so we admitted defeat, chained up the bikes and set off in search of chandleries and canvas makers.   After a warm walk over the first bridge and a  cup of coffee and further map perusal, we went back and fetched the bikes for further exploring - a good move, as it turned out there was an interesting scale in operation on the tourist map....

 

After a very long cycle and some confusion over Bay Ridge whether it was Road, Avenue or just marked as  plain Bay Ridge (and no the locals are not sure which is which as they just drive it!) we found the chandlery which had offered to replace my Dubarry sailing boots which have shed their soles.   In the event they actually meant they will do so at some undisclosed date, once they have heard back from Dubarry but at least we have started that discussion.   We grabbed a quick pizza to share and ate it in the car park and got back on our now very uncomfortable bikes.

 

Serafina's spray hood over the deck screen is self-destructing from UV and we have fingers crossed it will limp on until the end of the season when we will have to get it replaced in a very short timescale as we come back to the area for a Seven Seas Club Gam (a rally with knobs on really - with speakers, Nigel Calder, the Pardeys and our friends, David and Candy) and then 2 weeks of hurried lay-up.   So we thought we would explore the various canvas makers.   We only managed to meet up with two as the distances (and the uphill sections for poor Rob with no gears) were becoming prohibitive.   The first guy looks very promising and it appears that they are all happy to quote on photos sent via email to them.   The second company was honest enough to tell us that they are already way behind, and it will also be the Annapolis Boat Show where they get even further behind - so we could exclude her!

 

I spotted our first bright red Northern Cardinal bird with its very dull mate and a Blue Jay - the birdlife is stunning.   Rob does keep pointing out I would do better to photograph them rather than squawking and gesticulating - if nothing else to enable easier identification.

 

By now the idea of cycling all the way back was horrifying me, and I suggested seeking a ferry.   As luck would have it a water taxi was arriving (early) at the marina we were in at that point and would take us and our bikes back to the City Dock for $4 each - an absolute bargain.   So we crammed our bikes into the ferry, wafting the ice creams we had just bought did not make the manoeuvring any easier and had a very nice and short ferry trip across the bay, instead of round 3 headlands by bike.   And then we only had to cycle all the way back to the boat.

 

Astonishingly the next day, albeit with very tender bottoms, we were not crippled as well but we were definitely looking forward to a day in an air-conditioned car!   We walked to the end of the road to meet my cousin, Brooke who whisked us away across the Bay Bridge where we sat on a balcony on the Eastern Shore overlooking the bay for a lovely lunch in the sun.

 

After that he drove us to the end of Tilghman Island (another place that is joined by a tiny bridge and is only just an island) for a wander around.   We still can't get over the scale of this country, the spacing of the properties, how well looked after the majority of the houses are (and here they were mainly clapboard clad - pronounced clabbard.   Really the bastardisation of our language is extraordinary!   Brooke was teaching us that everything is pronounced with each syllable given equal value and apparently their Thames River is pronounced 'Tames' as in 'same'.....) and all surrounded by large expanses of mown lawn, no flower beds as in Europe.   We also saw a Black Vulture squatting by the side of the road.

 

Brooke gave us a lot more understanding about the areas in New York where he works and lives in Yonkers, which was very useful.   And we tried to explain the difficulties of committing to dates and places when sailing, as he is trying to arrange for us to meet up at my uncle's house in Connecticut!   Quite apart from the difficulties of finding anchorages with enough depth for Serafina.

 

We finished the day on board for a drink and then Brooke drove back to Baltimore which was going to be a nightmare as it was the height of the celebrations of the Bicentennial`  of the War of 1812 that evening.   We had had a really lovely day - it is so easy to get blinkered by just sticking to ports and not seeing further into a country when sailing.

 

Sunday we walked to Safeways and provisioned up for the next few days sailing/motoring to Cape May and then our overnight sail to Block Island beyond New York.   On our return we were suddenly inundated by English sailors:  one sat on an American motor boat came to say hello, swiftly joined by another English yacht in the tiny anchorage who are off on Monday for a RYA organised sail-by for the Baltimore events.  

 

We nipped off (as far as lifting and cleaning an anchor, and squeezing out of the tiny entrance can be considered a nip) to re-fuel at Liberty Boat Yard, which was a rather drawn-out affair on a Sunday afternoon with lots of other boaters with the same idea - but they kindly let us re-water and dump our rubbish.

 

On our return we went for a chat on board Dovka with Rebecca and Sid, who are OCC members and moor their boat in Crab Creek, and also spent 4 years in Marmaris!   This chat and tea went on far longer than we had planned so by the time we went ashore Wolfgang and Gemma had disappeared and we were not able to say our goodbyes.   They later emailed to say they had been to a first computer lesson and will see us at the end of the season.

 

We then readied the boat for an early start and I removed all the manure (guano does not convey the quantities of the stuff donated by something Dodo size - possibly the pair of large Blue Herons living in the creek?) off the dinghy.

 

Up early on Monday for a very boring motor in grey, drizzly weather towards the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, ready to traverse it tomorrow.   Anchored, tucked into a slight bend in the Sassafras River to get out of the channel ready for a swift departure on Tuesday morning.   As we anchored we could see a Golden Eagle paddling on the beach (it is freshwater this far up the Chesapeake), a pair of Ospreys and a pair of Black Vultures, and a Blue Heron - birds of prey they 'do' well here!