Chesapeake - 38 20.38N 076 27.54W

OOJAH's AWESOME ODYSSEY
Peter & Christene Tanner
Mon 12 May 2014 13:15
We've heard so much about Chesapeake Bay & have been looking forward to it for so long that arriving has almost been an anticlimax. It is a huge expanse of water running 150nm from Virginia in the South to Delaware in the North & between 10 & 20nm across. The shoreline is flat with extensive woodland & scattered small communities comprising fisherman, small fixed wooden marinas & very posh summer homes - I assume they are second homes as there's so few people about. There are thousands of fishing pots to miss, hundreds of creeks with nooks & crannies galore to explore, & dozens of rivers flowing in including the Potomac leading 60nm up to Washington DC. So far we've anchored in the East River off Mobjack Bay, Deltaville off the Piankatank River, Little Bay at the entrance to the Rappahannock River, Reedville off the Great Wicomico River, St Mary's River & we're now in Solomon Island.
The history of the early settlers has been very interesting from Charleston northward - St Mary's is the 4th oldest settlement in the US & had an interesting museum. The vegetation is also becoming richer & more colourful. Everywhere had been pretty & charming if a bit 2 dimensional & lifeless but we are early in the season so this may change as we go North. Overall the wind has died away & we're motoring a lot. Anchoring is dirty with lots of mud & brackish water. It can be like getting a hold in talcum powder but it can stick like glue & be reluctant to lift. However all's well on board & life remains interesting!

Love to all, Peter & Christene