Consider a week of SAILING. Seven days. Underway...riding the wind. Starting from northern portion the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and reaching all the way to the Potomac River on the Western Shore. The wind is our transportation and the journey will be our destination. No matter how long the journey, it always seems to end too soon. Perhaps if we start from the end and work back to the beginning, the trip will last longer.
It is not very far from Crab Alley back to Rock Hall. A timely departure in the
morning will insure that we get back to Rock Hall not too late. We will duck
under the Kent Narrows Bridge and then point north towards the lower end of the
Swan Point Channel. We will need to avoid the long shoal trailing down from
Swan Point. We will pick up the channel into Rock Hall at C"1". This would be a
good day for a west or southwest wind. It is always nice to have an easy sail
back on the last day. Tired but well satisfied smiles will be packed away in
our cars along with our bags as we head home.
Our last night in Crab Alley Creek will be fun. We can spend the evening reviewing photos, remembering great moments, and planning our next trip. We will head up the Eastern Bay after taking a short cut through Knapps Narrows. If the winds are good, maybe we will enjoy a brisk sail around Black Walnut Point instead. We will be heading to Crab Alley from Baby Owl Cove off the Choptank River.
It has been some time since I have been in Baby Owl Cove. On the chart it looks
small but once inside, there is room for several boats and it is nicely
sheltered from all but the south. You may spot a duck blind or a family of
swans swimming in the calm waters. We will anchor here for the night. Laughter
and the aroma of our meal will float across the water with the ripples from
bobbing vessels. There is likely to be the inevitable singing and telling of
sea stories. Baby Owl Cove is 33 NM from Solomons.
We will stop back through Solomons,MD on our return from the Potomac River. This time we will overnight at Zahniser’s Marina. They never fail to show us unequaled hospitality. The facilities are nice and it is a moderate but refreshing walk to restaurants and stores. If it is still warm, I am sure the pool will feel good. If you don’t mind paying a bit of a premium, there is a restaurant on site overlooking the marina. Perhaps we will enjoy a round of drinks at the poolside bar before heading off to dinner.
(Source: http://www.zahnisers.com)
Reaching south out of the Patuxent River, we will navigate into Smith Creek on
the Potomac River. I have only been 
here a handful of times but the serenity and natural charm of this quiet stream
continues to bring me back. It is a little tricky navigating the shoals at the
mouth of the creek but just follow marks carefully and you will have no
problem. It is about 41 miles down to Smith Creek. Along the way, we will pass
Point No Point and Point Lookout. The lighthouse at Point No Point is now
privately owned. It may be rented...such as for honeymoons or getaway weekends.
However, you will have to tolerate the fog horn in the event of limited
visibility!
Before we head south to the Potomac, we will get slips at Vera's White Sands
Resort 
up on St.
Leonard's Creek about 10 miles above Solomons, MD. The creek is beautiful
but one must be mindful of the shoals as we wind our way to Planter's
Wharf. I remember well kept homes and tree-lined banks there. It
was peaceful and breath-taking. Vera's is quite colorful. She was a
local character and her story is literally a thing from Hollywood. Take
careful note of the painting over the bar.
On our way into the Patuxent River, we will very 
possibly
see Navy aircraft flying into and out of Pax River Naval Air Station. Then we
will find a quiet place to anchor back among the trees. Captain John Smith
explored the full length of the Patuxent River in his second voyage of
discovery in 1608. What new things will we discover on this voyage? New sites?
New foods? New friends? The only thing that will limit you --- is you.
I love night sailing. It requires a much heightened sense of awareness and
attention. But the serenity 
and
the quiet of a night sail just cannot be beat. As we start our trip, we
will have 54 nautical miles to go from Rock Hall to get to our first night's
anchorage in Mill Creek or one of its tributaries off the Patuxent River.
If we leave about 0800, we could have the anchor down by about 2000
hours. I am already hearing Miles Davis and John Coltrane softly on the
cockpit speakers.
Like many of our journeys on the Chesapeake Bay, we will begin our adventure from Rock Hall. As always, Rob will be ready and available to teach you new techniques or help you practice old skills. To me these trips are all about shared experiences and learning new things. We never fail to learn new things about ourselves and this beautiful bay that we love to sail.
We will start by offering the 4 berths on my boat. Each berth will cost $300. This includes all marina fees, fuel, pump out, and a $200 cash card for provisioning for the boat. Sign up and join me for a week of good sailing and good company. If you are skipper qualified and want to bring your own crew, get in touch with me so I can explain the pricing options for you. We welcome other boats that want to join our flotilla.
You can reserve your spot with a deposit check of $100 made payable to Rob Chichester. Send your checks to Rob Chichester, 487 East Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876-3128. A final payment of $200 is due on or before July 28, 2008. Cancellations after August 12 result in a loss of the $150 deposit. Cancellations after August 28 result in a loss of all monies paid unless we can fill the berth. If we can fill the berth, there will be $50 administrative fee. If you wish to reserve an entire boat for your group, contact Rob for information on doing that. If you are skipper qualified and wish to sail your own boat in our flotilla, send your sailing resume and contact information and we will explain our pricing option for skippers if you qualify. Charter boats may be limited so you should contact us early.
Date: September 11-17, 2010. Boarding September 10.
Price: $300 per person double occupancy with a maximum of 4 paying clients on board Bay Poet. This includes your berth, slip fees at the marinas, fuel, and pump-out as well as a $200 cash card to provision each boat. Additional food expenses to be shared by the entire crew. The price may be different for berths on boats joining the flotilla.
Deposit : $50 will reserve your billet. Individual cancellations after August 12 may result in a loss of the $50 deposit. Cancellations after August 11 result in a loss of all monies paid unless we can fill the berth. Final payment is due 45 days before departure. Deposits and payment schedules may be different for boats joining the flotilla.
Reservations : Please complete the form below. We will hold your reservation for 7 days or until we receive a deposit check covering everyone in your party, whichever comes first. Once we receive your reservation, we will get in touch with you to confirm your information and answer any questions. Alternatively you can call Rob at 908.672.3609.
Any questions? Send us an email or call us at 908.672.3609.
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