A Visit to the Chesapeake

[Whampoa]

I'm sure folks have covered similar trips to ours but here goes. In May 2008 I took Whampoa from Oriental up the Chesapeake to Annapolis for a 5 week cruise to a few spots on the bay.

Traveling with me was an old friend, George Luzier. Almost 84 when we began our trip, George is a master wooden boatbuilder/designer, and extraordinary sailor. As a young man, I worked in George's boat shop as part of a small team of 5-6 building both sail and power boats from Optimist Prams to a 51' Ketch.

Coming up on 86 this July, George still drives down to his 33' cutter, Frigate, almost every weekend and goes sailing around the Boca Grande, Fl and Pine Island Sound near Port Charlotte, FL.

I hope we can all find our way to enjoy our sailing passions and live life as full as George does when we are 86.

As time permits, I hope to add a few posts to this thread, and share a bit of that trip. Sailing with someone like George is truly a gift I will long remember.

I thought I would capture a few glimpses of that trip here in this thread.

I took plenty of photos but not many of the ones I wished I had now looking back but I'll try to piece some of them together .

This was my only sailing trip up the Chesapeake so I claim no extensive knowledge of the Bay.

We have quite a few members located in the Chesapeake Bay area. Please feel free to jump in and add to the thread.

Regards, John

More to come..............

[Whampoa]

Mid May 2008. After waiting at the dock for several days for gale warnings to subside and improvement in the weather we decided we had a brief window between systems to get underway. Our end destination was not firm but we planned to stop into Annapolis to visit members of George's family.

The next shot from Coastal Explorer gives a high level glimpse of that route.



Gales in the sounds of NC can be educational as the sounds are shallow and the fetch is long. Sharp, steep, battering waves develop in no time and will make you wish you were somewhere else in a hurry. We watched the weather forecast carefully for a break.

Our initial plan was to ease up the Pamlico Sound to Manteo from Oriental but the weather was not going to cooperate and I had no desire to get caught out on the sound when the winds began to drive down from the north at 35 knots or better. We waited.....

After 2 days of waiting it out, we saw what looked like a 12 hr window to make our break and slide up the inside on the ICW to the Pamlico River. Winds were forecast for WNW at 20 with a few gusts to 25 knots coming around to the north late in the day at 35 knots by sunset. Whampoa is a big girl and she loves 20-25 on the beam.

From where Whampoa is docked in Oriental to the planned anchorage about 3 miles south of the Pamlico River was going to be about a 25 NM trip. We figured if we got away early, we were all ready to go after two days of sitting on the weather radio, we could do the 25 NM easily and be anchored up before the next blow swept in. It was a fast mover and not expected to hang around. We would be well positioned for the day two leg.

We got away at 7:00 AM and eased out of the creek into the Nuese River. It was a pretty day with a few clouds, lots of sun and a steady 20 knot WNW wind.

Oriental is on the western shore of the Neuse River so we planned to slide down the river to where the Bay River runs into the Neuse from the west.



The leg from Oriental to the turn NW into the Bay River is about 10.5 nm and then it's another 5+ nm up into the Bay River before you turn back north in a very protected and narrow cut running north to the Pamlico River. Some folks locally call it the Hobucken Cut and it is part of the ICW.

Once you're in the cut it's another 13 nm to the Pamlico River. We planned to anchor in one of the side creeks near the north end of the cut and wait for the coming blow to get past us. First we had to get there.

I didn't get any photos during this first day. I was busier than I expected.

As soon as we got clear of the creek channel and into the Neuse, we raised the main and decided that would be all for the reach to the Bay River. That went well and we were finally off and under sail.

For the first 30 minutes we eased down the Neuse at 6+ knots on a nice reach with 20 knots and an occasional 25 knot puff. Sweet way to begin a trip. We planned to drop the main when we turned NW into the Bay River as the wind was going to be right on our nose if it clocked around as forecast. The air temp was cool but not cold and the sun felt great as it came up to our east over the NC Outer Banks.

It quickly became clear that the wind forecast and related timing was not going to hold up. By 8:00 AM the winds were up to 25 knots sustained with a few more puffs to 30 or so. I put the first reef of two in Whampoa's main and we settled in for the reach to the Bay River. The forecast had winds near 20 knots till after 3:00 PM but we already knew they were wrong.

By 8:30 AM the winds were more NW and up to 30 with gusts to 35 knots. Whampoa was handling the increase effortlessly with her first reef in her main and it was a comfortable sail as we now raced (or at least as close to it as I can get) toward our turn into the Bay River at 8.6 knots, the most I had ever seen Whampoa do.

In no time we were coming up on our turn and it was clear that as soon as we turned into the river, the wind would be dead on our nose. I planned to take the main down as we made the turn. The entrance is narrow with sand bars on both sides. We started the diesel a few moments before the turn and satisfied our selves that was all in order. Once we were into the Bay River, we would have 5-6 miles straight into the chop before we could make our turn into the sheltered cut for our last ten nm of the day.

George took the helm and we got geared up and harnessed up for this next short leg. I got attached to the jackline and stepped up on the cabin top and headed forward to the mast.

The wind gods decided that as soon as we made the turn, they would help things along so they added a few more knots for us.

So far, this was a great sail about to get interesting.....

[jrd22]

Great post Whamp, can't wait for the next installment.

[Buckeyesailor]

Likewise John....standing by....

[Izzy1414]

Nothin' like a good cliffhanger!! Keep them coming John. Thanks.

[ChucklesR]

Nothing like having someone who lives where I want to go writing up a trip from there to where I am to convince me that the grass is indeed always greener on the other side.

[Whampoa]

Well we rapidly came up on our turn into the Bay River. Things were a tad frothy as the wind was cranking out of the NW which happened to be straight into our faces as we contemplated the turn and where we wanted to be when we began to drop the main.



We noticed two other vessels in the area. The first was a small sloop of about 25'. She was trying to turn west into the Bay River from the north and fought hard to get through the bars to the north. I felt real sorry for that crew as I couldn't imagine being out in such a small vessel like that one in this slop. The sloop seemed to be slowly making some progress into the mouth of the river but was taking one heck of a pounding from the steep chop. We could hear the pounding from almost a mile away as they were a bit upwind of us as we started our turn into the river.

The other vessel we noticed was a large tug & phosphate barge coming out of the Bay River with the full force of the wind at it's stern.

I immediately got on the radio and contacted the tug captain to understand what he planned as he came out and made his turn south towards the port at Beaufort. He said he had good steerage and felt he would be OK mid channel so we agreed that we would delay our turn and carry on further to the north as long as we could before turning in. Winds were 35 knots true and increasing with gusts at 38 to 40 knots now.

With the strong wind on his stern the tug and barge flew out of the river and he brought her around to the south like there was a 5 knot breeze. The barges haul phosphate from a massive phosphate mine in Aurora, NC a town up the Pamlico River.

Once clear of the barge it was only us and the small sloop still pounding themselves badly but fighting hard to claw their way into the river.

We made our turn into the river and dropped and secured the main without incident. Whampoa's 60 HP diesel and big wheel gave us plenty of power and George had little trouble holding us up into the wind while I dropped the sail. Back in the cockpit, we settled in for the next 6 nm leg up the river and into the protection of the Hobucken Cut....

Seems it was only a few minutes after we made our turn into the river when the wind ramped up to 44 knots true gusting over 50 for short but viscous moments. Whampoa's bow is fairly tall and she offers some pretty large surface forward for the wind to work with. I wrote in my log later that I thought the waves were about 5 feet tall and 60' apart.

I usually cruise under power at 6.5 knots at 1800 RPM but today to make 2.5 knots into the wind and waves I had to run at 2200 rpm and live with a higher than normal engine temp. The raw water impeller was new as well as belts,oils, filters and clean fuel and she didn't miss a beat but we sure worked her hard for the next 2 1/2 hours as we clawed our way up the river.

Whampoa weighs around 23,000+ lbs loaded and she rode through the nasty chop like a champ. Never a pound for the entire time we fought into the river. Her bow would rise to meet the oncoming waves and then she would slice down into the trough and get ready to meet the next one. Occasionally she would meet the next wave crest with her bow and simply slice it away throwing a massive 15' wall of spray out and well away from the boat. It was a sight to see for sure. It was also wet as hell at times when the now 50 knots of sustained breeze picked up that nicely discarded water and wrapped it back onto me in the cockpit. Quite a ride to be sure. You gotta love those self draining cockpits...

We had little trouble maintaining our heading up the river although 2.5 knots SOG was it and the engine temp. was close to 195 degrees. We continued to make good water and power and there wasn't a lot left to do but stay focused.

For the next hour, the small sloop was a great concern for us as she struggled to make forward progress and kept being driven south and east across the channel in front of us. Just when we thought the skipper would lose it, he would somehow get her around and slog back on the other tack while taking a nasty pounding. I wondered how we would help them in the event they faltered but felt we could render assistance long enough for the Coast Guard crews just up the Hobucken Cut to arrive on scene if necessary.

About an hour and a half after we made our turn, the winds slacked to a comfortable 40 knots on the bow and we picked up a half a knot and improved control. A short 2.5 hour ride into the teeth of that little blow and we made our turn north into the protected Hobucken Cut. When we cleared the river, the small sloop was behind us but had made it into more sheltered water and appeared to be making better progress. I'll bet they bought a change of shorts after that one!

The 2 + hr trip up the cut was uneventful .



We anchored up in a creek a few miles south of the Pamlico River. The creek, used by the local shrimpers was deep enough for us to work back into and offered us a good mud bottom for some much needed holding as it was still blowing 35 + by the time we dropped the hook around 1:30 PM.

The wind had clocked around to the north as expected and we found a nice spot on the north side of the creek and dropped on anchor on all chain and set it hard. The now amended forecast indicated this latest blow was expected to stall over us for the next 1-2 days with sustained winds above 30 knots gusting to 40 knots gusting out of the north. We knew we were going to get to catch up on a few books for at least the next day. We wanted the hook set well.

A beautiful sunset, we enjoyed dinner and a few rums before settling in for the evening. George took the first anchor watch till midnight and I took it from midnight to 4 AM when he would come back on till breakfast. Dragging back into the narrow channel and onto the mud flats was not an option.

All was well until about 3:30 AM when the wind kicked up to 40+ again and we began to slowly drag in the mud. I called George on deck to run the boat and we set out a second anchor on a mixed chain/rope rode. The second anchor set hard and we were once again attached to the bottom.

George relieved me and I went to bed till 7:00 AM. It was obvious from a quick look out the hatch that we were not going anywhere on day 2. The forecast was a new gale warning and our next 15 miles was mostly due north into it. I made breakfast and we enjoyed the wonderful library materials we had brought along for the trip.

We had no schedule to keep and plenty of provisions aboard.

Tomorrow would be another day ! We agreed we were done with our gale refresher work for this trip.

[ckgreenman]

Wow. Sounds like quite a day.

[Whampoa]

We spent the next day anchored in the side creek known as Eastham Creek.



For most of the second day , winds remained above 30 knots out of the north. Our anchorage, tucked up in the salt marsh on the north side of the creek afforded us a comfortable spot to wait out this latest system.

Late in the day on day 2 we could see the weather beginning to lay down and the forecast called for rapidly improving weather over night. At daybreak of day 3 the forecast suggested we might see 15 - 20 knots out of the NE clocking to east and lightening up by noon. We decided to be ready to get underway but we would assess things at first light.

Our plan for the next days travel had us traveling across the Pamlico River, Up the Pungo River and then through the Alligator River - Pungo River Canal to a planned anchorage at the north end of the Alligator River just south of the Albemarle Sound.



At day break on day 3, the sky was clear, the sun crisp and the winds were an easy 15 knots out of the NE. The forecast had also improved and we decided to get underway after a quick breakfast.

Both anchors came up without issue. Whampoa has her original IDEAL, horizontal powered windlass and as we eased up on the anchors with the diesel, the old windless made short work of anchor recovery.

We were underway again.

A nice day unfolded as we entered the Pamlico River and we put the main and jib up. One tack east down the Pamlico and then we came about and slid up into the Pungo River on a starboard tack for one of the prettiest morning sails you could ask for. The winds remained around 15 knots but were clocking more to the east as expected. Soon after we entered the south end of the Pungo River, we were enjoying an easy beam reach up the river. With the winds more easterly, the river was calm and we traveled along with the birds and returning boat traffic toward the Alligator River - Pungo River canal.

As we came up on the southern entrance to the canal.



The canal is a narrow, approximately 20 nm cut through the eastern NC wilderness connecting the north end of the Pungo River and the southern end of the Alligator River. The canal shores are lined with a wide variety or trees found in a typical NC cypress swamp and a broad array of wildlife.

Everyone always asks so I will tell you now, we did not see any alligators.

By the time we got into the canal the wind was light and on the bow so we fired the diesel and motored up the canal at no more than 5 knots. As others have mentioned, these narrow canals require caution to avoid what at times is considerable debris in the waterway. Stumps, logs and related debris are the main concern. The chart note gives you a strong hint at what to look for.



Surprisingly, we saw little debris as we ran up the cut, that was until a large motor yacht blew up behind us rolling about a 5 foot wake along both sides of the 100-150'' wide canal. As he approached from behind us, he called me on the radio and let me know he was planning to pass on my port side. I agreed and waited for him to slow to minimum wake at which time I planned to slow and move as far right as I dared. At 500' feet or so he was still barreling towards us so I radioed and ask him to slow for the pass.

I won't repeat his reply but I told him that unless he slowed down, I was going to maintain my position in the middle of the channel as it was too dangerous for me to move nearer the shore of the canal full of large stumps with the wake he was dragging along. Well, he came off the power, although I am sure he didn't want to. What do people think about in those scenarios?

He slowed and I moved right with less than a foot of water under me and I slowed to just enough forward speed to maintain steerage. With plenty of nasty glares from the crew, the 100' yacht passed us to port and as soon as he was 10' beyond us he went to full power and returned to his previous speed up the canal.

Well when he brought the power up like that he turned up half the bottom of the canal and left it looking like a churned strip of mud and sunken debris ahead of us. Nice guy to be sure.....

He caught us 10 miles into the canal so for the next 10 miles or so we were dodging all sorts of debris he had churned up as he raged up the ICW. It must have been our day as we only felt one noticeable bump against the hull and suffered no noticeable damage for our effort.

Our 4 hr canal journey brought us into the lower end of the Alligator River with a nice 10 knot breeze out of the ESE as the wind continued to clock around. We had a great reach up the fairly shallow Alligator River and passed through the old swing bridge that crosses the river about 3 miles south of the entrance to the Albemarle Sound.

Our destination was an anchorage near the entrance to the Little Alligator River at the NW corner of the larger Alligator River. We expected the wind to continue to clock around to the SW overnight so we anchored up in the lee of Sandy Point.

That would position us for and early start for a crossing of the Albemarle Sound in the morning and gave us plenty of alternatives to reposition if we needed to during the night.

We enjoyed our third great sunset, some of Haiti's finest 15 yr old rim and a great dinner before sacking out. I got up every two hours to check on things during the relatively calm night. Other than a few mosquitoes, it was restful night.

The late forecast called for wind to be around 15 knots out of the SW at daybreak and they were right on the money. I cooked a full breakfast and we prepared for crossing the Albemarle Sound....and day 4.

More to come.....

[sailingdog]

I'd second staying in the middle of the channel as much as possible in the ICW between Norfolk and Belhaven. Just did this trip in a Gemini 105Mc catamaran, and a deadhead or stump damaged the drive leg, which only has a draft of about two feet. Did the repairs in Belhaven, NC.

As for the powerboater that Whamp ran across, I'd save him a nice long piece of grey polypro line.. Drop it in the water just ahead of him... and watch what happens.

[Whampoa]

Thanks for jumping in SD. I enjoyed your write up of your trip over on your blog as well.

I was thinking it was a good idea I had left the AR-15 home .

Regards, John

[sailingdog]

IF the dueling banjos had gotten a bit louder, you probably would have regretted leaving the AR-15 at home...

Thanks for jumping in SD. I enjoyed your write up of your trip over on your blog as well.

I was thinking it was a good idea I had left the AR-15 home .

Regards, John

[Whampoa]

Many folks regard the Albemarle Sound as the roughest body of water on the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). With the shallow depths, typically under 20', the long east/west fetch makes for some pretty rough wave action when the wind speeds are much above 20 knots from either direction.



Cruisers moving north on the ICW have a decision to make once they reach the mouth of the Alligator River. Their route for a crossing leads them to either the mouth of the Pasquotank River or to the mouth of the North River.

The route up the Pasquotank River takes you up the river and through the Dismal Swamp Canal to a point just south or Portsmouth , VA.

At the time of our trip, water levels in the Dismal Swamp Canal were very low as a result of prolonged drought conditions in eastern NC.

The North River route was our choice for a crossing. This route takes you up the North River to another canal known as the North Carolina Cut and then up thorough a narrow dredged channel through the extremely shallow Currituck Sound and on into Virginia.


As the sun rose, we finished a hearty breakfast and then secured the boat below for the trip across the Albemarle. The wind was steady at 15 knots out of the SW as we brought the anchor and secured the foredeck. With a pretty sunrise well underway we raised the main and the staysail and headed into the sound winding through the sometimes troublesome channel where the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound meet. The bars in this area of the ICW shift and many travelers find the bottom even though the channel markers are moved frequently as well. Here is one of those spots where fellow travelers are led astray by their GPS/Chartplotters while following the magenta line on the screen.

Our course to the North River took us almost dead downwind on a 12+ nm crossing to the entrance into the river. After about two miles along this course we decided to come to port and move to more of a broad reach across the sound. Our new heading took us right at the mouth of the Pasquotank River and improved our ride considerably. The following seas had been running around 3 feet and 50' apart prior to our course change and along with those seas came the usual wallow as we ran downwind at 5-6 knots.

The new course resulted in a sweet broad reach around 7 knots and as the winds built to 20 gusting to 25 knots by the time we were halfway across the sound, we enjoyed a swift ride at 8 knots or better for the rest of the trip across. Mid crossing the seas were a sloppy 4+ feet close together and confused with wave sets coming from the SW then the W and I was convinced the NW as the winds shifted more to the west. It made for a quick and fun crossing.

As we approached the north shore of the sound, we agreed we could manage a safe jibe and did so for a reach down the river to the mouth of the North River. The seas along the north shore were as expected but manageable and we enjoyed a quick reach to the river. Another jibe and we reached up into the North River between the well marked entrance markers and oyster bars. The entrance to the North River is known to shoal and as the swells that come across the sound reach the entrance, let's just say things can be interesting on occasion. On this day we made the transition from to to river with out incident. Thank you Albemarle.

We sailed well up the river until it narrowed and began to wind through the NC marsh where we dropped the sails and began motoring. As we crossed the sound it was clear once again that another weather system had started to move across the area. The forecast again called for rapidly deteriorating conditions with rain and 25-30 knots out of the north over night. As we entered the North Carolina Cut canal, we decided to make it a short day and stop in beautiful Coinjock, NC. Located about midway along the canal, Coinjock must have a 1000' or more of face docks along the sides of the canal. We figured that if the weather was going to deteriorate as expected Coinjock was our best stopping point between where we were and Portsmouth , VA.

It was around noon when we arrived at the Coinjock Marina on the south side of the canal. Their 500+ feet of dock along the shore was nearly empty with only a couple of 30' sailboats at the north end. A lot of water was being pushed north up the canal as we radioed the dock master and he asked us to swing the boat around and tie up at the head of the dock at the south end. Easiest docking maneuver I ever had to do. No other boats for 400' and a nice opposing current to slide into as I approached the dock .

We were in and tied up safely and had beat the rush that was to come shortly. As expected, by late afternoon the docks on both sides of the canal were full including a pair of large yachts over 100'. It is something to walk by the fuel pumps and see a $5,000+ tab ringing up.

We used this opportunity get hot showers, do some laundry and touch up our stores. The marina restaurant is passable and serves a pretty good NC calabash style (read as fried) seafood menu as well as a monster steak of some renown.

We settled in for the evening and kept an eye on the latest weather. In the morning we would take another look and decide on that day's plan then. The frequency of these weather systems racing across NC was unexpected this far into May in my experience.

We had no schedule to keep and I liked it that way.

The next morning, the weather forecast and current conditions called for a sloppy rainy day with winds out of the north at 20+ knots early and diminishing as the day wore on. We had a light rain at daybreak but decided to shoot for Portsmouth, VA. We cleared the marina about 6:30 AM ahead of the traffic and began an uneventful day motoring up the ICW to Portsmouth. Not too many opportunities for sailing along this stretch so we left the sails down.

The route from Coinjock into Portsmouth, VA is 50-60 nm of narrow channels and bridges and one small lock at the northern end. As expected, the winds fell off during the day as we wound our way north. I got lots of practice keeping station with 5 - 10 other boats as we waited for one bridge after another along with many other power and sailboats headed north. The lock at the north end of the route is a small lock used to manage tidal differences between Portsmouth and the NC sounds as connected by the canal.



We managed to time our arrival at the lock and were able to lock in on the first opening after we got there. The lock is only about 100 yds long and I'm guessing 50-75' wide and it only raises or lowers boats about 18" so the process does not take long if boaters can get it together.

We were through the lock in no time and now met back up with lunar driven tides and currents. After navigating several more bridges during the Portsmouth rush hour, we arrived at our planned anchorage off the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in the late afternoon.

To my surprise, we found enough room to anchor where we had plenty of water and room for a good initial set of the anchor. Once set, I shortened up some as we knew there were many more boats behind us and it was going to get full before dawn.

For the first time in days , I had time to pull out the camera and get a few photos before sunset. Check out the armament on this sailboat .



and the Schooner Virginia headed for the dock.



The winds moved around to the southeast as we approached sunset.

Tomorrow we will enter the Chesapeake and become a sailboat once again.......

[Whampoa]

After a tumultuous night off Hospital Point, we started the next day with a nice sunny morning. A quick breakfast and we were on our way with a destination of DeltaVille, VA for our days efforts.

Our route to the lower end of the bay took us through several miles of commercial harbor and US Navy facilities in the Portsmouth and Norfolk, VA area.



Winds were light as we worked our way up the channel.

There were many big things and the big vessels they were servicing as we moved amongst the port traffic. Commercial traffic was surprisingly light but there were many large vessels and facilities to admire along the way.

Ship loading alongside one of the large coal piers -





As luck would have it, just as we were directly off the coal pier, they began pushing the ship out into the channel.

This ship was being moved out into the channel with the aid of several tugs carrying a load of large steel structures -





The US Navy has a large base and port facilities in Norfolk and the channel took us right down some of the piers. We were careful to maintain considerably more than the 500' buffer between us and the Navy ships. Heavily armed patrol boats were positioned near the barriers that separated us from the ships.

There were quite a varied selection of ships in port including several submarines and aircraft carriers. I didn't point my camera at the subs or their security boats .



















I loved the various tugs working around the harbor -





And some local color for visitors to the area -



Finally we passed Fort Monroe on our port side and became a sailboat once again.



We were now into the bay proper and sailing in good company -



The morning was warm and we had a light westerly breeze about 10 knots helping us ease up the bay towards Deltaville.





Lighthouses are some some of my favorite landmarks when we are out sailing. Our route to Deltaville, VA took us right by the Wolf Trap Lighthouse.




The winds stayed out of the west over the course of the day and finished up out of the northwest as we sailed into Deltaville in the late afternoon. A sunny day and a great sail.

We dropped the hook in a small creek on the south side of Deltaville and enjoyed our evening. The forecast called for another bit of light rain which we got overnight.

But, we were in the bay and out of the canals for awhile so life was great !

[CharlieCobra]

Keep it coming...

[JamesS]

Gotta laugh that you didn't point your camera at the boomers and fast attacks but didn't feel any compunction about photographing the Aegis missile cruisers.

My feeling is I helped pay for all that hardware so I'm darned sure I'll take a picture of them on my own national waters.

Sounds like a great trip so far; keep the details coming!

[Whampoa]

Evening James,

It was easy not to point the telephoto at them when I was looking at high speed ribs with multiple machine guns and heavily armed crews watching us go by with binoculars trained on us...

I was happy to google a few photos when I got home

Thanks for reading along....

Regards, John

[Whampoa]

We didn't spend any time around Deltaville and left the next morning for a short trip up to Reedville, VA, about 24 nm further up the west side of the bay.



After breakfast, we picked up the anchor and picked our way back out the narrow channel and into the bay, put up the main and staysail and began a nice reach to Reedville. Winds were out of the west at 15 knots and steady with a forecast for a bit more breeze later in the day as the winds went NW.

We had a great sail and eased in to Reedville late afternoon after exploring around the lower west bay for a bit. George suggested we shorten the jib sheets as they were longer than necessary and just bothersome in the cockpit. It was a good project for the lazy sail and he took it on as we sailed north.



An 84 year old master's hands tell a lot about the years of hard work and experience building and sailing boats.



An old salt to be sure.



Reedville, VA is home to a large menhaden processing plant and still active fishing fleet. The plant and current fleet as well as a few relics from earlier times line the entrance channel as you sail into Reedville.





The current fleet with their specialized net boats







And a few of members of the old fleet to port as you enter







Remnants of earlier plants and facilities greet you as well. This old furnace chimney base makes a great foundation for an osprey nest .







A few old timers are still active helping to rebuild or maintain the oyster habitat in the lower bay. This old work boat is a classic craft of the area.



Hauling oyster shells to put down as habitat for new oyster growth as the free swimming larvae attach to it and form oyster spat which then grow to become adult oysters.



Cap'n Luzier took us up to the anchorage



We found our spot near town and dropped the anchor.





It was a pretty evening so we went for a ride in the dinghy to have look around and check out the local fish market for dinner.



Dinner that evening was fresh grilled rockfish...You didn't want to put it on top of your head it was good stuff.

We enjoyed a few libations after dinner and settled in for the evening. The next morning we planned to go ashore and visit a local boat builder and the Reedville Fisherman's Museum.

More to come....

[Alden68]

Thanks for the write ups! I'm addicted....like reading a James Patterson novel!

[Whampoa]

A pretty sunrise in Reedville, VA got us off to a good day.



The day's forecast called for a sunny and mild day with thunderstorms late in the day. We got an early start.

Out for a morning cruise around the anchorage, one of the members of the local community stopped by to admire Whampoa. He was easing along in a pretty little skiff with his yellow lab riding along.



The skiff was built by George Butler, a local boat builder, whose family has been building wooden Chesapeake work boats for over 100 years in Reedville, VA.

Purely by chance, we were anchored just off Mr. Butler's boat yard and docks. Our visitor assured us we would be welcome to tie the dinghy at the boatyard dock so we could visit town.



After breakfast, we went ashore to visit with Mr. Butler, tour the fisherman's museum and pick up some fresh provisions. The local community was very friendly and helpful during our visit.

Mr. Butler's shop was a classic old wooden yard with the wonderful scent of Atlantic white cedar from freshly planed planking. George Luzier introduced himself to George Butler and the two master boat builders had a wonderful morning chat over a cup of fresh coffee.

One of Mr. Butler's friends stopped by and offered to drive me to the local grocery store to pick up some fresh milk, eggs and other foodstuffs. This saved me several miles on foot and was greatly appreciated. The two boat builders carried on and had a good time comparing notes. I took the provisions back to the boat and went back to the dock.

We thanked Mr. Butler for his hospitality and his friend for the ride and walked into town to visit the local museum. The small villages around the bay have a long and proud heritage built around the water and the men and women who work it to this day. The museum is largely focused on the menhaden fishing history of the area and is very well done. It is well worth your time if you ever stop into the village. They also have a small boat building and restoration shop at the museum and we enjoyed a pleasant half hour talking with the crew about the latest project they had going.

After a pleasant walk about town, we headed back to the boat in mid-afternoon as the expected thunderstorms began to build in the west. A siesta was called for after such an exciting morning .

Just before sunset, we enjoyed the first of what would become a regular afternoon and evening opportunity for the rest of our trip up the bay. As though a switch had been flipped, the afternoon winds went from light and variable to a full fledged late spring thunderstorm with winds cranking 35 knots gusting to 50+. We were in a well sheltered anchorage and the hook was well set in 10' of water. I let out a bit more scope for good measure and we kicked back with a rum and a good book to enjoy the blow.

Whampoa got a good rinse while we enjoyed dinner and we turned in early so we could get away just after sunrise for our next leg up the bay.

In the morning, we would slide up the bay to Solomon's Island, MD.

[Whampoa]

We picked the hook up early and headed for Solomon's Island, MD. Winds were forecast at 10 - 15 out of the west early moving to NW 15-20 by late afternoon with a chance of light rain.

The days trip was going to be close to 44 NM on a nice reach with a bit of help from the incoming tide running up the bay.



It was a sunny but cool morning and the winds were a nice 10 knots out of the west as we exited the mouth of the Great Wicomico River and headed for the Smith Point Lighthouse.





I marked an area in red on the chart image above. Along this leg of the trip we started to notice an increasing number of fish weirs positioned outside the mouths of many of the rivers as we came up the west side of the bay.

These weirs were not shown on our charts either paper or electronic. They were typically constructed of 4-6 " diameter, 30' long, pine logs, driven into the bay bottom and then nets were strung in and around the poles to create a fish trap.

These structures would turn a nice day or evening sail into a real problem if you were to run into them unaware of their presence and location.

A friend of mine on another trip down the bay, pulled in along the marked area one rough evening trying to find a bit of a lee to drop his anchor and wait out an overnight storm. It was a black night and he didn't see the weir poles until he caught a shadow of one illuminated by his starboard running light. He stopped immediately and found himself surrounded by 20 or more poles....Out came the spot and he was able to safely work his way back to safe water without any damage but only through pure luck and clean living .

Once we rounded the point at Smith Point light, we settled in for an easy reach up the bay. I had read in a number of the cruising guides that crossing the mouth of the Potomac with a west wind and an incoming tide could make for a rough ride. With the light winds we had that morning, only a slight chop was present and we slid across the Potomac easily.

Mindful of large ship traffic we planned to stay west of the main shipping lanes up the bay when ever we could. To my surprise, there was very little ship traffic during our entire trip up the bay and back.

As we continued north, we began to pick up VHF radio traffic from Navy range safety boats working the north and south ends of a Prohibited Area on the west side of the bay. This area is used as a Navy flight training/target site and was in use that day as we approached from the south.



The range safety officers were on the radio contacting all vessels approaching that the target area was hot and requesting that we maintain a minimum 1 mile separation form the center of the prohibited area. We were offered two route choices, one to the west of the target area along the shore or up the bay to the east of the target area. Navy jets could be heard overhead and made repeated runs on the target apparently using electronics to simulate the use of weapons as no live ammunition was being dropped.

There were several other sailboats moving up the bay with us and most could be seen to alter their course to comply with the range safety boat instructions. Several of the skippers couldn't seem to figure out a new heading to take them clear of the target area and sailed on. They were promptly visited by the range safety boats and advised. I shouldn't have been but I was amazed at several of the other boats radio calls asking where the Prohibited area was and for a heading that would take them outside the requested safety zone. The skippers were clueless. Sad indeed.

We altered course to the east for a 1.5 mile clearance and again when the buffer was expanded to three miles as we got closer. We cleared the target area and continued on towards Solomon's Island. The weather had begun to cloud up and we could see some rain showers building to the west. Nothing big but noticeable as the afternoon wore on.

We continued up the bay on the east side until we passed the Hooper's Island Light, then hardened up and headed back across the bay towards the entrance into the Patuxent River. Winds had come up to a nice steady 17 knots out of the WNW and we were having a great sail across the bay. I had the full main and staysail up and the jib was furled. Light rain was falling on the western shore but it was mostly sunny out on the bay when we were met by a sudden and massive blast of wind with none of the usual signs on the water to give you a warning. Wind speed went from 17 to 44 knots in the blink of an eye.

Whampoa put her starboard rail down and water raced down the deck along the cabin side. For the next ten minutes we had a tremendous sail across the bay. George dropped the main down with the traveler and reduced our heel angle and I pinched the boat up and played along the edge. We got another chance to see our speed over the ground above 8.5 knots as we zipped across the bay. Ten minutes later, as suddenly as it came up , the wind fell off to 15 knots with an occasional gust back up to 20 and the sun popped out of the clouds in the west.

We sailed up into the Patuxent and dropped the sails and motored into Solomon's Island late in the day. I had called ahead to the Zahniser's Yacht Center and picked up a slip reservation for the night. The dock crew was waiting at the T-Dock when we arrived and helped us tie up the boat. We planned to stay in Solomon's Island , MD for a day and take in the Calvert Marine Museum and restock the rum locker.

After filling the water tanks, doing a bit of laundry and hot showers, we ate supper in the excellent restaurant there at the marina. A few drinks back on the boat and we made it an early night after a good sail up the bay.

The next morning, after a good breakfast on the boat, we walked into town.

The museum, grocery store, liquor store and West Marine are all within 3/4 of a mile from Zahnisers Yacht Center and very convenient.

First stop was the museum. Check out the Calvert Marine Museum website to get a pretty good look at their programs. I did not carry my camera during our outing so I can't offer any photos of my own of the museum.

It is well worth your time to stop by and take in the museum if you are in town.

After picking up a few fresh vegetables and some more rum, we stopped by the local West Marine to pick up hardware and some small line to add a set of lazyjacks for the staysail.

After a nice walk back to the boat in the early afternoon we took care of a few items on the boat and worked on our reading materials till it was time for supper and our daily rations. Another early night in preparation for an early departure in the morning.

The Solomon's Island, MD area is a great place to stop in. There are a number of marinas, easy access to supplies and marine services and the channels into and out of the area are well marked and easy to navigate.

In the morning we were off to Oxford, MD. The forecast looked good with winds out of the WNW for most of the day at 10-15 knots.

Stay Tuned........Next Stop Oxford, MD

[Whampoa]

We got away from Solomon's Island early the next morning as planned. Winds were more out of the WNW than forecast and steady at 15 knots as we raised the sails and eased out into the Patuxent River headed for Drum Point.



The day's trip up to Oxford was only a little more than 34 nautical miles. The tide was running out and the winds more northerly than forecast but it was a pretty day and we didn't have a schedule we had to keep so we went sailing .

As we left the mouth of the Patuxent, we passed the Drum Point Light on our port side. Today, the shoal is lit by a modern light structure. Years ago, one of three surviving screw pile lighthouse structures, once stood guard over the entrance at Drum Point. This lighthouse is now preserved at the Calvert museum and you can go up inside it for a glimpse of how the lighthouse keepers and their families lived when the light was in service.

Off to port we got a good look at the cliffs that stretch north on the west side of the bay for several miles.



These cliffs looked to be easily 75 to 100 feet high in some places and were formed long ago.

EDIT - See James post later in the thread for the corrected time period when these formations were formed.

ADDED: Calvert Cliffs. MD Link

A number of exhibits in the Calvert Marine Museum described their formation in detail and contained numerous fossils found in the many layers you can see in the photos. We were told of numerous new finds along the cliffs as a result of recent severe storms in the bay.

The cliffs of Drum Point are hard to miss as you sail up the west side of the bay.



Once we rounded Drum Point we took a northeasterly heading to clear Little Cove Point and a number of fish weirs south of the point and then turned north when we were clear of Little Cove Point.





You can see one of the fish weirs in the foreground and the Cove Point Lighthouse in the distance. The telephoto effect makes it look like we were right on top of the fish weir but we were well away from the structure when I shot the photos.



The cliffs extend beyond Cove Point for quite a ways.



You can also see a large structure in the photos above off the lighthouse.

About 1 mile north of Cove Point there is a massive LPG terminal out in the bay. When we passed by there were no LPG tankers on the terminal.



The charts showed a security zone around the terminal which we were happy to remain outside of. Once again, other boats, both power and sail seemed oblivious to the security zone and either sailed into it or at it which immediately prompted radio contact and instructions to alter course immediately or be boarded by terminal security. We sailed right on by and out into the bay in a great breeze and small chop.

We had good company out on the bay.



Once we had passed the LPG terminal we worked our way across the bay towards the mouth of the Choptank River. With the opposing tide our SOG was down to 4.5 knots but shipping traffic was light and the sun was shining so we sailed our way up the bay and took it all in.



The wind held steady at 15 knots between WNW and NW for the trip up the bay and we fell off and reached up into the Choptank towards Oxford.



We eased up the Tred Avon River and dropped the anchor off of "The Strand", a pretty sand beach near Oxford's, Tred Avon Yacht Club.



It was mid afternoon when we dropped the hook. After we got the boat settled, George and I set about rigging up a set of lazyjacks for the staysail. That lasted all of about 15 minutes when we put the project on hold so we could greet the numerous local visitors who sailed or motored out to visit us and ask about Whampoa.

4 PM came along and we enjoyed our first rum drink of the afternoon and chatted with our new friends. We got a pretty good layout of the town and where to go and had more offers of transportation than we could ever need.

I cooked dinner on the boat and we enjoyed the first of many beautiful Oxford sunsets on the hook.



We planned to spend several days in the Oxford area looking up old friends and a 51' ketch that George had designed and built back in 1976.

SV Endeavour





Teak decks maintained using "Nothing" before Giu was born



And a glimpse of her interior, main salon area, starboard side



It was great to see her in fine shape in Oxford.

[JamesS]

Beautiful shots and a great story. Keep it coming!

However, I must correct your geology: the Calvert Formation, from which the cliffs are formed, was laid down during the Miocene Epoch between 20-10 MYA when what is now the Atlantic Coast was a warm, shallow sea. The Chesapeake Bay itself is the ria, or drowned valley, of the Susquehanna River. It was formed about 10,000 years ago when the sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age.

Interestingly, the location and geology of the Susquehanna, and ultimately the Bay itself, is due to a large bolide impact about 35 MYA during the Eocene. It was a pretty big one, creating an impact crater calculated to be between 65-80 km across.

/pedant

[Whampoa]

Thanks James. My error. Apologies to all. I guess I needed to read the museum exhibits a lot closer .

I have edited the error in my post and removed the incorrect info.

Thanks again for correcting me.

Regards, John

[Whampoa]

We stayed in Oxford. MD for several days and enjoyed our visits with old friends, a tour of the Cutts & Case boatyard, a brief stay on the T-Dock at the Oxford Boatyard waiting on parts and a few hours of work to replace the raw water pump assembly .

Memorial Day weekend we were anchored off the strand having breakfast. I notice the bilge pump light coming on for a few seconds and then off while we were eating. I had the diesel running to put some charge on the batteries.

A quick inspection determined that seawater was leaking from the front seal of the raw water pump. As is usually the case when such events occur, no yard was open. While at that time I carried several spare impellers for the raw water pump, I did not have a full pump rebuild kit on the boat.

About half the water was being leaked into the bilge and the other half out the exhaust so we had plenty of cooling for the short idle up into the local town creek to the Oxford Boat Yard. We managed to arrange a few days at the end of one of their T-Docks and got the boat tied up for the wait until we could order and get the new parts mid-week. The yard was closed on that Monday but we ordered a new pump assembly first thing Tuesday morning and it arrived first thing Wednesday morning.

I priced both a rebuild kit and a new pump assembly figuring I would install the new pump and rebuild the old assembly as a spare. To my surprise, the full kit was only $20 less than the sale price on a new pump so I ordered two new bronze pumps.

It took about an hour of laying on top of the Izuzu to pull off the alternator and then the old raw water pump and about the same to reinstall the new unit on Wednesday morning when it came in.

I give high marks to the folks at the Oxford Boatyard. They made every effort to assist us and accommodate us on little notice during a very busy weekend. Many thanks.

We decided to stay one more night at the dock and planned to leave for St. Michaels, MD the next morning.

The trip up to St. Michaels was a relatively short one of about 30 NM.



Winds were light when we left the dock so we ran under power back down the Tred Avon River and down the Choptank to the channel into Knapps Narrows that cut between the mainland and Tilghman Island.

Knapps Narrows is just that, narrow, and we had the tide at our back and knew it would be running hard through the narrows. A draw bridge crosses the narrows. We had been advised that the bridge and current combination if combined with another boat transiting in the opposite direction could make for an exciting morning if not managed properly.

We called the bridge tender about 400 yards from the bridge to give him plenty of time to deal with morning traffic. He told us to come on ahead that he would have the bridge up when we got there. He did and we passed through without incident.

Over dinner with friends, only a few days before at a restaurant beside the bridge, we witnessed a 30 foot sloop impact the bridge when he got in too close and the timing of the opening and other traffic went bad. With a following current, he lost it when he turned broadside to the current to try and maneuver back away from the bridge. It wasn't pretty . No one was injured but the boat took a beating before a pair of power boats could get lines on it and pull it away from the bridge.

With the bridge behind us, we wound our way through the rest of the narrows and out the west side of Tilghman Island. Winds were still light out of the west so we decided to work our way up through the Poplar Island Narrows to the Eastern Bay.



The water was calm and we could see the shallow bars well enough to slide up into the narrows and we continued to motor north waiting for the breeze to build in.

We didn't have too long to wait for the breeze and by the time we cleared the north end of Poplar Island we had a nice breeze. We put our sails up as we eased into Eastern Bay.



We enjoyed a nice sail up into the Eastern Bay despite a pair of large power boats that went roaring up into the bay as we were exiting the Poplar Island narrows. The VHF started to buzz with numerous calls from small boats that were nearly swamped as the two 60' sportfishermen raced up the bay. The Coast Guard got involved and easily tracked them up the bay as every boat they nearly drowned called in to report them. It made for quite a show for about 90 minutes.

We entered the mouth of the Miles River and headed back south to St. Michaels winding our way down the river.



I had planned to tie up at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum alongside one of their docks but changed my mind when the dock-master of the day couldn't provide me with the depth at the dock. I briefly went up into the basin just north of the museum but didn't care for the shallow depths and the lack of swing room so we eased back out into the river and dropped the hook just off St. Michaels. The weather forecast was good with only light winds out of the west for the next several days so we enjoyed plenty of room and good holding and depths.

It was mid-afternoon when we got settled so we kicked back with our evening rum and took in the local traffic.

Whampoa at anchor off St. Michaels, MD



Some of the locals.....







We had another nice meal and kicked back for the evening. In the morning, we planned to visit the museum and take a walk around the town of St. Michaels.

[Giulietta]

Dear Lord..how did I miss this post???

Thai is a gem!!

Thank you very very much

what a post!!

Thank you John!

[T37Chef]

Wonderful read Whamp, thanks for sharing...makes me excited for the coming season.

[Whampoa]

Thanks to everyone for viewing the thread.

We woke to another fine day off St. Michaels, MD. After a nice breakfast it was time to go visit the museum.

A quick dinghy ride in



Sun at our backs, Whampoa as a ketch ........Just kidding



The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum grounds ahead



The museum has a number of traditional work boats to enjoy as well as a restoration boat shop that you can drop by and observe work going on there.





One of the small boat restoration and apprentice shops





The museum also has one of the bay's historic lighthouses on site and restored for viewing. The Hooper Straight Light , one of the bay's "screwpile" type lighthouses, is an interesting piece of bay history.



The multi-story, red roofed building houses many of the museums exhibits of life on the bay. The area has a rich racing history and there are a number of small sailboats inside including a Star and Comet and a Chesapeake Bay racing log canoe.



Check out this video of some of the log canoe racing







Something to see I'm sure



Oystering was once a huge industry in the bay and remains an important element of life on the bay. The museum has a building dedicated to this important fishery.



Inside you will find a wealth of exhibits including a skipjack that you can board and explore along with some interesting video footage of the crews working the oyster trawls. You will also find numerous exhibits with everything from oyster canning equipment and a wall sized display of the art on Oyster tins as well as a wonderful photographic display about the life an times of the watermen and women.

Outside along the docks are many examples of the different types and styles of working vessels used on the waters of the bay.













This wonderful classic powerboat was donated to the museum and is well worth the time to look her over.



Two other exhibits we were not able to visit include the Waterfowling exhibit and the Steamboats on the bay exhibits.

All in all the museum is nicely done and offers a great opportunity to get off the boat and take in the local history and culture.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at one of the favorite local restaurant, The Crab Claw, and then took a brief walking tour of the town. A very pleasant visit.

We finished up and eased back to the boat in the early afternoon and took care of a few items on the boat before settling in for the evening.



The next day we planned to sail up to Annapolis, MD.

[Whampoa]

Another nice evening at anchor and a good breakfast at sunrise set the stage for the days journey up to just north of Annapolis, MD where we planned a short stay to visit family.

The trip up to Annapolis was a short 26 nm and we had a nice SW breeze forecast at 10-15 knots for the day.

The days route was pretty straight forward and we took our time before picking up the anchor and departing St. Michaels, MD.



The winds were light and more out of the south as we put the sails up to begin the day. We set the main and jib and ran down the river enjoying another cup of coffee and the late morning sun.



By the time we reached the mouth of the Miles River and turned down Eastern Bay towards the main bay, the wind had firmed up to 12-15 knots out of 210 degrees. We hardened up and enjoyed a great sail down the Eastern Bay to Bloody Pt..



We met another sailor enjoying the day as we rounded the point and the lighthouse.



Bloody Point Bar Lighthouse



As we eased out into the main bay we soon had a small following sea and the breeze was on our stern. The tide was running out of the bay and opposing the southerly breeze making for a slight slop. We rolled up the jib and just slid north on the main as we were in no hurry.

Off to port we passed the Thomas Point Bar Lighthouse as we neared Annapolis and eased our way around a number of large ships anchored out in the bay nearby. I can't imagine why but I failed to get any photos of my own of this lighthouse. Go figure!

We were headed for a creek north of Annapolis where a member of George's family has a home and had invited us to tie up at their dock. George finally got them on the phone and we got the name of their creek and where to find the dock .

We were headed to Mill Creek off Whitehall Bay. I located them on the charts and we decided on our approach. Couldn't have worked out easier for us. We slid up into Whitehall Bay and dropped the main then motored up into the narrow channel into Mill Creek.



The winds swirling around the creek when we got to the dock and the wakes being thrown by the local power boaters and jet skis made for an interesting entry into the slip. The winds had come up to around 20 out of the SSW and were swirling and boiling around the high bluff on the north side of the creek where the dock was located.

I managed to get her into the slip and still have both a usable boat and intact dock and with plenty of help from family we got the boat secured with only a minor scuff to the sheer stripe.

We met the locals



and looked over our shoulder at a building thunderstorm on the bay.



After putting the boat in order and cleaning up we joined George's family for a tour of the Naval Academy grounds. George's grand niece and her husband are both naval officers and both are instructors at the Naval Academy. He is a Navy Seal and she is a naval aviator. The tour of the grounds was impressive.

We parked and went into Annapolis for a great meal but for the life of me I can't tell you which restaurant . We took in a walk around the waterfront after dinner before heading back to the house.

Back on the boat, we savored the days rum ration and turned in about midnight.

Another weather system was moving in on us and we would have to assess our departure plans in the morning. It looked like a series of frontal passages were likely in the next 5-7 days and we were at a decision point.

Would we continue to press north up the bay or begin working our way back down the bay? The rum told us it would wait till morning........

[Giulietta]

NICE!!!

Loved the log boat races,...I could see myself doing that

[TrueGiu]

I am speechless.....

[Whampoa]

I am speechless.....

That's not what Alex tells us

Thanks TG.

[T37Chef]

Whampoa,

I've been on the Chesapeake Bay in one way or another for most of my 39 years, I am amazed at how well your story has really captured what sailing on the bay is all about.

Its a great reminder of how lucky my family and I are, thanks again for sharing, I cant wait to read more...

Cheers!

[Whampoa]

Thanks Chef. We had a wonderful time wandering around up there. I hope to make another trip up that way before too long.

We were fortunate that we seemed to be able to slide between the weather systems. I think breaking it up into small segments and not pressing bad positions made for a much more enjoyable and relaxing sail up the bay.

Regards, John

[JamesS]

You docked in Mills Creek and didn't eat at Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn? From your chart it looks like you sailed right past their dock!

For shame! A truer Maryland dining experience in Annapolis just can't be had.

[Whampoa]

Evening James. I could see the restaurant from the dock .

[ckgreenman]

Absolutely wonderful account so far. Makes me wish I lived closer to the coast. I would love to do that trip (or something similar) someday.

[sailingdog]

Don't you need to learn to sail first.

Absolutely wonderful account so far. Makes me wish I lived closer to the coast. I would love to do that trip (or something similar) someday.

[JamesS]

Evening James. I could see the restaurant from the dock .

I haven't been to Cantler's in a while (a couple of years now), but I first ate there around 1980. During the day it looks like any other crabhouse, but on Friday and Saturday nights the line of cars went a half-mile back up the road. In 1984 the Olympic soccer games were held in Annapolis, and (IIRC) Queen Noor of Jordan went there and raved about the food and atmosphere. Well, after that you really couldn't get to the place on weekends!

I don't know what the crowds are like on weekends any more, but the food was still just as good the last time I went as I remember from before. All classic Bayfood -- steamers, oysters, crabs, crabcakes, scallops. I'm getting hungry just typing this.

Anyway, too bad you missed it. If you ever come up again be sure to stop by.

[ckgreenman]

Don't you need to learn to sail first.

I'm sorry. What? I can't hear you.. Is this thing on??