Not so Chirpy on the Choptank

After living the fantasy at Annapolis, it was time to move on.  The Eastern Shore (its warm & very shallow waters) and St Michaels beckoned for a more laid back experience.  Don’t believe it.  First we nearly went aground looking for an anchorage, the weather changed to “solid” rain and to our amazement, a mini-cruise ship berthed in town.  Our anchoring efforts were watched closely by a neighbouring yottie, who immediately moved, not once but twice.  Finally, he took a marina slip.  All the while shouting at his wife - he must be worth a mint is all I can say…

Jolly cold on the trip back

Rather than sit like glum bunnies, we moved on in the rain to Oxford.  Just in time of course for screeching 25kt North Westerlies to set in.  They found us hidden up in Town Creek too!  Needless to say, we dragged on the anchor*, across the channel, into 6 feet of water….at 5.30 in the morning.  “Lets get going”, shouted a stern Cap’n.  It was still blowing a gale, and it was DARK.  Let’s just say that this part of the voyage ended off the mouth of Tred Avon River in gusting 30kt winds, 3-6 foot seas and NO working motor.  Did I mention it was dark?  Cap’n Calamity set the sails (real quick) and took us back up the Tred Avon way from that nasty white spider lurking on a shoal nearby.  Back in a relative calm, we dropped anchor (Under sail – aren’t we getting good at this?) and waited for daylight and a fuel dock to open.

Fresh fuel seemed to settle nasty bits of sediment that keep blocking WJ3’s fuel supply.  That fixed, we had another go.  After a few hours of windward bashing out the Choptank, all sails were hoisted and off we went like a rocket, south to the Solomons, now a busy refuge for snow geese (Canadians) sheltering from the weather too but definitely on the move for some Bahamian warmth.  Time for us to have a few days off as well!

Back down Chesapeake Bay - seems like home!

*We later found out that the Oxford Creek bed is covered in layers of old oyster shells and holding is notoriously poor - otherwise known as a "shell back"!  Also Tred Avon is a corruption of Thread Haven. In 1683, supplies of rope, hemp and cordage were produced here to meet seafaring needs.

From: Weems Creek Lat/Long: 38:59.9710N  76:30.1740W  Date/Time: 13/10/10: 1000
To: Solomons Island  Lat/Long: 38:19.9160N  76:27.5520W   Date/Time: 15/10/10: 1620
Time Taken: 27.6nm (6 hrs) St Michaels; 31.3nm (6hrs) Oxford; 30nm (6hrs) Solomons Island 

Distance (this year): 1675.9nm (293.5hrs) Distance Total (since 2008): 5313.5 (992.5hrs) 

Weather: NW; 15-20kts G30; 3' seas; this continued for days......    Fastest Speed: 7.6kts