Patuxent River Piranha

Solomons Maritme Museum Lighthouse

What did we do in the Solomons? Sheltered from the storm, froze to death, cooked baked dinners so the oven would heat the cabin at night, found a supermarket so we wouldn’t starve and finally visited their very interesting maritime museum. Now every town on the Chesapeake has a maritime history and most sport a museum, but this one is exceptional.

We strolled through local maritime and area history; many of the exhibits have been donated by local watermen and their families. The exhibition hall has a huge variety of displays including very old outboard engines, models of character craft that plied the waterways, such as a 250 seat theatre, and today’s feature exhibit, a tank of live rays and skates. Docents, all volunteers, knew their stuff and actually made it interesting. They also get to supervise a discovery room where children can hoist sails in a skiff, climb a lighthouse model (& turn the lamp on) or explore a touchtank full of squishy fishies. We looked for crabs in the marsh, watched two fat & happy otters perform like spoilt kids, and gazed at estuariums full of local marine life. We climbed the Drum Point Lighthouse (1883) to the lantern room and were surprised at how much “living” space the lighthouse had. (GS took measurements for a Dangar prototype.) Most fascinating were the (20 million year old) fossils taken from nearby Calvert Cliffs. Coming eye to mouth with 37½ feet of megalodon, a shark ancestor & one of only two in the world, made our white pointers look somewhat docile.

37 feet of teeth

The fun was nearly over - time to make our way to Jackson Creek and WJ3’s winter home. We set sail early leaving with a crowd of migrating locals. Like their namesakes (snow geese) they honked and fussed all day; the VHF rarely silent. All the way back down the Bay Cap’n & GS wished they could remember the words to that truckin’ song “Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a connnn vvvvoy…”. (Apologies to CW Mcall) 

Unbelievable but true for an early start! It’s still quite dark at 7am. (No wonder we’ve been sleeping so late!)

From: Solomons Island, MD Lat/Long: 38 19N 76 27W  Date/Time: 19/10/10: 0715

To: Deltaville, VA  Lat/Long: 37 32N  76 19W  Date/Time: 19/10/10: 1605
Time Taken: 60nm (9.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 1736nm (303hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 5376nm (1002hrs)   Fastest Speed: 7.6kts
Weather: Winds E starting 25kts down to 3kts; Seas 1-2ft;

In case you missed the above figures, we’ve done an astonishing 1736nm (303 hrs) again this year!

Water Torture

Solomons Island:  5 Aug 10

Chesapeake Lighthouse

Our first obstacle on entering the Patuxent River was to avoid going anywhere near a huge Navy Base on the southern shore.  It, of course, came to us.  Booming jets practicing landing drills roared overhead, using us as pretend target practice.  We could almost see the smiles on the pilot’s faces as we ducked and tried to move just a little faster. 

Idyllic Anchorage

Our next challenge was a sudden thunderstorm creating great gusts (35mph) trying to flatten WJ3 out.  Fortunately we had no sail up as WJ3 had been having a few engine “issues” (dirty fuel).  GS was sent forward in this storm to set up the anchor in case “we” suddenly had no forward propulsion.  Gee, thanks…

Early morning on Back Creek

Eventually, but not soon enough, the Motleys made it in to safe harbour, passing by Tow Boat US escorting a hot water boat that had earlier sent out a Mayday call.  We tried not to stare judgementally, but what the hey, everyone else at a nearby marina was gawking, so why not?  Finally at the end of Back Creek we dropped the hook.  “No good,” said Cap’n Ready for Action, “there’s only 4 ½ feet of water here".  What?  We draw 5 ½ ‘ – how did that happen?  GS was sent forward again as lightning flashed and the heavens opened up (our Cap’n was safe and dry under the bimini) to haul up the anchor and then reposition it in deeper water.  Gee, thanks…..

So here we sit just outside the Holiday Inn in an idyllic little creek waiting for northerlies to give way to more friendly southerlies.  We’re taking photos to send to Hornsby Council.  We think the Hawkesbury waterways should look like this, ducks and geese included…..

From: Reedville, MD  Lat/Long: 37 50N  76 16W  Date/Time: 5/8/10: 0800

To: Solomons Island, MD  Lat/Long: 38 20N  76 27W Date/Time: 5/8/10: 1750

Time Taken: 47nm (10hrs)  Distance (this year): 73nm (15hrs)

Distance Total (since 2008): 3713nm  (714hrs)   Fastest Speed: See Note**

Weather: Winds SW-W  5-10kts; Seas 1-2ft; overcast

(** Mostly motoring with a little sail at times; avg 5-6kts)