Solomon’s, MD

Our day on Thursday, July 9 started in the middle of the night when Lynn was awakened by a slight shift in sound from the air conditioning.  Jonny got up to investigate and determined that it was due to a broken generator! The weather has been so hot that to go without AC is intolerable. It’s a good thing this happened after Stephanie and Ryan left!

The big decision for the day was where to go from here. We clearly needed a marina or somewhere that we can tie up for power. Also, a big storm was heading up the east coast and we wanted to be in a secure spot as far from it as possible.  We knew we were heading south because we needed to be in White Hall Marina by the end of the week where our car is so we could drive to South Florida the following weekend.

We started calling marinas in Herring Bay, about two hours south of Annapolis. They were all booked. Our next option was to call marinas in the Solomon’s, a six hour cruise. Several were booked but we found one, called Spring Cove Marina, that had space. Spring Cove was one of the pricier options but we rationalized the expense, opting for comfort and amenities such ask an on-site swimming pool and laundry. We knew we might be there for two or three nights. So away we went. We left at 11 on yet another hot, hot day. Again, the seas were calm and the passage blissfully uneventful.

Jonny spent a lot of time researching solutions for the broken generator. It turned out that it’s a significant expense since we need a new exciter (the part that produces the electricity) which costs about $3000!!  But the boat is 20 years old and we need it so he ordered it and had it sent to White Point Marina where we can hopefully have it installed while we’re away in South Florida. A minor consolation was the $250 we would save by not having to buy a new power cord and drying it out instead.

We came into the Solomon’s and arrived at Spring Cove Marina at 4:45 and discovered that our bow thruster wasn’t working. If it’s not one thing, it’s another!

That didn’t prevent Jonny from tying up easily up in a nice shady slip.  The grounds of this large marina are filled with large shady pine trees. Grassy areas with picnic benches abound. The pool beckoned and we went for a delicious dip in the jellyfish-free pool.  We had salmon and salad for dinner and slept well with plenty of AC.

On Friday, we did various chores all day. Jonny repaired the bow thruster.   Lynn did two loads of laundry and finally started writing her blog.  Needless to say, it was hot enough for another swim in their very nice pool where everyone remained socially distant in their little family groups. 

We also took the marina’s loaner car to do some grocery shopping.  We really wanted to buy soft shell crabs but the fish market said they haven’t had any for weeks so instead we bought rockfish to cook on the grill. 

 

When we returned to Zendo, we had our nightly cocktail and nibbles and Jonny prepared the rockfish which we had with salad. We watched a TV show that Jonny had downloaded for our viewing pleasure.  We’ve had pretty limited access to television lately which is not a terrible thing as long as Lynn can watch her nightly PBS News Hour.

On Saturday, Jonny did more repairs including diagnosing and fixing the leak in our fresh water system which was driving him crazy with the bilge pump regularly coming on.  Lynn finished up all the blog entries. There was a lovely breeze on the grassy lawn so we sat on a recently sanitized picnic table and read in the cool shade. We decided to stay at this comfortable marina for a third night and just chill. The next day we would amble over to a marina off of the mouth of the Potomac.

That evening we explored our options as to where to go next and we decided that we would move on to the Potomac and do some exploring along the mouth of that great river.  We scoped out two possible marinas (because we need to tie up to get AC in this heat with our broken generator)!  We had burgers, home fries and salad for dinner and watched some TV before going to bed.

Annapolis, MD

On our last day with Stephanie and Ryan (Wed., July 8) we tried to make the most of it.  But first things first.  Jonny decided to try to retrieve the dropped pigtail shore power adaptor.  The tide was a little lower than the previous night and of course there was daylight.  But the water was just as dark and murky. He dove once, no luck. Twice, no luck. But the third time was the charm.  He retrieved the sunken treasure but how different it looked after less than 12 hours! What had been a bright neon yellow cord was now indelibly stained an ugly brownish-black.  He was convinced that would never be usable, but after some research he learned a way to dry it out.

So we took off from Cantler’s on yet another sunny and hot day. We had learned that there are a lot fewer jellyfish on the western shore and rivers of the Chesapeake than on the eastern shore where Oxford and St. Michael’s are.  We headed up Mill Creek for some sightseeing then over to Spa Creek in Annapolis where we had stayed previously moored.

An hour and a half later, we were happily  swimming and paddle boarding in fresh clean water.

Before long, we headed back into the main harbor in Annapolis where we tied up to a mooring ball for the night.  We passed all the colorful Lasers and Optis  sailing in the harbor. 

Ryan’s parents had kindly offered to pick them up the next day and we planned to meet them for lunch at 2:00.  Stephanie and Ryan packed up their things.  We took two trips in the dinghy to transport them and their bags into town and we walked up the grill to the Galway Inn where we were meeting Tim and Kerry for lunch.  After a very pleasant lunch, we walked them to their car.  Kerry had brought Lynn a gift of lovely zinnias (Lynn’s favorite) and a whole packet of fresh herbs from her garden.  We said our tearful goodbyes and confirmed that we had all had a wonderful time together and looked forward to many more.

After returning to Zendo, Lynn gathered all the laundry but was too lazy to take the dinghy into town to do it. Jonny spent time researching the replacement cost of the shore power cord and deciding whether or not to order one.  This was to be our last night in Annapolis for now, until next time.

Cantler’s, Annapolis, MD

Tuesday, July 7 started out with a little excitement. As Jonny was bailing out the dinghy from the previous night’s rain, he noticed that the generator had stopped pumping water. He immediately turned the generator off and examined the generator strainer.   Lo and behold, it was clogged with jellyfish!  Trying to remove the remains was like scraping out gelatinous goo! Gross!  It took awhile to clean it all out followed by checking and cleaning out the air conditioning filters which weren’t quite as bad.

Once that was done, we took off for our long cruise back to the Chesapeake’s western shore.  The weather continued to be hot, but thankfully the seas were calm and there was no more rain.

Stephanie and Ryan kept busy most of the ride with crossword puzzles.



We really wanted to find a place with no jelly fish so we could go swimming - the best solution for beating the heat.  We cruised over to White Hall Bay which is north of Annapolis. After stopping a couple of times to see if it was safe for swimming, we finally found a great spot to swim and paddle board.  It was a lovely wooded cove with some beautiful homes and we spent a couple of hours cooling off and relaxing.

Afterwards, we proceeded with our original plan which was to cruise over to Cantler’s, a very popular seafood restaurant that provides free overnight dockage ( including electricity) for boaters who eat there. We were the only boat tying up.  Another in our series of unfortunate events then occurred.  Jonny had tied up the boat and Lynn was about to hand him the pigtail which is used to connect the boat to the electrical box on the dock.  She tripped on a line and dropped the pigtail right into the water. It happened so fast that there was nothing to be done. The pigtail is heavy and it immediately sank in the murky water. Not a good thing!!  All this happened as Stephanie was tuning into a family FaceTime call with Janice, Andy, Ed and Andy’s daughter, Samantha.  With all the excitement, we postponed the call until after dinner.  Fortunately,  we were still able to plug into the 30 amp plug. It would have been a drag if we couldn’t have plugged in because it was so very hot out.  No air conditioning would have been very uncomfortable especially with having guests on board.

Lynn and Jonny settled down and we proceeded up to the the restaurant where Stephanie and Ryan treated us to a delicious dinner of seafood and crabs served in at least half a dozen ways. We ate outside on the deck and enjoyed every bite.  Afterwards, we returned to Zendo, turned on the AC and resumed our FaceTime call with the family. 

St. Michaels, MD

On July 5, we had a nice lazy start to our day and finally left Oxford at 10:45 for a short cruise to St. Michaels.  The hot sunny weather continued and we arrived at our San Domingo Creek anchorage in just two hours. San Domingo Creek serves as a “back door” to St. Michaels which is usually pretty busy with boaters and tourists. We had been wanting to visit this anchorage because it sounded like a quieter, more private alternative which it definitely was.

We ate lunch on board and then took the dinghy into town which was a short walk from the dinghy dock.  St. Michaels is a very charming town, bigger than Oxford with many more lovely shops and restaurants.  Stephanie and Lynn indulged themselves in some retail therapy and each bought a few remembrances.

Meanwhile, Jonny and Ryan scoped out the local brew pubs and we enjoyed flights of beer at the Eastern Shore Brewery.  It’s to be noted that all the shops and restaurants on our trip have been practicing social distancing and mask wearing such that we have been comfortable with our visits to them. 

Continuing our stroll through St. Michaels, we crossed a flower bedecked bridge and found a great local ice cream shop called Justine’s. Justine’s was so cautious that we had to order, wait and eat outside.

After returning to Zendo, we still couldn’t go swimming due to the jellyfish - disappointing! So we made do and relaxed onboard until it was time to make dinner.  We decided to grill flank steak on the grill.  Just as it was done cooking, the skies opened and it started to pour. We scrambled inside and the storm continued with thunder, lightening and lots of rain for the rest of the night.  In fact, it rained so hard that we had a small leak in the hatch over our V berth where Jonny and Lynn were sleeping.  Unfortunately, this caused Jonny to move out onto the settee in the salon for a rather uncomfortable night’s “rest.”

Oxford, MD

On the 4th of July we headed out from Annapolis at 10:30 to cross the Chesapeake.  It was a hot and sunny day but there was a nice breeze. As always, Captain Jon was at the helm in all his glory!

Stephanie and Ryan were fully enjoying getting away from it all.  They were quickly acclimating to the cruising lifestyle!

We arrived at the lovely little village of Oxford off of the Choptank River by 2:45.  We tied up at Oxford Yacht Agency where we had stayed for an extended period during our 2015 cruise. We loved the little town and were surprised to see only two other boats staying there.  John, the owner, came by and helped us tie up at the T dock.  

It was beastly hot and we really wanted to go swimming but with all the jellyfish around, we didn’t dare.  Stephanie and Ryan decided it was safe enough to go paddle boarding.

Afterwards, we walked into the village where there was a little market that was remarkably open and sufficiently stocked for our needs.  The market is across the street from a beautiful park that overlooks the Tred Avon River.  Sitting on the benches under the huge oak tress provided a welcome relief from the heat.

That evening we had delicious cocktails and apps followed by a traditional 4th of July meal of burgers on the grill, potato salad and a tossed salad.  That evening we played a fun trivia game that the kids brought called I Should Have Known That.

The next day Ryan and Stephanie went for a run while Jonny and Lynn went for a less taxing walk.  We all remarked on the many pretty scenes we encountered along the way.

It was Sunday morning, a perfect opportunity for a nice onboard brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon and home fries with the requisite Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers.  Needless to say, this was followed by a lazy day including naps!

That evening we treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at the historic Robert Morris Inn where we sat outside with a beautiful view of the water.  Dinner was outstanding. Stephanie and Ryan tried the local rockfish which was a great discovery for all of us.  Oxford is such a slow-paced little town surrounded by water.   Everything is within walking distance.  It was a great way to wind down and have lots of quiet time to enjoy each other’s company.

Annapolis, MD

It was a great treat to stay on anchor after being in a covered slip at White Hall Marina for a week.  We woke up on Wed., July 1, after a nice calm night with only one incident. (Isn’t there always an unexpected incident when boating)?  In the middle of the night we were awakened by a big thunderstorm which we didn’t expect.  We had to jump out of bed to close all the windows and Stratoglass on the fly bridge and aft deck.  Fortunately, no harm done.  

After a lazy morning, we pulled the anchor and set off for Annapolis by 9:10. It was a beautiful sunny day with somewhat cool temperatures and calm seas.  We made it to Annapolis in three short hours and secured a mooring ball in the harbor exactly where we stayed last year. Our plan was to move further back into Spa Creek when Stephanie and Ryan join us the next day because it’s much calmer there than the  rolly and busy main harbor. 

We spent the day getting Zendo ready for our guests.  We had to finish cleaning all the Stratoglass panels, a lengthy three step process, but well worth the effort. Jonny inflated the paddleboard and organized the aft deck so it would be more comfortable with the four of us moving around.  Later in the afternoon it poured rain all of a sudden which caused us to roll down all the carefully rolled up panels and close all the windows. Sound familiar? The rain cooled things down some but the weather was forecasted to be very hot over the next several days. 

On Thursday, we did laundry which involved taking the dinghy onto shore where the harbor master had a washer and dryer located in the ladies room. We also took an Uber to go grocery shopping and finished cleaning Zendo.  Afterwards, we moved up into Spa Creek and grabbed a mooring ball to secure our calmer anchorage.  Ryan, who has been known to get seasick, would be more comfortable in this  calmer setting. 

By 5:30 we took a water taxi to Eastport where we met Stephanie, Ryan and his parents at the Boatyard Grill, one of our favorite restaurants in Annapolis.  The restaurant and the Farrells were definitely prepared for social distancing with masks, lots of outdoor dining and widely separated tables. We really enjoyed meeting Tim and Kerry. Tim, who is a graduate of the Naval Academy was happy to be back on his old stomping grounds.  After an engaging evening and a delicious crab cake dinner, we said our goodbyes and hailed a water taxi to head back to Zendo.

We spent a good part of Friday exploring Annapolis.  Stephanie had never been there before and we wanted her to see this charming historic little city. Unfortunately, some of the major sites were closed due to Covid but we managed to visit the pretty gardens at the William Para House and walk through the grounds of St. John’s College and the State House. 

We had lunch at The Galway Inn, our favorite Irish pub.  Later that afternoon while three of us went swimming off the boat, Jonny Ubered to West Marine to buy a new bilge pump (another unplanned incident). He spent the rest of the afternoon successfully installing it.  He has become quite proficient at all kinds of boat repairs!

Ryan and Stephanie had brought ingredients with them to make us a delicious shrimp curry for dinner. Afterwards we had a fun time playing games before hitting the sack. The next day we would be starting our cruise through the Chesapeake Bay.

2020 Cruise - Herring Bay Anchorage on the Chesapeake Bay

In late June we drove from Miami to Virginia to spend a week getting Zendo ready for our 2020 cruise.  On the drive up, we stayed with our friends Alex and Natalie in Jacksonville Beach and Cathy in Davidson, NC.  We had moved Zendo to a new marina, White Point in Kinsale, VA, to have some work done in advance of our arrival.

Most, but not all, of it was completed by the time we arrived. Jonny still had quite a long list of things to do including changing filters and impellers, replacing the regulator in the propane system, preparing the dinghy, reassembling the bimini, replacing hoses, etc. and of course, lots of deep cleaning.  We also had the boat hauled to scrape the barnacles off the bottom - a rather unpleasant job that we all participated in!  

The boatyard where we had it pulled had quite a motley collection of old cars in various stages of repair,

Our daily reward after long hot days of work was a dip in the marina’s swimming.  And finally, by Tuesday, June 30, we were ready to cruise!  Departure time was 7:30 since we had a long day ahead - almost 9 hours!  

Our destination was Annapolis where Stephanie and her boyfriend Ryan were joining us for a week of cruising on the Chesapeake.  Ryan’s parents had offered to drive them so we would have the opportunity to “meet the parents.”

It was a perfect day for cruising.  Sunny and warm, but not hot and seas were calm,  It felt so great to be back on the water again!  Since it was mid-week  and we are in the middle of the corona virus epidemic, there was very little boat traffic. It got a little choppy as the winds picked up but it didn’t last long and most of the day was just perfect.

We arrived at Herring Bay at 4:20, our anchorage for the night.  We had stayed here on previous voyages.  It’s just a shallow cove carved out of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay between the Solomon’s and Annapolis.  We had a quiet night aboard enjoying  appetizers on the cutting board Stephanie had given us for Christmas.