Solomons, MD

We decided to take a chance on cruising to Solomons on Saturday, June 18 thinking that if we left early enough we would have the best chance of a halfway decent passage. This was a distinct concern because the wind was blowing 25 knots but because it was coming out of the northwest the only part of the journey that should be really bad would be crossing the Potomac River which provided an open fetch for the wind.  We also didn’t want to stay any longer at South Point  Marina because we had absolutely no internet or cell phone service and we both had work to do.  We figured if the passage was really bad we could always turn back.  So we departed at 7:20 and headed into the Chesapeake Bay. 

It got rougher as we progressed but it wasn’t impossible, just not at all comfortable. I had to hold Archie in my arms the entire journey because he was not a happy camper, even with his CBD cookie.  We cruised for five hours in this manner.  Jonny did his best to make it as comfortable as possible.  The worst of it was crossing the Potomac where the water sprayed over the boat and at times reached us just a bit.

Finally as we turned into the Patuxent River, things calmed down some and we made it safely to Calvert’s Marina in Solomons.  We passed this interesting ship as we entered the harbor.  A dockhand helped us tie up on a floating dock and we happily settled in.  What a relief to get off the water!

Jonny washed all the salt off of Zendo and afterwards rode his bike to a local fish market to get soft shell crabs.  Even though he had called ahead to make sure they had them, when he arrived they told him they had just sold the last ones. So instead he bought some beautiful fresh shrimp.  Meanwhile I caught up on the blog.  That evening we had delicious shrimp scampi with pasta and a tossed salad. It’s always a treat to have such fresh seafood!

The next day was Father’s Day which we will celebrate with Stephanie the following weekend when we are in Philadelphia.  Jonny worked on the never-ending boat chores while I did a load of laundry.  He rode his bike back to the fish market where once again they told him they were out of soft shells!  After he expressed his dismay, they kindly went out back to their tanks and brought him four fat fresh soft shell crabs! He also bought some corn on the cob and green beans.

Upon his return he spent the rest of the afternoon on MTOA work and I spent the afternoon doing Spanish homework (I have a weekly Spanish lesson with a tutor on Zoom) and looking for flights for our trip to Seattle in September.  

We had some very nice interactions with nearby boaters.  One of the couples live aboard and were sailing on their 42 foot Catalina that was docked in front of us and another couple who we had met previously and who live in South Florida were stuck at Calvert’s trying to get their generator fixed. They were very disappointed to have to miss the upcoming MTOA Rendezvous in Greenport on Long Island in July but we benefitted from being able to take over their slip reservation for the event.

We rewarded our day’s efforts with a very delicious dinner of the bounty Jonny had bought earlier in the day.  Eating outside on the aft deck is such a nice way to end the day.  After washing the dishes we both took Archie for a long walk, mostly off-leash, on the grounds surrounding the marina.  The marina is located on a spit of land that has water on three sides.  It’s really quite a beautiful setting!

The next day we will head for Annapolis where we’ll have lunch with our friends Greg and Lynda who live in Alexandra.

Reedville, VA

On Friday, June 17 we awoke to a beautiful morning.  We thought there was supposed to be a storm during the night and we closed everything up but it didn’t materialize. Of course, if we hadn’t, it probably would have rained!

Jonny started the day by taking Archie in the dinghy for a walk on land while I caught up on the blog.

We left our lovely anchorage at 8:30 in calm seas heading north towards Smith Point, the easternmost point of the mouth of the Potomac River. We were making good time on calm seas and thought about going further. But there aren’t many places to stop in this part of the Chesapeake and the next logical place had us arriving at 7 p.m. and that was too long of a day for us.  There was not a lot of boat traffic but we did see this huge container ship.

There was also a possibility that we would be stuck for a couple of days wherever we chose because high winds and choppy seas were forecasted for the following day. So while we were initially thinking we’d anchor near Smith Point,  we decided to stay at the Smith Point Marina for the night.

We arrived at the marina at 2:40 in the heat of the day.

We could definitely have used a dip in a pool but unfortunately they didn’t have one. After we tied up we also discovered that we had absolutely no cell phone or internet service! Their WIFI didn’t work and we were unable to make calls or to text. We are now 100% convinced that we have to switch to Verizon which has much better service in these remote areas.

At least we could run the AC which we really needed because it was beastly hot. After cooling off a bit, Jonny had our tank of propane filled.  We didn’t realize how low we were and we use it for the stove almost every day when we cook. It would have been a drag to run out in the middle of cooking a meal!

We ventured out for a walk with Archie.  We met another couple walking with a dog that initially was quite aggressive with Archie who we had left off the leash because we were in a very large field. Fortunately their dog calmed down and we had a nice long chat with them. They live in Richmond and had a second home in the area and a fishing boat.  They aspired to our life style but they are busy working and putting five kids through college so they will have to wait awhile!

Unfortunately, later that afternoon, Archie jumped off of the boat again. This time it was quite a big jump as we had put the ladder on the dock because it was such a reach from the boat to the dock.  We’re not sure how to deal with this other than to keep him tied up when he sits on the bow of the boat.  Any suggestions are appreciated!

It was quite frustrating not having internet access. It’s amazing how dependent we are on it for communication, research, and especially weather forecasts.  We were especially concerned about the next day’s weather to determine if we could leave or if we had to stay another day.

After eating the last of the chicken Nona (the gift that keeps on giving), we did it the old-fashioned way and spent the evening reading and going to bed early.

Horn Harbor, VA

First thing on Thursday morning, June 16, Jonny walked about a half mile to the local Food Lion to stock up on a few essentials.  I fed Archie (including a CBD biscuit) and took him for a walk in the park to chase sticks.  He seemed a lot happier than the day before. Let’s hope that he stays that way!

We left the Deep Creek dock in the Dismal Swamp at 8:30 and traversed through the lock there.  It had the cutest lockmaster’s office!

Two days later we noticed that we must have lost one of our our nice big blue fenders in the lock because it wasn’t there when we needed it at the next marina we stayed.

But blissfully unaware of that loss, we cruised along past historic Hampton, VA, the big ships in Norfolk and onto the Chesapeake Bay.  Our initial goal was to anchor in Mobjack Bay.

It was an overcast and cool day and we ran into a little rain in Norfolk but it didn’t persist.  At first it looked like a smooth passage on the bay which can be notoriously choppy.  But as we proceeded along, it began to get pretty rolly. Archie was not comfortable and he wanted to be held the whole time.

We watched the January 6 hearings as we cruised. They are riveting!  

Although we were planning to cruise to Mobjack Bay, we decided to go a bit further and to anchor in Horn Harbor.  To get there we followed a very long and skinny channel and anchored in 6 feet of water with no other boats around.  It was a very pretty and fairly remote setting.

We took Archie in the dinghy and motored to the Horn Harbor Marina where we tied up to the fuel dock and took him for a walk.  We introduced ourselves to the owners and poked around a little.  There were a lot of boats in their boatyard in various stages of repair as well as a pool which is always a nice feature.

Afterwards we headed back to Zendo, ate leftovers for dinner and made an early night of it.

 

Deep Creek, VA (Great Dismal Swamp)

We wanted to get a somewhat early start on June 15 because we weren’t sure how far we would go through the Dismal Swamp - our destination for the day. After a quick walk through Elizabeth City to pick up some groceries, we took off at 8:30.  As soon as we went through the nearby drawbridge, we headed up the Pasquotank River which becomes the Great Dismal Swamp Canal passing several rowing skulls all powered by women!

This long narrow waterway was built between 1790 and 1805 as a pathway for trade between the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia and the Albemarle Sound. It is the only water-based stop on the Underground Railraod and it became a safe place for escaped slaves and free persons of color to hide on their journey north.  It is also the oldest operating artificial waterway in the country.

The canal is very  narrow and wooded on both sides so it makes for an evocative journey.  We traversed the first of two locks and tied up behind a cool looking boat, a Pilgrim, called Salty Dog.  The couple onboard had picked up the boat in Marathon, FL and were taking it all the way to Ontario for the new owners! We saw only one other boat on the waterway all day.

We stopped about midway through the canal at the Visitor’s Center to stretch our legs.  But it was so darn hot that we quickly moved on.

Once we got underway, we had an infestation of yellow flies!  It was so bad  that Jonny brought a fan onto the flybridge but that was only moderately effective.  Archie was also quite unhappy and couldn’t settle down. He either wanted to be held or he hid in the v-berth.  He wouldn’t eat or drink water and we thought maybe the flies were bothering him too.

But the waterway was quite beautiful and the reflection of the trees on the water was so clear it was almost disorienting - you couldn’t discern up from down!

However, the water itself was so brown from all the tannin it looked like strong steeped tea!

Because we were making good time and the flies were so obnoxious we decided to go to the end of the canal and tie up beyond the second lock.  However, the only place to tie up was just before the lock where there was a beautiful park and free dock! I took Archie for a walk in the park in the village of Deep Creek where he was able to run free and fetch sticks to his heart’s content.  In the meantime, Jonny fussed with the power stanchions for awhile but they didn’t work. No problem, it was nice to have such a pleasant place to stay and we had the generator if we needed it.

Archie was not happy when it was time to return to Zendo but by the time we got back Jonny had used the generator to turn on the AC and cool off the cabin. Archie was still not happy and just sat longingly by the door with his tongue hanging out.

I made a delicious dinner of Chicken Nona, fingerling potatoes and spinach and we ate it outside on the aft deck. A bit later, after dark, we heard a thump and realized that we hadn’t seen Archie in a while. After searching through the whole boat to no avail we realized that he must have jumped onto the dock! Jonny headed out towards the park to find him and thankfully Archie quickly came to him. This was only the second time he had tried that stunt - the last time was last year.  It’s scary when it happens and it’s a good thing we keep his life jacket on him whenever he’s onboard.  It was a rough day for little Archie and hopefully he’ll be better tomorrow!

Elizabeth City, NC

On Tuesday, June 14 we prepared for an early departure since we wanted to reach Elizabeth City ahead of any storms. By 9:30 we were on our way having  walked Archie, done a load of laundry, prepared Zendo and said good-bye to Cathy.  Leaving the marina at Albermarle Plantation was much easier than when we arrived. The weather was overcast and hot but not rainy.  Unfortunately, Lynn slightly miscalculated the narrow channel and we ran aground heading out. But thankfully, Jonny was able to maneuver us back into that very skinny channel after just a few minutes.

It was quite rolly as we headed east across the Albemarle Sound. We had neglected to give Archie a CBD biscuit before leaving and he refused to eat one once we got underway even with peanut butter smeared on it.  Fortunately, we were able to change tacks after an hour and the rest of the day the cruise was quite comfortable.

We arrived at the town dock in Elizabeth City by 2:20.  There were two areas to tie up. The first had about three boats already and the tie-up was stern in with very short finger piers.  We would have had to climb over our aft deck rail and over the dinghy to get to the dock - not feasible!  The second area was much preferred as it was next to a big grassy park and there were no other boats there.  We had stayed there many years ago on our first cruise north.  The gate to get off of the dock was locked but we were able to climb over it easily.  Neither of these town docks had power or any amenities but they were free and easily accessible to the charming downtown area. By the way, I neglected to say that one of the best things about our stay at Albemarle Plantation was that it was free and it had great amenities!! 

That afternoon we walked into town with Archie and found a very nice local brew pub where we enjoyed a couple of refreshing local brews.

Later on we ate the rest of our leftovers for dinner, went for another walk through a lovely nearby nature trail and settled in for a quiet evening - a first for us in almost two weeks! We started the second season of Bridgerton.  Several blocks away, a fairly loud action movie was being broadcast outside but luckily it ended by around 10:30.

We were looking forward to the next day when we would be cruising through the Great Dismal Swamp!  And by the way, our ultimate destination this season is Maine where we will be attending a delayed wedding celebration for Jonny’s cousin Robbie’s daughter.

Hereford, NC

June 11 was the first official start of our 2022 cruise (now that Lynn has arrived on the scene)!  Jonny had picked up the boat from the boatyard in Wanchese where we had work done on it over the winter. He took it up to Edenton, NC where I met him on June 10 after having flown into Charlotte with Archie. I stayed in Charlotte for a couple of nights visiting my good friend Cathy who had just purchased a beautiful condo there.  She kindly drove us 5 hours to Edenton to meet Jonny and join us for a couple of days of cruising. It had been over 10 days since Jonny and I had been together so it was a welcome reunion.

That evening we had a delicious seafood dinner at Waterman’s Grill and the next day we had a relaxing three hour cruise as we headed to Hereford, NC. 

The weather was very pleasant and we had a relaxing cruise. But just as we arrived at the marina, a big storm came up with pouring rain and lightening.  The dockmaster was very patient as he helped us to tie up which was complicated because we didn’t know the set up there and we weren’t properly prepared.  Jonny was prepared for the rain with his raincoat but since I thought I would only be on the helm I hadn’t donned my rain gear and got soaked through since it took three sets of hands to finally get us tied up!

But all’s well that ends well and we settled into a very comfortable slip in a very pretty setting and celebrated our intense docking episode with a stiff drink!

That evening we walked over to the marina’s casual restaurant where we had pizza for dinner.  We were glad to be at this marina/resort which was quite beautiful with many amenities including a pool, two restaurants and free laundry! The grounds are very well manicured and there are many beautiful single family homes, townhomes and condos amid lovely forested areas.

The next day we drove back to Edenton to have lunch at a local pub and explore that graceful and historic town.

The weather was very hot, close to 100 degrees and we rewarded ourselves at the end of the day with a dip in the pool. Very refreshing!

That evening we worked our way through the many leftovers we had accumulated including the delicious Asian noodle dish and olive oil ricotta cake that Cathy had brought plus some delicious local corn on the cob. This was our last day with Cathy as we would be continuing our journey north the next day.