Delaware City, DE

On Friday, June 24 we had a relaxing morning because we didn’t plan to leave Chesapeake City for Delaware City until noon since it would be such a short trip.  So we took Archie for a long walk through town where we found one of those little lending library boxes at a charming homel. The home had so many books to give away that besides a full library box there were shelves of books on their front porch!

There are many lovely front porches in Chesapeake City, all tastefully decorated!

A long walk along the canal gave Archie a chance to be off leash for awhile.

After  returning to Zendo, Jonny did some MTOA work while I updated the blog, we heard the catastrophic news about the Supreme Court taking away one of the rights of American women in their overturning of Roe v. Wade. - a giant step backwards for women’s rights!

But like with everything, life continues and we took off at noon for Delaware City where we would stay for three nights. Originally we were going to drive our car (which Jonny had positioned there ) to Philadelphia and stay with Stephanie and Ryan for the weekend.  But since they both came down with Covid, we are limiting ourselves to a brief outdoor visit on Sunday.

Upon arriving at the Delaware City Marina, Tim, the owner who we like a lot, positioned us at the far end of the marina’s one lone dock thinking that several more boats would be arriving and we would be staying longer.

We definitely got our steps in over the next few days but we didn’t mind.  Archie loves Delaware City, as do we, because there are wonderful walkways, along the waterfront through town and along the canal for miles of beautiful open meadows.  Archie must have walked three miles for our one, criss-crossing the walkway as he roamed free and chased rabbits and squirrels. 

He was, however, very naughty on the second morning there when he jumped off the boat and wandered all the way down the dock and up to the marina office. One of the other boaters picked him up and returned him to us. Now Archie has to be tied up while he’s on deck. The little rascal can’t be fully trusted!

On Saturday, we went to West Marine to get a few provisions and then on to Wilmington to meet Kerry, Ryan’s mom, for lunch at a waterfront beer pub.  She had purchased two pairs of sandals for me at Costco and I wanted to get them from her.  We had a very nice time chatting away.  Unfortunately, Tim, Ryan’s dad, was out of town at a motorcycle gathering. Afterwards, we did a pretty big shopping expedition at the local Costco, some of which we’ll bring to Stephanie’s the next day.

We had had such a big lunch that we skipped dinner and just took Archie for another long walk.  His forays into the grassy field required us to do tick searches before letting him back inside. Our assiduous pre-walk bug spraying resulted in only finding one tick on him this visit!

Sunday was another busy day. First we stopped at Costco again to exchange one of the pairs of sandals (the wrong size was in one of the boxes), then drove to Philly to have lunch with Stephanie and Ryan.  We ordered delicious pork sandwiches from a local favorite and met them in a park near their home.  Wearing masks, we sat in lawn chairs six feet apart and enjoyed our lunch and catching up on the latest.  Here’s hoping that dogs don’t spread Covid because Archie was happy to cuddle up with Stephanie for a good part of our visit! Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures but here’s an older one of the kids masked up.

Afterwards we went by their house to pick up several boxes of items that we had had mailed to them. All this while standing outside. It must have seemed curious to their neighbors!

Back at Zendo, we just relaxed and eventually walked into town for ice cream at a cute shop there.

We sat on the historic waterfront of Delaware City enjoying our treat and our last night in Delaware City.

We planned to leave for Cape May the next day but had some concerns because the weather prediction on the Delaware Bay was not great. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay a day longer but we’ll leave if we can because we don’t have too many days before we need to be in Greenport, NY on far eastern Long Island by July 6.  That evening we finished watching a Denzel Washington movie called Devil with a Blue Dress which was really quite good.  Jonny had just finished reading the book which he also enjoyed.

Chesapeake City, MD

We took our time leaving on Thursday, June 23 because we planned a short cruise to a Bohemia River anchorage. It was quite overcast and somewhat foggy while I took Archie for another long walk on the grounds of the Maryland Yacht Club.

After a light lunch of clam chowder and crackers we continued our journey north. The bay was very calm but it was chilly and still damp from the rains from the night before.

So we bundled up and stayed cozy on the flybridge watching the January 6 hearings on the IPAD.  As we proceeded we decided to change our destination to Chesapeake City. The Bohemia River anchorage offered no convenient place to take Archie on land to relieve himself and Chesapeake City was just another 30 minutes further.  We entered the C&D Canal which will eventually bring us to Delaware City and the entrance to the Delaware Bay.

Halfway through the C&D Canal we arrived at Chesapeake City where we were pleased to see there was space on the town dock.  Boaters can stay for free for 24 hours and just pay $15 for electric and $10 for water.  We tied up in front of a party boat and got set up for the evening.  Afterwards we took Archie for a walk through this charming town nestled under a huge bridge that spans the canal.

I made pork tenderloin for dinner and afterwards while I did the dishes Jonny took Archie for another walk.  He returned with a lovely bouquet of hydrangeas for me!

We had another quiet night reading and watching TV and were glad that the music from the nearby waterfront restaurant ended by 9 pm.

Pasadena, MD

We had a leisurely start to the day on Wednesday, June 22. The first thing we did was to row Archie into shore for his morning walk.  This is such a lovely neighborhood and there were several friendly people walking their dogs through the quiet streets and gracious homes, both large and small.

We pulled up the anchor by 10:05 but realized that the bridge we had to go through to get out of Annapolis Harbor wouldn’t open until 10:30.  So we made our way very slowly amidst more sailing classes to await the opening.

The bay was very calm and we had a pleasant and relatively short cruise to the Maryland Yacht Club in Pasadena, Maryland. We came here so Jonny would have good internet connectivity for the MTOA webinar he was hosting that evening. We had been to this yacht club last year for an MTOA event and we thought it was a beautiful setting. It is located on a point with water on three sides and lots of open grassy areas and beautiful vistas.  For some reason the club has been struggling for membership and nothing was open the day we were there.  No one was available to meet us at the dock but we were able to tie up relatively easily.

As soon as we settled in, I took Archie for a nice long walk on the extensive grounds.  Because no one was around he was able to run off leash and chase sticks to his heart’s content.

Back at Zendo, Jonny prepared for the webinar and did various boat chores.  I updated the blog and made potato salad to accompany the rib eye steak Jonny had purchased in Annapolis for our dinner after the webinar.  We took Archie for another walk later in the afternoon as the clouds started  moving in. It began to sprinkle a little as we headed back. Rain was predicted overnight and for the next day as well.

At 7 pm Jonny hosted MTOA’s first webinar featuring an accomplished surveyor on the topic of Boat Valuation - A Surveyor’s Perspective.  It was attended by over 40 participants and it was a very interesting presentation.

Afterwards we celebrated over a steak dinner and had a relaxing evening watching TV longer than planned.  The next day we will head to an anchorage on the Bohemia River as we make our way to Delaware City.

Annapolis, MD

We had a beautiful day to sail to Annapolis on Monday, June 20.  We left at 8:05 with calm seas, clear skies and pleasant temperatures.  Jonny saw several dolphins but none close enough to capture in a photo.  We also passed lots of huge container ships that appeared to be waiting to enter the port of Baltimore.  We thought maybe it was closed for the Juneteenth holiday.

Cruising into the busy and historic Annapolis harbor we passed all the little kids sailing in their colorful Optimists. Such a pretty sight!

We stopped for fuel and a pump-out at Annapolis Yacht Basin.  We tied up next to a gigantic 170 foot yacht - it was unbelievably big but yet still quite attractive with classic lines.  The dockhand told us it took three hours for them to do a pump-out!

After filling up (and emptying out), we cruised all the way into Spa Creek where we always like to stay either at anchor or on a mooring ball.  It’s a very calm and attractive anchorage and not as rolly as the main part of the harbor.  We are surrounded by beautiful, tastefully appointed homes and of course, lots of boats.

That afternoon we took the dinghy into town to try out a new place for happy hour.  We sat at the bar and enjoyed our drinks and delicious roasted Brussels sprouts.  They served as an appetizer for our dinner of the shrimp scampi from a few nights ago. 

On Tuesday morning I had a Spanish lesson with my tutor (with a great internet connection) and Jonny took Archie for a walk.  We were anchored within a short row on the dinghy to one of many pocket parks that are nestled at the end of each street leading to Spa Creek.  Each of them is so pretty with benches and flowers and a place to tie up a dinghy and sometimes a place to launch kayaks.

Later that morning, we received an unfortunate call from Stephanie who told us that she tested positive for Covid after having returned from the bachelorette party she had just hosted in Austin.  Fortunately, her symptoms are relatively mild.  At first Ryan tested negative but the following day, he, too tested positive.  This was doubly disappointing because we were supposed to stay with them this coming weekend.  We’ll still need to stop by their home because we’ve had several packages mailed to them.  We’ll just have to find another time to stay with them once they are well. 

That afternoon we met our friends Greg and Lynda who drove from Alexandria to meet us for lunch at our favorite restaurant here, the Boatyard Grill.  As alway, we had the most fabulous crab cakes and then walked into town for ice cream.  It was so nice to catch up with Greg and Lynda and they kindly drove us to the local Safeway to get a few provisions. (Jonny apologizes for not capturing Greg at his best)!

Upon returning to Zendo, I watched the January 6 hearings while Jonny prepared for the MTOA webinar he is hosting the next day. Having had such a satisfying lunch, I just had a few nibbles for dinner and Jonny made himself a salad.  We love staying in Annapolis and would happily stay a bit longer but we are bound for the Maryland Yacht Club the next day.

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.