Sept 30, 2022 To the Eastern Shore and back

Mon.  Sept 26.  -  43 miles

We decided to head across the bay to the Eastern Shore of MD on what is called the Delmarva Peninsula.  Good day for cruising.  Sunny and 70's.  Slight SW breeze keeping the low swells on our stern.   This part of MD is rural, historic, and quaint.  Farming, seafood and shipbuilding were/are the mainstays.  Still plenty of watermen around working their trotlines.  

Traditional waterman's boat set up for crabbing with a trot line.

There are old houses beautifully restored and maintained in the towns and huge newer houses on the waterfront.  Most are 2nd homes for the wealthy of Baltimore, Philly and Washington.  Away from the waterfront it becomes mostly farmland.  We decided to drop the anchor in Oxford.  Put the dingy overboard. and headed to The Capsize Restaurant for a late lunch.  Very disappointed they were out of crab cakes.  

As You Wish nestled at anchor in Oxford

Even more disappointed that Scottish Highlands Creamery was not open - best ice cream I have ever eaten, which is saying a lot!!  Quiet night on the hook except for some small wakes as the watermen headed out at 4:30. Back to the town dingy dock Tuesday morning and a stroll around the town.  Pretty subdued on a weekday during the offseason. 

Oxford-Belleview Ferry established 1683. In continuous service since 1836.

Journey for Sept 26

Tues. Sept. 27 - 15 miles.

Upped anchor early afternoon for a short cruise out the Tred Avon River, up Broad Creek and into an anchorage on San Domingo Creek.  Five sailboats already anchored in the main channel, so we pulled into a side creek with just enough water and swing room and a bit better wind protection. Dingy back down off the upper deck with the davit.  We're getting better and faster with this process but still a bit slow and cumbersome. 

Beautiful classic Hinckley sailboat

This anchorage offers a back way into the town of St. Michaels via a town dock at the headwaters. After a leisurely breakfast we finally headed to town.   Walked the streets, checked out some tourist souvenir shops, checked out the waterfront and stopped at The Galley Restaurant which advertised themselves as winners of the best crabcakes on the eastern shore.  To say our meal was disappointing is an understatement.  Service was terrible - over 2 hours for our meal.   Martha's cream of crab soup was a watery mess with some pulverized crab bits.  The crabcake at $30 was small, bland and flavorless without even a bit of lump crab to be found.  Stopped at the Eastern Shore Brewery in an attempt to end our visit on a high note.  Then remembered this brewery specializes in IPA's.  Their only dark beer was a porter that they didn't even have on tap. Sad day when the best thing on our flight was a fruit seltzer!   

Yesterday and todays travel mimic what we did while cruising the Great Loop.  You can read a more detailed account of the area on that blog for May 17 and 18. 

On the Water with As You Wish (looperasyouwish.blogspot.com)

Journey for Sept 27

Thurs. Sept 29 - 44 miles

Decisions. Decisions.   We've got a nor'easter blowing down the coast and Hurricane Ian devastating the west coast of Florida with plans to cross into the Atlantic and work its way somewhere into SC before potentially crossing the lower bay with some gusty winds and rain.  We will have unpleasant weather with winds sustained at 15 kts and gusting to 30 kts for potentially a week and forecasted rain for at least 3-5 days starting Friday.  We would prefer an anchorage closer to civilization if we're stuck for a week so decided to head back towards Solomons.   15-20 kt NE breeze with 2' seas on a 3-4 second period.   We'll have a good push with the wind, waves and current at our stern.   We decide to make the trip at the lower helm.  With temps in the upper 50's to start and a strong breeze it was not ideal to be topside. 

View from the pilothouse. Rolly seas but thankfully at our stern

The trip wasn't uncomfortable, but even with the stabilizers engaged we were wallowing a bit as waves grabbed us.  The autopilot couldn't correct quickly enough when we got turned sideways in a big swell, so it was manual steering the entire trip.   We decide to try a different anchorage just up the Patuxent River from Solomons in Mill Creek.

Heading up the Patuxent and under the Thomas Johnson Bridge

It's well protected from the NE winds. Dropped the anchor in 10' of water and let out 75' of chain. We were greeted by a pair of bald eagles gliding overhead and then roosting at the top a pine tree to keep watch over us. We'll sit things out here for a few days and possibly make a run back to Solomons if there's a break in the weather.  Gale warnings, small craft advisories, and plenty of rain will keep us hunkered down here for now. 

One last panoramic sunset before the weather turns on us.

Journey for Sept 29