Oct. 18, 2025 Traffic Jam at the Great Bridge Bridge and Lock

 Sat.  Oct. 18, 2025  Top Rack Marina to Little Alligator River Anchorage  76 miles and 9.3 hours

Crazy morning.   With the Great Bridge Bridge on limited openings due to maintenance and the snowbirds heading south, coupled with weather that had boats waiting it out in Norfolk, it's a recipe for a backup. Sort of dumb that two of the bridge openings are in the dark at 6AM and 7PM.  May work OK for the commercial tugs but not so much for the pleasure crafts.  That leaves just the 9 AM or 1 PM opening for us.  With most boaters trying to make time and wanting to get going, the 9AM opening is actually a bit late.   Our original plan was to be off the dock at 8AM to get to the lock by 8:20. Plenty of time to get through for the 9 AM bridge.  But boats were leaving the docks by 7AM at first light.  On top of that we kept seeing boats passing our dock to get in line.  When a tug and barge passed by, we decided we needed to get going and get in line too. So we quickly cast off lines and were gone by 7:30 just ahead of two more boats coming down the river.  Huge backed up conga line when we got to the lock.  Thankfully it was a calm morning so fairly easy for everyone to hold position. A bit before 8 the lockmaster announced he would be opening the gates and start loading.  As a commercial vessel the tow got priority and was brought in and tied to the port wall.  After that he was able to load probably another 8-10 boats before he considered it full.  Could have fit several more boats in if he would let boats raft up but I suspect they are not used to doing that.  We were now the 4th boat in line for a second lockage. 

Big line of boats ahead of us at the lock and these are behind us

And more boats keep coming

More boats arrive before the lock even opens for the first group ahead of us

This lock only drops 2' and is amazingly slow. We wait and finally the front gates open.  The tow exits and ties to the wall between the lock and bridge.  The boats exit and hover again in the same area.  Gates close, chamber refills and now our turn to enter at 8:35.  Lockmaster is trying to hurry boats in as well as push them tightly together.  Finally has to close the gates with several boats still outside who will need to wait until the 1PM opening.   As the water is going down in the lock we watch as at precisely 9AM the bridgetender starts lifting.    The tow tells all the pleasure craft to proceed through.  He'll go last.  He is slow to get moving giving time for the lock to empty.  As he's going through the bridge our gates open and the lockmaster tells us we need to hustle. 

Boats getting loaded into the lock behind us

Glad we're toward the front of the group of about 15-20 boats we're with. Bridgetender holds the bridge open a bit of extended time to insure everyone gets through.  It's 9:15 by the time we're clear of everything. Feels like we have put in a full day already but plenty more to go.    There are 2 swing bridges we need to pass this morning. Each only open on the hour and half hour.  We're a bit off schedule approaching the first swing bridge and caught behind the tow.  But he gets openings on demand as a commercial vessel, and we sneak through with him.  Pass the tow and speed up but timing is still off as we get to the 2nd bridge right between his openings.   We idle around for 15 minutes with several other boats and wait for more to arrive. 

Passing the tow 

After we're through, boats finally start stretching out.  Go fast boats plow past us, while we pass a few of the slower sailboats and trawlers.  The balance of the day goes relatively easy.  This is a long slog down the Chesapeake and Albemarle canal.  Part river, part swamp, part man-made canal connecting these two bodies of water.   It's the primary ICW route particularly for larger or faster boats who don't want to use the Dismal Swamp Canal route. 

Bald Eagles definitely making a comeback. 
We've spotted many along the east coast 

We originally had planned to anchor for the night off the south end of the canal, but the weather forecast is now showing winds picking up Sunday which could make the Albemarle Sound crossing uncomfortable. It's notorious for quickly developing uncomfortable waves due to its shallow waters.  We opt to make it a longer day and cross the sound for an anchorage on the Little Alligator River.   One of the smoothest crossings of the Albemarle we ever made so worth the extra time today.  

Smooth as glass day to be crossing the Albemarle Sound

First time at this anchorage.  It is big and wide open but provides a nice tree line against any south winds. Surprised there are no other boats here. Drop the anchor and it grabs nicely. Calm winds overnight so after a quick dinner and watching my Clemson Tigers lose another football game at home this year, we were off to bed for a well-deserved good night's sleep.

Sunset at the Little Alligator River Anchorage. Nice ending to the day.

Journey for Oct. 18, 2025

October 17, 2025 Goodbye Chesapeake Bay

Friday Oct. 1, 2025   Put-In-Creek/Mobjack Bay to Top Rack Marina  52 miles and 5.5 hours

We've been on the Chesapeake Bay for over two weeks but seems like we haven't done it justice.  Sure, we anchored in a few new and a few old spots, and we revisited some towns we like and even explored the Sassafras River for the first time.  But in between seems like we just did long days covering a lot of water due to the weather.  Today we left Mobjack Bay and made our way to Norfolk.  Officially ending our time on the Bay and the beginnings of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW or ICW depending on your preference).  

Passed the Norfolk Rebel on the way into Norfolk.  Part of a contingent
of old sailing vessels that participated in an overnight race from Baltimore.

Glad we decided to spend the extra day anchored at Put-In-Creek.   Winds were strong all day Thursday. Even in our little cove the boat was swinging around a bit, so it would have been miserable on the bay.  Martha has also been fighting a cold, so nice to just allow her to rest up.  Forecast looked better today so off we went but found conditions not overly redeeming.  Winds still driving down the bay from the north but now with a NW wind creating a secondary swell.  Added to that was a heavy outflow of water from the York River as we crossed it, making an even more confused mix.  It all made for some pretty confused seas and a good bit of wallowing and rolling until we got to the entrance to Norfolk. Always impressive to see the Naval fleet being maintained here.  Ships of every size and type.  

Add the regular commercial ships, barges and tugs and it's a busy place.  And it seems to go on forever.   Got lucky today as all the railroad bridges were in the up position so no waiting needed.  Still, it felt like a longer day than the 5.5 hours we logged. Guess just the rolling around followed by the extra attention needed passing through town creates added fatigue.  

Passing by downtown Norfolk

Unusual for us to get through Norfolk with all the railroad bridges in the up position. 

Stopped at Top Rack Marina and topped off fuel as they have a decent price.  No problems now getting to my cheap diesel location in SC.   Originally, I had hoped to get to Chesapeake City and a free dock after passing the Great Bridge Lock and Bridge but they're doing maintenance on the Great Bridge Bridge (no- that's not a typo) and have it on a limited opening schedule.  Only opens at 6AM, 9AM, 1PM and 7PM.  No way to make the 1PM opening and no way I wanted to wait and do it in the dark.   We're about 20 minutes away and will make the 9 AM opening in the morning.

Journey for Oct. 17, 2025

Oct. 15, 2025 Hurricanes to Nor'easters

 Wed. Oct. 15, 2025  Solomons to Put-In-Creek on Mobjack Bay   93 miles and 8.9 hours

After a slow summer of tropical activity, things have really been active the last few weeks.  It's been almost a month since we departed Boston and started hastening our way south to avoid weather impacts from approaching storms.  Since then we've had 6 named storms churn up the waters and create very disturbed weather patterns.  Hurricanes Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen and Lorenzo have barely let the ocean settle before another storm developed.  Now it's been several rounds of early season Nor'easters with 20-30 knot winds making travel challenging even here on the somewhat protected Chesapeake Bay.  North winds just channel down the length of the bay creating substantial waves with a short period.  We've got a slight break in the weather today.  

Sunrise in Solomons as we prepare to depart. 
Good to see the sun again after several days of clouds and rain

Winds are projected at 10-15 mph with 2' seas which is at the maximum for our usual go-no go decision.  But it's the best we've seen in a while. Decide to head out with several bail out options if we don't like the conditions on the bay.  We are not alone leaving today.  There is a flotilla of sailboats already ahead of us.  A contingent of Kadey-Krogens also departs having wound down their rendezvous in Solomons. They all are typically running in the 6 mph range so over the course of the day we pass them all running our 10-11 mph speed.

Several of the Kadey-Krogens traveling south together

 

Kadey-Krogen has been making these strong, salty, stable economical trawlers for years.

Seas are running the promised 2' from the north which is giving us a relatively smooth ride although we do the usual wallowing motions as waves lift and push us around.  Otto is working double time trying to keep us on track and even then still sounds an audible alarm occasionally as our heading deviates significantly off course until he's able to fully correct.  We catch a favorable outgoing tide all day helping speed us along.  As we approach the mouth of the Potomac River things get a bit sportier as waves built and got more confused.  It's expected, but not fun, as the water rushing out the Potomac River joins and mixes the bay.  Once past there, things settle back down again. 

Point No Point Lighthouse completed in 1904.

Smith Point Lighthouse guarding the entrance to the Potomac. There were several others
before this one was built in 1897.  Currently privately owned. 

We had marked Mill Creek up the Great Wicomico River as a possible anchorage and bail out point.   Weather forecast has deteriorated for Friday with stronger winds so looks like we need a spot to anchor securely for a 2-night stay.  We've got the time so decide to push further south to Mobjack Bay which will make a shorter one day run through Norfolk when the time comes.   Wound up being a long 9-hour day of boating.  Not too much to see other than more old lighthouses. 

Wolf Trap Lighthouse built in 1894 at the Rappahannock River entrance. 
These caisson based lighthouses replaced earlier screwpile style ones destroyed by ice flows.
  This one is also privately owned.

 New Point Comfort Lighthouse built in 1804-05 still stands protecting the entrance to Mobjack Bay. Now protected by stone riprap, it originally was part of the mainland. 
 Ownership was deeded to Mathews County in 1976

Once at Mobjack Bay we worked our way well up the East River to Put-In-Creek where we found the right spot to get protection from the northerlies'.   It's a location we've anchored in before and offers great protection with a good shoreline of trees and homes.   One sailboat already here but lots of room for us too.   Drop the hook and let out plenty of scope.  Forecast calls for strong 30+ knot winds to pass through overnight with those gusts continuing through Friday. Want to make sure dragging is the least of our worries! 

Wooded shoreline to the north offering nice protection

A bit of calm right at sunset.  Wind started back up shortly afterwards.

Nor'easter has strong winds down the entire coast. 
 Green is 20+ mph, yellow 30+ mph, and red is 40+ mph

Journey for Oct. 15, 2025

Oct. 7, 2025 Cruising Down the Bay to Solomons, MD

 Tuesday Oct. 7, 2025   Chestertown to Solomons  77 miles and 8.3 hours

After multiple days of chilling or just short runs, we decided it was time to get moving again.  Figured we would make the run down to Solomons in one long day.  It's a good, protected location we've enjoyed in the past.  Also convenient for getting a rental car so we can visit relatives up in Alexandria, VA. Threw off the lines at 8 AM.  Nice cruise back down the Chester River.  Nice sunny day, warming up later.  For now, the sun is low in the sky and depending on the twist or turn of the river we occasionally get it brutally straight into our eyes. 

Full moon rising across the river at the end of the day

Same full moon setting over town as we wake up

Heading right into that brutal early morning sunshine

Our departure time is critical.  There is a lift bridge we need to catch at Kent Narrows that only opens on the hour or half hour.  We're timing it for the 10:30 opening.  Don't want to miss it and have to wait extra but also don't want to arrive too early as there is a significant current that pushes through the narrow opening. Adding to the stress is we're coming in towards low tide into a notoriously shallow channel with guaranteed grounding if you get outside the markers. We make it through safely and arrive a few minutes early with two other boats already waiting.  The bridge opens promptly, and we are pushed through by the current.  

Kent Narrows Bridge. Tight quarters and swirling currents. 

It's a nice sunny and warm day so we ride it out on the flybridge. Through the inside passage around Poplar Island.   Another bit of shallow water where staying in the channel is paramount. This island was over 1140 acres when surveyed in 1847 and had over 100 residents. It had eroded to just 5 acres by 1990.   A project to restore the island as a nature habitat using dredged material from the main shipping channels was started in 1998 and by 2005 the island was back to 1140 acres with plans for an additional 575 acres to be added when completed in 2029. Past Poplar Island the wind picks up just as the forecast predicted. We've got a long five hours to go as we cross diagonally across the open Chesapeake. The bay is relatively shallow, so winds kick up waves quickly and we find ourselves riding swells and wind-blown spray once again.  At least there are no crab pots out here.  

Swells are making us roll a bit even with the stabilizers fully engaged.

Sailors are out enjoying the day

This interesting old sailboat caught our eye as we approached Solomons

We pass by Sharp Island lighthouse.  Apparently, we've never come this close to it before as it's quite memorable with its significant 15 degree lean.   Built in 1882, it has a 30' diameter concrete filled caisson topped with a 45' lighthouse and integrated keepers house made of riveted cast iron plates. The structure was impacted by an ice flow in 1997 causing it to lean. 

The leaning Sharp Island Lighthouse. Now abandoned and considered surplus.

After we pass the lighthouse it's all open water until we approach Calvert Cliffs and the entrance to Solomons.  The cliffs are 65-135 feet tall and stretch for about 25 miles in Maryland and Virginia.   They are a paleontologists dream as fossils dating back as far as 18 million years ago have been found.  Shark teeth belonging to the massive Megalodon have been unearthed here.   A huge collection of artifacts can be found at the Calvert Maritime Museum here in Solomons. 

Calvert Cliffs

We make it into Solomons just before quitting time for the dockhands.  Long day but glad to be tied up.  We'll chill here for at least a week keeping an eye on a big developing Nor'easter.  

Settled in our slip and enjoying another crazy full moon night

Solomons holds lots of good memories for us.  Stopped here multiple times during our travels.  Great protection from wind and waves, Lots of boaters from the Washington, DC area keep boats here, so plenty of eye candy with new and old boats of all types. Good selection of restaurants, grocery store, hardware store, etc.  Surprisingly, no brewery.  Spend a day at the Calvert Marine Museum which has been revising their displays since or last visit.  Such an interesting place with three primary focuses. First, a large display of fossils and dinosaurs relevant to the nearby Calvert Cliffs and their paleontological digs with a full-scale replica of a Megalodon shark skeleton. Second, displays of marine life and ecology relevant to the bay. Plenty of aquariums and then watching their otters playing is always a highlight.  Finally, life on the water over the years - water sports such as hydroplane racing, rum running, boatbuilding, military presence during WWII, and the changing life of bay watermen from fishing to oysters to crabbing. 

Locally produced recreational boat from the 50's

One of the museum's otters - looking at him looking at us

Drum Point lighthouse built 1889 was moved here in 1975 and restored.
The Dee of St. Mary is a classic skipjack historically used for tonging for oysters.
 

Spent another day on projects - changing oil on the generator and finally got all the parts needed to properly replace the water line to the ice maker that blew out back in Canada.    Big Saturday night end of season get together at the marina we were invited to attend.  Chili contest, drink specials at the bar, etc.  Good crowd despite the rainy and windy forecast as the Nor'easter approaches. 

Chillin at Spring Cove Marina's end of season get together

Headed up to Alexandria on Sunday for a family visit with my nephew and his family who also had my brother from New Zealand visiting.  Fun day and great dinner out.    Now just waiting for weather conditions to improve so we can continue our travels south. 

Family dinner out. L to R.  John, Xavier, Martha, Eliza, Dan, Athene and Joe

Journey for Oct. 7, 2025

 

Oct. 5, 2025 Historic Chestertown, MD

 Sun-Mon  Oct. 5-6, 2025  Lankford Bay Marina to Chestertown, MD  18 miles and 2.5 hours

While in Chestertown on Saturday for the farmers market, I took a stroll down to the marina and talked with the dockmaster.   Arranged for a slip on Sunday and Monday.  Just need to wait for some of the touring yacht club boats to leave.  So, no hurry to depart Lankford Bay Marina until about 10 for the 2-hour cruise up the river.  Another fine day to be out boating.   We head down Lankford Bay then take a sharp turn to port and begin the cruise north to Chestertown.   Wonderful river cruising although we're hitting it with a falling tide, so we're against the current which is slowing us down slightly.  Gives us a little extra time to enjoy the natural scenery, farmland and a few massive estates. 

This estate home on a peninsula of land caught our attention. Even more impressive
was the satellite view showing the guest houses, barns, gardens, pool, tennis courts, etc.

We get the prime spot on the outboard T-head on the new floating docks at Chestertown.  Our timing is perfect as several yacht club boats leave just as we arrive.  We spend Sunday afternoon just walking around town.  Much of it is in a designated historic district.  Chestertown was one of six designated royal ports in Maryland which led to its early development.  Trade and shipbuilding made the town prosperous. Wealthy merchants, shipbuilders, sea captains, lawyers and politicians built stately homes.  Today it has a population of just under 6,000 and remains a relatively small town despite being the county seat. It has the second highest number of 18th and early 19th century houses in the state - surpassed only by Annapolis.  The town was never involved in any direct battles or pillaging during the Revolutionary or Civil Wars which helped so many of the town's historic buildings survive.  Most impressive is that so many continue to be beautifully maintained.

Originally constructed in 1735, this impressive house is now owned
 and maintained by Washington College and used as the President's residence

The old Customs House dating to 1746.  Embellished with
Flemish bond brickwork with glazed headers. 

Many residential street sidewalks are brick.
 A bit uneven at times, but scenic.

High Street downtown is active with restaurants, galleries, boutique hotels, etc.

This circa 1796 house was expanded over time as wealth and style changed. 
 The 3rd floor with it's heavy cornice work, the front porch, and the
Queen Anne 2 story side windows were added later giving it a mixture of styles.

The 2nd floor window above the entry with its sidelights
 caught my eye for its great symmetry

The town squares centerpiece is this 1899 fountain 

Very Italianate style house on the waterfront. 
Built in 1857 making it one of the "newer" old houses. 

One of the surprises during our visit was Earthgrains Bakery Shop.   We stood in line on Saturday for twenty minutes waiting our turn for coffee and a pastry.  Returned Tuesday before our departure to load up on pastry, scones, and a baguette.  Signature item is their sunburst pastry.  Basically, a croissant, covered in cinnamon sugar and then baked in a muffin tin. Delish!!

Journey for Oct. 5, 2025