Each summer, my son and I take a week or so to cruise on our cuddy-sport
boat (a 25' Regal). For the past few years we trailered it from Vermont
down to CT to see the Ocean, Whales and the Northeast coast. Before that
we went down the Hudson so visit my older son in the big apple.

I have been wondering what a trip on the Chesapeake would be like. Does
anyone know of a really good, up to date cruising guide with suggested
itineraries?

We have AC and shore power (I have sleep apnea and asthma). Does one
have to reserve dock space well in advance as they do, especially on
weekends, in well visited ports on the NE coast?

Are there any can't miss ports of call?

is there a safe place to leave a truck and trailer for the week and
access to launch from?

TIA

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Harlan Lachman wrote:

Each summer, my son and I take a week or so to cruise on our cuddy-sport
boat (a 25' Regal). For the past few years we trailered it from Vermont
down to CT to see the Ocean, Whales and the Northeast coast. Before that
we went down the Hudson so visit my older son in the big apple.

I have been wondering what a trip on the Chesapeake would be like. Does
anyone know of a really good, up to date cruising guide with suggested
itineraries?

Chesapeake Bay Magazine has a cruising guide they put out every year.
It has 3 suggested itineraries - one in the upper bay, one in the
middle bay and one in the lower bay. They do concentrate on anchoring
about half the time.

We have AC and shore power (I have sleep apnea and asthma). Does one
have to reserve dock space well in advance as they do, especially on
weekends, in well visited ports on the NE coast?

Depends on when you come. I've not made reservations more than a day
in advance.

Are there any can't miss ports of call?

Depends on what you like to do.

is there a safe place to leave a truck and trailer for the week and
access to launch from?

There's a story (look it up on google - it was sometime in 2001 I
think) about someone who did this on the lower bay and launched
somewhere on the York River, and their truck and trailer was left at
the nearby marina. I would think that Solomons or the eastern shore
might be other good bets.

We've got a sailboat that's about twice as big as your boat and
probably twice as slow, but we've done a couple of trips like this.
Since we are based either at the south end of the middle bay or the
north end of the south bay (depending on your perspective), we've
mostly done cruising in the lower bay.

In 1999, we took a mini cruise starting out from our old marina on the
Patuxent we anchored in the Little Choptank the first night, and then
anchored in Selby Bay and then went to my BILs house in Bodkin Creek,
and then came home.

The following year (2000), we were in a marina off the Potomac
Day 1 to the Patuxent - anchored
Day 2 to Oxford - anchored and met a friend
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/56243/#TL
Day 3 anchored in Selby Bay
Day 4 met a friend and took him sailing and then anchored in Harness
Creek http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/562f3/#TL
Day 5 tied up to the dock at my BIL's house in Pinehurst
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/562f5/#TL
Day 6 Baltimore http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/2ab90/#TL in a
marina
Day 7 Anchored Swan Creek
Day 8 Anchored in the Corsica River
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/c3f94/
Day 9 marina in Queenstown
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/557e2/#TL
Day 10 Anchored in Chester River
Day 11 thought of going to St. Michaels but it was a Saturday so we
anchored in Shaw Bay instead
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/561bd/#TL
Day 12 Anchored in the Choptank
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/561cb/#TL
Day 13 back to Oxford to a marina
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/56256/#TL
Day 14 anchored in the Patuxent
Day 15 back home to the Potomac

Then in September (2000) we went from the Potomac to Reedville to
Broad Creek (Deltaville) and came home.

We started going down the ICW for the winter in Nov 2000.

In August of this year we took a mini cruise - Reedville
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/380cf/#TL
Tangier http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/53091/#TL
Crisfield http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/53091/#TL (where we also
went in July 2003 for a couple of days) and then home

This month, we had intended to go north and see St. Michaels which
we've never quite gotten to, but the wind was from the north. We
didn't actually leave the day we had intended to go because it was so
stormy, so we went south to the Reedville Marina again, and then to
Jackson Creek off the Piankatank
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/57ec5/#TL to the Deltaville Marina.
The following day we went to
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/58160/#TL Mobjack Bay to the OTHER
Severn River Marina. The we came back to Broad Creek on the
Rappahannock and then back home (I haven't finished writing that up
yet.)


grandma Rosalie

Thanks for the detailed response

harlan

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

Harlan Lachman wrote:

Each summer, my son and I take a week or so to cruise on our cuddy-sport
boat (a 25' Regal). For the past few years we trailered it from Vermont
down to CT to see the Ocean, Whales and the Northeast coast. Before that
we went down the Hudson so visit my older son in the big apple.

I have been wondering what a trip on the Chesapeake would be like. Does
anyone know of a really good, up to date cruising guide with suggested
itineraries?

Chesapeake Bay Magazine has a cruising guide they put out every year.
It has 3 suggested itineraries - one in the upper bay, one in the
middle bay and one in the lower bay. They do concentrate on anchoring
about half the time.

We have AC and shore power (I have sleep apnea and asthma). Does one
have to reserve dock space well in advance as they do, especially on
weekends, in well visited ports on the NE coast?

Depends on when you come. I've not made reservations more than a day
in advance.

Are there any can't miss ports of call?

Depends on what you like to do.

is there a safe place to leave a truck and trailer for the week and
access to launch from?

There's a story (look it up on google - it was sometime in 2001 I
think) about someone who did this on the lower bay and launched
somewhere on the York River, and their truck and trailer was left at
the nearby marina. I would think that Solomons or the eastern shore
might be other good bets.

We've got a sailboat that's about twice as big as your boat and
probably twice as slow, but we've done a couple of trips like this.
Since we are based either at the south end of the middle bay or the
north end of the south bay (depending on your perspective), we've
mostly done cruising in the lower bay.

In 1999, we took a mini cruise starting out from our old marina on the
Patuxent we anchored in the Little Choptank the first night, and then
anchored in Selby Bay and then went to my BILs house in Bodkin Creek,
and then came home.

The following year (2000), we were in a marina off the Potomac
Day 1 to the Patuxent - anchored
Day 2 to Oxford - anchored and met a friend
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/56243/#TL
Day 3 anchored in Selby Bay
Day 4 met a friend and took him sailing and then anchored in Harness
Creek http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/562f3/#TL
Day 5 tied up to the dock at my BIL's house in Pinehurst
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/562f5/#TL
Day 6 Baltimore http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/2ab90/#TL in a
marina
Day 7 Anchored Swan Creek
Day 8 Anchored in the Corsica River
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/c3f94/
Day 9 marina in Queenstown
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/557e2/#TL
Day 10 Anchored in Chester River
Day 11 thought of going to St. Michaels but it was a Saturday so we
anchored in Shaw Bay instead
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/561bd/#TL
Day 12 Anchored in the Choptank
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/561cb/#TL
Day 13 back to Oxford to a marina
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/56256/#TL
Day 14 anchored in the Patuxent
Day 15 back home to the Potomac

Then in September (2000) we went from the Potomac to Reedville to
Broad Creek (Deltaville) and came home.

We started going down the ICW for the winter in Nov 2000.

In August of this year we took a mini cruise - Reedville
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/380cf/#TL
Tangier http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/53091/#TL
Crisfield http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/53091/#TL (where we also
went in July 2003 for a couple of days) and then home

This month, we had intended to go north and see St. Michaels which
we've never quite gotten to, but the wind was from the north. We
didn't actually leave the day we had intended to go because it was so
stormy, so we went south to the Reedville Marina again, and then to
Jackson Creek off the Piankatank
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/57ec5/#TL to the Deltaville Marina.
The following day we went to
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/58160/#TL Mobjack Bay to the OTHER
Severn River Marina. The we came back to Broad Creek on the
Rappahannock and then back home (I haven't finished writing that up
yet.)


grandma Rosalie

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

JohnH wrote:


St Michaels may not be an "absolute must see" but it's pretty close!

Yes, but I refuse beat up the bay against a north wind or go on a
summer weekend. On the middle bay, I also like Oxford, Annapolis,
Rock Hall and even Baltimore.

Another good place to go is Solomons. And of course in a small power
boat, one could get all the way up the Potomac to D.C.

On the lower bay, probably Deltaville, Crisfield, Reedville, Tangier,
Onacock, Yorktown/Glouster and Hampton/Norfolk.

We've never gotten up to the upper bay, so I don't know the places
there.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

There are 10 kinds of people in the world,
those who can do binary and those who can't!

grandma Rosalie

Deltaville ... Reedville,

I found Deltaville and Reedville problematic to get to by sailboat. I reached
Reedville by car twice and to be truthfull, DeSmet SD is more interesting. At
least DeSmet has a cafe to eat breakfast in.

(JAXAshby) wrote:

Deltaville ... Reedville,

I found Deltaville and Reedville problematic to get to by sailboat. I reached
Reedville by car twice and to be truthfull, DeSmet SD is more interesting. At
least DeSmet has a cafe to eat breakfast in.

We've been to Reedville and also anchored in the Great Wicomico about
5 or 6 times. Not problematic at all. People with a boat with a
draft of 8 feet can anchor here. It's one of our favorite places to
go. The only problem is to figure out which way the wind is blowing
so as to be upwind of the menhaden plant. We usually eat breakfast on
the boat. If you have a car, you can drive to someplace to have
breakfast like DeSmet (which I've never heard of). I find the old
Victorian houses in Reedville quite interesting, and I love strolling
along the street and looking at them. I also like visiting the
museum. Possibly I'm more easily amused than you are. Also it is a
good place for seafood.

Deltaville is also NOT a problem by sailboat. Been to Broad Creek
twice, Jackson Creek once, and anchored in Fishing Bay and near Gwynns
Island. Many sailboats of all kinds are there. Even if Broad Creek
is a problem for you, Jackson Creek and Fishing Bay should be fine. I
find the town itself less interesting and less accessible for the boat
person than Reedville (although they do have places that serve
breakfast and I did not get to their museum), but the marinas are
nice, and anchoring is easy and protected. It's a good place to leave
a boat for a period of time or to lay it up for the winter.


grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html

Rosalie B. wrote:

(JAXAshby) wrote:

Deltaville ... Reedville,

I found Deltaville and Reedville problematic to get to by sailboat.

Places that ARE problematic - Smith Island (my husband was on a DNR
boat (a power boat) which ran aground in the channel there), Salt
Ponds, Windmill Point, Washington DC (due to bridge restrictions),
Queenstown and my BILs dock in Bodkin Creek (local knowledge needed in
the latter two cases). Deltaville and Reedville are not in that
group.


grandma Rosalie

The only problem is to figure out which way the wind is blowing
so as to be upwind of the menhaden plant.

when I was there by car two years ago the plant seemed to be abandoned.

you can drive to someplace to have
breakfast

when I drove there, the only place to get something to eat was at the gas
station, or the tablecloth restaurant that closed at 8:00 at night. We were
able to buy candy bars from a box in the lobby of the motel we stayed in.

like DeSmet (which I've never heard of).

Laura Ingalls Wilder once lived there. The town has two trees, one of which
they built a park around.

Rosalie, it occurs to me you write of the Chesepeake anchorages from the
perspective of someone who is thoroughly familiar with the waters, while I
wrote from the perspective of someone traveling through.

Deltaville ... Reedville,

I found Deltaville and Reedville problematic to get to by sailboat.

Places that ARE problematic - Smith Island (my husband was on a DNR
boat (a power boat) which ran aground in the channel there), Salt
Ponds, Windmill Point, Washington DC (due to bridge restrictions),
Queenstown and my BILs dock in Bodkin Creek (local knowledge needed in
the latter two cases). Deltaville and Reedville are not in that
group.


grandma Rosalie

If you obtain the guide published by Chesapeake Bay Mag (and pay attention
to any channel "peculiarities" mentioned), you should have no problem with
either Deltaville or Reedville. Even those familiar with the waters had to
enter "the first time". I've had no problem w/ either place, and would even
say that only Jackson Creek could be tricky w/o the guide.

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
Rosalie, it occurs to me you write of the Chesepeake anchorages from the
perspective of someone who is thoroughly familiar with the waters, while I
wrote from the perspective of someone traveling through.

Deltaville ... Reedville,

I found Deltaville and Reedville problematic to get to by sailboat.

Places that ARE problematic - Smith Island (my husband was on a DNR
boat (a power boat) which ran aground in the channel there), Salt
Ponds, Windmill Point, Washington DC (due to bridge restrictions),
Queenstown and my BILs dock in Bodkin Creek (local knowledge needed in
the latter two cases). Deltaville and Reedville are not in that
group.


grandma Rosalie