Places to drop a hook or overnight
 

I've been sailing Chesapeake for some time now, out of West river area, but most of my sailing tends to be daysails - motor out, sail a few times across the bay, go up to the bridge, thats about it. I enjoy the process of sailing and don't have a particular target, so thats fine with me.

Still, once in a while I feel like I want to go "somwhere" - but I really don't know much about places around here. What are your favorite destinations for droppnig a lunch hook or staying overnight, somwhere within days sailing from the area?

Tons of good anchorages!
 

Brak,

I sail out of Rock Creek off the Patapsco and get down to the West River quite often. Just look at a chart and see all the possibilities within a day's sail for you. Some ideas:

Going North -- Magothy River (pick a creek, or behind Dobbins Island), Patapsco (Bodkin Creek, Rock Creek), Swan Creek (eastern shore above Rock Hall), even picking up a mooring in Annapolis Harbor, Chester River (pick a creek), South River (again, pick a creek), Rhode River.

Going east -- Wye River, St. Michaels, Miles River.

Going south -- Choptank River, Dun Cove (backside of Tilghman Is.), Oxford, Little Choptank. Solomons is a push but very doable in a day. I have singlehanded from the Rhode to Solomons a couple of times, and have even done it from Annapolis proper.

Will this get you started? Man, it's making me crazy just thinking about it.

Sure will, thanks for the ideas:)

Hello Neighbor SailorMitch, we too sail out of Rock Creek, Oak Harbor Marina.

Mitch covered them well. I'd second Swan Creek. Other favorites include Hawks Cove, behind Gibson Island, and the Corsica off the Chester River. A bit further if you get a real early start are on the Northern Bay are, Fairlee Creek, Still Pond, and Worton Creeks.

You may want to pick up a Guide to Cruising the Chesapeake Bay. It gives good insight into the uniqueness of hundreds of anchorages and their personalities.

In the height of the season many will be VERY crowded, especially for the late arrivals, double that if its a holiday weekend!!!

Do you mean this one - http://www.mdnautical.com/cb-gtccb.htm ?

That be it...we'll probably see one another out there this year. Good luck.

Come over for a beer when anchored :) I don't stand a chance of catching up to your boat under way :)

Rhode River is one of my favorites sailing up from Herring Bay. A nice part about Chesapeake Bay sailing around the Annapolis, MD area is the multitude of protected anchorages within a day sail from West River.

Brak...Do get that guide...once you do you will be unable to put it down...there are YEARS of weekends in that book!!
Two of our favorite places are Solomons Island and St. Mike's in your area.
We used to keep our boat further down the Bay south of the Potomac but always stopped at those two towns on our jaunts north.

One of the most interesting places to see by boat that really suprised us was the City of Baltimore. That is probably best saved for when you have a really long weekend but it is an easy trip and a wonderful place to hang out. From the waterfront you have walking distance access to malls, the science museum, the aquarium (incredible), Little Italy, and you can even walk to an Orioles game. You CAN anchor right off the mall but there is a lot of bottom debris so I always take a slip and use the water taxi to get around.
Have fun out there!

Hey, I'm at Oak Harbor, too. I'll send you a PM. Great place to sail out of.

Brak -- literally, just point your boat the way the wind blows you, and there will be a nice anchorage there waiting for you. The northern bay is a tremendous place!