September Cruise

[PalmettoSailor]

Well its now less than a month until our vacation when we plan a 9 day Chesapeake cruise departing HHS on the 11th. Thought I'd throw out some of the spots I'm considering to see if anyone tries to talk me out of any of them, give some advice for anchoring/slips/dining/things to do at any of them or add other suggestions I should consider. I'd also be interested to hear how much time others would budget for these locations so I can crop the list if needed.

My short list right now includes:
St. Michaels - need ideas here -- the place seems crazy expensive for dockage. I've considered skipping this and maybe going to Oxford instead.

Annapolis - Leaning towards picking up a mooring and just dealing with the rock and roll.

Rock Hall - no ideas

Baltimore? -- Thinking I'd like to hit Bertha's and Max's Tap Room which means taking a slip.

If we made it as far a Bal'more, I'd probably want a stop on the way back to HHS to break up that leg. I was thinking maybe Annapolis again, but anchoring around Whitehall Bay.

Being after labor day, I'm thinking things will be a lot less crowded and I shouldn't have to get places early to get a slip or place to anchor. That's my completely uninformed opinon, so please let me know if I'm in for a rude shock.

[mccary]

I too am planning a September cruise, 4-5 days (the wife is away and my brother will accompany me). I hail from Galesville and am considering Rock Hall, Still Pond, Baltimore. Of course weather may dictate when and where we go...

[eryka]

Check out San Domingo Creek (sp?) on the back side of St Michaels. Much calmer, you can anchor for free (very protected) and walk about 3 blocks into town.

[Jeff_H]

The hot tickets in St. Micheals:
-Get a museum membership and tie up at the museum and use their showers. It helps to make a reservation if you know when you will be there.
-Eat Breakfast a Carpenter Street Tavern
-Get ice cream at Justins
- typically will spend one night at Shaw Bay off the Wye River (an hour away) head over to the Museum early in the day, poke around St Mikes for day, spend the night at the Museum, spend the next day in St. Mikes til 4 or so and then take back off for Shaw Bay.

You can then slip through Kent Narrows into the Chester River, hang a right and head up the Chester River. I personally like Grays Inn Creek, but a lot of people like the Corsica River which is better for swimming.

From there you could jump across the Bay to the Magothy River. I like the anchorage by the horse farm behind Gibson Island but there are lots of pretty places to anchor on the Magothy.

From the Chester, you could also poke into Rock Hall, jump down to Whitehall or Mill Creek off of Whitehall Bay or jump down to Annapolis. There is beau coup things to do in Annapolis.

If you are out of time, you can jump steaight back to HHS or else if there is time anchor in one of the creeks off of the South River.

Jeff

[eryka]

I've got more thoughts but gotta go, will try and post more tonight.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by midlifesailor

...
My short list right now includes:
St. Michaels - need ideas here -- the place seems crazy expensive for dockage. I've considered skipping this and maybe going to Oxford instead....

St. Michaels is one of our favorite destinations. It's really handy, too, what with a full ACME grocery and laundromat all easy walking distance from the harbor.

We have found it very advantageous to be "Contributing" members at the Ches. Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM). This membership gets you and all crew on your boat free admission to the museum grounds, plus transient daytime and overnight docking privileges. Daytime docking is free (there may be a time limit -- 4 hours?) and overnight slips are $1.50/foot plus $5/night for electric if you want it. They have 30 and 50 amp service. They also have showers/toilets for slip guests.

A contributing membership has gone up now, to $100 annual. But we are not members of any other yacht club, so we think of CBMM as our "club" and proudly fly the burgee. Plus, we feel we're supporting a very worthwhile organization.

Maybe give it a try for a year and see what you think?

CBMM:

Membership

Docking

Boater's Guide

[chef2sail]

I like Jeffs Itinerary. After St Micheals go through the Kent Narrows and up the Chester, Chester River- Greys Inn is also our favorite too ( we have a 30 lb Danforth on the bottom there somewhere)or try behind Cackaway island for serenity and the geese landing at night in the fall...it is a sight.)...From there Rock Hall and Swan Creek.....Up to Worton Creek the next night.....Baltimore...or Rock Creek the next...then to the Magothy - Eagles Nest (where the horse farm Jeff spoke about, or a little further up to broad Creek whicj has a huge glass house on the hill at the entrance. Mill Creek ( cantlers a possiblity also.

Dave

[CaptainForce]

I with eryka's choice above electing the "back door" to St. Michael's. There's plenty of room behind Dick Cheney's house and you can tie up a dinghy close to town across the park. There is a good anchorage in Rock Creek with excellent beer and sandwiches at the Anchor Inn (dinghy dock) near Baltimore. Using this anchorage before and/or after Baltimore can save a day or two's transient rate in a Baltimore slip. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[kb3pwc]

We do enjoy San Domingo Creek. It is well worth exploring. The location behind St. Mikes is protected and snug. There is a watermans landing you can tie your dink to and walk into town.

Another nice location is Dunn Cove on Broad Creek (off the Choptank). Then you get to travel through Knapps Narrows. The Capt'n loves the fact he can request a bridge opening and it comes up at any time. If you hang a right after Knapp's, you can travel up Prospect Bay and on up the Wye River. We enjoy Dividing Creek. If you travel to the head of it, you can take your dink to a small landing and walk the farmland. Really lovely as the colors are changing. St. Mikes would be a short trip or you can head North through Kent Narrows. One of the best locations to get fuel...they sell lots so it is fresher there than other spots. The Chester offers lots of choices with Grey's Inn Creek, Reed Creek, Lankford Creek branches but you might also consider traveling up to Chestertown to anchor in the river below the bridge. The Sultana will probably be there and is fun to watch sailing or you can go aboard. The town has a Farmers Market on Saturday morning with wonderful fresh vegetables, bread and cinnamon buns to die for. There are also good places to grab lunch or dinner if the cook needs a break.

Then you can again head down the river and hit Rock Hall or head across the Bay for Annapolis. So many places to go and so little time.

Have a terrific trip!!

Leslie kb3pwc
SV "Tango"
Cabo Rico 34
Lying in Oxford, MD

[T37Chef]

Lots of good advice already,

a couple other thoughts...

St Michaels is AWESOME, if you end up there during the week you could probably find enough room to anchor in front of the Inn at Perry Cabin, if you like crabs eat at the Crab Claw. You will be close to the Wye, if you can do it head up into Dividing Creek, trust me...its beautiful.

If you make the trek up to Baltimore you may be best served taking a slip at Harbor East, but if you want a free dock-age there is an area in Fells Point opposite the Broadway Parking garage, where the tugs dock, although no power or water, and it does get a bit crazy at night, but never felt not safe. The other option is the public dock at the Inner Harbor, where the Pride of Baltimore and the Clipper City dock. They have power and water and you're right downtown, again, I have never felt un safe...but?

If you head over to Rockhall area, definitely head up into Swan Creek, after you get through the inlet bear to port after the last green can, weekends can get crowded but a weeknight you should be fine with plenty of room and depth. Haven Harbor Marina is very nice, although I've never stayed so I'm not sure about cost but the facilities are fantastic. A trip into the town of Rockhall could be interesting, but not much going on, again, if you're fond of crabs Waterman's in Rockhall is worth it. They do have free dockage for patrons. We usually anchor in Swan Creek and dingy into Rockhall if we want crabs.

Annapolis, not going to add much more than what has been said except the moorings come with showers & laundry, and at night the rocking subsides. For me, its pretty spectacular to be downtown on the boat. You could try for a slip or the bulkhead off "ego alley" if you wanna show off the boat and don't mind spectator after spectator. Last time there it was 20 degrees and winds in the 40's (remember that gale last December 27 2009?)Burrrrr Oh yea, and Joss Sushi is just up the street

If you have never been up the Chester this would be a must! I would highly 2nd Grays Inn Creek and would add Langford Creek and/or the Corsica. Fun river to sail as well

So in summary, just a thought or two:

• HHS to St Mikes
• St Mikes to Wye (short day, gives time to explore the Wye if you have a dingy)
• Wye to Chester
• Chester to Rockhall/Swan Creek
• Swan/Rockhall to Baltimore
• Baltimore to Annapolis
• Annapolis to Rhode or West Rivers
• West/Rhode to HHS

PS. If you really wanna push one day skip something and head up to Worton or Still Pond. You can go "inside" Worton for more protection with good depth but gets crowded on weekends. Still Pond is wonderful, a family of Bald Eagles are in the area and much shoreline to explore...if you draw less than 5' you could try to get into Still Pond Creek, you will be hugging the shore after the inlet, which can have some current, but once inside you will be rewarded...I promise. (Shh, we don't like to tell to many about this spot ) If you choose not to go in with the big boat, check out the creek in the dink.