Swan Creek Anchoring?

[BigMoe]

Hello Fellow Sailors:

Can anyone give me a little information about dropping anchor in Swan Creek. I am trying to plan a few trips for next season. We keep our boat in Annapolis and very rarely anchor out. I am looking for some places to inaugurate my family to sleeping out, away from the dock. I have a Beneteau 49 that draws 5'8". If anyone could throw in a few more places to drop the hook It would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Big Moe

[SVAuspicious]

My HR 40 draws 5'8" also and I regularly anchor in Swan Creek. Shellenberger's guide is your friend.

[wwilson]

Originally Posted by BigMoe

... If anyone could throw in a few more places to drop the hook It would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Big Moe

From Annapolis there are dozens of very good anchorages only a short sail away. Here are a few of our close & easy favorites:

Little Round Bay - up the Severn R.
Saltworks Ck - up the Severn
Behind Dobbins Island - in the Magothy R.
Canning House Bay - first big bight to port entering the Rhode R
Off High Island - Rhode R.
Harness Ck. - up the South R.
Church Ck - also South R.

All with plenty of water for out 6'2" draft and little or no channel navigation needed.

Wayne

[chef2sail]

Swan Creek is plenty deep enough in the beginning. You have so many great places you can go for the weekend from Annapolis.

Going North-
Eastern Shore
Chester River- Greys Inn Creek, Langford Creek (Cackaway Island is beautiful)
Corsica Creek
Worton Creek- one of our favorites
Still Pond
Sassafras- many many creeks

Western Shore
Whitehall bay- Choice of three creeks or the bay itself
Magothy- Eagles Cove (Eagles Nest), Behind Dobbins, Broad Creek in front of
pink glass house
Bodkin Creek- Jubb Cove
Rock Creek- where we are located

South-
Eastern Shore
Miles River- St Michaels
Tilghman Island- Harris Creek, Dunn Cove, SantoDomingo Creek
Tred Avon= Oxford
Choptank- many anchorages and creeks including Cambridge
Choptank-
South River- Harness Creek, Aberdeen Creek (our favorite on the South),
Gleebe Creek

[mccary]

Chef & Wilson, those are great lists, but you omitted a few great spots.
Eastern Shore
Dun Cove just North of Knapps Narrows off Harris Creek off the Choptank.
Several anchorages (Shaw bay, Dividing Creek, Granary Creek) on the Wye River off Miles River

Westwern Shore
Lots of places depending on wind in Rhode River
Galesville anchorage on West River (consider dinner at Pirates Cove).

[Gladrags1]

You will find that Swan Creek is a good place to build up your anchoring skills. It is roomy and the holding is good. However, it can get crowded so get there early and avoid holiday weekends. Enter the creek, minding the private aids-to-navigation. Go past the mooring field and turn left and you will find that there is good water almost all the way back to the large dock to port. Stay away from the duck blind on starboard where it gets a bit skinny. You should find 6 - 7 feet of water mlw which probably sounds tight to you but won't give you any problems. Enjoy and leave plenty of scope!

Tod

[MorgaNado]

Another suggestion is to try one of Swan Creek Marina's mooring balls. $30 per night. Feels like anchored; secure hold of the mooring.

[fordo]

Moe, you get the picture. You have almost endless choices in one of the greatest cruising areas in the country. SVA is right; Shellenberger is the guide to get. Our favorite is Dividing Creek on the Wye River, north of St. Michaels. Your draft should be no problem there.

[HerbDB]

Hi Moe,

My favorite anchorage is on the Rhode River. It is a nice sail from Annapolis. You can anchor back behind High Island (really a sand spit that almost disappears at high tide). Flat Island (which is not nearly as flat as High Island) and High Island are sand islands that make really great places to dingy ashore and play in the shallows. The kids will love it.

I like High Island, because there is usually a place to get out of the sun while watching the kids in the water.

There is plenty of water back there. Just stay closer to the southern shore as you go around High Island. At high tide, the shallows around High Island make it look like there is more open water than is really there.

I personally don't think there is a lot of anchoring room in Swan Creek for a boat the size of yours and it can get pretty shallow back in there if you stray from the channel. An option for visiting might be to pick up a mooring. Some are available without going to far up the creek.