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Chesapeake Bay - Sandy Anchorages

18K views 61 replies 17 participants last post by  Scandium 
#1 · (Edited)
Every captain on the Chesapeake knows the usual spots like behind Hart Miller Island where boaters congregate to break out the barbecue grill and take a dip in the water on sunny weekends during the summer. But almost every captain also knows a few local anchorages where they can drop anchor or just raft up with a few friends when they want to avoid the crowds too. (THOSE are what I'm looking for).

I'm attempting to create a comprehensive Google Map of shallow "sandy", (not mud, muck, or rocky), anchorages around the bay. The kind of place where you can anchor and everyone on board can jump off and stand barefoot in chest deep water (4'-5') on a sandy bottom with a sandy walk up shoreline.

What I'm looking for are either lat long coords or very specific location descriptions that you have a first hand knowledge of, along with a short sentence or two describing the best way to anchor there, how crowded it gets (or doesn't get) during the summer months, and any unique characteristics of the location.

The current map can be found here and will remain publicly available as it grows:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...s&ll=38.26241420623823,-76.18772330000002&z=7
 
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#2 ·
There is always danger in the waters like jelly fish or other things that hurt , not sure there is a safe place

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
#3 ·
But almost every captain also knows a few local anchorages where they can drop anchor or just raft up with a few friends when they want to avoid the crowds too. (THOSE are what I'm looking for).

I'm attempting to create a comprehensive Google Map of shallow "sandy", (not mud, muck, or rocky), anchorages around the bay. The kind of place where you can anchor and everyone on board can jump off and stand barefoot in chest deep water (4'-5') on a sandy bottom with a sandy walk up shoreline.

The current map can be found here and will remain publicly available as it grows:
Probably best to know locations on where Not to go on major holidays..'cause publicly announcing locations to avoid crowds wouldn't be prudent and counter productive..just my 2 and1/2 of unworthy opinion..
 
#4 ·
Because of heavy agricultural and industrial runoff, there are very few places in the entire Chesapeake where those conditions exist. There are a few locations in the lower bay near the mouths of creeks where the currents wash away the mud, but they are usually not sheltered. In some instances, you can anchor behind a peninsula over a muddy bottom, then walk across the peninsula to a sandy beach and enjoy the swimming, but the nettles will get ya!

Good luck,

Gary :cool:
 
#8 ·
You might be surprised... I've already listed quite a few in the upper and middle bay areas. But you're right in that the northern spots with sandy bottom anchorages tend to be smaller and the lower bay region has much larger beaches/sandbars. "New Point Comfort" is just one example of a southern bay spot that's on the map already. :wink
 
#6 ·
Why not just use any of the crowd sourced anchorage information already available? Descriptions usually provide tips on when the anchorage is crowded.
 
#7 ·
The "crowd sourced" websites for anchorage locations tend to lump all anchorages together, muddy as well as sandy, deep water as well as shallow. An anchorage by most people's definition would be anyplace protected that's deep enough drop anchor. What I'm trying to put together here is something that's a little more "specific". E.g. Sandy bottom, shallow enough to stand on, walk up to a sandy shore if possible.

But it's growing by leaps and bounds just from suggestions I've gotten today!

Again, I'll post the map as soon as sailnet stops blocking my ability to post the url. But if you want it now just PM me.
 
#26 ·
Here's hoping the raft up crowd with the giant stereo speakers who's goal is to live the "Redneck Yacht Club" video on a weekly basis don't use google maps.
OMG! That is scary! He actually speaks proudly of wanting to replicate something resembling a trailer park,... on the water.

"When the partys over and we're all alone we'll be makin' waves in a no wake zone!

Bass trackers, bayliners, and a party barge
strung together like a floatin' trailer park
anchored out and gettin' loud all summer long!"
 
#11 ·
I'm very much missing something. Can you explain how your Google Map is better/easier/more informative than just looking on a chart (which gives the depth and bottom characteristics)?
 
#12 ·
Charts don't differentiate between a sandy, rocky, mud, or stinky black muck bottom. All they give you is average depth at low tide and even that isn't 100% accurate.

This specific project is focusing on is documenting sandy bottom anchorages where you can actually get out of the boat and stand barefoot on the bottom in 4'-5' of water with a cold drink in hand while someone is on the swim platform manning the barbecue grill and the cooler, which is a popular activity in the bay on hot summer days.

Google maps is just the medium I'm using to record the locations and notes for each one because it's also the easiest to share online. But the entire map can also just as easily be converted to a *.kml file which can then be imported into many chart plotters all in one go rather than having to manually enter 100 waypoints by hand.

I'll be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
If I told you all my favorite quiet places with Sandy bottoms so you could invite all the drinkers to BBQ on their swim platforms and blare their 1000 watt woofers..........well I'd just have to kill you.

It's a secret worth protecting
LOL... Not every person without a set of sails is a 20 something with a "go fast" and a 1000 watt stereo. :wink
 
#21 ·
Actually I know Fairlee is a popular summer spot and I've had more Pain in D Asses with a dark rum floater at Jellyfish Joel's than I can count. But I purposely omitted it from this map because it really doesn't have a sandy bottom location (that I'm aware of). The point that's on your starboard side where all the power boaters line up is so rocky that you have to wear shoes to walk in the water, and everything behind that is black stinky muck that you really don't wanna touch with your feet. :wink
 
#22 ·
Again, I'll have to respectfully disagree... Where there's a LARGE area of sand like the back of Dobbin Island, Section J of Chart #1 will tell you it's a sandy bottom. Where there is a small sandy area on the side of a creek that is otherwise a mud bottom, that sandy area isn't called out, it's just all listed as mud. That's one of the the reasons why I'm putting this map together.
 
#24 ·
Geez guys, I think this guy is on the up-and-up. He just wants more specific info about particular anchorages than the chart can supply. I can understand not wanting to make public, secret anchorages. Maybe what we need is a counter-intelligence operation; Have a map that locates already undesirable anchorages with "free beer". The nice places will be empty.
 
#25 ·
I know, I know... The idea of giving away you're secret hidey hole is like fishermen giving away their secret fishing spot, or waterman giving away their secret crabbing spot. It's just not done...

But on any given day, "especially weekdays" there are wayyyy more anchorages than there are boaters on the bay. And the guys with 1000 watt stereos are gonna keep hanging out with the crowds at Hart Miller because they aren't interested in a small secluded sandy anchorages anyway.

BTW, I think I'm finally allowed to post URLs here at SailNet. Here's the map so far, and like I said it will remain publicly available as it continues to grow.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...s&ll=38.26241420623823,-76.18772330000002&z=7
 
#27 ·
Coulda shot that video behind Dobson Island, Fairlee Creek and a dozen other locations in the upper bay last year, cept the water looked cleaner in the vid.

Got to thinking about sandy spots where there would be some semblance of quietude, protection from the winds, not too much in the way of boat traffic on a holiday weekend, which is what the OP asked for, and for the life of me, I couldn't find one that had all those attributes - Sorry!

Gary :cool:
 
#29 · (Edited)
Got to thinking about sandy spots where there would be some semblance of quietude, protection from the winds, not too much in the way of boat traffic on a holiday weekend, which is what the OP asked for, and for the life of me, I couldn't find one that had all those attributes - Sorry!

Gary :cool:
I agree with Gary, there are no sandy spots where there would be some semblance of quietude, protection from the winds, not too much in the way of boat traffic on a holiday weekend anywhere where I sail on the Chesapeake Bay.
Perhaps NaptownLarry should map the finer anchorages of the Delaware Bay, the North Jersey coast or the Kill Van Kull ( good shallows, interesting wrecks and a short walk to Staten Island).
All the really good sandy beach party spots are on the Gulf Coast or spots up the major Rivers, like in Missouri. Or on big lakes in the Ozarks or Kansas.
Nothing to see here on the Chesapeake - we have big dangerous ships, nettles, cranky watermen and stuck up mega yacht owners that think they own all the places between all the bouys.
Our weather is always too hot, too cold, too windy or not windy enough. It rains, we get thunderstorms on a regular basis and there is no anchor that will work anywhere anytime with any consistency.
The food in any locale has gone downhill so fast for so long that if you want to eat on the bay bring peanut butter and jelly. Don't eat the fish, only a fool would stand or swim in the water.
Nothing to recommend here Larry - cover your map with small skulls and crossbones, warn the sandy bottom shuffling throng to move to better/safer harbors. Vibrio! Flesh eating bacteria!!
Put that on your map.
 
#28 ·
I don't know why everyone is give the new person such a hard time about this!

I've made a list of anchorages for the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior that some find useful. Sure, it's mostly information you could get from looking at a chart or reading the cruising guides, but mine is all arranged in one list, sorted by which wind directions are protected, and with a few personal notes like how suitable the shore is for campfires.

This guy is trying to make a list that will help him, and maybe some others. No harm.
 
#30 ·
If it were not for the black flies, greenhead flies, mosquitoes and gnats, some place in Delaware Bay would be just fine. Same goes for behind the barrier islands of Virginia. But in both locales, the critters will git ya!

Minnesail, I'm not pickin on the guy - I'm just being realistic about his requests.

Good Luck,

Gary :cool:
 
#32 ·
On the Chesapeake we have black flies, greenhead flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and midges that will turn your hull deadly green in a New York minute. Downwind of Hart Miller several sailors are lost every year to blood loss from fly bites.
There are flats and recently sunken islands (complete with recently sunken buildings) that may rip the bottom of your boat to shreds - particularly if you are traveling at high speed with loud music blaring.
Cans and nuns that don't show up on "maps" are all over the place. Crabtraps too. We have lighthouses with no or minimal lights - beware.
When the Conowingo Dam lets loose nitrates, refrigerators, oil and propane tanks, general detritus and the occasional cadaver join the flotsam of danger our stalwart sailors face on a daily basis.
Secret guvmint' facilities on the western shore have boats that will chase you from imaginary lines. Daily very real explosions will make you want to obey all their orders to go away. They are keeping all the good ankle deep sandy spots clear for the folks that are not us.
Nothing to see here folks - take your tourist map and move on.......
 
#33 ·
The list is growing... started with 6 I had personal knowledge of and now it's up to 34 that stretch from the top of the bay all the way down to the mouth! Keep em coming, especially if you know of any spots between the bottom of Kent Island all the way down to the Rappahanock.

Just remember, we're looking to add "Sandy Bottom" anchorages with waters shallow enough to step off the boat and stand with your head above water, (4'-5' deep). Having a walk up sandy shoreline or beach is a plus.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...&ll=38.297974208426076,-76.20869010000001&z=7

******************

And for those of you that enjoy a good Dock Bar on the Chesapeake Bay, here's my personal list of those too. It's publicly available so feel free to bookmark it as a reference:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...B36wXQzc&ll=38.19204745748263,-76.4953385&z=7
 
#34 ·
Larry, I know many of those places on your map, and for the most part, they are not quiet, out of the way, sheltered anchorages. For example, Battery Island, which is a newly created, relatively large, sand island that was created while dredging the lower Susquehanna River a few years ago, is jammed to capacity with boats every weekend the water is warm enough to enter. Same holds true for several others listed, while many are wide open to the winds from any westerly direction, which is where most of the severest storms come from. Nope, just don't fit the OPs request.

All the best,

Gary :cool:
 
#35 ·
The original request and the intent of this particular set of waypoints is for sandy bottom locations where you can anchor, jump off your boat, and stand on a sandy bottom in 4'-5' of water, preferably with a walk up sandy shoreline. Basically picnic spots on the water for sunny days.

If you're looking for a quiet 'weather proof' gunk hole to drop anchor where you're the only boat there, then there are already lots of resources for those online. Waterwayguide.com is an excellent online resource to find places where you can weather a storm.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Finding sand bottoms is easy; use Google Earth, get in close, and search for sandy shorelines.

However, in order to keep the bottom free of muck, there must be a current or wave action (or both), which means they are very seldom in sheltered areas. Those things just don't go together. There are many dozens of areas like that on the main trunk of the Bay, but they tend to be lunch stop places. Mostly there is nothing commercial on shore.

the OP's second intent was to list our less popular spots, so that they could become popular. Like listing a favoite fishing hole, that's just not going to happen. Let them do the homework and find them. Google Earth makes it easy. Just that little bit of effort, and the fact that theses spots are not on a list, helps keep out the lazy masses.

So tough. The only public tip from me is to use Google Earth. It's an amazing resource.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Google Earth is only part of it. Once a sandy shoreline is found it has to be referenced against the charts to ensure there is a navigable approach, whether there are any underwater hazards, and whether there's a gradual slope that can be used by boats with varying depth requirements or if it's 12' deep with a 2 yard wide ledge that's only 2 feet deep, or did the bottom contour of a location totally get blown out over the winter... This is why first hand accounts are always going better than just spit balling it with a chart and Google.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
 
#38 ·
Crickets out there... I guess we've collectively put together every single shallow sandy anchorage on the bay! ;-)

I'll continue to update the map as long as I keep getting contributions. And the map will remain free and publicly accessible to anyone who wants to use it to explore (new to you) sandy anchorages around the bay. Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far!

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...QC7kJvs&ll=38.24932870953997,-76.19621515&z=7
 
#39 · (Edited)
Interesting.

* Watts Island is a refuge and landing is prohibited. There are many refuges with sandy beaches that you should not visit.
* Many of these are private property, and more than a few are posted. In general, that means you have to stay on the wet sand. They have had bad experiences with parties and the mess they leave.

Cod Harbor on Tangier gives access to some nice beaches.
 
#41 ·
Cod Harbor is already on the map, but thanks for the verification!

Regarding Maxwell's Point, the description I have on that spot already states "no going ashore!" But I'll also update Watt's Island to reflect that going ashore isn't allowed there either.

As was already noted, private property can only be claimed up to the water's edge. You can't legally be prevented or otherwise harassed for anchoring off of any beach in the Chesapeake Bay.
 
#43 ·
Cod Harbor is already on the map, but thanks for the verification!

Regarding Maxwell's Point, the description I have on that spot already states "no going ashore!" But I'll also update Watt's Island to reflect that going ashore isn't allowed there either.
Yes, I know very well that it says 'no going ashore,' and I mentioned that in my posting ('no landing'). But read what I said: you are not allowed to touch the ground in any part of APG, including the ground under the water. So your idea of 'standing on a sandy bottom with a beer in my hand' happens to violate federal law in this particular location.

As was already noted, private property can only be claimed up to the water's edge. You can't legally be prevented or otherwise harassed for anchoring off of any beach in the Chesapeake Bay.
Nonsense. There are parts of the Chesapeake Bay where you are positively not allowed to anchor off the beach. Perhaps you will not be harassed but you will be arrested.
 
#42 ·
For those that are still queasy about anchoring off of private beaches along the 11,684 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline. The official language of the law is as follows:

"The State of Maryland owns in public trust for the benefit of its citizens the navigable waters of the bay and its tributaries, including all shore line and sandy beach that lies below mean high tide."

In addition to that, private beaches must be conspicuously posted as private property OR the property owner must have first verbally notified anyone actually found on the property that it is private and not accessible for the public.
 
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