After being holed up in Solomons waiting for the gale to blow through and the high water to recede, we were ready to move out and move on. Getting to the bottom of the Chesapeake, and entering the ICW proper, was our agenda.
October 31 – November 1, 2021 Location Days 20 – 21
We had stayed one “extra” day in Solomons. The gale had pulled away the day before and a lot of folks had headed out, thinking conditions would be OK. We had scratched our heads, assessed the finer points in the forecast, and concluded that with breeze still fresh out of the south, the bay could use another 24 hours to lie down. This decision proved correct, as the boats that had left the day before all scurried for cover in whatever creek was available not long after getting under way. The bay was, as we suspected, still rather gnarly.
We enjoyed an extended stay at Solomon’s thanks to — can you guess? — the weather. Two lovely days, one one day of gale conditions and historic flooding. We picked a good spot to ride it out.
October 28 – 31 Solomons, MD Days 16 – 20
We left Annapolis behind as the clouds cleared out, the sun began to shine brightly and a stiff northwest breeze pushed us down the bay. Small Craft Advisories were up. It was blustery — 15 – 25 knots — but as it was behind us, we were pretty comfortable. The current was erratic, first against us, then with us, then against us. The sea state got a little lumpy when it turned against us off Jefferson Island at the entrance to Eastern Bay, so we pushed up our speed for twenty minutes or so to get beyond it, and life became happy again.
Once again, our hopes for a bit of fall cruising in the Chesapeake were foiled by the weather, which compelled us to make tracks while we could. We took advantage of two glorious calm days to cover the miles down the open and potentially challenging Chesapeake, and into the protected ICW.
October 29 – November 1, 2019 Annapolis, MD to Solomons, MD to Portsmouth, VA Days 16 – 19
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
We picked two gorgeous days to run the 155 miles from Annapolis to Portsmouth, Virginia. This was a gift, as the Chesapeake can be a long, hard, uncomfortable slog if the conditions aren’t right.
With plans to spend more time on the Bay in the spring.
Day 20, November 4
We enjoyed our time in the Chesapeake, and leaving as we did, without spending more time and visiting more destinations, left us both feeling a bit let down. How did this happen?
In a word: weather.
This has been a tough first three weeks of our cruise. First, we were bashed to death by westerly gales in Long Island Sound. New Jersey gave us a surprise break with a fair window to get down the coast and up the Delaware, but the Weather Devil assaulted us again in the Chesapeake. The pattern of Small Craft Advisories and Gales called the shots with respect to where we went, and even if we went anywhere at all. It also kept us in protected marinas instead of remote coves. We couldn’t find any rhythm to our trip, and our expectations were tossed in the trash bin. Continue reading Leaving The Chesapeake – Prematurely→
Thanks to social media, Solomons Island wrapped us up in warm and happy hospitality.
Days 18 – 20, November 1 – 3, 2018
If Rock Hall, MD put southern hospitality on the map, Annapolis gave it a gold star and Solomons Island knocked it out of the park.
We have embraced the whole social media thing with a wee bit of skepticism, but embraced it none-the-less. In spite of the well-deserved reputation that Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat have for breaking down some of the essential fibers of true social interaction, this cruise has underscored what a wonderful accomplice social media can be in the world of friends and friendship. Continue reading Of New Friends and Old Friends — and KEY LIME PIE!→
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