Chesapeake!

On the Hard in Oxford, MD

We had a great week with our friends last week and now Carry On is sitting on the gravel at the boatyard in Oxford, MD, a long planned stop to have the boat hauled, the bottom cleaned and painted, as well as some other jobs that can only be done when the boat is out of the water. 

We’ve been living onboard, more or less as usual, minus some of the comforts that we usually take for granted. For instance, a 45 degree, rainy day (like Friday) is not a big deal when we’re in the water, on an anchor or plugged into a dock. But with no generators or cooling pumps to run the A/C/heat, it was a mighty cold day! We scavenged extra fleece blankets from the guest stateroom and spent a reasonably comfortable night under 5 layers of fleece, plus one shared furry beast. Two days later and now the temps are over 80-- it seems Spring in the Chesapeake has much in common with Spring in New England! 

Welcome Aboard!

Some of you have asked questions about life on the hard, like how do we get groceries on board, can we use the bathroom, can we run water for cooking, etc? It’s a long way up to Carry On via a regular ladder to the swim platform and another ladder from there to her deck, so two hands are required. We use a rope and a bucket or canvas bag, lowered down or brought up by someone on deck to get items on and off. Yes, we have a large (55 gallon) holding tank, so with judicious use, we will be fine until we can safely pump out again. Most of the gray water (as opposed to black water in the holding tank) goes into sumps, or tanks in a special part of the bilge, which pump out automatically when they reach a certain volume. We’re showering in shore facilities, using water carefully and needless to say, when crews are painting or working under the boat, the dishes wait!

But back to our “vacation” days in the Chesapeake. Our friends joined us in Great Bridge, VA, and after going through the only locks on the Atlantic ICW, we transited Norfolk Harbor. That passage is always a thrill for Paul and me, as we both have roots in the area and the busy port demands attention with its multitude of commercial and navy vessels and timed drawbridges. We continued a long day up to our anchorage in Deltaville, VA in the lower Chesapeake Bay. We stayed on board that evening and were up again early to make our destination of Solomons, MD.

Chesapeake Bay Crabber

The size of the Bay and the distances between destinations by water still surprises me and makes careful planning necessary for a short cruise with endpoints fixed by dates and geography. We arrived late afternoon in Solomons, launched the dinghy and went out for a walk around town. It was not until after we’d passed the third Budweiser Clydesdale (don’t you see them every day where you live?) that we asked what was going on. Someone was happy to explain what is clearly one of the local rites of Spring-- the opening of the Tiki Bar! Apparently 30,000 people were expected the next day for the event, ready to see the Clydesdales parade, the Tiki Bar King arrive on the Tiki Barge and I’m sure you’ve already guessed this, drink lots and lots of beer! Some locals have been known to flee their homes for the weekend.

Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse

Tiki Bar aside, Solomons is a charming sailing and boating hub, with a well-protected natural harbor with several marinas and anchorages. Our boat guru, Scotty, is based in Solomons in the spring and summer, so we are very familiar with the area. This visit was still early in the tourist season, but it was a nice, warm Spring day and everything seemed to be in bloom.

From Solomons we traveled to St Michael’s, a tourist spot on the Eastern Shore with a large maritime museum dedicated to the watermen’s way of life-- crabbers, scallopers and oystermen. Unfortunately, the weather took a decidedly nasty turn with high seas, high winds and tornado warnings. After our guests and Paul made a brave trek to shore the first evening, with a struggle to get back in the dinghy, we all decided that our lay day would be most wisely and comfortably spent on board. Sadly, there went the sightseeing, the museum visit and the dinner reservations; instead we spent a cozy day inside with tea, hot chocolate and of course, good meals, while the wind howled and the seas raged!   

In the Middle of Things in Annapolis

We woke to a new day, sunny and quiet in our anchorage and we set off across the Bay again for Annapolis, a short run that put us in at mid day. Our dock was literally in the center of town (the dock is nicknamed “Ego Alley”), and as it was Palm Sunday and a beautiful day after a terrible Saturday, town was packed with sightseers and locals out for fresh air. Many Naval Academy midshipmen were also out and about, both male and female, looking fit and attractive in their summer whites.  Other tourists were perched on the wall alongside Carry On eating ice cream cones and tending children, a whole new experience for us! We were happy to join the tourists in a walk around town, then enjoy the hubbub from the sanity of our flybridge and salon!

Our guests left the next day after an all too quick visit, and here we are in Oxford, busy but looking forward to starting the last, long leg homeward to Marblehead..