DC to Chesapeake City, ND - May 17 - 27

After leaving Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA we motored down the Potomac in windy overcast conditions. The ride was bouncy and I wanted to get a little further south to a more protected anchorage. So we went 55 miles to the Port Tobacco River. Before the Revolutionary War, Port Tobacco was the second largest port on the Potomac. Silt and the railroads caused a decline. The Potomac is very narrow here which means high current. I saw a 2 kt difference between water and boat speed (SOG). It is also famous for causing the escape to Virginia of John Wilkes Booth to be delayed. He and his conspirator David Harold tried to row a boat from an area called Dense Meadow (pictured) on the Maryland side but instead of reaching Virginia, the current carried them back into Maryland, NW of where they started.

The next day we made it to Horseshoe Bay, a beautiful peaceful anchorage in front of St. Mary's College and St. Mary's City which dates back to 1634. This was the place the Catholic settlers purchased from the Indians in 1634 (after landing at St. Clements Island) and set up the first settlement and capital in Maryland. Saint Mary's City is the fourth oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the new world. The rebuilt city is a park that demonstrates the way this community lived from 1634 through about 1695 when the Capital moved to Annapolis. After a dinghy ride to the college boating center (pictured) we spent a day at the historical St. Mary's City and finished with a very nice meal at the St. Mary's College cafeteria.

On May 21st we left St. Mary's City and went down the Potomac and back to the Chesapeake Bay before heading north to the familiar harbors and creeks of Solomons, MD. We anchored off Mill Creek. Friday was a day to pick up our mail at the Post Office and pick up some groceries. Saturday May 23 was a nice warm day so we took the dingy back out a few miles in the Putaxant River to watch the Putuxant River Naval Air Station air show. That included stunt planes and the Blue Angels (pictured.) Kaye took the opportunity to go for a swim on the sandy beach across the Putaxant from the Air Station (see her head in the water.)

To get our batteries charged, laundry done, and borrow a car to go get a full load of groceries we stayed one night at the Calvert Marina on May 24th. Then we headed out north into the Chesapeake. Conditions deterioated during the day and we slowed down approaching Annapolis as weather was warning of servere weather and 60 mph winds north of there. I selected an anchorage that seemed well protected just a few miles north of the Naval Academy. As we motored down the Ridout Creek (pictured) I was surprised to see the boat GROWLER owned by the original publisher/editor of Passagemaker magazine the "bible" of extended cruising. The weather forecast was worse for Tuesday May 26th so we just stayed at anchor for another day. By Wednesday the conditions were much improved and we had a pleasant

trip up to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. As we entered the Canal we began to see large tows like the one pictured. They use the canal to avoid going way out around the Delmarva pensiula and can easily connect NY, NJ, and Philadelphia with Baltimore and southern VA ports.


We anchored in the Chesapeake City anchorage basin. We are now north of any previous boat trips, so this is all new ground. Tomorrow we leave for New Jersey and eventually New York. I have been studying the weather conditions, current and tide charts, marinas, and anchorages to plan our trip down the Delaware Bay, to Cape May, and out into the Atlantic to New York. This will take several days but we're having an adventure!