Chesapeake Summer 2018

[menzies]

Compared to our Bahamas trip we are doing a fraction of the booze provisioning. Our logic is we are still in the good ol' USA and restocking should be a lot more accessible, better quality and better priced that in the islands. So we will restock as we go.

As to the coke, that is to go with the Captain! Both of which can be easily found as we go!

But I do want to thank you all for your concern in that important area!

 

[ranger58sb]

After that we will stay inside. Georgetown, Little River, Wrightsville, etc, towards Norfolk/Jamestown.

Then we will take a slow ride to DC where we are booked into the Capital Yacht Club for five days the last week of July and to pick up Irish guests. We will then cruise to Annapolis and then Baltimore where we drop off our guests and start to wind our way slowly back south.

From Charleston, inside, Isle of Palms area and McClellanville have some shallow areas, so you'll want to transit those at least at mid-tide and rising.

The channel across Bogue Sound is semi-skinny in places, so if there's significant wind, mind your set and drift from one marker to the next.

St, Michael's, on the Miles River, is a pleasant side-trip from the Annapolis area. Happens we're at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum docks just now, in time for the annual Classic Boat Show that starts today.

-Chris

 

[menzies]

St, Michael's, on the Miles River, is a pleasant side-trip from the Annapolis area. Happens we're at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum docks just now, in time for the annual Classic Boat Show that starts today.

-Chris

Yep, asked for this for Christmas last. There is a write up in there on St Michael's so it is in the plan!

 

[ranger58sb]

The lighthouse pictured there is at Thomas Point, just at the mouth of our river, very picturesque...

The same design lighthouse (screwpile) is here at Navy Point, so you can go up inside and have a look around, etc.

If you and crew haven't read Michener's Chesapeake, now would be a good time to be doing that.

-Chris

 

[menzies]

If you and crew haven't read Michener's Chesapeake, now would be a good time to be doing that.

-Chris

We haven't. I have decided on a Kindle for this trip rather than packing a bunch of hard copies as I usually do. So will look to download it.

Thanks.

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

The fishing was good last week! We were just inside Eastern Bay at the southern tip of Kent Island. We caught the limit in less than an hour.

 

[menzies]

I am leaving the big "Bahama" reels behind and just bringing light inshore tackle - spinning reels and 10# line. Will that do?

And do I need to buy both a VA and a MD license, or will MD do?

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

We were using light tackle, too. But I can't answer the question about licenses, the charter handled all those details.



Good luck!

 

[menzies]

Another Chesapeake question for those that boat up there.

After our last Bahamas trip we decided to buy a cell booster before we go again.

Do we need to get it before we go to the Chesapeake - we are on AT&T?

 

[menzies]

Looks like just one license with registration in the other.

******

http://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/service_fishing_license.aspx#CBCSPFL

Reciprocity
Virginia saltwater recreational fishing licenses with a Maryland/PRFC registration honored in Maryland tidal waters are:

Individual annual license
Individual temporary (10-day) license
Private boat license
Charter boat and head boat licenses (covers all persons fishing on boat and a registration is not needed)
Lifetime saltwater Recreational Fishing License
Special Lifetime recreational Fishing License for the permanently and totally disabled
Special Combined (FW/SW) Sportfish License
Rental boat license (covers all persons fishing on boat).
Maryland saltwater recreational fishing licenses with a Virginia registration honored in Virginia tidal saltwaters are:

Annual resident Chesapeake Bay and Coastal sport fishing license
Short-term (7-day) resident Chesapeake Bay and Coastal sport fishing license
Annual nonresident Chesapeake Bay and Coast sport fishing license
Short-term (7-day) nonresident Chesapeake Bay and Coastal sport fishing license
Lifetime Chesapeake Bay and Coastal sport fishing license for former prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans,
Combination commercial/recreational (tidal fish license)
Private boat license
Consolidated senior sport fishing license.
Charter boat and head boat licenses (covers all persons fishing on boat and a registration is not needed)
Potomac River Fisheries Commission recreational fishing licenses honored in Virginia tidal saltwaters:

Individual annual license
Private boat license (covers all persons fishing on boat with a VA registration)
Charter boat license (covers all persons fishing on boat)
Potomac River Fisheries Commission recreational fishing licenses honored in Maryland tidal saltwaters:

Individual annual license
Private boat license (covers all persons with a Maryland/PRFC registration fishing on boat)
Charter boat license (covers all persons fishing on boat)
Maryland and Virginia saltwater recreational fishing licenses and their registrations are honored in the tidal saltwaters of the Potomac River.

 

[caltexflanc]

Given you seem in a hurry, I recommend going outside at Little River, back in to Southport (nice town) then over to and out Masonboro Inlet to Beaufort Inlet. You avoid some of the least scenic or interesting stretches of the ICW, as well as several bridges on schedules and some trouble spots near Wrightsville Beach and Brown Inlet. You are missing some of the prettiest parts of the ICW, so why not some of the ugliest?

Also consider coming in Wassaw Sound to the Wilmington River and staying in Thunderbolt, rather than in via Tybee. Go out Tybee on the way out. Worked for us many times!

Going up the dead center of the Chesapeake you may get sketchy cell service in some spots, but closer to either shore it's pretty good with good data speeds. I too am on AT&T as my primary provider.

 

[menzies]

No hurry. We have cruised from here to Charleston. So we will go outside to St Simons, the mouth of Tybee Roads (not going in), and Charleston.
After that we prefer to stay inside as we have not cruised that area before. We are limiting outselves to six hour runs per day after Charleston to Norfolk. So it will take us ~ 9/10 days.

 

[caltexflanc]

No hurry. We have cruised from here to Charleston. So we will go outside to St Simons, the mouth of Tybee Roads (not going in), and Charleston.
After that we prefer to stay inside as we have not cruised that area before. We are limiting outselves to six hour runs per day after Charleston to Norfolk. So it will take us ~ 9/10 days.

So your going into Calibogue toward Hilton Head, rather than the Savannah River, thence out again to Charleston?

By the way, there are a lot of exercises at Camp Lejeune this time of year, check the LNMs because the will shut down the ICW through there. Make sure to time all the bridges twixt Wrightsville and Swansboro!

Not sure what your style is, but an extra day anchored out in one of the Waccamaw tributaries (our favorite being Bull Creek, but lots of others) and just dinking around we found very therapeutic.

My bet is you will wish you took my advice, since this time of year the prevailing SW winds make going north "downhill". But part of the greatness of cruising is finding all this out yourself! You might love your plan, so why not see?

 

[menzies]

Style? Spent three months in the Exumas last year and spent a total of four nights in marinas, to pick up guests. So we anchor out for choice, though we see there will be a couple of stops where we can slip in a downtown area so will probably do that.

What we tend to do is only look a day or two ahead. At the end of a day we will look at where we are, where we had thought to go the next day, then decide if we are doing that or not.

Re those bridges. Are they on a set time all day or just the beginning and end of day rush hours?

 

[ranger58sb]

We usually have decent AT&T reception, but we also have a Verizon cell phone too for those times when it's useful to see which one is likely to work better in a given area.

Check the Waterway Guide for bridge opening times; they're all slightly different, but you can time your run north to minimize loiter time...

-Chris

 

[caltexflanc]

Style? Spent three months in the Exumas last year and spent a total of four nights in marinas, to pick up guests. So we anchor out for choice, though we see there will be a couple of stops where we can slip in a downtown area so will probably do that.

What we tend to do is only look a day or two ahead. At the end of a day we will look at where we are, where we had thought to go the next day, then decide if we are doing that or not.

Re those bridges. Are they on a set time all day or just the beginning and end of day rush hours?

Set time all day, typically 7am to 7pm. I think Figure 8 is still 24hr schedule. Check the WWG as noted, and the LNMs for special events or maintenance/construction that can affect closings or schedules.

Southern VA and Norfolk area will be another bridge, and lock schedule timing issue. Thankfully the old Steel Bridge is long gone, so is the bridge in Beaufort NC if you are going through that back route.

One consideration is to go go up Pamlico Sound and visit Ocracoke (where you can anchor) and Manteo/Outer Banks on your way coming or going. The sound can get quite snotty, one reason they built the ICW, so watch weather depending on your tolerance.

 

[menzies]

Had a calm Atlantic for our run to St Simons today.

Got into the Anchorage nice and early to relax.

 

[caltexflanc]

Where did you anchor?

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Had a calm Atlantic for our run to St Simons today.

Got into the Anchorage nice and early to relax.

Very nice! Enjoy your trip!

 

[menzies]

Where did you anchor?

At the designated anchorage just south of Golden Isles Marina (Morningstar).

 

[menzies]

Leaving St Simons this morning.

 

[menzies]

Leaving Harbourtown Marina, Sea Pines Resort this morning.

Currently tied up Charleston City Marina. Off into town for dinner at Blossoms tonight.

 

[menzies]

Day four. Leaving Charleston, passing Fort Sumter.

 

[menzies]

Day five, leaving our overnight anchorage by the Georgetown Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in South Carolina. Next stop Bald Head Marina.

 

[menzies]

Day six. A bit late posting today. We had a short run planned today so we spent the morning at Bald Head Island. A friend who lives there gave us a very interesting tour of the island with a tour guide quality narrative!

A couple of photos of the beautiful non denominational church.

 

[menzies]

Day seven. This is what you want to wake up to when preparing to go through a new inlet and running outside for 65 miles. (Actually the very safe Masonboro inlet).

 

[menzies]

Day eight begins with a splendid sunrise over the Outer Banks as we depart our anchorage on the Nuese River.

 

[menzies]

First blog post for this trip. It's a bit long, but we wanted to cover the outside legs in one entry.

Chesapeake! The Outside Run – With a Ton Of Fun Along The Way! | AtAnchor.com

 

[menzies]

Day nine and you can tell we are nearing the Chesapeake. Anchored on the Alligator River in the middle of hundreds of crab pots and slowly making our way through them back to the channel this morning.

 

[menzies]

Day ten. Leaving the pretty little stopover of Coinjock, whose only reason to exist seems to be a good stop before hitting the timed bridges and lock between here and Norfolk. One single long dock mostly filled by big yachts. Good people and nice food in the restaurant.