Norfolk north through the Chesapeake Bay -- what not to miss?

[ranger58sb]

Oxford and Cambridge. If we only take time to stop at one vs the other, which would you prefer? I lean toward hitting one of them, then head up to St. Michael's most likely after that. It seems like people recommend Oxford, yet "loopers" tend to hit Cambridge instead. Cambridge is maybe larger, but more folks here and "around the dock" seem to mention Oxford as a favorite stop. Trying to decide. These are great problems to have!

There's more "town" to Cambridge. If you dock at the municipal marina, "downtown" is an easy walk. Several restaurants... but it's also a slightly depressed area since most of the "town" is out on the highway. There's a museum within reach. If you dock at the Hyatt, they have "resort" facilities, order your drinks in the pool, etc. Dunno how all that might be affected by Covid-related restrictions...

Oxford is tiny. Nice anchorage. Some boatyards to walk around. A mystery bookstore (if still there, if open). A few restaurants (ditto, depending). The Robert Morris Inn is where Mitchener stayed while writing Chesapeake.

If you go to Cambridge, Oxford isn't really out of the way... just a short detour.

If you go to St. Michaels from the Choptank, the anchorage is San Domingo Creek. Not bad. Not at all the same experience as entering St. Michaels from the Miles River.

-Chris

 

[AZ2Loop]

Interesting, ranger42C. I had not thought about anchoring on the "back" side of St. Michael's in San Domingo. I was only looking at approaching it from the north from Eastern Bay. I can see what you mean about those being two entirely different experiences.

 

[caltexflanc]

I too had mentioned coming in the "backside" and anchoring in Santo Domingo Creek earlier in the thread. We really liked it there, but I would be hesitant to try and find a spot on the weekend this time of year. We were usually on the Chessie early or later in the season, but the popular places like St.Michaels could still be crowded on weekends. So we typically hung out in less trafficked places on those days and explored around in the Whaler.

 

[catalinajack]

For St Michaels, consider using Leeds Creek which is 1.5 miles across the river from the town dock. It has a narrow entrance that carries about 7 feet of water at dead low tide but the shallow section is no more than 500 feet long and then gets sufficiently deep all the way into the anchorages shown in Active Captain. On a recent weekend - entered at low tide - we were the only boat anchored anywhere in the creek. Peaceful. Good cell signal. I think the narrow entrance frightens away most boaters. It did me until I tired of using the crowded, open anchorage just outside of St Michaels.

 

[ranger58sb]

Interesting, ranger42C. I had not thought about anchoring on the "back" side of St. Michael's in San Domingo. I was only looking at approaching it from the north from Eastern Bay. I can see what you mean about those being two entirely different experiences.

I think if this is likely to be your only trip through the Chesapeake, I'd enter in the main harbor. San Domingo is nice when we're in the area, but when we go to St. Michael's on purpose, we go to the harbor/museum area.

Also, for a one-time visit, I doubt I'd anchor out... unless the main inner harbor happened to be relatively open at the time. It's just easier, and in general, the town, the musuem, and the harbor are the attractions. (Watching boats arrive and depart the harbor is way better entertainment than TV.)

The outer anchorage, Leed's Creek, etc. aren't bad (Leeds, better of the two but further away) but more work and you can find other good anchorages to enjoy -- for their own sake -- about every mile or two along the Chesapeake somewhere.

-Chris

 

[wkearney99]

Worton Creek is very nice; in the right wind conditions we preferred anchoring just outside the creek proper. Friend used to keep his Hatteras 42 LRC there. Taking the dinghy around the corner and over into Fairlee Creek is, shall we say, interesting. Especially on the weekend. Think the MD version of a really big Florida sandbar. But for some reason we always took a toot over there.

Next little bay up from Worton, Still Pond is more peaceful and very pretty as well.

The bar on the shore at Fairlee is closed, and it was pretty windy back there the day we came through. The wives voted for someone more scenic, thus Worton.

The Fairlee entrance is indeed entertaining. YES, you go THAT CLOSE to the shore to enter the channel. It can be a challenge if there's an outgoing tide, other boat traffic and swimmers.

 

[wkearney99]

The outer anchorage, Leed's Creek, etc. aren't bad (Leeds, better of the two but further away) but more work and you can find other good anchorages to enjoy -- for their own sake -- about every mile or two along the Chesapeake somewhere.

We need 4' and I found the depth into Leeds was a little skimpy. The charts vs the markers vs my depth sounder... left me a little nervous. It is a nice anchorage back there though. Nice if the area outside St. Michaels is too crowded. Though what's the situation with the water taxi there? Is it running, what with all the mask/distancing issues of late.

 

[caltexflanc]

I would never anchor in Fairlee, we just liked taking the dinghy over there from Worton or Still Pond just to take in the madness.

 

[danderer]

I would never anchor in Fairlee, we just liked taking the dinghy over there from Worton or Still Pond just to take in the madness.

It is a lot different on a weekday. Maybe a 1/2 dozen boats anchored and quiet.

 

[catalinajack]

Our boat drafts five feet. At dead low tide we had no less than two feet below the keel. The shallow section is about 500 feet long. We entered very slowly but it proved uneventful. I suppose the shallow entrance keeps this quiet anchorage seldom used. Okay with me. We'll be going back there for a weekend in the fall. It's a 10-minute dinghy ride to the town dock.

We need 4' and I found the depth into Leeds was a little skimpy. The charts vs the markers vs my depth sounder... left me a little nervous. It is a nice anchorage back there though. Nice if the area outside St. Michaels is too crowded. Though what's the situation with the water taxi there? Is it running, what with all the mask/distancing issues of late.

 

[ranger58sb]

The Fairlee entrance is indeed entertaining. YES, you go THAT CLOSE to the shore to enter the channel. It can be a challenge if there's an outgoing tide, other boat traffic and swimmers.

Yes.

Drive up on the beach and turn hard left. Drive up on the next beach (and into Jellyfish Joel's) and turn hard right. Power through the current. Hope no one is coming out at the same time.

Then look back and see what score signs the bystanders are holding up. (9.6, 9.5, 8.4, etc.)

I had to come out of there on one engine, once... and then me and the cat puttered back to our marina that way. Luckily it was really nice weather...

-Chris

 

[AZ2Loop]

Great discussion, guys. George, I had missed that (or forgotten) your mention of going into St. Michael's that way. Being our first visit, I think we'll go in the front door, but I do like knowing that option is available. It sounds like there are som challenges with dinghy access that way, too, but we would probably work our way through that. Whether we'll anchor or marina in St. Michael's is yet to be known.

BTW, we did make it to Oxford. Very nice little town. Heat index around 100 or so, though, but we still took the dinghy in a few times and walked most of the town, and took it back in later for dinner. I'd go back.... nice town and pretty good anchoring options around it, too. Like most places, I'm glad we made it a stop.

Another interesting stop coming up will be Annapolis. Lots to consider there.
Good points above about when places are crowded. I will say thanks to COVID, most of the best anchorages have been available and also most marinas have had space when we wanted it, too. Silver lining, I guess.

 

[FF]

Tangier Island , not a heck of a lot to see but if you want to hear folks speaking English from 200 years ago its a great place for a family lunch.

 

[menzies]

Tangier Island , not a heck of a lot to see but if you want to hear folks speaking English from 200 years ago its a great place for a family lunch.

You can read about Tangier Island and see some photos in this post.

Crossing Back To The West Side And The Potomac | AtAnchor.com

 

[bluebyu]

+1 to "Ranger42C", post 71
Fairlee Creek has a very nice, protected anchorage. Even at low tide entrance is deep.

 

[AZ2Loop]

Jellyfish -- other than that, great body of water

As we continue exploring Chesapeake Bay, I have to say the jellyfish take a little something away from the experience. The bay is a beautiful part of the east coast. We are enjoying it, and many of the towns have been great. It's been hot, though, and I very much enjoy being able to get in the water. I have only done that in the Chesapeake at one of our anchorages. Everywhere else there were dozens (sometimes hundreds) of jellyfish all around the boat so I chose to stay on the boat. I hear north is better, and fresh water is key. I've been told if we go up the Chester River they may not be up there, at least not at this point in the season. We may go up that way and see Chestertown and the Chester River anyway. Is anyone else annoyed by those things? Do you like getting in the water?

 

[AZ2Loop]

St. Michael's was a great visit and lots of room for anchoring. It's been one of our favorite little towns so far. Oxford was pretty enjoyable, too. I think we will head over to Annapolis soon. Then we are trying to decide if we venture farther north to Havre De Grace or start backtracking south to cover some places we missed so far (Tangier, St. Mary's, Yorktown, etc.). We did stop at Herrington Harbor South for a few days of the heat wave and enjoyed AC and the pool. Back on the move and more to see.

 

[ranger58sb]

Yep, way up rivers is usually better. The Chester is nice... as are the Wye and Wye East Rivers. Still Pond is said to usually be OK, too.

You could call the marina in Chestertown and ask for a jelly report . And then if it's clear there, the two Wye Rivers are likely clear, too.

If you're eventually leaving the Chesapeake southbound, I think you'd be better off seeing some of the more northern stuff while you're still here. Rock Hall, maybe (Swan Creek anchorage), etc. And even Bal'mer can be worth a look... and Kent Narrows on your way one direction or other...

-Chris

 

[psneeld]

They have large nets with floats around the top that you deploy off your swim platform to form a pool to swim in jellyfish free. See pic.

Some summers many of the rivers north of the bay bridge are mostly jellyfish free....sometimes they are north...but a little ways into the rivers and they dissapear.

 

[wkearney99]

They have large nets with floats around the top that you deploy off your swim platform to form a pool to swim in jellyfish free. .

Nettle Nets, the company that makes them, is local off the Magothy River. We've got the 12' size and it works pretty well for kids. We secure it behind the swim platform, and lower the swim ladder into it. This way the kids can get in/out of it without letting any jellies into it. They're spendy but it's lasted quite well for several years now.

https://www.nojellyfish.com/content.asp?pl=797&contentid=797

 

[danderer]

I've always wondered - don't some nettles get caught in the netting and when you pull the net out, well, either you have to clean them out or let them rot?

Never used a net so I really have no idea.

 

[wkearney99]

Nope, nothing seems to get caught. I give it a light rinse when retrieving it, stuff it back into the supplied mesh bag and leave it out on the deck for a day or two until it's dried. Never had a problem with it

 

[psneeld]

I think it may depend on a few things on whether nettles get hung up or not.

Some people swear by these pools, others hate them.

Bottom line is ....go north and up river or use a pool...nettle pool or pool ashore.

One other option is head for the ocean resorts where it is much cooler and swimming is usually better.

 

[wkearney99]

I've yet to come across anyone that's got the Nettle Net complaining about it. Other pool/nets.. don't know. There's not a lot to complain about with it, besides it being rather pricey. But it's proven it's worth, for us and several friends that have them. We've rafted up in the past and had multiple nets, out behind each boat. Worked great.

Better is relative. Given infection risks these days resort/ocean travel might be an option to skip.

 

[Porgy]

Jellyfish are in the Wye all the way to Wye Landing. Also the Tred Avon on the Choptank. There are some in the Corsica River on the Chester River but not in Langford Creek at least near Cacaway Island.

We had to clean the A/C and generator strainers once or twice a day.

 

[Leatherneck]

I don't remember jellyfish being a problem last year but they are all over this year. Water temp is currently 82 degrees and salinity higher than usual. This is at Tall Timbers marina off the southern Potomac.

 

[AZ2Loop]

Southbound now, but in no hurry.

An update on our CBay experience over the past few weeks. We have hit a lot of places, including Mobjack Bay, Carter Creek (Rappahonnock), Urbanna, Solomon's Island, Oxford, St. Michael's, Annapolis, and we did take the Chester River up to Chestertown. We decided not to go farther north. Opting instead to start slowly backtracking to hit a few places we missed while we work our way south.

Before leaving the Chesapeake Bay, we may still hit Tangier Island, the York River, and/or the James River.

There is still a lot we missed in North Carolina that we will hopefully hit as we go south. Same for South Carolina. Carving out some time to explore the St. John's River from Jacksonville, FL and south is something we are hoping to work in as we go south. There are threads on that topic and I will probably revive one of those for that discussion.

Thanks for the thoughts on The Chesapeake as we went along. The experience on this forum is a powerful resource.

Our favorite spots on the CBay so far: St. Michaels and Annapolis were among the top spots. There are many nice anchorages all over the bay that we have appreciated. Prettiest river cruise in our experience was the Chester River. There is still more to see, of course.

 

[JESSEDIVER49]

On your trip south, consider a stop at Sunbury, GA. It's kinda under the radar up the Medway River and a ghost town of sorts from the Revolutionary era. Found it an amazing place plus wonderful food at the Crab Co.

 

[AZ2Loop]

On your trip south, consider a stop at Sunbury, GA. It's kinda under the radar up the Medway River and a ghost town of sorts from the Revolutionary era. Found it an amazing place plus wonderful food at the Crab Co.

After reading your tip, I just looked it up. It does sound like a nice, one night stop, assuming the Crab Co is open. Did you dock there for the night? It sounds like that is the best option. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[JESSEDIVER49]

Yes, we docked there only one night but when I go back will likely do 2 nights. If you like American history, it has even more interest. In the Revolutionary times, Sunbury was competing with Savannah to be the region's chief port (really nice deep river), but the British went in and torched the place out. Residents left and it never recovered.