Baltimore & Chesapeake City (05/24 - 05/26/2021

Monday - Tuesday  05/24 - 05/25/2021

Day Miles:     32

Total Miles:    5178

Travel Days:   98

Total Days     209

Wednesday 05/26/2021

Day Miles:  55

Total Miles:  5233

Travel Days:  99

Total Days: 210

Monday

Our beautiful travels days on the Chesapeake Bay ended on Monday.  We left Annapolis on a gray overcast morning.  Winds were in the low teen's creating some chop on the Bay.  Not much to see on the cruise.  By the time we arrived in Baltimore it was beginning to rain.  We waited out the rain on the boat and took the free water taxi to the other side of the Inner Harbor.  Not much was going on with the weather and it being a Monday.

Entering Baltimore

911 memorial

Light house

Chesapeake ship lighthouse

Tuesday was a nicer day weather wise.  We again took the water taxi over to the other side of the Harbor and made plans to tour the submarine USS Torsk from WWII and the civil war ship USS Constellation.  It not take us long to determine that no way either of us would want to spend much time on a submarine.

After the sub, we walked over and toured the USS Constellation.  We were able to see all 4 decks and it was pretty cool.  Guess people back then were a lot shorter though.  We got lucky on the timing as it was close to noon and they were getting ready to fire off one of the canons.  I participated in pulling the cannon into position.

After the tours and finding a Chick Fil-A, we went back to the boat.  My friend from P&G / Coty who still works for Coty in Hunt Valley drove down to meet us for dinner.  Caroline Martello showed up with a nice bottle of the local flavor in hand.  

After a couple of beers and catching up, we walked over to Uno's for dinner.  I know this does not sound exciting, but it has been a loooong time since either of us have had Uno's.  Good news is we got lunch out of it as well.  After dinner, Caroline and I had some Four Roses (thanks Tony), and I had a cigar and we caught up some more.  It was great seeing her again and for some reason I did not get any pictures of us at dinner.  I will work on that.

Wednesday

We left Baltimore on Wednesday morning around 8:00, heading for Harve De Grace.  Our plan was to use the courtesy car and do some grocery shopping and then hopefully meet up with my cousin Tom Boyle, who I have not seen since I was 12.  Well you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Stay with me here as I work through our thought process.  Heading down The Chesapeake, we turned to Port (left), and started the last 10 miles or so to Harve de Grace.  Marcia called the Marina to confirm the use of the courtesy car for us that afternoon.  We were informed that there was no courtesy car.  Guess the Waterway Guide was mistaken, again.  We also knew that Friday and the weekend was predicting very high winds, thus very high waves.  We decided to let Tom know that we would not be coming into Harve De Grace and decided to travel the extra 40 or so miles to make it to our Thursday stop on Wednesday.  Marcia called the marina who said they would check and call us back in 5 minutes.  I changed course and headed for the C&D (Chesapeake and Delaware) canal.  After 20 minutes Marcia called them back and we were informed that they would not know for at least 2 hours.  So, instead of passing by another marina and then the possibility of having to back track 17 miles if we could not get into Delaware City Marina, we called and made a reservation at Schaefer's Marina.  About 45 minutes later, we got a call from Delaware City that they could get us in.  We decided to continue with our plan to stay at Schaefer's in Chesapeake City and cancel Delaware City for Friday.  We would run the extra miles on Thursday to Cape May and bypass Delaware City all together.  I know!  Exhausting to read, but gives you a glimpse into what can and does happen when traveling on a boat.

I contacted Tom and told hem we were staying in Chesapeake City at Schaefer's and he said that he and his wife Lauren might try and stop by for dinner.  It turned out to be a nice day but with rain moving in later in the evening.  Got fuel and tied up on the Pier right in front of the restaurant.  I felt a little bit on display as I washed down the boat.  

Entering the C & D Canal

Tom and Lauren Boyle showed up at the boat around 6:00.  It was very hard getting on and off the boat as it was due to low tide and the boat was well below the dock.  We did manage to get them on the boat for a show and tell and a couple of cold beers.  

We went to the restaurant for dinner and had Tom's neighbor's daughter as our server.  It was really great seeing / meeting them.  Guess the good thing about Facebook is you get to know people that you don't get to see.  The one funny story, Tom may not agree, was that when he called us to say he was at the restaurant, he asked what boat we were on.  I told him it was the one named "Boyle-n-Water".  

The rain did come and go during dinner, but we were treated to a double rainbow.

It was not a bad night on the boat other than a couple of big ships that passed by in the night.  Guess the canal is used by shipping companies as well.

We departed early on Thursday morning for our 72 mile run to Cape May.  Spoiler alert:  It was so the right decision.  We had a nice cruise day and as predicted we have had 30-35 mph winds with gusts up to 45mph, with rain on Friday and ALL day on Saturday.  Cape May will be my next post, probably tomorrow looking at the forecast.

Annapolis MD - (05/21 - 05/23/21)

Friday - Sunday  05/21 - 05/23/2021

Day Miles:     52

Total Miles:    5146

Travel Days:   97

Total Days     207

We had another nice day cruising on the Chesapeake Bay.  Winds were below 10mph and waves were under 1 foot.  We saw a lot more boat traffic out as we got closer to Annapolis.

Fishing boats were out in force with the start of Rock Fish season.  Also known as stripers, but guess Rock Fish sounds better over here

Container ships anchored out waiting to move up to Balitmore

Famous Thomas Point Lighthouse

Quite a few of these guys out today.

Coming into Annapolis

Had to pass a small sailboat regatta 

Once in and tied up at The Yacht Basin, we did a quick clean up on the boat and took showers.  We made plans to meet and have dinner with Ray and Holly, who we met at Roland Martin back on Lake Okeechobee.  After a few cocktails on the boat we walked over to the Boatyard for dinner.  It has been a long time since I have had true Maryland Crab cakes.  They are just as good as I remembered.  For some reason we did not get a picture of us at dinner.

After dinner we walked to Pusser's for dinks.  This bar sits on "Ego Alley".  Just a short strip of water that dead ends, but boats drive past all day long.  Mike and Deb from Carousel also met us there.  We said goodbye to Ray and Holly and we continued drinks on our boat.  

On Saturday morning, Marcia and I walked up to Chick and Ruth's for breakfast.  This is a well known dinner right on Main St.  They had some of the best breakfast potatoes that either of us have had.  Also a surprise, but I was unable to finish my biscuits and gravy.  

I do like that most of the restaurants have Old Bay in the shakers with salt and pepper.

After breakfast we walked to a local barber shop so that I could get a quick trim.  It was truly an old time barber shop.  I have decided that I like the hot foam and straight razor shave (on my neck).  We then walked back to Main St, passing the Naval Academy along the way.  Unfortunately they were not open for tours.  Alot of activity though due to graduation on Friday.

 We met Mike and Deb for a one hour trolley tour around the city.  It was interesting and we saw more than we would have by just walking.

 

Did not realize that this is where "Roots" began.

After the tour we found a bar and then found dinner.  Can't beat $1 oysters.

A few drinks on Carousel and then back to our boat. 

Sunday we took it easy and cleaned up the boat some as Marcia's cousin, husband and kids were planning to stop by.  Turns out they only live about a mile from the Marina.  They stayed for about 2 hours and then we just had dinner on the boat.

Lucy does seem to like it when we have non-travel days.

View of the harbor

Sunset

Annapolis Yacht Club.

 On to Baltimore tomorrow.