Returning to the Chesapeake, #25-38
- sondrawinter
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 25
Thursday, September 11 – Thursday, September 18
147 nautical miles (NM) / 169 statute miles
As we return to the Chesapeake Bay, we find ourselves dancing with weather and currents with mixed results.
Cape May, NJ to Chesapeake City, MD
Thursday, September 11
68 NM
6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Last July on our way up to New England we opted to make a wide turn around Cape May, staying in the main shipping channel, well away from the shoals towards the shore. We did see a few boats cut over the shoals, with different levels of success. For our return to the Chesapeake, we researched sonar charts and community posts to find a route through the shoals. Then Cam called a local TowBoatUS captain who confirmed that the route appeared to be viable. So, we went for it.
Thursday morning, we exited the Cape May inlet, this time in calm conditions. Once clear of the jetties, and the area labeled as “Danger Zone” on the charts (it is a Coast Guard rifle range), we turned to closely follow the coastline, getting as close to 1000’ from the shore. As the shoreline turned to the north, we continued east. There was a little bit of concern when we saw some roiling water that looked like tiny breaking waves in front of us, making us wonder if the water was too shallow. For a moment we debated if we should continue forward through the turbulence, but decided to stick to the plan. Fortunately, the shallowest we saw was 15’ and that was after crossing the charted shoals.
Our early morning departure was timed to catch favorable currents, and it turned out to be a sleighride up the Delaware River and then along the C&D Canal, all the way to Chesapeake City. At 5 knots the 70 NM trip should take 14 hours. The strong currents in our favor brought us to the anchorage in just under 10 hours!
Return to Chesapeake City
This return trip to Chesapeake City was much more active than our last stop here. In July we arrived on a Sunday afternoon to find the town mostly deserted on Monday, like many small towns. This time we arrived on a Thursday and watched the area come alive for the weekend, plus we stayed three nights this time, allowing for more exploration.
As a special treat, the four of us visited a nearby vineyard, my first ever. Since Bohemia Manor Farm was located out in the countryside, we reserved rideshares to and from the vineyard. When our driver picked us up, the weather was sunny and just slightly warm, perfect for a vineyard tour. The property overlooked the Bohemian River and was gorgeous. After our tour, we lingered at the restaurant that overlooked the river to sample a few more wines, and to eat some snacks. As we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, our driver canceled the return trip. With our remote location, finding a new rideshare was a little challenging. Even the local taxi was booked for another four or five hours. Eventually one driver finally accepted our request, and we found our way back to our boats. All-in-all it was a lovely day.
Chesapeake City, MD to Rock Hall, MD
Sunday, September 14
43 NM
7:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Another day of moving in favorable currents, but there was no hint of wind, and the water was glassy calm, so we never bothered to raise any sails. As we rounded Swan Point Bar towards Rock Hall, we saw many sailboats crossing the bar. Assuming they have good local knowledge, we played it safe and stuck to the deeper waters and honored the buoys. We were able to snake our way up Swan Creek and anchor near a mooring field with about 3’ of water beneath the keel.
Quick Visit to Rock Hall
As soon as we had the hook dropped, Cam and Denise dinghied over to pick us up for a trip to the grocery store. We discovered that the comments on No Foreign Land about free dinghy docks were not up to date because the marina wanted to charge $30 to land the dinghy, even after purchasing gasoline from them. They would, however, waive the $30 if you visited the restaurant.
The grocery store was a one mile walk down a two-lane highway without sidewalks. At least, the traffic was not too heavy. The grocery store reminded me of a small IGA where you can find needed staples. One interesting find is that grocery stores in Maryland also sell beer, wine and liquor. While there, we strolled downtown Rock Hall where most of the retail stores were closed on Sunday, but two of the downtown restaurants and an ice-cream stand were open.
Rock Hall, MD to St. Michaels, MD
Monday, September 15
36 NM
7:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Our original plan was to stay at the Rock Hall anchorage for two nights, but incoming weather prompted us to leave after just staying a single night. We left shortly after sunrise to get settled at a marina as early as possible and to deal with some adverse currents.
The wind gusts started piping up to 17 knots on our approach to Miles River from Eastern Bay. By then, Quest II had settled into her slip at the marina. Thankfully Denise called me to discuss the docking layout in relation to the gusty winds, describing a couple of options on how to get into our assigned slip. I decided to take her recommended option, which involved a long backing up in a fairway, and a turn into the slip against the prop-wash direction. It was a great recommendation, and I am so glad to have done so.
Thankfully wind speeds were between 9 and 15 knots at the marina basin. Once lined up with the fairway to our port, we turned to starboard which was also into the wind, hindering the ability to turn as far as needed. Thus, we began to back and fill as the wind pushed us sideways down the fairway. As we got closer to the slip, the fantastic dockhands provided some hand signals guiding us back and forth across the fairway as I continued to back and fill, and then into the slip.
Return to St. Michaels
Monday, September 15 through Thursday, September 18
Our stay in St. Michaels this time was dominated by rain and heavy winds. The marina has a free washer and dryer that we put to very good use while we did inside chores for two days. Even with all of the rain Utopia was in great need of a soapy bath which she got once the rains stopped. She also got fuel topped off and the holding tank pumped out, all within the slip. We did manage to visit the marina pool on Monday before the rain, then on Thursday after the rain.
From here we head back to Annapolis, where we will remain for three to four weeks.
A video of our first visit to Long Island in Mid-August:
Post 25-38
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