Baltimore, Annapolis, Solomons, MD; Deltaville and Portsmouth, VA ( Oct 13—26)

Our time in Baltimore was very enjoyable.  The Fells Point area is a happening place with many interesting shops, bars and restaurants, and neat old row houses.  The cobbled streets give it an old world feel, but are a pain to navigate.  The people we met in Havre de Grace gave us some excellent recommendations for places to eat.  One of the best was Gertrude’s which is located in the Baltimore Museum of Art next to Johns Hopkins University.  We had Saturday Brunch there then stayed to visit

the museum with its extensive collection of European and American art from the 15^th to 20^th centuries.  On Sunday the 18^th we rented a car and drove to the suburbs for some major reprovisioning in anticipation of our upcoming trek to our winter home in New Bern, NC.

Prior to our departure on Monday a diver installed new zincs and cleaned the bottom and running gear.  We then moved on to Annapolis where we met friends from Pittsburgh.  Renee is the widow of Jim’s best friend since the 5^th grade and was in town for the boat show with her friend Ray.  We had a great time together enjoying the dining opportunities and looking at a boat Ray is considering buying.  Our slip was next to the Annapolis Yacht Club and dinner there was outstanding.

Jim, Debby, Renee, Ray
(note the adoration of the Captain)

 Renee and Ray left us Wednesday.  That morning we hosted Tom and Karen Hanrahan.  They live in town and own a boat identical to ours.  They still work, but plan on doing more extensive cruising in the near term and wanted to compare notes.  A pleasant couple, we spent an enjoyable few hours together. That evening we were joined by our friends from the DC area, Steve and Georgia Fortune.  Another great meal and fun conversation at the AYC.

Steve, Debby, Georgia, Jim
Annapolis Yacht Club

Our trip is winding down now.  We stopped for overnights in Solomons. MD and Deltaville, VA and are now in Portsmouth across the river from Norfolk.  We have 3 travel days to get to Oriental, NC.  We want to be there for the Halloween weekend, but weather conditions may make that difficult.  Even though we will be in the protected Intra Coastal Waterway, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds can be nasty with any kind of wind blowing and for the next few days it will blow 15-20 kts.  

Sunset over the Patuxent River
Solomons, MD

  

On the Road (Water) Again: Staten Island, NY; Cape May, NJ; Delaware City, DE; Havre de Grace, MD: Rock Hall, MD; Baltimore, MD (Oct. 7-16)

After 11 days the weather finally began to clear off the NJ shore, so we could bid farewell to Stamford and Old Greenwich.  Oct 7 was a cool, sunny day; perfect for the run down the East River through NYC.  It is always exciting to view the NYC skyline, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from the water.  We spent the night again at Great Kills Yacht Club on Staten Island.   This is a member run club with basic but good facilities.  There are 150 members with a waiting list of 300.  Our contact there put his son on the waiting list when he was 18, and is now putting his grandson on the list as he turns 18.  His son is still not a member!  Our night there was Mah Jung night and Tuna club night.  The bar was full of friendly people.

The next day we departed early for the 125NM run to Cape May after first stopping in Atlantic Highlands for fuel.  It turned out to be a pleasant ride in 2’ swells on the port quarter and a 10 kt breeze out of the east with temps in the 60s.  Once again we stayed at Utsch’s Marina where we took on more fuel for the run up Delaware Bay.

We left early again the next day only to find very uncomfortable conditions in the bay.  Both Delaware Bay and Buzzards Bay are notorious for rough seas even in modest winds.  Fortunately, Debby had one last ear patch for sea sickness and as the day progressed conditions got better.  We stopped at the small town of Delaware City at the entrance to the C&D Canal and decided to stay two nights to recuperate from the three long days of travel.

Rough Seas in Delaware Bay

 

The dockmaster at Delaware City marina was the best we have come across with very specific instructions on the approach in the tight canal and for docking in the strong current.  It is a misnomer to call this a city as it is barely a village.  It is historically significant as the location of two forts that protected the approach to Philadelphia.  Although neither of them fired a shot one served as a prison for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  As the season is now past we could not visit either one.  Morning temperatures are now in the 40s and we can literally watch the leaves turn color.

Only game in town in Delaware City

 On Sunday the 11^th we moved on to Havre de Grace, MD (pronounced haverdee grace).  This town, which most of us have never heard of, came very close to being the nation’s capital.  In 1789 the Speaker of the House broke a tie vote giving Washington that honor.  It sits at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, the headwater of the Chesapeake Bay.  We spent both Sunday and Monday roaming the town and enjoying its laid back atmosphere.  We met a couple at a wine bar who have recently moved to Pompano Beach, but were back home for a wedding.  They gave us some great recommendations for restaurants in Baltimore.

Unique homes in Havre de Grace

 On the 13^th we progressed to Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore of MD.  As it is the end of the season not much is going on there (not sure there is ever much going on there), so we relaxed for a day then went across the bay to Baltimore where we had a fiasco docking in a strong west wind and ended up wrapping a dock line around the prop.  With a few exceptions we have been totally unimpressed with the dock help in the Northeast.  Our friends, Dan and Madeline, were on the way south from their vacation cottage in the Berkshires.  They stopped in Baltimore for a visit and dinner with us at “One Eyed Mikes” in Fells Point neighborhood; a short walk from our marina.  As usual we had a great time with them.

Fun at One Eyed Mike's

Stuck in Stamford (Sept 25-?)

We have now been “stuck” here for 11 days awaiting a weather window to get around the state of New Jersey.  “Stuck” is probably not a good word as we have had a wonderful time.  Betty Moran, Jim’s daughter’s mother-in-law has hosted us several times at her home and country club, and we have gone to the movies and dinner with her.  Since renting a car we have done major reprovisioning at Total Wine, Costco, and Stop and Shop and Debby has gotten her long overdue mall fix.  On Sunday, Oct 4 we caught up with our friend from Lauderdale Yacht Club, Malcolm Farrel.  If you have been following this blog you may remember we also got together on the way north in Georgia.  Malcolm has spent the season just south of here in Mamaroneck and belongs to the stately and elegant Larchmont Yacht Club where he hosted us to Sunday Brunch.  This club was started in 1880 and much of the original clubhouse is still in use.  The brunch was outstanding.

On the 5^th we took the train to NYC and had another rendezvous with our old industry fiends Al and Dorothy Oliver.  We met in Greenwich Village for a late lunch at the Spotted Pig.  After reading great reviews we were disappointed to find the place had reached its “sell by” date, so to compensate we moved on to several Irish bars, The Four Liars in the Village and Langans in mid town.  After a long, pleasant afternoon and early evening of reminiscing about our many good times together we finally took the 9PM train back to the boat.

The weather throughout this time has been cold and windy with night time temps in the high 40s.  We have put the electric blanket on and gone from A/C to heat and broken out our sweaters and long pants.  We are thankful Joaquin took a turn to the east, now if the seas will just subside off NJ we will once again get in the protected waters of the Chesapeake Bay.