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Cat TalesJune 1996 |
Break out your Maryland Waters. For those who did not come down last May, I again challenge you to get off of pages 5 and 6 and go all the way to pages 8 and 9. This weekend will be a split raftup - Thursday and Friday in Mill Creek and Saturday night in Spring Cove Marina. The anchorage and dock space will be in Mill Creek in front of Max and Sherma Munger s home in Drum Point. An evening meal ashore is planned for all so that you can just spend the day sailing and then relax and have a good time whenever you arrive. Burgers, baked BBQ chicken and drinks will be served. Please bring an appetizer, pasta or bean salad or a dessert to share. The fireworks display will be Friday night. Vantages points can be obtained from the shore as well as afloat. On Saturday the group will move over to Spring Cove Marina where Mark Eller will continue the ashore festivities.
Since the Solomons is approximately 45 nm from Annapolis, be prepared to cast off early with no other stops en route. Unless severe southerly winds are encountered, the trip will take about 8 hours. As I suggested last year, if you can get away Wednesday night, a short hop to the South or West Rivers will get you a leg up on Thursdays trip and beat the traffic out of the Severn. Even better, a Wednesday afternoon departure means a wise sailor could spend the night in Herrington Harbor, Dun Cove or even the Little Choptank for a leisurely leg on Thursday On Friday, lay back or take a free self guided water tour of the harbor at Solomons or stop at one of the marinas and go ashore for awhile and visit the antique shops or visit the Calvert Marine Museum. The points of interest in the Solomons are many and are described completely in the Chesapeake Bay (magazine) Cruising Guide.
DIRECTIONS
From the Annapolis area, the course is due south down the bay, passing to seaward of Tolly Point, Thomas Point, Bloody Point, Poplar Island, Sharps Island, past the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant, the huge Columbia Gas Docks, and near to Cove Point light, then southwestward into the Patuxent River. From the Potomac, head into the bay around Pt Lookout and north, inside or outside of Pt No Point, (good fishing along here), past the targets or around Hoopers Island light, past Cedar Point light and northwest into the Patuxent River. Watch the tide tables carefully and ride the best current for the shortest trip. This would be a good time to test those new GPS units purchased over the winter. Navigators will have a lot of time to learn about their tracking, VMG and current tables. Approximate Lat-Long can be read or scaled right off the Maryland Waters or other charts. Once into the Patuxent, past green #3, head for the Solomons Island Harbor. There are two routes (around a well marked sunken island). After passing red #2, Drum Point light, continue up the center of the river to red #4 and turn starboard directly toward the harbor entrance passing the University of Maryland Biological Laboratories complex. A closer look at the revitalized Drum Point Project clubhouse and many private hillside homes can be had by immediately following the shoreline and green #1 and 2, inside of Drum Point around to the harbor entrance.
Look out for the DNR police inside the harbor! The signs really mean 6 mph! Notice the clean water. Best to also have your Y- valve in the no discharge position just in case. Back Creek, Zahnhizers, the museum and Spring Cove would be straight ahead past Molly s Leg and the Narrows. The old town, stores and state operated pumpout station is to port of Molly s Leg in Town Creek. Inside the entrance between green #3 and red #4, bear away to starboard around red #2 for Mill Creek. Mill Creek is wide and carries 10 feet or more for most of its three-mile length. Opposite #2, on the hill to the left is the old WWII Amphibious Base Commanders house, now the Southern Maryland Sailing Association clubhouse and some of the many docks of the Calvert Marina. Just ahead is the Ships Point Research Park, a possible landing site for a 30-car ferry to Taylor s Island and the eastern shore. Turning to port at green #3 takes you past one of the most popular anchorages and crabbing locations in Solomons. Note that the 6 mph limit no longer applies to boats under 17 feet.
After about one-half mile, just past green #5, Mill Creek takes a 90-degree turn to starboard around red daymark #6. There are no more lighted buoys. Opposite green #7 is Spring Cove, another popular and protected anchorage surrounded by many homes. Ahead is the entrance to Leason Cove which extends almost a mile thru dense waterfront housing along a 4 mlw canal. Bear well to port and watch for and pass red #8 Just past #8 on the left is Old House Cove, another good anchorage in a northerly blow. Continue to starboard, up the middle of the widening creek toward green #9 where the creek takes an abrupt turn and narrows to the northeast. Approaching #9, turn directly toward the starboard, southern shore, bearing 180 degrees. Look for a club burgee or other signal of SHERMAX at her dock. The house is dark gray, with a glass front, and wraparound porch, back under the trees. Some boats can be rafted at the dock. Prepare all bumpers and lines! Join the raft or drop an anchor if you like and dinghy ashore. Dinner is served! Welcome to the Mungers at Drum Point!
-Max and Sherma Munger, SHERMAX
FOURTH OF JULY - PART II
Well, here we are in the throws of hot sunny days on the bay. I certainly hope that the long Fourth of July weekend won t be a disappointment for us sailing fanatics. For those that intend to join the Fleet 11 boats making the sojourn to Solomons Island for the 4th I have some updated information for you. Only one boat committed to reservations for Friday and/or Saturday, and eventually they canceled.
Soooooo...the itinerary has been modified. We will rendezvous on Mill Creek Thursday at the Munger s place and possibly take 1 or two boat(s) over to watch the fireworks at 2130 (I think) on the Pax river. On Friday we will head over to Cambridge/Oxford area on the Choptank (there is a country music festival in Cambridge during the weekend) and spend the night on the hook and play it by ear for Sat nite. On Sunday morning we will then head out for places North or South. So far it looks like there will be at least 3-4 boats making the trip. If anyone plans to come, please give me a call on the CellPhone (301) 520-4350, or hail us on Ch 16 at the top of the hour from 1400- 1800.
See ya there
- Mark and A.J. Eller -- Miss Tress
(When is it going to get warm?)
On May 25th Joan and Wayne Savage, SECOND WIND, led a few intrepid sailors out onto the Bay and to Queenstown to kick off the real 1996 sailing season. This first out of Annapolis sailing event, despite the weather, proved to be a very good sailing event. On Saturday SECOND WIND arrived at the same time as Allan & Hilda Gorhband, RUNNING FREE, and Walt and Sue Dennison, FOXFIRE. Shortly Michael and Beverly Davis, and daughter Diana in CHANTILLY LASS also arrived in the Queenstown anchorage.
Hors d oeuvres and cocktail hour were shared in several cockpits up and down the line following the rafting of the four boats. It was great being out on the water again, reminding us just why we are sailors and cruisers. As the weather projections did not include thunderstorms or high winds the raft remained together for the evening.
In the AM Hilda invited the rafters to breakfast on RUNNING FREE. What a treat, hotcakes, eggs, sausages, rolls and coffee were available in abundance. We were all stuffed and ready to face the day by the time the raft was set to break up. Thanks again Hilda.
As we broke the raft we noticed that our Commodore, Paul and Sharon Payne, SUN DANCER, had arrived sometime during the night. They were ready to go with us to Cataway Island, and they joined CHANTILLY LASS, and SECOND WIND for our Sunday sail. FOXFIRE and RUNNING FREE headed for Baltimore Harbor to continue their week s exploration of the Chesapeake.
The three boats continued up the Chester with only minor mishaps, CHANTILLY LASS snagging a log and SECOND WIND running aground in Langford Creek. Despite these challenges, we arrived safely, dropped Paul's anchor on the lee side of the island, and formed a raft. At 4 PM cocktail hour began with hors d oeuvres and views being shared by the crews of each boat, including Diana Davis, one of our newest junior sailors. It was a great opportunity to get to know the Davis family, one of our newest members.
Monday morning began with breakfast on CHANTILLY LASS, once again a morning feast of hotcakes, eggs, sausage and rolls. What a way to start a day with forecasted rain and heavy winds. And we needed it! The rain and wind followed us all the way to Annapolis. Foul weather gear and down jackets were the norm for those above decks. But the wind was at our back and the sailing was great. Leaving us with only one question. Will summer ever get here?
-Joan and Wayne Savage, SECOND WIND
The weather was hot, the water warm but the company was great! Sharon and I got a much needed early start aboard Sun Dancer as we crossed the Bay and sailed up Eastern Bay with a lot of help from the iron jenny . We made it into Dividing Creek just in time to bring Sunrise ( Fortnight II ), Bill and Sharon Weeks sleek Catalina 36 FORTNIGHT III along our starboard side. After a brief skirmish with a hidden anchor, Gerry and Jeanne Helldorfer approached aboard LOOKING GLASS, and settled on our port side.
Some of us more daring folk were able to get some relief splashing along side the boats in makeshift bathing suits. We launched our little boat and got it up on a plane to catch a breeze while Gerry and Jeanne got their little boat underway in less time than it takes to find hidden anchors. Later, we collected around the Weeks cockpit for refreshments and lots of stories. Later on, SOUTHERN YANKEE , George and Ann Christian, new members in the club, tied up next to the Weeks boat and joined us with some mouth- watering shrimp. It s always a pleasure meeting new folks, especially when there s so much in common.
After swapping many tall tales, we separated to our own boats to feast on such delectables as fresh salmon, chicken, steaks and barbecued ribs. The raft stayed together the whole night under a very peaceful, warm sky.
By 10 AM the next morning, everyone finished breakfast and got underway. Sharon and I relaxed a bit longer before the sun got too hot. On our way home, we had the fun of getting calls from our children spread all over the country for Father s Day wishes. What a great weekend on the Chesapeake!
-Paul and Sharon Payne, SUN DANCER