Fall Cruise 2023, Part II

From Solomons, we proceeded south to Historic St. Mary's City.  I found the presentation interesting in how it differed from other historic sites and museums I've visited - that the focus is on preserving and displaying what's below the ground (archaeologically-speaking) more so than re-creating what was once above it.    

Our next stop was one of our perennial favorites - Smith Island.  We're grateful to the citizens for creating Ruke's Memorial Dock so that we can stay and absorb all the goodness of Smith Island.  We rented bicycles from Jack and Pickles and rode every road on the island - the vistas are amazing, and then later visited the Shanty for arcade amusement and socializing.  The latter is a fairly new development, and we liked being able to interact with the locals - both adults and teenagers - in a relaxed atmosphere.  

Sailing away from Smith Island is hard, but I know I'm not "local" material because I go pretty easily when a storm is brewing.  When it's fixing to blow, I want high ground and trees between me and the Bay, and Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico provides beautifully.  We spent two days there and then, on what turned out to be a memorably low-balled NOAA forecast, we sailed for Pocomoke City.  What a ride!  After laying down substantially in the morning, the wind came back unexpectedly and with a vengeance.  I'd barely gone forward to set the first reef when I could see wind to the north of us blowing the tops off the waves and knew I should go right to the second reef.  The waves south and then east of Tangier Island were substantial, hissing up on our stern quarter and then smacking us on the nose as we turned north into Pocomoke Sound.  When it was finally time to bear off to the east toward the cypress-lined Pocomoke River, we were grateful.  Pocomoke City is up the Pocomoke River, in the NE corner of Pocomoke Sound.  This historic town offers overnight free dockage.  There's little going on there these days, but everyone we met was friendly and from a myriad of cultural backgrounds.

From Pocomoke City, we motored south to Onancock, VA - another friendly, historic town, and, for us, Onancock means donuts from The Corner Bakery.  A bonus this visit was borrowing the town wharf's courtesy car and driving to Saxis, VA.  It's actually referred to as Saxis Island because it might as well be - for the first few hundred years, the primary access to the island was by boat; even now, it's at the end of a long, narrow, low-lying road through wetland - one of those places where you check the fuel tank level before heading out.  Similar to Deal Island, Smith Island, and Tangier Island to name a few, the community evolved around the commercial fishing industry and is facing a future of lifestyle changes and rising tide.  Heading back north toward Chestertown for Downrigging Weekend, we made stops in Bivalve (on the Nanticoke), Slaughter Creek Marina (on Taylors Island off the Little Choptank), and St. Michaels (for creamed chipped beef on toast for breakfast at the Carpenter Street Saloon).

Downrigging Weekend is a highlight of our Fall cruising - tall ships, bluegrass, eclectic company, and good food and drink - what could be better?  The Chestertown Marina books quickly (months in advance) and so the majority of those visiting by boat anchor out in the Chester River and dinghy to shore.  Halloween arrived a few days later and found us anchored in Dividing Creek, where we went ashore to walk on Wye Island.  Back in Bivalve, I'd bought a pumpkin at a roadside stand, intent on having a proper Jack-O-Lantern aboard GRACE.  Speaking of Grace, from Dividing Creek, we motored around/through Tilghman Island (via Knapps Narrows) to Grace Creek in order to buy oysters from P.T. Hambleton Seafood.  I'd be hard-pressed to find fresher ones - we watched these being dredged and tonged on the way in.  Later, in San Domingo Creek, we came upon acquaintances Jay and Tanya aboard the Valiant MINX and shared our bounty.

We wrapped up our tour of the Bay with a sail over to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on the Rhode River and a stop in Harness Creek for walking in Quiet Waters Park.  Two days later, we pulled into Bay Boat Works - the end of our sailing adventures for 2023.