Irish Attitude's Adventures: The Chesapeake and Beyond

Tuesday, May 28 - Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Entering Virgina, the ICW wove around, taking us further from the Atlantic Ocean. We are headed for the Chesapeake Bay. People say you can spend a summer on the Chesapeake, in and out of all the rivers and coves visiting ports they harbor. We didn't have a summer to spend so we blew through it in a week!

The GPS Shows this Oxbow has 7 Wrecked Boats in it.
Most were Visible as we Passed by.

We did not travel the Dismal Swamp but this area
is reportedly similar to sections

Timing Bridge Openings Between Coinjock and Chesapeake

Top Rack Marina Where Dockage is Free if You
Have Dinner at their (pricey) Restaurant.

Today we enter Chesapeake Bay. One hundred and fifty rivers flow into this largest estuary in the United States. It is 200 miles long and up to 30 miles across at it's widest point. The bay is deep too, 50 to 200 feet. What a change that is! Many large ships, military and commercial traverse this area. Norfolk at the base to Baltimore near the top. There are special anchorages for large ships while they wait for their opportunity to pull into port.

Entering Norfolk Harbor requires all your attention. We heard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was in port being salvaged out after 51 years of service. Mike served aboard her during the Vietnam War. Seeing this famous ship was amazing for me, nostalgic for Mike. He pointed out his battle station and remembered watching the F4J Phantoms take off and land on the flight deck. The Enterprise was the worlds first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. She was featured in many movies; Yours, Mine and Ours, Hunt for Red October but most notably, Top Gun.

Welcome!

Waiting for Traffic to Clear

Red Cross Ship

The Enterprise Comes Into View!

The Big E

A Piece of History

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and (I believe) the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)
Along side the Enterprise.

Proud to be An American!

Clearing Norfolk Harbor

Our first night on the Chesapeake was near Deltaville. The publishers of the Waterway Guide own two marinas in this area. It is a vital resource with more than marina information. The history, navigation and what to see ashore are provided. Updates can be accessed online. This would be our last stop in Virginia.

Dozier's Regatta Point in Deltaville

An early rise has us headed to Maryland. A military presence is still felt here. Radar equipment line the coast. The banks become higher and cliffs appear.

The Sun is Nearly Blinding in the Morning

Good Wave Conditions

Solomons

Waterfront Property

No Longer Just Flat Land

Giant Mushrooms?

Cargo Ships at Anchor

Friday we pulled into Annapolis. We chose the outermost mooring ball. The weather has been very hot lately and we pulled down all the canvas in the front. We sat on the bridge cooling off and checking our swing. Mike dropped the dinghy once he was assured it was safe to leave the Irish Attitude. We went the short distance to the dinghy dock and locked it up, as recommended on the Active Captain posts. It's a narrow entrance with boats lining both sides then opening up slightly to a turn around basin. Convenient to town but I was glad we went with the mooring ball. This area is know as Ego Alley by the locals. People would come here to see and be seen. We hoped on a small tour bus and got the lay of the land. The streets are narrow and filled with parked cars. Annapolis was settled in 1649. The city changed it's name a few times but was eventually named after Great Britain's Princess Anne (the future Queen of England). From the harbor, the city rises to a pinnacle that houses the state's capital.
It proclaims the oldest continuously running legislature and was briefly our nation's capitol. There are less than 40 thousand residents, surprising small. We kept our
touring within walking distance to the historical waterfront area.

Ego Alley from our Dinghy

Approaching Town

Dinghy Dock in Historic Waterfront

Colonial Styled Buildings

Capitol Dome at the Top of the Hill

Shops and Restaurants

These markers are on historic homes. Seven colors signify a distinct style and period. Gray is 19/20th Century, purple is Victorian, blue is military to name a few. For novices like me, it make it easier to recognize.

Cooling Off

Cobblestone Street

State Capitol Building

Looking Down Main St. to Ego Alley

A Dinghy Ride Up Spa Creek

Homes Lining Spa Creek

Most of us think of the U.S. Naval Academy when we think of Annapolis. The academy was just off our stern. Too bad we missed graduation by a week!

Pedestrian Entrance

Flag In Visitor's Center

Red, White and Blue

Midshipmen Dorms Are All Connected

Gym

Chapel

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The Magnificence of These Building....

Continue to Astound Us

Can You See George
Washington's Face?

John Paul Jones Crypt

Back home aboard the Irish Attitude, these are our views. Annapolis is the "Sailing Capitol". Saturday afternoon, sailing races take place out on the Severn River that opens to the bay. Sailors are racing to the finish line (just ahead of our mooring ball!), pleasure boaters are coming in for the day or to 'dock and dine' on Ego Alley, tour boats are heading in and out, transients are searching the mooring field for an open ball. Yikes!! The Irish Attitude kept swinging. Just another obstacle to dodge.

This is the Smaller Class. I Was To Nervous to Click Pictures
When the Larger Sail Boats Were Coming In.

Across the Severn River, Training Boats Lined Up Awaiting the Next Class
(to our Port...Left for you Landlubbers)

Sea Tow! (off the bow)

Schooner Tours

The Chapel Dome and The Gym off Our Stern

Sunday morning we departed Annapolis and continued up the Chesapeake. The day started off hazy but rain was forecasted. We'll just see how far we can make it today. Hopefully into the C and D Canal but.... no such luck. Mike is a very cautious captain and not being familiar with the 'moods' of the Chesapeake he decided to stop early. We headed up the Sassafras River for Georgetown. I am glad we did! It was a beautiful area running about 12 miles in. Since it was a weekend many locals were out on the water, either boating or at the beaches. They didn't seem to be scurrying in with the approaching clouds. Do they know something we don't? We made it in before the rain but stayed an extra day waiting for it to stop.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Georgetown Yacht Basin (day of departure)

A Nice Marina but Still No Other Loopers

Sassafras River

Serene

Farms on the Hills

Big Staircase to the Access the Water

The C and D Canal is 14 miles long and connects the Chesapeake to the Delaware River. It is deep but not real wide and ships can wake you with their proximity. There is a signal light at the entrances, both east and west. A green light means you may proceed ahead, red means the canal is closed. It took awhile with the binoculars to spot the light and longer to decipher the color. Ah, green! Let's go!

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Chesapeake City

New Wire was Being Strung Across the Canal

We entered into Delaware without realizing it. Don't blink, it won't take long to pass through our smallest state. Once through the canal we pick up more commercial traffic coming south out of Philadelphia. Delaware's land along the Delaware River is marshy. I don't think we saw a single thing worth snapping a picture of. Delaware City and Wilmington are north of the canal and so we did not see them.