End of Chesapeake

Got home about 10 pm last night.  An uneventful trip--the best kind.

I have a couple of unfinished model ships lurking in a closet somewhere.  For some reason, I feel the urge to get them out and finish them up.  Something to do until the Florida trip.

Back to Ferry Point

Thursday 10-8-09

Got back to Ferry Point this afternoon to start preparing for the trip home.  Deflate the dinghy, load the truck with the bicycles, dinghy & motor, generator, etc.  Plan to put the boat on the trailer in the morning.

Reed and Judy from Filamingo (another Rosborough) stopped by to have dinner with us. They've been on their boat since the Lake Champlain rendezvous in July.  They cruised through Canada (eh?) and then trailered their boat here a few days ago.

They say they might return to their home in North Carolina at some future date.

Baltimore Part II

Wednesday, 10-7-09

After checking the weather forecast , we decided to make the run from Chesapeake City back into Baltimore Harbor yesterday to avoid the strong winds today.  The wind today is blowing steady over 20 mph, and gusting up to about 40.  Glad we're not out on the bay somewhere.  We can't stand up in the boat, and we're tied to the dock in a sheltered marina.  Thanks NOAA for the warning.

We visited the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the Maryland Science Center.  The Da Vinci exhibit was interesting, as was the remainder of the center.  It's set up mostly for kids, so I fit right in.  They even had a bed of nails for me to nap on. 

We stuffed ourselves later at an all you can eat seafood buffet.  Crab cakes, crab imperial, clams, mussels, shrimp, oysters, and even tried some crayfish.  (That would be crawdads to you Hoosiers.)

It's our plan to return tomorrow to Ferry Point Marina where we launched the boat.  Hopefully, our truck and trailer will be waiting there for us.  We will deflate the dinghy, load up the bicycles, etc. and make ready to pull out the boat and start home Friday.

We heard from more Rosborough owners Reed and Judy on Filamingo (that's how they spell it) that they also launched their boat at Ferry Point, and are staying at a friends dock nearby.  We'll probably see them there tomorrow evening. 

Overnight Chesapeake City

Tuesday morning  10-6-09


The temperature dropped into the forty's overnight which made for a chilly evening.  It's free to dock here, but they want $15 to plug into their electric service.  If you understand how cheap I am, you know there was no electric heater running on our boat last night.  
The cool temperatures made for fog on the canal.  The barges and big cargo ships run all day and all night.  We got the spot on the city dock closest to the canal, so we had no trouble hearing their exceptionally loud fog horns and feeling their three foot high wakes rock the boat all night long.

Off to Baltimore

Chesapeake City

Monday 10-5-09

We left the Havre de Grace city docks this morning and went up the Susquehanna River a little ways.
Amtrak runs through town.

Wasn't sure about navigating on the river, but we maintained the same course as this experienced riverman.

Met the Liberty Clipper coming out of the C & D Canal.

Got into Chesapeake City a little before 3, and bid farewell to Frank and Pat on Grey Goose.  Their marina is about 5 miles on up the canal in Delaware.  We arrived early enough to get a spot on the free city dock.

We walked through town, and over to the Canal Museum to see some model ships. 
When we returned, we were surprised to find another Rosborough tied to the city docks.

I left my card on Nautical Noose, and later, got a phone call from the owner Richie Michael.  They came over to our boat and said hello.  They keep it in the water near Turkey Point.

Havre de Grace

Sunday 10-4-09

Left Still Pond and motored over to Havre de Grace ("Harbor of Mercy" as spoken by Marquis de Lafayette)

I've been unable to find a free unsecured wifi signal for several days.  There's lots of signals, but someone must have warned them I was coming.

On the way over, I was careful not to stray into the restricted area. 

We again saw the Mystic Whaler.  Same boat we saw in the marina in Baltimore.

NOAA issued a small craft warning again for today.  You can see from this shot of Grey Goose how hazardous it was where we were.

I wanted to stay at the Havre de Grace city marina (cheap).  I tried to call from Still Pond to make a reservation, but we had no cell phone signal.  As we got out into the bay, I was able to reach them.  They close at noon today, but told us to take any open end of their "T" docks.  Not sure what the tidal range is here, but at low tide it's a good place to study how the dinghy fits on the roof.  I tried it right side up this time.  Pulled it up over the transom.  Got the bow on the outboards, went up on the roof, and pulled it on up.  Don't think I like it this way.

We took our bicycles for a tour of the town.  They don't have any model ships in their museum.  Havre de Grace is the "Duck Decoy Capital of the World" so their museum is full of model ducks.  

Here's a photo of our boats in the marina.  We're on the end of pier 4.

Here's a little closer shot of the end of pier 4 with Frank waving.

  

Frank and Pat will be leaving us tomorrow.  We really enjoyed having them as well as Mike and Lita join us. 

We're headed to Chesapeake City tomorrow.  It's a small town along the C & D Canal.  After that, we plan to turn around and start back south.  I think we'll stop in Baltimore again to go to an exhibit about L. Di Vinci at the Science Center.  The marina where we stayed is still offering the "free" rate next week.

Still Pond

Saturday 9-3-09

It rained overnight, and a little this morning.  Almost enough to wash the salt off the boat.

Mike and Lita listened to the NOAA weather forecast, and decided that this morning might be their best opportunity to return to Ferry Point Marina up the Magothy River.  The forecast was for small craft warnings this afternoon all the way through Monday.  So they left us at first light.

NOAA was wrong about the small craft warnings today.  At least where we are.

I kept hearing a booming noise, and at first thought it might be thunder.  Then, I remembered that we are close Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  They're dropping bombs over there.  (Probably on the boats that wander into the restricted area)

We had a short run up to Still Pond Creek.  After we set the anchor, Grey Goose rafted up, and we went out exploring in the dinghy. 

There's a small Coast Guard station up in Still Pond Creek

I haven't done much fishing, but I knew there were stripers here in the bay.  So I put on my best striper lure, and sure enough.........................................STRIPER !!

I didn't weight this striper, but I don't think it's the largest one I've ever caught.

Fairlee Creek

Friday 10-2-089

It was interesting to see the Mystic Whaler coming into our marina. 

Baggy wrinkles and all.

Baltimore harbor was busy as we left this morning.

I thought maybe this boat was unloading dental supplies  ("open wide".)  But as we passed it, we could see it was loaded with semi truck cabs, and a school bus. 

As we were going out the river, we heard a call to the Coast Guard on the VHF radio.  The man said in a very calm voice that he was on a 48' motor boat, and that they had hit an object in the water and the boat was now taking on water. 

CG:  How much water is in the boat?

He replied 12" deep.

CG: How many people on the boat?

Two people, one dog

CG: GPS location?

He gave his Lon & lat

CG: Still taking on water?

It's about 16" deep now

CG: We have rescue assets on the way

(This whole time, the man on the sinking boat was talking as if it were a normal conversation about the weather--never a note of panic in his voice)

The CG broadcasted a warning to mariners in the area regarding the sinking boat.

The man on the boat said he was going to go into the closest marina.  The CG phoned the marina and told them to make ready.

We heard later that the boat made it into the marina, and they were able to keep it afloat.

I think we were more excited listening to the event than the people (and dog) it was happening to.

Glad it ended well.

We had a sloppy crossing over to Fairlee Creek, but once inside the creek, we were protected from the wind.  Mother (Grey) Goose dropped her anchor first, and Tonic and Hawkeye came alongside to raft up. 

As I began getting our grill ready to cook dinner, Lita from Hawkeye started passing over "appetizers".  First some fruit bread, then delicious fried spring rolls, then some shrimp chips, garlic peanuts, chicken on potato rolls, followed by watermelon, and on and on.  Needless to say, our grill didn't get used tonight.  Those rather ordinary pork chops can wait until tomorrow to be consumed.  Thanks Lita.

 

We sat in the cockpits watching eagles until dark.

Street Sweeper

Baltimore Harbor always looks clean--no trash or even leaves floating in the harbor or canals.  The reason is the "Trash Navy" water sweepers.  These things go through the water picking up debris, and take it to a conveyor that loads it in a dumpster.  Just like street sweepers--only on the water.

Baltimore Dinghy Tour

Thursday 10-1-09

There's a lot of new buildings going up near this marina.  More re-development of the waterfront.  Just outside the entrance to the marina, there's some construction being done by an open shop (non-union) contractor.  The unions are picketing around the construction site.  Only thing is...............the union workers either have work elsewhere or are too lazy to picket themselves.  So they hire the homeless people to do the picketing for them.  They march around in circles and chant the usual union propaganda.   Sounds a little like a pep rally.   When I first heard them, I thought it was similar to the start of the day at a Japanese auto manufacturing plant, but it turns out to be just the opposite.

We went out for a tour of the harbor in the dinghy this afternoon.  All the sights we'd seen from the shore, we saw again from the water.  I usually prefer nature over buildings.  However, I really enjoy looking at the structures around Baltimore Harbor.

Here's the Science Center

The Hard Rock Cafe and Barnes and Noble from the water.

We went in several canals and under a few bridges.  Here's the National Aquarium from the under the connecting bridge.

We toured several marinas and found an Urban Pirates sail boat.  I thought it interesting that it has dual outdrives.  Pirates indeed.

The USS Constellation.

This ship was unloading sugar at the domino Sugar plant.

We also couldn't help but notice the Laurel.

I looked it up on the internet, and found it to be the 9th largest mega yacht in America.  (240')  I also found it's fuel capacity, and at the current prices here in Baltimore, it would cost $143,316.44 to fill it up.

On the other end of the boating spectrum, here we three are in Inner Harbor East.  Again, it's costing us $8 each per night to stay here.  Thanks to Frank for finding it.

We're leaving Baltimore tomorrow.  Pam and I may stop here again on our way south next week.