Sonora's Chesapeake Bay DMV Penninsula Circumnavigation

[svsonora]

My countdown has begun! I'm waiting for a work project to end. After that, 5 days of cleaning up, checking up a few things, installing pad eyes for a loop around the boom for a preventer at the end of my boom, I'll be off! I'm taking up to a month to do this so I can enjoy different cities.

I would LOVE some tips on anchoring, etc. I know norfolk and baltimore pretty well, but not much else. Everything I have planned so far is from looking at activecaptain, charts, and cruising guides.

I am planning on anchoring whenever I can. Taking a slip is last resort.

Current plans

1. Baltimore. I live 1 hour south of here, so it isn't much of a faraway destination but I love being there on the water. I have friends there and have spent a lot of time there on Sonora, so I have it pretty well covered. However, if I can get some info on where this public shower at the finger piers at the Bmore harbormaster's office is, at inner harbor.

2. C&D Canal. I did a lot of reading on this. Have a couple of anchorages picked out to wait out tides. Am I correct in that I should time it so that I have ebb tide and outflow current at the DE River? Suck it up and go counter current at the canal itself if I have to?

3. Cape May. I think I have it figured out, but I am still trying to find dinghy access to shore, etc. Probably spend 3 days or so here.

4. Ocean City, MD - I might skip this one, but check on shore conditions (avoid westerly winds + ebb tide at inlet) before attempting entry. SEems that I can turn left after inlet and anchor by the southern channel, or go up to Isle of Wight Bay and find anchorage there. Once again, what are the dinghy access areas here? My friend may let me use his beach home temporarily for laundry, rest, etc. Showers? It'll be the first time I've seen clear water under my hull since I left Florida. Any snorkeling options? as much as I love young people nightlife, I don't know if Ocean city nightlife is really my scene. Woudl be nice to go fishing, swimming, etc.

5. Norfolk - my favorite chesapeake bay destination. There is an active salsa dance scene there so I'm going to have a blast relaxing by hospital point.

6. Tangier Island - I've been meaning to visit here. Looks like I can anchor on the south side and beach the dinghy, walk north to the island. The other option is to pick up a slip. Slip sounds appealing. Everyone is telling me its a '1 day' stop and there isn't much else to do. I have friends that really wanna come out and take the ferry over. We'd spend a weekend there. If it isn't worth it, I'll skip meeting my friends.

7. May stop by Solomons, MD, but I've been here plenty of times. Eastern shore might be a better plan. St Michaels before I tuck back in to the West River, where my home port is.

I'll update this thread with logs, links to position updates, etc. I'd LOVE and GREATLY APPRECIATE any input you have! Thank you.

[svsonora]

Reminder for myself to

- Build mosquito netting for forward hatch and companionway

- Get an extra fuel filter

- Can about 2 weeks worth of food so I don't blow away money eating out

- Ditch stuff I don't use

- Test satcom device with twitter

- Practice weatherfax one more time

[svsonora]

One more! Get short dowels to secure all cockpit hatches.

[thomm225]

If you plan to visit Tangier and need a close jumping off point for when the weather is perfect, you can go into Onancock and anchor for free within 100 yards of the Wharf there or anchor just inside the creek at Parker's Marsh.

You should be able to see the lights on Tangier at night from there

https://marinas.com/view/marina/2gcx..._United_States

If it's late and you cannot make Norfolk coming in from the North, you can anchor at Kiptopeke inside the cement ships just across the bay

http://www.concreteships.org/ships/kiptopeke/

[svsonora]

Thanks! Where can I find the GPS coordinates for the concrete ships? I do plan on trying to make it through into norfolk during the day.

EDIT: I found it!

Also, note to self - spare spark plugs


This is kind of random, but I wanna try to do some fishing off the dinghy. Especially at ocean city. Any fishing available around the norfolk area?

[Sparx]

This will be a great adventure. I hope you have a fantastic time.

CD canal and Delaware River...I always try to travel with the two knots tidal flow in the Delaware River. The tide in the canal is often not aligned with the tide in the river. It is possible to time the transit to ride the tide through the canal AND then down the river. If I had to fight a tide I would rather it be in the canal than in Delaware Bay. I prefer to wait for the tide at the western entrance of the CD canal, but Reedy Island just south of the canal in the Delaware River is an ok anchorage, which allows one to separate the passage in the canal from the ride down Delaware Bay.

In the southern Chesapeake Cape Charles, Onancock are favorites of mine. My personal preference is Reedville over Tangier. Reedville and the Great Wicomico River area is a nice place to explore for a few days.

If the south west winds settle in it might be best to circumnavigate counter clockwise, having the wind over the stern while in the ocean.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by svsonora

Thanks! Where can I find the GPS coordinates for the concrete ships? I do plan on trying to make it through into norfolk during the day.

EDIT: I found it!

Also, note to self - spare spark plugs


This is kind of random, but I wanna try to do some fishing off the dinghy. Especially at ocean city. Any fishing available around the norfolk area?

I've had the best luck fishing at the dock in Little Creek which means any dock you are at my yield dinner such as spot and croaker

Back in the day 1970's, we could load up on trout, spot, flounder, and croaker of a large size but those days unfortunately are gone. We'd fish near Watt's Island (Stone Rock) and out a Tangier Light if it was calm enough for my 14' aluminum V bottom boat

Sometime just outside Onancock or Pungoteague Creek you could load up if the tide was right.


Tom
Onancock High Graduate

[svsonora]

My trip has been delayed yet another week. I really want to leave this weekend, but I have a court filing I want to make in person and I can't make it to court during the week this week. Argh!

I made mosquito netting the other day, one for the forward hatch and another for the companionway hatch. Mesh screens for screen doors cut to size, stapled and shoe-good to two dowels. Both roll up into one roll. Fwd screen will be secured with pieces of velcro. Companionway screen - two dowels drop next to the top hatch rails, on the outside. Loose screen hangs down. I will probably use some temporary velcro here as well, to secure the 'hinge' section. May need another rod for the 'curtain' to hang off of. Bottom part of the curtain have some weights stapled.

All in all, I don't have much left to do. Need to clean and organize the boat, and still do the pad eyes for my preventer bowline at the boom.

I should be able to do it in a 10 hour day. Probably this Sunday.

I can't wait to spend the better part of next week at Inner Harbor in Baltimore. See some friends, go dancing, check out the waterside.

[ranger58sb]

Probably Annapolis would be enjoyable en route Bal'mer. Deale could be an OK rest stop before that, if you need it. Or Galesville/West River//Rhode River.

-Chris

[steamgoat]

Have a good deck wash for the anchor and chain,you will need it! Last Oct I spent two days motoring up the Potomac to DC, it was well worth it.

[Hardhead]

Good luck & Fair winds. Any day on the water is a good day - especially when you look back on it.

[Suijin]

I would add Annapolis and Oxford to your list of stop. St. Michael's is pretty but has turned into a tourist trap.

Annapolis is an exceedingly sailor friendly place. Plenty of protected water to anchor in between Spa and Back creeks, more than a dozen public dinghy docks, free pumpout boat, and tons of stuff to do. If you make it there, be sure to check out the model ship floor of the Naval Academy museum. It's extraordinary.

Oxford is a lovely town on the eastern shore. Not sure what else to say about it. It's just really nice lol.

As for the C&D canal, it kinda doesn't matter when you go. You're going to hit a foul current on your way down the Delaware anyway, for part of the trip. In general I try and catch the end of a foul current in the river when coming out of the canal which gives you the longest period fair current on the way down.

In Cape May, anchor near the Coast Guard station. You can leave your dinghy at Ulrich's marina if you ask politely, buy some fuel or ice, or chat them up and befriend them. They are nice folks.

You can also anchor on the south side of the mouth of the Delaware inside the hook.

[Dr. D]

Please post more on your preparation and about the voyage afterwards. This is a sail I would like to take next year, after I have more experience on my boat.


Happy sailing!

[Hardhead]

Man I love Saturday Night Fever. Put that on a loop while eating the beans and hotdogs in 20 knots. Good times.

[svsonora]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

Please post more on your preparation and about the voyage afterwards. This is a sail I would like to take next year, after I have more experience on my boat.


Happy sailing!

My prep wasn't that special. Basically fixing her up back to 100%, fixing leaks, bringing boat to minimum cruiser spec.

Last few years was a refit. Late 2018 I built my minimalist hard dodger and bimini after going through a storm - had to put on dive goggles to keep my eyes open!

I installed 2 more cleats on the deck, so that I can run downhauls, guys, and preventers.
I cheaped out. I should have installed actual blocks, but I use those cleats for mooring and jacklines too, so its nice (e.g. I can leave my jacklines deployed at anchor now).

Got a new PFD that lets me use my harness, and has pockets! I can have flashlight and PLB on me at all times now, along with my e-cig or whatever else I want in there.

Fixed up my fresh water tankage. Still tastes weird but fine for washing dishes etc (I have about triple recommended chlorine in the water)

Gathered some essential spares. Autopilot drive belt, alternator belt, fuel filter.

Replaced my lost handheld VHF. This one is an old one that does FRS/GMRS. Pretty stoked.

Checked my rigging and rig tension. Replaced my aging topping lift. Got a new mainsail, because mine was so bagged out that I couldn't get my autopilot to behave on any sort of downwind sailing. Has 3rd reef point.

Got an AIS receiver.

Next year I'll replace my medium weight genoa with a cruising genoa with draft stripes and telltales. Maybe install a adjustable mainsheet traveler with a purchase system. Might get a life raft. Maybe install some blocks aft so I can run an assym. After that it's bluewater sailingtime.