Chesapeake Chase Days 30-31: Annapolis
July 11, 2022: North to Annapolis
Today’s destination is the mooring field in Annapolis. We have driven by car to Annapolis in the past to attend boat shows, but his was our first trip by boat. Marinas in Annapolis are very expensive, and Fred has for many years wanted to tie up in the Annapolis Mooring field. He discovered when trying to make a reservation that the mooring field is first come, first serve. In other words, sitting around this morning was not an option.
We were underway just after 9:30 AM. It was a gorgeous morning and a perfect day to be out in the Chesapeake Bay.
One of the first points of interest we passed was a structure set up either for loading or unloading liquid natural gas. We were quite far out from it, so we were looking at it through the binoculars.
We also passed by the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. Fred’s career was in nuclear power, so this was of interest to him.
I mentioned earlier that the bay is wide so until we were closer to Annapolis, everything we saw of interest was through binoculars. There was a lighthouse similar to the Drum Point Lighthouse. The large cargo ships we did finally get closer to, first looked like buildings. We thought we might be looking at Annapolis (Ha! Ha!).
As we got closer to Annapolis, we saw more sailboats with sails up. I don’t have a desire to sail (unless I can just be a passenger), but sailboats with sails up are a beautiful sight! The prettiest one we saw was a schooner.
Mooring
Annapolis is right off the bay, and it didn’t take long to reach the mooring field. There were several mooring balls available (whew!). The last time we moored was while our granddaughters were with us. We must hook the line from the bow of the boat. They are all taller than me and have longer arms. Naomi had easily grabbed the line with the boat hook.
Now it was up to me and the boat hook. Thankfully we were not fighting wind and current. I extended the boat hook as far as it would go, and all I had to do was grab the line and then Fred could leave the helm and pull it up. Sounds easy, but I was nervous!! I planted myself firmly against the railing, (prayed I didn’t drop the boat hook), waited until we were right at the ball, reached, and hooked the line on the first try!!! (Adrenaline kicked in!)
Fred immediately came out and pulled the ring up that was attached to the line. In little time we were secure, my heart could stop racing, and Fred had contacted the Harbor Master to let him know we were in the mooring field and which ball we were tied to. There is a charge but nothing like the cost of a marina.
We had arrived around 5:00 PM. Just before 8:00 PM we had eaten, put the dinghy in the water, and were tied up at the dinghy dock.
Destination? The Annapolis Ice Cream Co. There were other choices, but this one received the best rating, and it was local. It was delicious and the two-scoop size was plenty big. So far on this trip, the Cow Café in Newbern was still the best, though the Celtic Creamery in Carolina Beach was a very close second. Annapolis Ice Cream takes the number 3 spot.
Even though it was a Monday night, it felt like a weekend to me. There were folks everywhere enjoying the evening. We knew we would be walking around and exploring tomorrow, so we walked just for a few minutes more. We were just about to begin our walk back when Fred reached in his pocket for the dinghy motor key. Another adrenaline rush (Fred this time)! He couldn’t find the key! We retraced our steps – no key! It was a fast walk back to the dinghy. Had he left it there? You suddenly feel a bit of panic. Will the dinghy still be there? Is the key there? If it’s not, do we row back to the boat?
Yes, the dinghy was still at the dock. Yes, the key was in the dinghy. No, we didn’t have to row back! RELIEF!! It was a beautiful evening, and once again we could appreciate it! It was dark now, but the city was all lit up and the moon was almost full.
Earlier Fred had asked the harbor master if it was safe to leave your dinghy down in the water. We had proved him right and all was well. It had been another very fine day!
Captain’s Comments:
We kept things in moderation this morning as we prepared to leave Solomons. Though we wanted to make an early start to arrive in Annapolis this afternoon in good time, we didn’t need to rush. After engine checks, filling the water, taking in the electrical and a last run up to the recycling (thank you Safe Harbor Zahniser!)…
…we moved Betty Lou to the pump out dock. Even though we had to move for the (free) self-service pump out, it was the easiest pump out of the trip so far. The new equipment worked perfectly. After a quick rinse, we got under way.
Idling out the Solomons harbor, we headed down the Patuxent River at 6 knots.
Once in the bay, we again were fighting an ebb tide, so we increased engine speed to about 1600 rpm, which gave us a very modest 7–7.25 knots. The bay was flat except for wakes and ripples from a 5-knot north wind. A cool breeze—less than 80 degrees. Almost chilly.
This part of the bay was surprisingly busy this morning—mostly pleasure boats, but larger ones going fast. We got rolled by wakes from boats that passed us miles away.
The electronics on Betty Lou are Garmin. The plotter/autopilot has routing options that I’m trying for the first time. Certainly, I’m still learning, but there are definitely some software changes I would wish for to make the program easier to use, like editing an active route, and adjusting how it returns to a route that is restarted (it is too abrupt).
The bay water here is clear and looks good for swimming. Water temperatures are finally below 80 degrees. Rafts of floating grass pass periodically, something we also noticed down in the Tortugas last year.
Poplar Island passed to the east. On the map, it looks odd, with dikes surrounding it on three sides. In 1847 Poplar Island had 1100 acres and by 1900 it had 100 residents. Starting in the 1920s, though, erosion began eating away at the island. The island’s population started leaving, and by the early 1990s, the island was reduced to several small clusters of islets totaling about 4 acres.
Baltimore harbor, just up the bay, requires periodic dredging to maintain its channel—and disposing of the spoil is always a challenge. In 1994, an interagency team of federal and state agencies was formed to use the spoil from Baltimore harbor to rebuild the island. Eventually, the island will be rebuilt to be about 1700 acres, with a variety of habitats and elevations up to 25’. See more.
As we approached Annapolis, the number of boats—especially pleasure boats—continued to increase. Sailboats predominated, but the powerboats still made the biggest wakes. We altered course several times to give way to boats under sail. Two anchored container ships south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge reminded us that we still have supply chain problems. The water was still clear but appeared to carry more sediment.
We took a mooring in the main city mooring field just outside of “ego alley,” a narrow body of water lined with restaurants and very expensive docks leading to the heart of the historic city. A constant parade of boats circles in and out. After paying the harbor master the fee for the mooring by cell phone, we put our dinghy in the water, ate dinner, then joined the parade. We were on the hunt for ice cream.
We returned to Betty Lou after dark, and after a brief scare when I couldn’t find the dinghy key in my pocket (I had left it in the dinghy). Back aboard, we finished doing the dishes, and cleaned up after finding a “critter,” and enjoyed watching the night activity in the harbor from the flybridge. A cool breeze and a little rum to finish off the day.
In the morning we enjoyed watching children learning to enjoy the water; marine education for (very) young children seems to be common here.
July 12, 2022: Annapolis Tourists
Today we walked around the waterfront and more historical portion of Annapolis. We located a dinghy dock closer to our mooring and less busy than last night. One of the first major sights was the famous Annapolis Naval Academy. There was a visitor center you could walk through. The sign on the door said ID required. Oops! I left mine on the boat. It was a short ride back, but we opted to continue our walk elsewhere.
Annapolis was settled in 1649 by Puritans exiled from Virginia. It had other names – Providence and Ann Arundel Town before it was finally named Annapolis in 1694 in honor of Princess Ann. Sir Francis Nicholson designed the city. Streets radiate from circles to create focal points. In one circle is St. Anne’s Episcopal Church which is considered the spiritual center and in the other circle is the state house which rises over the harbor. We walked past both, but at the time did not know the significance.
There was also a thriving shipping industry and therefore great wealth and mansions rivaling any in England. Today, Annapolis has more of these 18th century structures standing than any other city in the United States. We did not see any of them, but we did see many very old homes with historical markers. From all appearances, I am guessing that currently, instead of shipping, Annapolis appears to have become a destination for sailing and pleasure boats. The harbor was bustling!
There are informative signs everywhere – too many to read all of them. One that interested me was titled “Founding Truth”. Annapolis was a port of entry for the slave trade, with more than 2600 enslaved Africans brought to the city dock beginning in 1695. It was the contributions of slave labor that helped shape the city and the nation as well. What they endured is beyond understanding for most of us.
Another place of interest was the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial. There are four figures that make up this memorial sculpture. Alex Haley is sitting and sharing heritage stories with three children of diverse ethnic groups. Many of you will remember that Alex Haley wrote the book “Roots” in which he traced his family all the way back to Africa. Kunta Kinte was brought here as a slave.
We walked for an hour. By then it was past lunch time, and we were hungry. There were too many choices! We picked one we had passed in the dinghy the night before. It was a Caribbean Grill called Pussers. It wasn’t a WOW, but it was good and satisfying; and we watched the all-female crew of the excursion schooner docked outside the restaurant as they performed a high wire rigging check.
We had already planned our dessert stop. Kilwin’s is a chain chocolate and ice cream store which we have always liked. After ice cream we decided we had time enough to go back to the boat and get my ID so we could tour the naval academy, and we did. It is quite the impressive campus, and we were able to walk a good portion of it.
Storm, then Quiet
Now it was time to head back to the boat. We did take a little side trip to check out the rest of the mooring sites. Returning to Betty Lou, this time it was my turn to panic when I couldn’t find my ID. After checking all my pockets multiple times, we finally found it in the dinghy, wedged in the cushion.
Following a rocky, broken sleep last night we had contemplated moving to a less active mooring sight. In the end we decided it wasn’t worth the time and energy.
The first thing we had to do once we returned to Betty Lou was to hoist the dinghy back onto the flybridge. We have now done this many times, but you always need to be alert. This time around was more challenging than any time on the trip so far. I am always on the flybridge controlling the davit which is hooked to the dinghy when we raise and lower it. Fred is always in the cockpit controlling the dinghy. We both must keep the dinghy from hitting the boat as it goes down or comes up.
Today it was trickier than usual. I think the wind was working against me. I could see a storm brewing off in the distance which was probably the reason for the wind. We were finally at the point of being able to raise it and suddenly the davit made a very loud popping sound and movement to accompany the noise. It unnerved both of us. Fred yelled up at me that the post had flexed. I didn’t fully understand, but I knew it wasn’t a good thing. We did manage to get the dinghy in place, but the excitement was more than either of us needed.
Our timing was good though. Within minutes of securing the dinghy, the storm reached us, and it was a doozy!! There was lightening all around, thunder, wind, and rain. We were very glad to be inside where we could watch – in awe! We have a video and pictures, but they don’t give you the full experience. The storm didn’t last long, and once it was over, everything calmed down. It was quiet, pleasant, and without the rocking of last night.
Just before 8:30 PM, Fred looked up from what he was doing and noticed the sky. It was ablaze!! The sunset was unlike anything we had seen ever! Again, the pictures just give you a taste.
We really enjoyed our time in Annapolis, and we were so glad we came by water this time.