October 16th- Chesapeake City to Wharton Creek MD
We left Chesapeake City around 11:00am to catch the current in the canal. Since we were getting a late start I planned for a short day. Next stop – Wharton Creek, about 25nm away. Today was a cold and grey day but the sailing was great. We managed to shut down the diesel and were able to make 7 knots under reefed main and full genoa. Evergreen really takes off when the wind is blowing in the right direction. While sailing along today I noticed a tear in the sail (genoa). I’ll have to get the sail down and make a repair when we get to a good location.
We pulled into Wharton Creek Marina for diesel and water. It seems like lately when I go to a fuel dock there is always a big power boat already on the dock and I have to maneuver Evergreen into a tight spot. I guess it’s good practice. Upon leaving we had to make a 90 degree turn to avoid the big boat. While we were able to completely avoid the big boat we did manage to have one of our new solar panels hit a pole on the dock. Lots of screeching noises but no harm done to the panel! We anchored for the night and enjoyed the peaceful spot.
Some scenes from Wharton Creek.
Evergreen anchored on Wharton Creek.
October 17th- Wharton Creek to Rhode River MD
We are going through fire wood and propane at an alarming rate. Hopefully the temperature warms up soon. Funny thing to say with winter approaching.
Today we had another really good sail for much of the day. Later in the afternoon the wind died out and we fired up the diesel engine. Soon we’ll be in the ICW with less opportunities to actually sail the boat.
I have a new phone and the camera seems much better than the old one.
People ask, “What does Ollie do during the day?”
At the end of the day we anchored on Rhode River for the night. It’s mostly a nature reserve owned by the Smithsonian Institution. We were the only vessel at anchor.
October 18th- Rhode River to Solomon’s Island MD
We headed further south down the bay. Not much wind but we were able to ride the ebb tide which gave us an extra knot of speed.
We grabbed a mooring at Zahnisers Marina on Back Creek. Zahnisers is now owned by Safe Harbor. It’s a big company with marinas up and down the coast. Unfortunately they are raising all of the prices for moorings and dockage. This mooring is a little pricey but Solomon’s Island is a big stop for us. We’ve been away for almost a month and have a prodigious amount of laundry. We’re also low on food and booze. Zahnisers has a great laundry facility. They also have a shuttle that runs to the store. More importantly, they have luxurious showers. We will take many steaming, hot, showers while here!
October 19th through 21st- Solomon’s Island MD
The marina still has an old time feel but has upgraded it’s facilities. The laundry pile has been conquered. While working on that onerous task Lynne and Ollie met most of the people that live at the marina. The extra socializing makes for a very tired dog at the end of the day. He has also staked out an area for ball and frisbee.
Groceries/ beer/ wine= done.
I also made stops at Captain Smith’s Seafood and West Marine. Capt Smith’s has some of the best crab cakes we’ve had. I also bought tilapia and shrimp for future meals. West Marine provided a new rope block to replace the one that blew out and some sail repair tape.
Sail repair at Solomons
We’ve completed our projects but are staying in harbor for a few days to wait out some adverse wind. S/V Rhiannon has caught up with us and we will likely move down the coast together. Today we’ll head over and visit the crew. Ollie will be absolutely ecstatic to see them again.
Some scenes from Solomon’s Island.
View off the back porch.