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Ships Log November 7-9, 2005 Lower Chesapeake Bay

Our trip through the lower Chesapeake Bay consisted of sails of seven hours to Solomon Island, MD, followed by an eight hour sail to Deltaville, VA, and then a six hour run to Hampton, VA, just outside Norfolk.

The well protected anchorage at Solomon Island was filled with Canadians we had met along the way. We also got our last visit from Shearwater as the Johnsons were making a run to Savannah for Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, it was not early enough in the day to explore nearby Calvert Cliffs which contains the best Miocene deposit of fossils. They include a 22 foot toothed bird and 12 to 17 million year old whales, sharks and other marine fossils.

The Waterway Guide lavished its highest praise on Dozier’s Regatta Point Yachting Center in Deltaville, VA. It is not a coincidence that the facility is owned by the publisher of the Guide. However, the praise is none the less valid.

The very narrow channel takes you to a marina so new that the slips are not yet numbered. The Harbormaster is a wonderfully helpful lady. Services include a courtesy car, pool, beautifully clean showers, restrooms and a laundry with iron and ironing board! There is also a lounge with a giant screen TV, satellite channels, DVDs, and pizza delivery to your boat. Who could ask for anything more?

Returning from a balmy moonlight walk, we found on our dock a Great Blue Heron as tall as Rana. We met a couple who had just sold their house and bought their ideal cruising yacht, a large powerboat. They were making a voyage similar to ours. The night before we arrived, their boat caught fire at the dock and they escaped saving only their two cats. Their boat burned to the waterline. We carefully checked all of our fire extinguishers and resolved to install a Halon extinguishing system in the engine room.

The weather continued to be unseasonably warm and saw our first pelican at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay. The approach to Hampton was through freighters, barges and navy vessels. We decided to take a break at Hampton and travel by land to the Jamestown Colony Site.