Boating with Sunset Delight: Chesapeake City, MD

4/23/2017

Our decision to stay or go at Tilghman Island today depended on the weather. With clear skies and no rain in the forecast, we left the dock at 9:15 and decided to spend a long day on the water to move as far as possible given a reprieve from the rain.

The docks at Tilghman Island

Once again as we traveled the Chesapeake Bay, we had to contend with numerous fishing boats dragging nets behind them.

Example of a float attached to nets dragged behind fishing boats

At one point we had to pass through a set of three boats following each other with each one pulling a net behind. We had cruise control on so our path was set, and we maintained a constant 9 knots speed. As we got closer and closer, I concluded that we were on a collision course with the second boat in the line. We kept coming, and they all kept coming. Clark said, "It's like a slow-motion accident about to happen."

After we passed behind the first boat and its nets. I still saw our path and that of the second boat as an "accident waiting to happen". Boating "rules of the road" say we had the right of way; however, they also state that a boater must take action to avoid an accident. Given that, as the on-coming boater clearly had no plans to change his speed or course, Clark directed the auto pilot to swerve around the on-coming vessel.

Besides the fishing boats, we saw some other boat traffic today.

Heroic Ace from Panama
(From a distance, Clark saw only the white top and thought it looked like
an on-coming motor home on the water.)

Coast Guard Vessel

Along the way, besides vessels, we passed other interesting sites.

Bloody Point Bar
Caisson-style / Sparkplug Lighthouse

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Passing directly under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Later, we passed another lighthouse at Turkey Point. This lighthouse is most notable for the large number of women light keepers who worked here. Four of the ten light keepers at this lighthouse were women who served 89 of the 115 years the lighthouse was manned.

Turkey Point Lighthouse

At Arnold Point, we saw a village that initially we thought was a massive trailer park.

Acres of houses with no apparent space between them

In contrast to the packed lot, we passed a rustic scene including some grazing horses.

Rustic Scene on the Chesapeake Bay

Our travels today ended on the C&D Canal. We appreciated turning into the protected canal after spending a long day on the chilly, windy open waters of the Chesapeake.

C&D Canal

As we approached Chesapeake City, our destination for the night, we passed the home of the First Coast Tug Fleet owned by Dann Marine Towing.

First Coast Tug Fleet at Chesapeake City, MD

Vessel - Delaware Responder

Our first choice for a marina for the night had no space available for a vessel our size. They only had a covered slip with a 22-foot clearance available, we need just over 23 feet of clearance. With further research and a higher cost, Clark found space available at Schaefers Canal Restaurant in Chesapeake City, Maryland.

Chesapeake City Bridge with Schaefers Canal Restaurant in the foreground

Since we were docked at a restaurant, I cajoled Clark into dining out for supper. The crab macaroni and cheese I ordered served sufficient food for three meals. I ate one-third, Clark ate one-third in addition to the land-and-sea burger he ordered, and I brought the last third back to the boat for another day.

At the end of the day, Clark took the camera and disappeared for a few minutes. When he came back, I had more material for the blog.