Solomons Island, Maryland

September 20-21, 2017

Before leaving the Chesapeake Bay area, we sailed over to Solomons Island. We hold fond memories of the island from a previous sailing trip with our friends, Pat and Jim. It is a very picturesque town on the mouth of the Patuxent River. For many decades the island was largely isolated. During WWII this changed dramatically. The area's isolation, long beaches and deep water made it an ideal location for amphibious training. Thousands of troops trained here for the attack on Guadalcanal and the Normandy invasion.

Walking around town after dinner we noticed banners advertising the Solomons Plein Air Festival. Popularized by the French Impressionists, the plein air method advocates painting outdoors working with natural light. Numerous artists were at their easels taking advantage of the evening light and scenic views of the town and beach.

Solomons Island was our final port before traveling up the Potomac River.

September 21-24, 2017

Cruising the Potomac River- Dodging Crab Traps, Debris and Friendly Fire!

Navigating the approximately 140 nautical miles of the Potomac River to Washington, D.C. demands vigilance due to an assortment of hazards: crab traps, floating debris and friendly fire. Crab traps, the bane of boaters but a livelihood for others, are typically attached to colored floats, strung out in a line of a dozen or more. Watermen are legally restricted from placing their traps in the navigation channel. However, traps present a challenge around marina entrances and in broad spaces outside the channels where there are fewer regulations. Snagging a crab line and getting it or heaven forbid the actual basket caught up in your boat's propeller can cause severe damage and ruin your day! Lighting and wave action affect visibility of the floats. When traveling through an area known for crabbing, we planned our day to take advantage of the best conditions. We have enjoyed many delicious crab dishes during our travels but the traps have kept us in a constant state of alertness while on the water. On the other hand, we are respectful of the folks for whom crabbing is their livelihood. We learned the lean years have taken their toll. Tom Horton, a professor and frequent chronicler of the waterman culture, wrote in the Washington Post, that the estimated the number of full-time watermen fell from 10,000 or more in the 1990's to fewer than 3,000 in 2016. He went on to say," The people I know who still make a full-time living off the water are the ones who thank God every day they have a wife who is a nurse at the hospital." (As a salute to all my nursing colleagues, I could not resist quoting this guy!)

Recent storms resulted in high water throughout the Chesapeake Bay, and this caused debris on the beaches to flow into the river. Again, we were on continuous alert and avoided many floating logs and branches as well as a dangerous piling stuck in the channel. We notified the Coast Guard of its perilous location.

About 50 miles up the Potomac is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center. This location on the River was specifically chosen for the development of a long ballistic test range required for the testing of modern, high powered munitions. As we approached this area, the Navy contacted us by radio and gave Captain Pete specific instructions on how to alter our course to safely avoid their target practice exercise going on at that time.

St. Marys, Maryland

The first night we docked in St. Marys, Maryland. Denis Point Marina is nestled inside a peaceful, wooded campground that is 5 miles up the beautiful St. Marys River. When we arrived there were no dockhands available. One of the office staff came out to catch our lines, unfortunately she had no experience in docking and looped the line around the cleat and then let it go...and so did our boat! We were both calling out directions and she grabbed the stern line just in time. To complicate things further, we arrived at high tide and there was additional tide from hurricane Jose that had pushed a lot of water into the dockage. The electrical outlets were close to the water level delaying hook up. It was "one of those days!"

Colonial Beach, Virginia

The next night we stopped at the Boathouse Marina in the friendly little town of Colonial Beach which claims a population of about 3,500 people. Bill, the marina owner, is right out of Central Casting for a genteel Southern gentleman. Not only does he run a first-rate marina, he is very cordial, inviting us to his boat for drinks and loaning us his golf cart to get around town. Surprisingly for such a small town, we found a terrific Thai-French restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Another highlight of Colonial Beach was listening to The Southern Bred Band at the Tidewater Tiki Bar. They billed themselves as "country boys who just like to play music." Several were local firefighters and E.M.T.'s. They had a great sound and as a former bass player himself, Captain Pete thought their bass player was outstanding.

Occoquan River, Virginia

Our third night on the Potomac was spent at the pleasant if remote Belmont Bay Marina. It is located a distance from the town of Occoquan and we were happy to cook dinner on the boat. We departed early the next morning. As we neared Washington, D.C. it was an extraordinary experience to see President George and Mary Washington's impressive estate, Mt. Vernon, from our boat.

We arrived in early afternoon at our highly anticipated destination- Washington, D.C.

Please check the Photo Album- Solomons Island-Potomac River for a few pictures of the above locations.

Next installment - our Nation's Capital.

Barbara and Captain Pete