St Michaels, MD

Tuesday, October 15 - It was a brisk 50 degrees when we pulled anchor at 8:00 am from Annapolis. We wore our heavy jackets and gloves. The wind had calmed down from 30 knots the day before and was between 10 and 15 knots. We had the mainsail about 1/3 of the way out when we left and pulled the jib out about 30 minutes after we were out of the harbor. We entered Miles River around 11:30 and there are beautiful homes with large trees behind them.
Around 1:00 we arrived near our anchorage in St. Michaels, MD and pulled in the sails. We anchored in a small area surrounded by docks, houses and restaurants. That sounds crowded but it was quiet with few boats anchored, especially compared to the chaos of Annapolis with the boat shows. It was 56 degrees and a bit windy, burrr! True Love came in a few hours after us and anchored next to us.

That night we all went to Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, they had been there previously and highly recommended it.

Wednesday, October 16 - We visited the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and learned much about life on Chesapeake Bay from indigenous people to pre-revolutionary colonists to Revolutionary War to War of 1812 to Civil War. The museum was large and included multiple housing that each taught about different eras. The first location had many different skiffs the were used in the original oyster harvesting trade. From there we saw a large exhibit on individuals who contributed to the freedom of slaves and how boating in the Chesapeake was as important as the Underground Railroad and less dangerous. The next building held an original “skipjack” built in 1910 and used through 1985 for oyster fishing. The exhibit contained details about the last captain and crew, their specific jobs from captain to cook, and provided the opportunity to walk onboard. There was a building/exhibit on dugout canoes, which are made from a single log and originated from indigenous tribes. Another building was dedicated to power vessels and their early beginnings, including hydroplanes, with an emphasis on the Chesapeake growing from a working community to a leisure community. We toured a lighthouse from 1879; Hopper Strait, that had 2 levels of living space with 3 rooms each and the 3rd level was the light. From there we walked around the boatyard where the museum restores old donated vessels. The next building contained information and artifacts from the War of 1812 and the Civil War. We visited the 2 room + loft home of Elizabeth Bailey Mitchell, sister to Frederick Douglass. There were exhibits outside that taught about the different water trades of the Chesapeake - oysters, crabs, eels, fish. Chesapeake water tradesmen are called “Watermen” because they gather food from the Chesapeake all year and it changes based on the season.

Later in the afternoon we met Guy and Marie for drinks at The Fool’s Lantern, a beer and wine tap room.

Thursday, October 17 - The temperature over the last 2 days was low 50’s in the morning and high 50’s in the afternoon, it feels quite cold compared to what we are use to, especially in Texas. It was windy last night and I slept little as the water hitting the boat was loud plus we left the dinghy in the water. Usually it dies down by early morning but not this time. Kevin thought we may leave in the morning but I said it was too cold and windy. Wind gusts remained 20 knots most of the day which combined with the cold would have made for an uncomfortable sail. Instead I made granola and heated up the salon! For dinner we went to San Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant.Читать далее