The Chesapeake Bay - Part 1

We have completed our first week in the Chesapeake Bay. We anchored in a quiet cove, Fishing Bay, up the Piankatank River on the west side of the Bay. The next day we went up the Rappahannock River to the town of Urbanna. To get into the Rappahannock from the south you pass Stingray Point. Stingray is so named because Captain James Smith was stung by a stingray there and saved from death only because the local folks knew how to counter stingray poison.

Urbanna is a small town of 400. But it is a good boater stop. Earlier in the week we stopped in Hampton, VA, a much larger town, but not a good boater stop. That got me to thinking about what makes a good place for transient boaters. There needs to be retail businesses and restaurants within walking distance of the marina. People in town need to be able to explain how to get somewhere on foot. An added bonus is a farmer's market or grocery store within walking distance, or a public transit system that is easy to use and operates, frequently, on the weekends as well as during the week.

After Urbanna, we went to another anchorage, Sandy Point, near Reedville, the home of the menhaden fleet. Menhaden is an oily fish used for fish oil, fertilizer, and animal feed. Our friends Andy and Dinata had warned us that Reedville is a place you want to visit by car, not boat, because the odor (what the locals call "the smell of money") can be overwhelming. We got a whiff as we went past headed for our anchorage, that was enough.

The mouth of the Rappahannock River was a bit rough; the locals told us that is it's usual state. But the mouth of the Potomac, our next destination, was much worse. It was so bumpy and lumpy, I had to sit on the settee and stare at the cushions. I couldn't look at the water without getting sick. Thank heavens that Jim has no sense of balance and is completely unaffected by lumpy seas.

Once we got past the entrance (a two hour experience) the river calmed down a bit. We are now in a funky marina, Olverson's Marina on the Virginia side of the river. This place would be right at home in the Keys. Lots of locals who know each other, come down to the marina every weekend, cruise together, have regularly scheduled marina dinner parties, etc. We're getting ready to head back to Cleveland again. This is a safe place to leave the boat, even with Tropical Storms Ana and Bill kicking around in the Atlantic.

We'll be back in 10-14 days. Until then, no more updates from the great adventure.