waypoints

I'm checking my waypoints this morning before going into work.  The waypoints that I have on the Garmin gps from the spring trip cover all of the area I'll be sailing.  The screen shot below shows my fall cruise area from Tilghman Island at the north end to Tangier and Watts Islands at the south end.  There are some additional places I need to add to the list such as Solomons Island (near where the airport is marked half way down the map on the left) in case I decide to cross over to the western shore.

On Tangier Sound I need to add Crisfield, the starting and stopping for the trip (though I'm reconsidering using Rumbley, just to the north, instead).  And I want to add some more waypoints for entrances to the waterways on Smith Island, South Marsh Island and Holland Island.  I've got the islands marked, but finding those narrow marsh-lined entrances can be difficult from water level.  So I'll add marks on the eastern and western sides of Smith Island and the north end of South Marsh Island.

Below is the Little Choptank River.  Bruce and I visited Slaughter Creek last Spring.  This time I may go back into the river a little bit more.  Madison Bay, Fishing Creek and Solomons Cove might be fun to explore, plus they all offer excellent anchorages.  I need to research that area on google earth a little more.

In the past 24 hours I have received two emails about debris in the water left over from Hurricane Irene.  Paul, who is gearing up for the Watertribe's NC Challenge, described his sailing area in the sounds of North Carolina as a "debris field."  He says all the missing docks must be floating around out there somewhere.  And our friend Mary Lou from Rock Hall sent a note about trees, parts of houses and propane tanks floating around on Chesapeake Bay.  I'm hoping that debris won't be a problem on Tangier Sound, the Honga River and the Choptank Rivers - but I will certainly keep an eye out while sailing.

The work schedule is busier than I like, but I've got all day Monday clear to check gear, run errands and pack up.  And then a few more days of work before heading to the Eastern Shore.

steve