"When I think of all the fools I've been, it's a wonder that I've sailed this many miles." -Guy Clark

Thursday, March 22, 2012

the Chesapeake walkabout

I've got just about five weeks until the Spring walkabout around Tangier Sound.  I will be busy between now and then, the time will pass quickly.  I've started picking up food supplies.  I'm all set with breakfast bars, tuna fish lunches, tinned oysters and anchovies, cups of fruit.  We've done enough trips now that I kind of know what to get, how much will be needed.  


This will be a five day trip, a counter-clockwise sail around the edges of Tangier Sound.  I'll put in at Crisfield, make my way north past Deal Island and into the lower parts of the Honga River.  From there I'll go outside the sound and sail south on the west side of the islands - Bloodsworth, Holland, South Marsh and maybe Smith Island.  Above is Spartina at the town dock in Tylerton last Fall when I stopped by for a crab cake sandwich at the Drum Point Market.  I may stop there again this trip, or maybe visit Ewell just a little to the North.  And I'll visit Tangier too, maybe get as far south as Onancock.  We'll see what the wind is like and go with the flow.



I hope to get in at least three or four more day sails before the Walkabout.  This weekend looks good for maybe a Sunday sail.

steve

5 comments:

Shawn Stanley said...

Steve, A friend from the Moyer Marine forum recently went to Old Salty's Restaurant on upper Hooper Island & said it was fantastic, and he's from the Eastern Shore and samples the Chesapeake Seafood quite frequently.

On your chart, check out Back Creek off the Honga River. If I have my towns right, the restaurant is in Fishing Creek, MD. Then you can re-trace your route from the "Back to the Islands" cruise and sneak out the bamboo channel back into the Chesapeake & come down the west side of the island chain.

If you make it up to and stay the evening in Onancock, there is a neat Irish Bar in town called the Blarney Stone Pub if you are into that kind of fun, about a 10 minute walk from the wharf, & another small place on the same street that supposedly has an excellent breakfast! Can't remember the name of that one though...might be Bizzotto's.

-Shawn

Shawn Stanley said...

Oops..I just noticed that you probably can easily get under the larger bridge too, between Fishing Creek & Hoopersville, but I bet you already knew that!

-Shawn

Steve said...

Shawn,

thanks. I've noticed that restaurant before, have read good reviews of it. I'm not sure if I'll make it that far up the Honga as I also want to visit Rippons Harbor too. The the pub does sound appealling. We've passed under both bridges, the one at fishing creek being lower (but plenty of room for my masts) and more protected, and the one to the south with is much taller but not nearly protected from the weather on the Bay.

That's the nice thing about Tangier Sound, the Honga River and all of Chesapeake Bay for that matter - there is always more to explore. If I don't make the pub this time, maybe I'll drop by next time.

steve

Anonymous said...

Is the weather down your way that different from up Deltaville way? You mentioned Sunday looks good for a sail. From the forecast I last checked, Sunday in Deltaville doesn't look too promising.

And are you ever going to make it over to the Middle Peninsula for one of your trips? We've got the Rappahannock, the Piankatank, Milford Haven, Mobjack and its environs and the York River to explore. Of course, admittedly, there isn't as much there to see as there is up north on the eastern shore. But there are facilities and some lovely wild areas to visit. I've been told the sailing on Mobjack Bay is very good.

Steve said...

I don't know about the weather. Depending on which service I look at I get either decent wind with a good chance of wind or very little wind and no rain. I'll make the call tomorrow when I see what it is like. I wish I could be out right now- overcast but a decent breeze.

steve