the river

I have sailed on her a few times, anchored in her creeks and slipped upstream with her tide, but I have never really explored the Chester River.  I think I will do that this fall.

The fall trip, like last year, will be based around the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival.  I will sail there, most likely putting in at Cambridge, an excellent free ramp, and work my way north to the Chester River.  The river's mouth is between Love Point on Kent Island and Eastern Neck Island, but I'll probably slip on to the river through Kent Narrows.

What I found last fall was some excellent fishing, bringing in several striper large and small.

And some excellent anchorages too.  That is Hail Creek, above tucked in the southern end of Eastern Neck Island.  The creek winds its way back into the marsh where SPARTINA was surrounded by water, cord grass, trees and sky.  Probably my favorite anchorage of the trip.  

Across the river is Queenstown Creek where I have anchored a couple of times.  The first time I anchored on the creek at the mouth of Salthouse Cove.  This last time I went farther up the creek to Ditchers Cove.  Too shallow for larger boats it is protected by trees on all sides, quiet and peaceful.

If I do leave the river I won't go far, just a few miles north to Rock Hall, above.  My friends there, Mary Lou and Fred, once gave me a tour of a couple of the Chester's creeks, Grays Inn Creek and Langford Creek, by car.  I've seen those creeks from shore, never sailed them.  Maybe this time.

I have anchored a couple of times in Reed Creek, below, but never in neighboring Grove Creek with its narrow entrance.  Maybe I should make time to find my way in there.

The Corsica River, a friend named Bob tells me, is the Eastern Shore's prettiest river and he may well be right.  I anchored there just off Emory Creek, below, last fall.  I did not make it up to the town of Centreville but might well do so this time.

Up above the Corsica River the Chester Narrows and turns to the northeast.  I sailed up there one time many years ago, the tide and a light breeze carrying SPARTINA past tiny coves and creeks.  Just past Southeastern Creek is Rolph's Wharf with the classic SandBar, below.  I remember a great burger and a cold beer.  Beyond the wharf is Chestertown.  It has been too long since I have been there. 

It is 15° outside, winter has just begun, there's a good chance of snow this week.  Fall is a long, long way away.  With the bitterly cold winter it is comforting to think about four or five days on the Chester River.