East Coast Rendezvous

[Administrator]

If you're going to be in Rock Hall, MD for the festivities July 3rd, you're invited to stop by our boat at The Sailing Emporium (ground zero for the Navy Commodores concert and the best fireworks on the whole Eastern Shore) for a cold one and perhaps a taste of my mom's minced clam dip. Don and Brenda will be there as well, but the intent is simply to socialize and not be distracted by business, so don't be dragging Don aside to ask how to repair your cranky Fetzer valve, or whatever. I know I can count on you guys to honor that. Don, on the other hand,......

PM me if you'd like to stop by, so I can give specifics re directions and get a nose count.

Bill

"Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I'm gonna need 'bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State."

[ndutton]

Well?

Hey!!

You teased us with the announcement, then no post mission debriefing report? What happens in Rock Hall stays in Rock Hall? C'mon, give it up!! Pictures?

[Administrator]

I'm a tad embarrassed to say there were no takers, which means that at least a few Afourians sadly underestimated my mom's minced clam dip.

Bill

[ndutton]

Really!

I'd have busted a gut to be there even if only briefly. Too bad I'm 3000 miles away.

[ILikeRust]

I would love to have attended, but it's about a 4-hour drive each way for me, and I had plenty to work on at home and on the boat. And we attended the fireworks here in downtown RVA.

I was just reading Chesapeake Bay magazine last night, and evidently I really need to get myself up to Rock Hall and check it out someday.

I do plan on taking maybe a week someday and sailing up there to see it. From what I've read, it's pretty much the center of the sailing universe on the northern Chesapeake.

[Bold Rascal]

More excuses here...

Perhaps there's some interrest in a Chesapeake Bay get together that's more central for us central/lower bay inhabitants, Like Solomon's or ? This year we spent the weekend moored out in Crisfield's "Somer's Cove" and attended thier 3rd annual "Freedom Fest". Nice community event with food, music and a pretty good fireworks display.

Did I mention $20.00 AYCE crabs at Capt'n Tylers new waterfront restaurant and Tiki bar?

Minced clam dip sounds excellent.

[ILikeRust]

That would be a little better for me - 2-1/2 hours by highway.

Of course, I would love to make the trip by boat and approach from the water. That would be more like two full days of sailing to get up there. So I would have to plan well in advance and take a week off of work (oh, how heartbroken I would be!) to allow at least two days up, one day there, and two days back, and probably a day or two to recover...

[Mo]

Bill, that would have been 873 nautical miles from Halifax. However, if any of you guys come into Halifax get in touch and you will have no worries for a place to stay.

[Baltimore Sailor]

I'm looking at the approach to Rock Hall right now on the chart. I draw 4 1/2 feet, and it looks as though I could go in between G #1 and G3# (coming over from White Rocks) and save a bit of distance. Is that really possible, or is shoaling enough of an issue to go down to #1? (I realize the party's long over.)

[sastanley]

Darn, I just saw this thread today!

We had some club members go to St. Mary's College for the River Concert on Friday & then over to Crisfield for fireworks and back to Solomons for Monday fireworks over July 4. These guys all have big fast new sailboats with huge diesels & lots of canvas...they probably cruise at 6.5 knots. Those runs are over 40 miles from Solomons & most of them probably don't work anymore either...

We are going to try San Domingo Creek and dinghy into St. Michaels at the end of this month...The trip around to Eastern Bay to the Miles River is too far to do in a weekend from Solomons. But a three day weekend to and from Broad Creek gives us a full day in town. Haven't been there for a couple of years.

Anyone been on the "back door side" of St. Michaels in San Domingo Creek lately? Does it still have sailboat depth?

[Administrator]

BS:

Take the ship channel over to the Easton Shore. Reduces the risk of picking up a crab pot near 7-foot knoll. Follow the range (120M) to the forward light. Take it on your starboard side.

From there, take a heading of 105M towards the C1 can just outside the jetty. Stay off that can. Cheat towards the south as you enter the harbor.

Where are you headed from there? More instructions to follow....

Bill

edit: Take that range light on your starboard side when heading towards RH.

I'm looking at the approach to Rock Hall right now on the chart. I draw 4 1/2 feet, and it looks as though I could go in between G #1 and G3# (coming over from White Rocks) and save a bit of distance. Is that really possible, or is shoaling enough of an issue to go down to #1? (I realize the party's long over.)

[rigspelt]

Would have loved to make that rendezvous, but just too many hundred sea miles away. Thanks for the invite, and best wishes to the MMI family.

[sastanley]

We bumped coming out of Rock Hall a few years ago right around Green #1. I think we tagged that 6' spot on the chart just south of it (or maybe, as Bill is alluding too, we might have been too close to the can!) . We approached from the south though. Looks like the channel could be extended a little bit, but I bet it would just silt in quickly in the vicinity of #1.

I draw 5' 3", I personally wouldn't try to jump over Swan Point Bar in my boat...but at 4' 6" you might make it at high tide, BS.

[ILikeRust]

This is why I'm glad I have a shoal-draft keel with a large centerboard.

The Pearson Wanderer draws 3'6" with the board up; 6'9" with the board down.

Much of the time, you can just leave the board up, because it's a nearly full keel with 3,800 lbs. of lead in it. Lowering the board does help noticeably when close-hauled or reaching.

But when motoring up a channel, it's nice to draw only 3-1/2 feet.

The previous owner of my boat told me that if he did run aground, he would just hop over the side and stand on the bottom, since the water would be only up to his waist, and shoulder the boat off. Fortunately, I haven't had to try that yet. I'm sure my time will come. There are two kinds of sailors on the Chesapeake: those who have been aground, and liars.

[edwardc]

Our Pearson-323 draws 4 1/2 feet, and we've been across the bar five times in the last 2 seasons, following the line from the outer range light to the 110 ft one onshore. We've never seen less than 6 ft of water on those trips.

Blue Crab Charters in Rock Hall regularly takes a Watkins 36 (4 1/2' draft) out that way.