This is Salomons Island Harbor, as we left it on Saturday morning. I was hoping the Bay would look the same.
As we entered the Bay there were lots of fisherman, and you can see the water is not as calm as it was at Salomons Island.
About 12 way to Annapolis we saw this HUGE ship. When you look at it up close, you wonder how it does not tip over.
Further north, the Bay got calmer, and we saw this tow boat pulling a very large barge, full of containers. There is a long cable between the tug, and the barge, and it has caused problems in the past, because boats have tried (not knowing there was a cable between them) to go between the two, and you can imagine the damage that would cause.
This is Thomasville Lighthouse (just south of Annapolis)...our favorite anywhere
This ship is anchored...waiting for their trip up to Baltimore
Turning off the Bay, onto the Severn River, you get your first look at the Naval Academy, and Annapolis
This is a look up Spa Creek, and the Annapolis Harbor
This is a look downtown at Annaplolis. This canal is about a block long, and is the Annapolis City Docks.
Another shot of the downtown city docks
There are many old buildings downtown. This one is supposed to be where George Washington met with his friends to have a few beers
Standing downtown, this is a look up the canal, and out toward Spa Creek
If you turn around (from the shot above) this is what you see.
Another look at downtown Annapolis
On our dinghy ride, we found a great lunch spot
A look out the starboard side of our boat in The Yacht Basin at Annapolis, we saw lots of mega yachts
This is the 142 foot yacht Sun Chaser...the yacht to the right is 82 feet.
Log 141
Day 382
Sunday, June 07, 2009
8:00 AM EDT
Location: Annapolis Yacht Basin, Annapolis, MD
Weather: Bright sunshine; hot and humid
I am actually writing this log from Rock Hall, MD, but as I look back on all the pictures we have taken since Salomons Island, and thinking about the cruising we have done, it seemed too much to put in one log. So this log will cover from Salomons Island to Annapolis.
After all the rain we sat through in the Salomons, the forecast was for a cloudy Saturday morning, and for the weather to get nicer as the day progressed. And that is exactly what happened. As we left the harbor, the water was very smooth, and I thought maybe the bay would be the same, but it was not to be. The wind on the bay was still blowing out of the west, from the night before, and, although it was not rough, it was choppy. I had to play with the throttles a little bit to get just the right feel, but the further north we went, the better it got. By the time we were about 1/2 way to Annapolis, the Bay was fairly calm.
The trip up the bay is very easy to navigate, and I used the auto pilot about 95% of the time. I did my best to head straight north, to minimize the miles, and only a couple of times did I have to make any turns to avoid a shallow spot. The reason for this is, I was not trying to stay in the channel, because it was not necessary (the Bay is wide at this point, and there is lots of deep water). The channel on the Bay is marked for large ships that draw 30 feet or more, so I cut the corners as much as I can. It also keeps me out of the channel, and out of the way of these big ships. You can see from the pictures they come in lots of shapes and sizes.
About 4 miles from our turn off the Bay, into the Severn River, and Annapolis Harbor, we passed the Thomasville Lighthouse. This is one of our favorite landmarks on the Bay. We’re not sure why, except maybe it reminds us of all the wonderful times we spent here in the mid 80’s. Of all the lighthouses we have seen, around the world, this, for some reason, is our favorite. Once we passed the Thomasville Lighthouse, we started a slight turn to the west, and then entered the Severn River, and then turned up Spa Creek, which is where downtown Annapolis is located. We planned on staying at the Annapolis City Docks, because they are only $2 a foot, but they work on a first come first served basis, and they ended up being full, so we had to call The Yacht Basin (right next door) for a slip, and pay $3 a foot. We have stayed both places before, and they are both downtown, so it is just a matter of paying the extra $1 per foot. The other big difference is that all the mega yachts stay at The Yacht Basin. We were surrounded by yachts from 75 to 140 feet.
After tying up, and getting settled, Deb and I walked into town, and looked around. We have been to Annapolis several times, but it is still one of the nicest downtowns anywhere on the Loop. Because I had been there several times, and it was very crowded, I went back to the boat, but Deb stayed and walked around for a while. On Sunday, we jumped in the dinghy, and took a long dinghy ride around the Annapolis Harbor; Spa Creek; and the harbor of Back Creek, which is just south of the town of Eastport...a small peninsula that sticks out, and is just south of Annapolis. All of these areas are very cool, and for a boater, it does not get much better than this. We also found a cool lunch spot on Back Creek, where we had great fish. It was a great ride, and we were back at the boat by 2 pm. In the afternoon, Deb did some laundry, and I watched the NASCAR race at Pocono. A great day, and good time in Annapolis.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
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