We retraced our steps out of the East River to Mobjack Bay and turned east. Then passing New Point Comfort and its decommissioned lighthouse, we turned north into the Chesapeake Bay.
As you can tell by the chart above. The lower Chesapeake Bay has many creeks, rivers, and bays that you can explore. It was difficult to decide which ones we would get to see. Wish we could see them all!
Along the way we also passed by the Wolf Trap Lighthouse which is being dismantled. This lighthouse warned mariners to stay off the Milford Haven Shoals which protrude well out into the bay. Yes, we had to go around them.
Today we stayed clear of the shipping channel, so we only saw pleasure boats as we traveled.
As we moved around the shallows and closer to shore, we could see the wooded shoreline dotted with a scattering of homes. We crossed the Piankatank River and headed up Jackson Creek to an anchorage in Deltaville,VA.
After getting settled, we launched the dingy to go explore Deltaville and its Maritime Museum.
Deltaville was named for its location at the delta of the Rappahannock River. The town was known for its boat building, mostly of the working boats that plied the Chesapeake. Dozens of boat builders once crowded the waterfront earning the town the nickname “ The Boat Building Capital of the World”. Most of the boat builders are now gone and the city now emphasizes supporting boating with nautical based industry and marine facilities.
At the Deltaville Maritime Museum, Bill went nuts with all the boat building tools, boat models, boat design drawings, descriptions of the process of building work boat and the display of old gas engines. The museum also had three working boats on display- a crabbing boat, a log bottom boat used for fishing and a skipjack boat used for oystering.
I liked the history of the Chesapeake Bay and Capt John Smith’s early exploration of the Chesapeake, the sample pond boats( built for “sailing” on the local ponds and creeks.), and the information about the lighthouses on the Chesapeake Bay. As you can see we both enjoyed the museum.
After the museum we walked around the wooded paths filled with metal sculptures and around the gardens on the property.
Bills drone shots of our anchorage.
We returned to the boat to catch up on daily chores and plan our next few days.
May 21 On to St Mary’s 48.1 Nm Total 1278
Leaving Deltaville’s Jackson Creek, we returned to the bay and headed northeast to avoid the shoaling to the entrance to the Rappahannock River. Rappahannock means quickly rising water in the native Algonquin. It is the longest free flowing river in the Eastern US, running 184 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake. The Rappahannock’s most notable city is Fredericksburg, VA.
As we past the river , we cruised past Fleet Island and its bay and watched tugs pushing barges south to Norfolk, as the shipping channel is closer as the bay narrows.
We had to start dodging crab traps as we neared Ingram Bay. One was in 46 feet of water! They were everywhere!
The sailboats were out taking advantage of the consistent southwest breeze. Enjoyed watching them negotiate the wind. We passed the Smith Point Light that marks the entrance to the Potomac River. The lighthouse, built in 1897 of steel and brick, is 52 feet tall and its beacon can be seem for 16 miles. The lighthouse was automated in 1977.
At the lighthouse we turned northwest to enter into the State of Maryland and the Potomac River. We will anchor in the St Mary’s River near St Mary’s City, so we can explore the first settlement in Maryland. Two boats the Dove and the Ark left England in 1633 and three months later landed to establish a colony here at St Mary’s.
On our way up the river we enjoyed several small prams racing and viewed the old home on the bluffs of the river.
Once we got settled, we launched the dinghy to explore St Mary’s College established in 1840, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Maryland. Summer session was in so we enjoyed talking to some of the students. The school is renowned for its Liberal Arts and sailing programs.
We also walked through the restored settlement of old St Mary’s. Excavations began in the late 1980’s to research the first colony settlement site. The Visitors Center has artifacts from the sites that range from metal sword handles to print press type to pottery to three lead coffins. As the researcher work the site, they set up timber scaffolding to represent the buildings based on the artifacts found at that location. Period re-enactors provide background at each site. The team just recently unearthed part of the old city fort.
We returned to the boat and went for a swim off the back of the boat.
Bill took some more drone shots. Here they are!
