Leaving Solomon’s Island early so we can make the Chesapeake crossing to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We traveled past the many marinas that comprise Solomon’s and past the Calvert Cliff and Cove Lighthouse.
Actually the Cliffs continue up the shore line past the natural gas depot and the lighthouse about 3 miles.
The Chesapeake Bay narrows again so we can easily see Taylor Island on the Eastern Shore and it’s homes as we cruise north. We crossed the shipping channel and let this large container ship go by first!
Here is the chart of the mid Chesapeake region.
On the Eastern Shore we passed the Little Choptank River. This smaller river is heavily wooded with a scattering of homes. Forested islands in the mouth of the river, help protect it from the Chesapeake Bay proper. Next time we will explore the Little Choptank.
Just north is the Choptank River which we cross and then go up Broad Creek to San Domingo Creek for our anchorage for the next two days. On our way we saw lots of working crab boats on the water and many very very large homes on the shoreline, mostly hidden by the trees.
After we got anchored, we put the dinghy in the water so we could explore the town of St. Michaels.
St Michaels, established in 1677, was originally a thriving port town and shipbuilding center that became famous in the 1800’s for building the Baltimore Clippers. This boat was a redesigned cargo ship which could out sail the British navy ships who were harassing the United States fledgling trade and shipping industry. Also log boats were made in St Michael’s, used originally for the oystering industry, they evolved into slim needle prowled sailboats that are still raced today in this part of the Chesapeake. After the oyster industry declined the town evolved to a seafood and tomato packing economy. Today the town revolves around ship restoration, marine industry and tourism.
The town legend of St Michael’s is that in August,1813, the British planned to shell the town, but the residents learned of the attack. They then devised a plan to hang lanterns high up in the trees and on ship’s masts and extinguished all the town’s lights. When the British arrived they thought the town was on a bluff and overshot the town. Thus the town earned the nickname “the town that fooled the British”.
We walked the few blocks from the dinghy dock to the historic downtown. Almost all the homes dated from 1801-1890. A few had been converted to shops, restaurants and inns, but many are still single family homes with lovely gardens.
We had a lovely lunch of crab, of course. Then we walked thru some shops and then to the Chesapeake Maritime Museum. This museum had a retired lighthouse that you could walk through- the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse.
There was an exhibit that explained the oystering industry and the skipjacks ships that plied the water of the Chesapeake. Was interesting to see the harvesting process and the steps to get the oysters packed and shipped. The museum also featured a floating fleet of working boats used for fishing, crabbing, and oystering dating from the 1930’s mostly, some older.
What we liked best was the boat restoration. You could watch the shipwrights working to build a replica of The Dove, the boat we toured while in St Mary’s, MD. The boat we toured is leaking badly and the museum was commissioned to build its replacement. We watched them hoist the mizzenmast mast with sail for the first time and install the log bilge pump. Also enjoyed talking with one of the shipwrights about his trade and the projects he has worked on.
Having walked our feet down to nubbins, we headed back to the dinghy and back to the boat. On the way home we were stopped by the couple from Maryland on the Sailing Vessel Caroline. They gave us info about the Chesapeake as it is their sailing territory.
May 27. Day 53
We slept in and then readied to dinghy in to town again. On the way we stopped to visit with the Powercat Inked Mermaid who is anchored with us in San Domingo Creek. We continued into town and took a walking tour of the city. The city was planned around a square which had a public market house. One of the cannon stored here was used in the battle with the British in the War of 1812.
We saw the oldest home dating from 1778,
working watermen homes,
a log house still in use as a residence,
a shipbuilders cottage where he built ships in the shipyard directly behind his house,
and the Cannonball house, whose claim to fame is during the battle of St Michael’s in the War of 1812. A cannonball hit the roof of the home and the cannon ball rolled out of the attic and down the stairs while the wife holding her baby watched. I love all these town legends. Supposedly the town has the diary of the wife which noted this event.
Some other shots we took of the town.
