Summer Solstice Cruise Week (SSCW)! One of the highlights of our sailing season!! It’s an ideal time of the year on the Chesapeake Bay: The storms of spring with their cool northeast winds have almost gone and the heat of the summer hasn’t yet set in. Days are generally pleasant with temperatures in the mid-80's and some wind. Then, too, is the fact that the days are the longest of the year with skies illuminated in the northwest long after the sun has set.
It was against this backdrop that the crews of Talisman and Fresh Air set out to enjoy the lower Chesapeake Bay. It had been a solo trip for June and I until last year when we met up with John and Susan who were cruising with the Broad Bay Sailing Association. At that time John was being considered as an engagé to our table. It turned out to be a good encounter as it gave June and I a good chance to test their sailing mettle. They passed with flying colors and we discovered a couple that likes to cruise as we do: Late to bed & late to rise with no particular agenda other than to relax and get some good sailing in.
Shortly after our return in 2007, John became Jongagé (the engagé). Just a few weeks ago - not quite a year later - he became the Table’s newest brother which meant two flags would be flying during this year’s SSCW. We started out on Saturday with the best intentions to get under way early. As usual, there were too many last minute items left on the list. We left at noon and headed north to Mobjack Bay.The wind, which had been promising all morning, promptly died once the sails were up. The motor re-engaged the drive shaft as we headed north. Then the change in wind direction and speed came from the southwest: the engine was switched off again. A heavy haze of smoke from wildfires in northeast North Carolina came north with the wind. Visibility dropped as the afternoon progressed and the acrid smoke assaulted our senses. We rendezvoused with Fresh Air on Mobjack Bay’s East River just north of Put-in Creek.This anchorage afforded good protection in all directions...a good place to be for the thunderstorms forecasted for that evening. It became apparent how much smoke had infiltrated the area as the sun fell to the west and revealed a dark red moon high in the sky. The promised thunderstorms developed an hour later. The temperature dropped nicely and ushering the heavy smoke out in a prompt fashion. We were rafted and fully immersed with the cruise.
The sun broke early on Sunday morning. We slept in. No one cared that the other sailboat and trawler that had been at anchor nearby the night before had weighed anchor sometime before we opened our eyes. The front that had pushed through the night before left us with gentle northwest winds. We pulled up the chain after one o’clock and sailed slowly down the river headed to Deltaville’s Jackson Creek. More of the wind was available for the sails as we emerged from the East River and headed southeast toward New Point Comfort. Blue skies, fair winds and a respectable number of crab pots were our lot for the afternoon. At New Point Comfort, we turned to the northeast as the wind started bending in that direction. The wind kept turning until the nose of the boat was into it. The motor took us into the creek for a late anchorage and, that night, a clear, pale moon, waxing gibbous.
Not wanting to waste another day, both boats motored over to Deltaville Marina to fill up on water and fuel. We managed to leave Jackson Creek early - at noon. Good southwest winds were available to sail our course around Stingray and Windmill Points to the Fleets Bay area. We agreed on an afternoon stop at Grog Island, or the feeble sandbar that remains. Only a few dead tree trunks are left of what once was a lush green island at this time of year. Definitely a victim of the storms that ravage the Bay. Tropical Storm Isabell was the downturn for Grog Island in 2004. Rising water levels haven’t helped since then.
Celebrating the life of Grog Island, we spent the late afternoon walking around its small perimeter and swimming off the sand bars that surround it. The haze and smell from the wildfires in North Carolina were again moving into the area, courtesy of the southwest winds. Thunderstorms were forecast for the evening so we pulled up anchors and headed into Poplar Neck Creek, just down Dymer Creek from Grog Island.
Just after setting anchor and forming our two boat raft for the evening, the dark clouds and distant thunder announced the evening’s relief. Wind gusts of 35 to 40 knots tore the anchor loose and we started dragging toward the eastern shore of the creek. The muddy shoals of the creek stopped us about 20 feet from shore where we sat ready to act if necessary. When the storm blew over, we recovered Talisman’s anchor and reset it. As we were settling in for the night, it started raining again. But temperatures were comfortable and the Carolina smoke had, once again, been blown away by the evening’s storms.
The cold front that had caused the evening’s storms ushered in a high pressure system that would dominate the rest of the week. Clear, blue skies and fresh winds from the northwest greeted us in the morning. After cleaning the boats up a bit, we decided to make our way to Tangier Island for the day. It had been a while since we had last seen Milt Parks, a certified character of the Chesapeake Bays and one of her oldest keepers.
Light northwest winds greeted us at the mouth of Dymer Creek. We raised our sails and navigated northeast, towards Tangier. An hour later, the true cold front arrived producing north winds of 15 to 20 knots. Fresh Air reefed her sails while Talisman did not. Both boats had adequate pressure for the passage albeit, Talisman had a little more heel.
As we pulled into the Tangier channel, it was apparent very little had changed since our last
visit several years ago. We didn’t call ahead because Milt never monitors VHF channel 16. Occasionally you can call him up on channel 72 but that is also a rarity. His modus operandi is, "We’ll be here when you get here...no need to call." He came out to meet us and help get the boat into the slip. It was still blowing hard from the north so extra lines had to be brought out to avoid chaffing and scrapping as the tide changed. At 76 years old, Milt is still healthy and viable. But his hearing is getting worse. For some reason, he always remembers the women better than the men. June had a good time talking with him about life on the island. She was saddened to hear that her favorite cat, Cry Baby, had perished in an outbreak of feline leukemia that had plagued the island a few years ago. It was late afternoon. Because of a late start no one had eaten lunch. Tangier’s restaurant do most of their business during the afternoon, when the tour boats from Reedville and Crisfield are in port. We decided a late lunch/early dinner was in order. We walked through the door at five o’clock and dined on softshell crabs. We finished around six o’clock as the "closed" signs were being turned outward in the restaurant’s windows. A quick stroll of the island’s main street revealed that reduced tourism had put some of the small shops out of business. The shops still open were displaying the same fashions and designs we had seen five years ago on our last visit. We returned to our boats in time to see a fiery sunset. The winds were tunneling through the channel from the northwest at 20 to 25 knots. Small craft warnings were up until 2:00 AM in the morning. It would be a rocky night.Another late morning getting out of bed. The girls went in to town for a few nick-nacks while John and I made our boats ready for the cruise to Crisfield, MD. It is a short distance which had to be crossed without benefit of the previous days winds. As we got close to Crisfield, we were beset by horseflies: we were kept busy defending our flesh from these nasty insects as we made the approach to the boat basin. After setting our anchors in Crisfield, we went to town for another soft shelled crab dinner. As the sun set, we toured the wharf area of the town and inspected the new condominiums they have built there. The large structures have been built right on the waterfront and are prominent as you approach from the Bay. However, the economic downturn has seen just a small occupancy. Ice cream cones were purchased by all before a slow walk back to the boat basin. We thought a quiet night would be in order but were called to duty as a nasty thunderstorm developed right over our heads. After torrential rainfalls, the storms moved on and we settled in for the evening.
The next morning, we went back to Crisfield to restock on supplies and ice (John and Susan needed more Miller Lite). We took our time, finally pulling up anchor at 1 PM. The days destination was south to Onancock. Making anchor after 6 PM, we rustled up dinner and stayed on the boats for the evening. In the morning, we took the dinghy into the town docks and walked the shops. Ever the late cruisers, we pulled up the anchor at 1 PM and headed out. A report of a little wind turned out to be true. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to power our boats so the sails stayed furled and we motored across the bay to Milford Haven by way of the Gwen’s Island entrance.We were on the back side of our cruise week so it was time to start heading south. We decided we would try to navigate the "Hole-in-the-Wall" channel between the Bay and Milford Haven. Not known as a friendly passage for sailboats, we left early - 11 AM - to make the most of high tide to shoot the shallowest portion of the channel. Thankfully, the passage was an easy one for both boats. Chisman Creek was our destination for the day.
It was Saturday so activity on the water was high. This isn’t a problem on the Bay but as soon as you pull into the Poquoson River, power boats and jet skis flourish, throwing wakes everywhere. We moved up to the junction of Chisman and Goose Creeks and made anchor for the night. Because we had left early, we had ample time to deploy the dinghy and explore areas of shallow water.
Sunday, it was - regrettably - time to return to port. During breakfast, we weighed our options of discontinuing our employment to stay out and cruise for the remainder of the summer but, in the final analysis, found this was not an acceptable option. The wind was blowing from the southwest bringing with it the hint of those distant wild fires. It gave us hopes of returning under sail but, alas, it started bending to the south as we made the turn around the Poquoson flats. We reluctantly started the engine, waved goodbye to John and Susan as they headed southwest to Old Point Comfort. Hours later, Talisman’s crew arrived safe and rested. During the week we had passed the Summer Solstice in the company with our Table’s newest brother. We were content with everything except the impending return to work.
