What a day!!! It was sunny and 73 degrees when we untied our lines at Beacon Marina on Solomon's Island, MD.  The winds were 8 knots, gusting 11 knots.  We headed a few hundred yards further up the creek to Spring Cove Marina to get fuel.  There were a couple of boats at the fuel dock, so as we idled in place to wait, our engine died.  We dropped anchor and Richard bled the fuel lines again, as he did the other day to get any air out.  He feels we have an air leak somewhere in the system and he said this will be the first project he tackles when we arrive back home.  He thankfully got the boat running again and we pulled up to the fuel dock (after a woman from a boat in one of the slips yelled to us that we were anchored in the middle of the channel.  I wanted to say something snarky, but thankfully refrained, and only said that our engine died and we hadn't planned to anchor at all and would hopefully be gone as soon as my husband got it fixed).  After fueling, we headed out of the Patuxent River and toward the Bay at 10 am.  The Bay wasn't as calm as yesterday, but it wasn't too bad - only a bit choppy.  We made it to the mouth of the Potomac River, where it meets the Bay, at 1:00 pm and to the Point Lookout Marina around 2:10 pm (after cruising 4 hrs, & 10 mins and 31 miles).  

We left Shipwright Harbor Marina in Deale, MD at 10 am this morning.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, 76 degrees, and not much wind on the Bay.  Winds were 6 knots, gusting 12 knots according to the weather report, but we really never felt the gusts while we were cruising.  The water was very calm.  We saw a lot of fish and crabs swimming just below the surface, and also a couple of skates.  The water was so smooth that both Richard and I took turns at the helm while the other either sat or laid on the forward deck (now known as Angie's sun pad) and watched the bow wave as the water hit the boat, or we just looked forward at deck level watching as the water with its gentle swells just rolled by.  It is very calming and mesmerizing. 

We woke up to a splendidly beautiful day.  It was 81 degrees with slight winds of 5 knots, periodically gusting to 9 knots, out of the West Northwest.  What a great day to cruise on the Chesapeake Bay.  We untied our lines at 10:20 from Hartge Marina and got underway.  We are making our way South, along the West Coast of the Chesapeake Bay, slowly making our way back home.  We are loving life on the water, seeing new places, meeting people and experiencing new things.  Each day is similar but always unique in its own way.  We're wondering if we would still love cruising around on the water if the temperatures weren't warm and we didn't have sunny days that were so inviting.  I was at the helm for most of the trip today, with the exception of maneuvering through the narrow channel up to the marina and into our slip.  Richard is better at that and doesn't get as flustered as me when in tight quarters.  We wear "marriage saver" headsets when we're docking and I was trying to get mine to fit right on my head today and not fall off.  The way I fixed it today worked for me, although it was a pretty funny sight. 

We decided to stay another day and night at Hartge Marina in Galesville, MD.  It stormed a lot after we docked last night so we didn't go out exploring until today.  We had another leisurely morning (a theme on this trip - and not a bad thing at all) and waited for the morning rain showers to stop.  After lunch we borrowed bicycles from the marina (that has been another blessing on this trip - most of the marinas will let you borrow bicycles free of charge and this marina also lets guests borrow kayaks).  We peddled around town and found that this (as Richard put it) "a quaint little slice of maritime America" has so much history... It's actually part of Maryland Heritage Area.  We came across many historical markers where once thrived a school that was established in 1901 called the Carrie Weedon House, the West Benning Road Historic District, and Steamboat Landing where 100 years ago vessels, such as the Emma Giles steamboat docked to bring immigrants and vacationers and took farm produce and seafood to other ports, such as Baltimore. 

We got up this morning and immediately started looking at the weather to see if we should head out or stay in place another day.  The forecast a couple of days ago showed winds of 12 knots, gusting to 22, with thunderstorms expected in the late afternoon. This morning it showed winds of 9-10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, still with storms in the forecast.  We decided to chance it, with the option of turning around and coming back to the marina.  Instead of heading to Deale, MD as we originally planned, we opted for a closer location.  So, we called Hartge Yacht Harbor in Galesville, MD and reserved a slip.  We left Annapolis at 10:12 am amid many sailboats from the sailing school having a race out in the river.  After maneuvering and dodging them, we made it out to the Bay and started South on our journey to Galesville.  Don't misunderstand... we think that the sailing club and the young people learning to sail are adorable... as a vessel under power, we have to give way to those sailboats as they have the right of way.  We had to be on the lookout for the boats tacking back and forth across the river and adjust course accordingly.  

We stayed in port today at the Annapolis City Marina so we could walk around Annapolis some more and also Eastport - known here as the "Maritime Republic of Eastport".  Richard made pancakes for breakfast this morning.  So fluffy and good!  We are using the pots and pans on the boat that Angie's Mom used for years.  They still cook just as good!

This morning was perfect for cruising.  It was 79 degrees at 8 am and winds were 3 knots, gusting 8 knots.  We left Anchorage Marina in Baltimore at 9:30 am and headed to the Baltimore Inner Harbor.  What a busy place!!  Big boats, huge boats, small boats, sail boats, and boats with four 500 hp outboards that rocked us mercilessly as they blew past us.  We saw the Domino Sugar factory with very large tongs/scoops taking the sugar from the ships to be processed.  We also saw USS Torsk, a submarine in the inner harbor, along with the USCG lightship Chesapeake.  We passed under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and as we were coming up to it, we passed a very large Merchant Marine ship.  Such a sight to see!

We stayed at the Anchorage Marina in Baltimore today.  We did more maintenance on the boat.  Richard went to the local Ace Hardware and West Marine and made a gasket for the engine raw water strainer.  Angie swept, vacuumed, and dusted the boat and did general cleaning.  We did another load of laundry at the marina then went walking to the grocery store (the Safeway has its name on an old smokestack) and walked around town, then the promenade near the marina.  Richard went to the pool (it was a floating dock pool at the marina - pretty cool concept).  Later in the evening we cooked dinner on the boat and then went down to the end of the dock and listened to the band while sitting in Adirondack chairs and looking out over the water.  It was a very peaceful evening.  

Rock Hall, MD to Baltimore, MD.  We spent quite a bit of time this morning looking at weather apps and deciding if we should set out.  The temperature had dropped to 68 degrees and we turned the AC off - after yesterday's temps in the low 90's.  Today's winds were 8 knots, gusting 14 knots.  We decided to go ahead with our plans to cross the Bay and head to Baltimore, so we untied the lines at 10:25 this morning from Rock Hall Marina.  The skies were cloudy and the waves were 1 foot coming from the Southeast, so that meant that they were hitting us on the starboard side/stern. So that made for a rolley-polley ride across the Bay.  Some people call the water conditions "Sporty".  

This morning, we hung out at Piney Narrows Marina (near Kent Island, MD) doing some boat chores until almost noon, waiting on the marina at Rock Hall, MD to get back with us and confirm our reservation for this afternoon.  We then untied the dock lines and went and fueled up the boat.  We got underway around 1:00 pm after waiting for the fuel dock to be clear of boats ahead of us. The water on the Chester River then the Chesapeake Bay were absolutely smooth today.  We couldn't have asked for a better cruising day.  Coming out of Kent Island Narrows, they really aren't kidding.  The channel markers are so close together on either side that passing a boat and staying within the markers were difficult.  We had about 7 feet of water, but it dropped off to about 3 feet outside of the channel markers.  As we headed North up the Bay, we saw the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in our rearview, so to speak.  It was a bit hazy today, with temps in the high 80's, but the wind was at 3 knots, gusting to 7 knots.  What a perfect day!!  I did some "trolling" fishing on our way North.  A skate was chasing the lure I was using, and I didn't want to catch that cute creature, so I reeled my line back in.  We reached the marina at 2:40 pm, having travelled 10.2 miles today.  Another short, but sweet day.  

We pulled out of Higgins Yacht Center at St. Michael's, MD at11:25 am today, our 9th day of the Chesapeake Bay Loop (June 25, 2025).  The temp was 87 degrees, and the wind was 4 knots, gusting 8 knots when we left St. Michael's.  We cruised for 2 hours until we came to the Kent Narrows bridge, which has a clearance of 18 ft, and our boat is 19.5 ft.  So, we had to hail the bridge tender on VHF channel 13 and ask him to open the drawbridge (our first time!).  The drawbridge opens on the half hour, and we had just missed the top of the hour at 1:00 pm, so we had to wait until 1:30 pm for it to open again.  We loitered in place for that half hour, and surprisingly a couple that we had met at Spring Cove Marina at Solomon's Island came up beside us in their boat and chatted with us.  It is great that you can make new friends while boating and docking and then see them again at along the way, or at the same marina the next day or following days.  Once the drawbridge opened, and we went through, we cruised for another 10 minutes while we were coming into Piney Narrows Yacht Haven marina, and we arrived at our slip at 1:40 pm.  We docked next to Captain Dave. He was coming back to his boat with grocery bags while we were getting our lines tied, so I asked him if the grocery store was close and within walking distance because we were in need of a few things.  He said no - that Safeway was about a mile and a half away and it was brutally hot, so he said that we could take his truck.  He said that the truck was unlocked, and the keys were in it.  We were blown away by the amazing act of kindness by someone we didn't know and who doesn't know us.  We decided to do a couple loads of laundry at the marina before going to the grocery store.  We decided to take Captain Dave up on his offer to borrow his truck because it was still stifling hot.  We asked him what we could give him as payment, and he said, "a pack of AA batteries please, because my smoke detector just died".  We are finding out that the boating community is the epitome of "helping your neighbor".  We have seen so many acts of kindness and offers of help from people who don't want anything in return, just for you to "pass it forward".  Tomorrow we're hopefully cruising to Rock Hall, MD.  

We had a very leisurely morning at Higgins Yacht Center in St. Michael's, MD on our 8th day on the Chesapeake Bay (June 24, 2025). Richard went to the Marina office to pick up the engine fuel filters he ordered yesterday and had them installed before lunch.  The boat engine ran like a champ when he fired it up.  After lunch, we borrowed the 2 new marina bicycles (we were the first to use them) and we tootled around town again, stopping on several occasions to check out the shops.  We also went on a nature walking/bike path, with a covered bridge.  Very scenic.  The Looper friends that we met yesterday at Oxford came to St. Michael's and we met them for dinner.  We had a very nice time and went back to their boat, a 42 ft Sabre Express named Gypsy Soul, to continue talking and hanging out.  They have almost completed the Great Loop and have only 2 weeks left on their journey before they cross their wake and receive their gold burgee.  Their home port is in Connecticut.  

We left Safe Harbor Marina in Oxford, MD at 9:50 am today and immediately were in the midst of a day sailing club out practicing.  Some of those kids couldn't have been over 7.  It was amazing to see.  We also saw a ferry leaving Oxford heading for Bellevue, across the Tred Avon River.  We later learned that this is the oldest privately operated ferry service in the U.S., being in operation since 1683!! 

We had a leisurely Sunday morning at the Cambridge Yacht Basin Marina.  We took a walk and visited the replica of the Choptank River Light House, that houses a museum and where the marina staff have their offices.  This is an excellent museum, giving the history of screw pile light houses in the area.  This light house is a replica of the previously operated light house located near Oxford, MD, which stopped operations in 1964.  The Cambridge Yacht basin also has a very nice World War I memorial fountain and displayed the names of the military personnel who received the Distinguished Service Cross. 

We untied our lines and headed out at 10:25 for day 5 of our loop (June 21, 2025) from Spring Cove Marina at Solomon's Island. The sea state was calm at 2 knots, with gusts of 4 knots.  We only had stronger gusts around 2 pm, and the gusts were only 7 knots.  Today was the smoothest cruise we've had yet on the Chesapeake Bay. The water barely had a wave, unless another boat went by.  We saw more skates, a lot of sail boats, and a natural gas platform in Calvert County, MD - The Cove Point LNG terminal.  We cruised for 38.3 miles today (5.5 hours) and pulled into Cambridge Yacht Basin Marina and docked at 4 pm.  The Dockmaster, Scott Fitzhugh, and his staff met us at our slip and helped us tie off.  They also gave us a goodie bag as a welcome and suggested places on a map of downtown Cambridge for us to check out.  He told us about restaurants, a brewery, a coffee shop called Black Water, and ice cream shops.  He recommended a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant called Carmela's Cucina.  The marina has courtesy bicycles, so we borrowed them and rode into downtown Cambridge.  It is an old, but quaint and eclectic town and totally enchanting.  We took the Dockmaster up on his suggestion and ate at Carmela's Cucina.  The food was fabulous and served in large portions. They even had gluten free pizza crust that was delicious.  During our ride downtown, we stopped by the Dorchester County Courthouse and saw a very moving bronze sculpture/monument of Harriet Tubman reaching down to help a young child.  At the base of the monument there were broken shackles and chains, signifying how much of an impact Harriet Tubman had on bringing others to freedom, all while taking a huge risk herself by helping them navigate the "Underground Railroad".  This beautiful sculpture is called "Beacon of Hope.  After tootling around town and watching the drawbridge open a couple of times for boats to pass through, we came back to the marina and watched the sunset.  We are giving God the praise for protecting us as we travel, and for giving us such calm seas today.  

Day 4 of our Loop (June 20, 2025) We cast off our dock lines at Crisfield Marina at 10:25 am after topping off on fuel. It was a sunny, but windy day, with a steady breeze at 12 knots, gusting 16 knots.  The waves were 1-2 feet as we were passing Deale Island.  Not bad after our storm from the night before.  When we were leaving the Tangier Sound, the water depth was 82 feet!  Our destination today was Spring Cove Marina on Solomon's Island.  We crossed the Bay without difficulty, and the winds and waves decreased as the day progressed.  We saw a crab swimming in the water as well as approximately 12 skates along the way. We also saw the Holland Island Bar light. There was quite a bit of boat traffic (power as well as sail boats) as we came into the marina.  We pulled into our slip at the marina at 5 pm - our journey today took 6.5 hours.  Once we got into our slip and checked in at the marina office, the attendees told us that they were offering free chili dogs from 6-9 by the pool.  So of course we had to take advantage of that offer.  The marina offered free use of their bicycles, so we rode them into downtown and passed shops, restaurants, ice cream shops, as well as the historic site of J.C. Lore & Sons Oyster Packing Plant, and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.  Too bad I didn't know about this campus when I was getting my degree - it is right up my alley.  This is an excellent marina, among several other nice marinas on this island.  You may wonder why we made our way back across the Bay today, only to head Northeast again tomorrow - our destination being Cambridge, MD.  Since our average speed is 7 knots, it would have taken us approximately 10 hours to reach Cambridge from Crisfield, with not many good anchorages or marinas that we could stop at along the way.  So, we decided to split the difference and travel to Solomon's, and head to Cambridge tomorrow.  That trip should take us 5.5 hours.  We opted for shorter cruising days instead of wearing ourselves out with a very long day. (Plus, you have to love marinas with nice amenities and electric hookup so we can run our AC.  No, we are not roughing it.) 

Day 3 of our loop (Thursday, June 19, 2025)   We decided to stay in place at Crisfield Marina for another day and night.  The temp is great at 79 degrees (at 9:30 am) and the sky is clear and bright blue. However, the winds are steady at 15 knots, gusting 25, coming from the SW.  Since the winds were so strong, going anywhere today on the Bay is not our idea of fun. So instead of having a relaxing day at the marina, we unfortunately discovered that we had a leaking hose under our galley sink.  Richard took the hose off and headed into the town of Crisfield to a boat repair shop that stocked the hoses we needed.  It took us several hours of snaking hoses to the correct location behind the sink and down beside the fuel tank to the outside before we could call it good.  We did get in a walk around the marina and looked at a nice historical display of clam claws, nets, and crab pots that were used back in the day by commercial crabbers and fishermen.  The displays didn't have dates, but they looked like pretty old tools of the trade.  Later this evening, before sunset, a ferocious storm blew in with waves that were crashing against the dock and wind that was taking anything with it that wasn't nailed down (our app said the wind was around 30 knots).  It eventually cleared to the East and the sunset was spectacular, along with a magnificent rainbow.  

Day 2 of our Chesapeake Bay Loop (June 18, 2025) begins with big, rolling waves in our overnight anchorage at "The Glebe".  We're not sure of the reason for this, as there was not much wind and no boats going by, but our sleep was sure interrupted for several hours by the boat continually rolling from side to side.  We were able to fall asleep in the wee hours, and when we woke up, the cove was calm and just a slight breeze blowing.  We checked the weather and decided to get an early start, as winds were expected to pick up later in the day (and crossing the bay in high winds is no joke).  The forecasted wind for our trip across to Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, MD was 8-10 knots, gusting to 20-21 knots.  We decided we could handle this and set off a little after 7 am.  The waves in the Bay weren't too bad during our crossing, but they got bigger as the wind picked up the closer we got to the marina.  We had bow splash as the boat went down into the wave trough, but it was much better than having the waves at our beam (hitting from the side).  We arrived at Somers Cover Marina at 12:20 pm.  Travel time was 5 hours, 10 minutes.  The wind was 13 mph SSW with gusts up to 22 mph.  It was sunny and 82, our kind of weather!! 

Day 1 on the Chesapeake Bay Loop started as we left Mattox Creek-Harbor View Marina at 0950 am on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.  The water was smooth leaving the creek and during the first part of our journey down the Potomac River toward the Chesapeake Bay.  Later in the day, we encountered wind and rain, but the wind was only gusting 10-12 knots, so it wasn't too bad.  Waves were minimal and there were few white caps.  We anchored for the evening at "The Glebe" anchorage, just South of Lewisetta.  We travelled for 5 hours (35 miles), averaging 7 knot speed.  

Making preparations...getting the boat ready, provisioning, ensuring weather and navigation apps are up and running.