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The Bayard House (far right).
Considered to be the oldest building
in Chesapeake City - Circa 1780 |
This morning we strolled about the shops and homes near the marina. Some were well maintained homes from circa 1820’s. We returned to the boat and prepared to get underway. The currents will be against us part until about noon and we didn’t want to get into Rock Hall after the marina closed. Therefore, we split the voyage so the current would be against us half way and with us the rest. Brian pulled our lines at about 10:15am and Linda took us into the canal. By 10:45am we had exited the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and were in the Elk River. The mouth of the Elk River opens into the Northern Chesapeake Bay. The Susquehanna River also opens into the Chesapeake Bay from the West with a peninsula called Elk Neck separating the two rivers. The wind was blowing from the Northwest down the Susquehanna River giving the water a nice long fetch. As soon as we passed the point of Elk Neck the water got rough. For about fifteen minutes we had large waves coming on our stern quarter. Linda sped up to better control Splash Down. But, as sudden as the action started the waves settled down and Linda trotted back to our leisurely cruising speed. We switched drivers when we had Rock Hall in sight. The waterway guides warn about the shallowness of the Swan Point Bar that runs north to south outside of Rock Hall. We had to run south of Swan Point about 3.5 nautical miles before rounding bar and heading back north to Rock Hall. The charts showed we should have six to nine foot depths out side the bar; but that was not the case. Brian made straight for deeper water when the chart plotter showed we had less than three feet. The shallow waters and the placement of the red and green buoys reminded us of the navigation of the channel to get to Cape Charles. We were tied up at 3:00pm. After checking-in and having another “blinner" at a nearby restaurant, we walked into town. Believe it or not, there is a West Marine store within walking distance of a marina. (It seems there is never a West Marine store close by when you need one. We didn’t need one so this was close by. For some reason, the West Marine stores are “in town” and not near marinas — it is a puzzlement). We got a few items there, got a few provisions from the liquor store near by, then called the Osprey Flyer Tram for a ride back to the marina. The tram only cost a dollar per rider. The gentleman took us on a little tour of Rock Hall and regaled us with stories — true or not — about the area. It was a fun and short ride. Once back on the boat, we gave Splash Down a well deserved bath and observed a gorgeous sunset.
