No Gas in the Ghetto

September 16, 2004
By Tom

Thursday - September 9, 2004 - Mill Creek, California, Md

We finally got out of Solomons today. We actually set an alarm last night so we'd be up at first light. NOAA was promising 10 knots from the north by north west, but only up until about 1 pm, so we were up and ready before it was light so that we could take full advantage. The only other person up at that hour was a rooster on the far shore of our anchorage who started cackling at about 4:45 am.

The NOAA brainiacs actually hit it right for once (even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while) and we cleared the entrance to the Patuxent and had 10 knots of wind just behind the beam. We covered 48 nautical miles today and all but about 6 were under sail.

We averaged about 5 knots over the course of the day and other than playing with the sails from time to time we had very little excitement. Except for the fish.

I almost caught our first fish of the season today. Almost, because after he snagged the lure, we did not get the boat slowed down fast enough and I ended up accidentally ripping out his jaw. Bummer. We did see the fish, and I confirmed he was in fact a 3 - 5 pound blue fish of the 2 foot variety. At least we know we are using the correct lure.

We arrived at Crisfield, MD on the eastern shore at about 4 pm and promptly dropped the hook in their large and protected harbor. We plan to launch the dinghy later and head into town later. A full report is coming tomorrow.

Friday - September 10, 2004 - Eastern Shore, Crisfield, Md

At the risk of sounding extreme, Crisfield kind of blows. I mean it's quaint and all, but it makes no effort to attract visiting boats, or just visitors in general.

For example, the large and protected harbour on which Crisfield sits is completely surrounded by a state run marina that wants $1.75 per foot to dock a boat, or $10 per day to land your dinghy! Can you say suck it? Twice?

Seriously, this is paramount to a car jack. Christ, Annapolis is only getting $1.50 a foot and it's arguably the premier destination on the bay. Someone here on the city marina board needs to put down the crack pipe and come back to reality.

After a long and thoroughly confusing talk with the dock master (a 15 year old), he came to the conclusion that the $10 daily dinghy fee was only if we intended to leave our dinghy tied up overnight. Huh? I mean, think about it. We are anchored in the harbour. We want to come a shore to see the town. Unless we are going to swim, we have to take the dinghy. With me so far?

Now, unless we plan on sleeping in the ghetto of south Crisfield, aren't we going to need to take the dinghy back to the big boat? Does anyone ever go to the dinghy dock and say, "Yes I'd like to leave my dinghy here for three days while I go stay in a hotel and my boat is anchored in the harbour?"

Ok, enough ranting. In the end, the pseudo dock master said we could use the dinghy dock to tie up and we went into town. The town itself is in varying shades of disrepair ranging from a general lack of cleaning to the extreme caved in roof and no front door motif. The economy is extremely depressed here and if you get more than two blocks off the waterfront, you are in the projects, complete with early afternoon, drunk 14 year olds. Isn't this a school day?

Anyway, we found a friendly, if not clean, little hole in the wall where we had a few $1 drafts and $2 rum and cokes before heading back to the boat for dinner. I think we may leave here in the morning.

Our Chesapeake Guidebook says Crisfield is a must see, but I think cruising boats should avoid this place like the plague.

Saturday - September 11, 2004 - Eastern Shore, Crisfield, Md

Another day in the Ghetto. Ok, enough Ghetto jokes. Amy says they aren't funny.

We awoke this morning with a fairly substantial work list to knock out. Last night while cleaning up from taco night (I love taco night) our raw water pump at the sink quit working. The pump is exactly seventeen days old. In addition, the little hide and seek hose that serves the raw water pump cracked in half. While we bought this part over a year ago, it has been in storage up until, oddly enough, seventeen days ago. The quality of these two West Marine products sucks the big one.

We also needed a few things from the grocery store and we are trying to find a local who will share some of the secret, hot spots in and around Crisfield at which we can fish. Anyhow, we spent the better part of the morning covering about 3 miles and getting all of the things we needed to find. Then it was back to the boat and I sent the afternoon fixing the raw water wash down while Amy did some writing.

Later in the afternoon, we dinghied back into town and went to the same hole in the wall bar we were at yesterday for more $1.00 drafts and to experience what our friend Jim terms "local color". We met a few nice people and had several good conversations. One particular individual stands out mostly because, like us, he was not a local. He was from a neighboring island called Tangiers, which is about 12 miles away on the bay, but in Virginia.

Now, admittedly, this fellow was well on his way to three sheets, but his accent was so pronounce that I could only understand about every 4th word or so. It almost sounded like he had a mouth full of marbles. It became worse when through conversation with the bar tender, he heard that Amy went to Duke. Every few seconds the conversation would be downed out by a "DUUUUUUUUUUUUKE !" was cry from his general direction. The rest of his comments were un-intelligible, but inevitably "DUUUUUUUUUUUKE !" would ring out again. The bartender finally had to toss him out.

All of this excitement by 4pm on a Saturday.

Sunday - September 12, 2004 - Eastern Shore, Crisfield, Md

I awoke this morning and started on a loaf of banana nut bread, which I am certain was destined for fame and glory, when poof we ran out of gas. Propane. Damn.

A quick check on the internet revealed no local source of LPG in Crisfield, so we packed up the big ship and set sail across the bay to Kilmarnock, Virginia. It was an uneventful trip across in almost no wind. We let Auto Von Ludwig (the auto pilot) drive and we read books and fished.

We had one bite on the shiny, spiny lure, but alas we were not quick enough in the retrieval process. Fish 2, Me 0.

We covered around 40 miles today and are currently anchored in about 8 feet of water just inside Fleets Bay. Tomorrow we will venture into town and see about getting some propane. Spaghetti for dinner tonight cooked on our Coleman Camping Stove in the cockpit.

Monday - September 13, 2004 - Western Shore, Kilmarnock, VA

I unhooked the propane tanks first thing this morning and we went in to a small marina to ask for directions. The guy was helpful and gave us directions into town, which was about 2 miles away.

We started out walking and made it about 100 feet before another guy stopped and offered us a lift in the back of his pickup. We climbed in and told him where we were going. He dropped us off right in front of the refill place and we waved goodbye.

Ten minutes later we were ready to start back when the first guy we had talked to at the marina picked us up for the ride back. Now that's what I'm talking about. Screw this walking stuff. I rode in the back of his pickup and Amy sat up front with him and chatted.

We got back to the marina and I went in and bought a 10 day Virginia fishing license so that I may now legally pursue Virginia fish. I got the propane hooked back up and I made a celebratory loaf of bread.

There is bad weather coming so we have decided to move the big boat one river down, to the Rappahanock and the small town of Irvington, which is suppose to have an all weather anchorage.

Tuesday - September 14, 2004 - Western Shore, Irvington, VA

We sailed over here yesterday, by way of the Fishing Sanctuary located just under the route 3 bridge. We fished for several hours and managed to catch one Sea Trout, one Croaker, one Black Bass, one Crab (don't ask) and two Spot. Our technique must be improving, now if they would just get a little bigger.

Irvington, population 600, is a small town located on the northern side of the Rappahanock River about 4 miles in from the Bay. We landed our dinghy at the deserted Yacht club and then walked to the boat yard next door. We found an older guy working on the bottom of an even older wooden motor boat and asked him for directions into town.

Once again the people in this area really impressed us when he said that the keys were in his truck and we could just take it out and back to town. I politely declined and said we enjoyed walking so he just gave us directions instead. One mile each way allowed us to see the only two businesses in Irvington. We bought an ice cream and a soda at the Shell station and walked back.

We both liked the area as it is quite pretty with lots of pre 1800's homes. Back on board we got the boat ready for a storm and by 5 pm we were shutdown below decks hiding from the rain drops. Dinner was crab quesadilla with fresh crabs that I caught earlier today. As a side note, we are far enough south that the salt content is so high that we are almost exclusively catching female crabs. Apparently they like the salt.

Wednesday - September 15, 2004 - Western Shore, Urbanna, VA

After two days of Irvington, we sailed 5 miles across the Rappahanock to Urbana, Virginia. There is a small, but well protected anchorage just inside the break water and we dropped the hook in about 8 feet of water.

There is another large cruising catamaran here, but we haven't met the couple on board it yet. We did wave to each other as we passed them in the dinghy going into town.

We went ashore and walked about 4 miles through this quaint little town taking in the sights. Most of the homes here date back well before the civil war. We also found the grocery store, the library, and the towns two bars.

Afterwards, we stopped at Shuckers Restaurant and Raw Bar for happy hour drinks and our dose of local colour. We chatted up the bar tender and he pretty much gave us the lay of the town. We also saw an advertisement for a trio playing the classic standards on Saturday, so if we are still here, we may go to see them.

Fried chicken for dinner and into bed by 8pm.

More to follow, end of line.