Monday, September 14, 2009

Crab Capital of the Chesapeake

We highly recommend the Capital Yacht Club in DC, if you can get in. Fortunately, there was a cancellation which allowed us to dock there. The club is great and the people were very friendly and accommodating. They have a cocktail lounge, a kitchen, laundry facilities and a book exchange. Additionally, they have member-prepared breakfast every Saturday morning and spaghetti dinner every Tuesday night for $5 each. They are located very close to the Fish Market. The market is floating on barges right next to the bulkhead in a "U" shape. Every fresh and cooked fish you want is available. Of course we had to take out and dine on Tide Hiker. Ummmmmm!! The marina is only a short walk to either the bus stop or the Metro, so transportation was EASY. We also walked to many attractions.

Our cruise down the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay was wonderful. The heat had lessened and days and nights were cooler and mostly dry. We anchored in creeks that had good depths and were mostly protected and tranquil. It was just what we needed after 12 hectic sight-seeing days in DC. But then we had to stay 3 nights at our last anchorage in Canoe Neck Creek behind Clements Island waiting out the storms that Mike, Norm's brother sent over from the Midwest.

We crossed the Bay and Tangier Sound on Saturday and anchored in Moon Cove, Big Annemessex River on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Fortunately, the weather was settled because the anchorage was quite open and unprotected. Then on Sunday, we made the short 2-hour trip south to Somers Cove Marina, Crisfield, MD. Crisfield is named the "Crab Capital of the Chesapeake". Therefore, we will have to pick some blue's while we are here for a week. We're here for our first MTOA (Marine Trawlers Owners Association) Rendezvous. This is a large, very organized group and we're excited to get to know many of the members.

Being a day early, and with the availability of a used waste oil repository, and it being time to change Tide Hiker's oil in her main engines, Norm changed the oil and generally took the wrench on a tour of the engine room. Vicki used the extra time to get a hair cut and catch up on some grocery shopping and clothes washing and ironing. Tonight we'll attend a Pot Luck dinner at the marina's pavilion.

We're expecting some guests soon. Vicki's mom will join us next Saturday for a week or two. Then Rick and Lynnie (friends from Raleigh, NC) are thinking about joining us for a while.