Over the years we have enjoyed watching fireworks many times from aboard a boat. When you are on the water, you are closer to the action; the fireworks explode directly overhead. If you have not experienced the show in Annapolis, I recommend it. But I don’t speak solely of the fireworks show but rather the show of boating and anchoring antics leading up to the show and the recessional as people go home after the show. It is three shows for the price of one. It is a sight to experience at least one time. There other great fireworks displays around the Bay which can be well enjoyed from a boat, Oxford, Rock Hall, and Herrington Harbor are but a few we have enjoyed. Recently, we found ourselves down in the southern Bay as the Fourth of July approached. Asking around, we were heard that the Yorktown fireworks display is exceptional, so we put the visit on our cruise itinerary.
Find a slip.
A quick call to York River landing Marina confirmed the popularity of this fireworks display. The slip reservations were full by February 15. Better luck next year! Slips are available across the River in Sarah Creek, or we could anchor in the river. The view of the fireworks is best from the river, so we headed up the York on July 3 and prepared to anchor in 50 feet of water. That’s right; the river is very deep off Yorktown. With only 230 feet of anchor rode, we would have to get right close to the shore to find water less than 30 feet deep where we could anchor. That’s when Cristina noticed that there were several large, unmarked mooring balls along the shore. It was not obvious whose they were. Another boat there had been on the mooring for a week. As far as they could tell, the moorings belonged to the county, but no one had been by to collect a fee. This made life simple for us, and the anchor stayed dry this night.
We dinghied over to Yorktown Landing Marina where for $5 we were able to tie our dinghy and explore the town. The crowds on the beach and along the waterfront are testament to the popularity of this place in early summer. We stopped at Ben and Jerry’s for some ice cream, poked into several of the many small and fun shops to look around, and then we climbed the hill into the old town.
Yorktown itself is beautiful with colonial era homes. A number of reconstructed homes help to preserve that colonial look and feel of the place. We turned left at the top of the hill and followed the trail leading to the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor center. We paused on the pedestrian bridge over the gully to look over the river towards Gloucester and watch boats in the river. Our boat was doing well, and the spectator fleet was starting to fill in.
The Visitor Center is one of those museums that can capture your attention and hold you there for hours. Our visit was far too short (you should plan to have a couple of hours to enjoy this facility), but it refreshed our memories of American history from all those years ago in high school. We took the path down to the riverfront and walked back to the marina. Just as we were getting into our dinghy another couple was landing theirs. They were headed to see the Watermen’s Museum. This seemed like a good excuse to go back to Ben and Jerry’s, then under the massive Coleman Bridge to the museum. The Watermen’s Museum is small, so a visit is not going to take a big chunk out of your day (unlike the Victory Center). It is an excellent introduction to the life of working watermen and the development of their culture here on the Bay.
The Fourth of July dawned warm and sunny. We went ashore to watch the parade. Being part of the Historic Triangle with Jamestown and Williamsburg, Yorktown has access to tremendous resources and talent; the parade reflected it. There were antique cars, youth groups, and an exceptional fife and drum corps in traditional garb. It was chilling to thinks of what their origin was. Fifers and drummers were boys whose music signaled both the time and raised alarms. They played music to entertain the army as it marched along. But their real mission was to communicate movements on the battlefield: young boys playing fifes and drums in the midst of the battle.
After the parade, we retired to the boat to watch the first act of the Fourth of July display. That would be the arrival and anchoring of the spectator fleet. As the day wore on more and more boats arrived, but unlike some other harbors, they remained a respectful distance away. Perhaps because we were moored in 50 feet of water, and it was too deep to anchor. The second act, the show itself, was certainly a spectacular display, befitting the town where the final battle of the war for independence was fought. After the show, we sat back to watch the antics and were mildly surprised. Rather than the helter-skelter mad dash, mass departure of Annapolis crowds, in Yorktown the departure was quite genteel. Engines started and anchors were raised, and the boats left gradually without the tumult of Annapolis.
In reality, compared to Annapolis, the Yorktown fireworks are a great display. Early the next morning, we slipped the line holding us to the mooring and carried the tide down the York and into the Bay where the current pushed us northward on our three-day trip back to Annapolis. With museums, shops, and restaurants, we found Yorktown to have many attractions and will go back again to spend more time.
About the Author: Tom Hale and Cristina live aboard Tadhana a 38-foot trawler, currently in Delataville, VA. Tom recently retired to devote more time to exploring the Bay.