From the fresh water sources to the salty sea at the Capes, the Bay has varied atmosphere and character. In the northern half of the Bay are the larger towns and cities.
New and varied destinations are close together. Cruisers can cross the Bay from one shore to the other with only a brief exposure to unprotected water. On the Upper Bay, in a week’s cruise one can see Annapolis, Baltimore, Rock Hall, St. Michaels, Cambridge, Solomons, and many fine anchorages such as those found in the Chester River and the Wye. The Upper Bay has activity galore, and the hustle and bustle of modern life is never far. The Southern Bay is thoroughly different.
Once you get south of Solomons, you will begin to notice changes. The Southern Bay is wide. In the center of the Bay, you are out of sight of land. There are hundreds of creeks to explore, but if you are looking for marinas, the daily runs between destinations will be a bit longer than up north. There are fewer boats. It is easy to get a marina slip reservation or find an anchorage with no other boats. The shores are less developed, anchorages are secluded, and often there are no houses in sight, so the nights are darker and the stars are brighter. You will usually find a better breeze and will be comfortable sleeping at night at anchor.
The water salinity increases as you head south, so the trees hang back from the shores a bit leaving the Bay rimmed with sandy beaches. Sea birds nest on deserted beaches in the sand, because there are no humans to bother them. Pelicans and dolphins will frequently be your companions. By the time you get south of the Rappahannock, the salinity may get high enough that you will get rid of sea nettles and be able to swim once again.
Solomons is a great destination with good marinas, restaurants, and a marvelous museum; it is also a good staging point for crossing the Potomac. Heading south from Solomons, it is about 40 miles to the next harbor, either Reedville or Tangier. Bay cruisers know that at the mouth of the rivers on the Chesapeake, the water can get “lumpy” when the wind opposes the current. The Potomac is the largest tributary to the Bay, and when the current and wind are opposed to each other, the mouth of the Potomac should be respected. Under those conditions, you will find that ducking into Tangier Sound through Hoopers Strait or Kedges Straits and exploring the remote and undeveloped parts of the lower Eastern Shore will make for a more comfortable ride. There are countless beautiful and secluded anchorages and several small towns such as Deale Island, Onancock, and Crisfield, each of which is worth visiting.
From Crisfield you can enter the pristine Pocomoke River, which winds its way through a cypress swamp deep into the Eastern Shore. This is a magical place. If you shut off your engine, you will not hear any sounds of human activity. This is the wild Bay that John Smith explored more than 400 years ago.
Most of the time, boats headed south from Solomons make the 10-mile crossing of the Potomac with ease and then stop in Reedville or Deltaville. Between these two destinations are the rivers and creeks of Virginia’s Northern Neck. Whether you choose the broader waters of the Great Wicomico or the well-protected shelter of Mill Creek, you will know right away that you are in the Southern Chesapeake. Dividing Creek has both hurricane holes and anchorages open to summer breezes. Here you will find shore access to the sandy beaches of Huglett Point State Park.
The southernmost anchorage on the Northern Neck is Little Bay at the mouth of Antipoison Creek (where the story has it, Captain John Smith’s stingray wound was cured by the local indigenous population). This half-mile wide anchorage may host five or six boats on a weekend night, but is likely to be vacant mid-week. Here you have your choice of three long sandy beaches to explore. If you are feeling adventurous, you can take your dinghy through the marshes and out into the Rappahannock River to get a meal and a drink at Pelican’s Tiki Bar at Windmill Point.
No Southern Bay cruise should miss Tangier Island. For your stay in Tangier, you will dock at Parks Marina. Milton Parks has worked the Bay for 75 of his now 83 years. He is quite the raconteur and has marvelous stories about living and working on the water from one end of the Bay to the other. Tangier has only one industry, seafood. Crabbing, oystering, and fishing have driven the economy of this island for 350 years. Tangier Island thoroughfare is lined with crab shanties, many built on stilts out in the water. This is a view of the working Chesapeake that has faded from almost every other harbor.
Electrical power to the stilted outbuildings is supplied by overhead cables. The power is used to pump water to the peeler trays and to refrigerate them immediately after they shed. Tangier is a major supplier of soft crabs. The Tangier History Museum and Cultural Interpretive Center, perhaps the most important museum about Chesapeake Bay watermen’s lives, was put together by the families of Tangier. It speaks to the dangers, hardship, and lives of the working waterman all over the Chesapeake. No visit to Tangier is complete without dinner at Hilda Crockett’s Chesapeake House for all-you-can-eat crab cakes and clam fritters, beets, beans, ham, and corn pudding, all served family style.
Located five miles up scenic Onancock Creek, you will find another charming old Eastern Shore town: Onancock. Many of the old homes have been restored, and it is a lovely village for a stroll and shopping at the boutiques and art galleries. Mallards at the Wharf is a popular restaurant for cruisers, but the village has several nice restaurants and the Corner Bakery with fresh bread and sticky buns for breakfast.
Below Onancock sits the old railroad ferry terminal town of Cape Charles. Recent development of high-end homes and a large marina in Kings Creek have swelled the population, and the newly renovated yacht harbor attracts cruisers from far and wide. Check PropTalk’s calendar for upcoming events. The Tall Ships Festival and the Clam Slam Festival and boat docking contests sell out all the available slips. Smitty Dize, the harbormaster, another Bay character, possesses a wealth of knowledge about his town. If you are looking for a meal, a museum, or interesting places to explore, he can help guide you.
A cruise though the Southern Bay should also include a visit to Yorktown. Whether you stay at the marina or on one of the moorings just outside, this is a town that will provide you with days worth of fun and exploration. The Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the Yorktown Victory Center will each entertain you for a day, and in between, do not miss the Watermen’s Museum.
A cruising ground of great history and beauty, the Southern Bay is larger, quieter, and more remote. As you scan the horizon, even in the middle of the summer, you will only see a handful of other boats. In many anchorages you will be alone with no light from the shore. You will find historic towns and sandy beaches, but not hustle bustle, noisy crowds, or a city the size of Annapolis or Baltimore until you enter Hampton Roads.
by Tom Hale