Cruising the Chesapeake after BIH

M

mrsrobinson

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2006
7,704
Virginia
Boat Info
2001 380DA
Engines
Caterpillar 3126
The Mrs and I will attending the BiH trip: http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5684

in June and would like to spend the following week cruising back down the Chesapeake, making stops along the way. Our end destination is the James River (Hampton/Norfolk area). This will be our first trip up and down the Chesapeake on our boat (we have done it as guests on other boats ), so we’re asking for a little guidance. We are looking for places to stop, marina suggestions, activities that we shouldn’t pass up, shopping for the Mrs, great places to eat and any other ideas. The Chesapeake has so much to offer, any information will be greatly appreciated. Oh, and where to stop for fuel and where to not stop for fuel will be helpful.
 
One of the place's you should try and get fuel at is at Napps Narrows there is a gas station there just befour the bridge on the left that sells fuel to boater They are a road side station but have a 50 foot hose at one pump and sell to boaters at streer price's Last year in the fall I paid 2.65 a gallon Mears Point Marina is a very nice marine for a one or two night stay located at Kent Narrows I would say that St. Michaels would be a good stop over for shopping and and eating. If you have the time the Hyatt in Cambridge is also a very nice marina
 
It may be a little bit of a detour for a trip down the bay to the James River, but no cruise to the central bay area can be considered complete without a stop at St. Michaels – but then, I am very partial to the eastern shore.

The trip up the Miles River is very relaxing and the entrance to the St. Michaels harbor is stunning to be sure. The food is without question about the best anywhere in the region. Our favorite is the St. Michaels Steak and Crab House. Dockage is a little pricey at the Hotel and at the marina, but you can stay over on the hook behind the Maritime Museum or in the anchor field just outside the harbor.
 
mrsrobinson said:
The Mrs and I will attending the BiH trip: http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5684

in June and would like to spend the following week cruising back down the Chesapeake, making stops along the way
Click to expand...

I'll suggest Annapolis! :grin:

Annapolis is a great city with lots of shopping and restaurants. During the week dockage can be easily had (without reservations) in the famous "Ego Alley" at the City Docks which are almost ready after a rebuilding project that's making more room for extra docks and wider docks.

Here's a link to the official Annapolis home page: http://www.annapolis.gov/ for more info.

And as already suggested St. Michael's http://www.stmichaelsmarina.com/ is definitily worth visiting on your treck back. Great town with lots of shopping and good food.

Exciting St. Michael's on your trip south we like the Tilghman Island Marina at the Napps Narrows http://www.tilghmanmarina.com/. Next to the marina is a nice restaurant/bed & breakfast which has awesome gourmet burgers for lunch and fine dinning dinners. But otherwise there isn't much here to do.

Another hot spot on the way home will be Solomon's Island - several fun bars and restaurants - and then Chrisfield which is know to have the best Crab Cakes and seafood on the bay and a few stores to shop in town http://www.visitsomerset.com/pages/fishing_crabbing.html.
 
I would stop at Chestertown and then cruise to St. Michaels for a great stay and meal. Chestertown has limited docking but if you have a dingey you can anchor out and get in easy. Good luck
 
StressAweigh said:
One of the place's you should try and get fuel at is at Napps Narrows there is a gas station there just befour the bridge on the left that sells fuel to boater They are a road side station but have a 50 foot hose at one pump and sell to boaters at streer price's Last year in the fall I paid 2.65 a gallon Mears Point Marina is a very nice marine for a one or two night stay located at Kent Narrows I would say that St. Michaels would be a good stop over for shopping and and eating. If you have the time the Hyatt in Cambridge is also a very nice marina
Click to expand...

I've been through Knapps Narrows and the gas is not priced the same as the street. It was cheaper than most places on the Bay. But the dockside pump was about 10 cents more than the street.

St. Michael's is nice for an afternoon on shore. Walking through town and shopping is nice. Food is good, docking is not cheap. Anchor out and take the water taxi.

The Hyatt is horrendously overpriced. Sure, it's got nice amenities, but not for what they're gouging. It "ain't all that".
 
Red Eyes in Kent Narrows is good for lunch. Just take your time entering the Narrows - it's NARROW! And, watch the current - it can be tricky at times.

I'll second, third and fourth on Annapolis, and Solomons.

If you're in the mood for something more out of the way, VERY slow pace (lifestyle) and fairly quiet, you might try Oxford.

Back over to the west side there's Herrington Harbor South.

Hmmm . . . just thinking, back farther north, for lunch, if you don't want to go thru the Narrows, you might want to try Props in Bodkin Creek, (used to be The Cheshire Crab). It's at Pleasure Cove Marina.

Enjoy your cruise.
 
Heh, the Red Eye... where if bikers are present then 'quality' of the crowd improves. This isn't saying much for the drunk, tatooed redneck crowd. If you want to take in a spectacle then hit it on a weekend during the summer. Otherwise, the food's only so-so.

Check the schedules, Oxford has various events through the season. If you're coming south you can go through Knapps Narrows (north end of Tilghman Island) to get there, and then back out the Choptank. Not too much of a detour, and each place or the waters between might make a nice overnight depending on your schedule.
 
Let me put in my plug for Rock Hall. (www.rockhallmd.com). It is directly across the bay from the mouth of the Patapsco. In fact, if you follow the Brewerton channel out of Baltimore harbor and never turn, you will run right into the entrance to Rock Hall harbor (don’t let the charts fool you, Swan Point bar is a myth).

On the harbor are two restaurants: Waterman’s has dockage, the aptly named Harbor Shack does not. There are also three marinas on the harbor: North Point and Rock Hall landing are fine, and the Sailing Emporium is very nice but a long walk to town.

Speaking of town, it’s only a mater of time before some jabroni chimes in and complains that “the town is only a block long”. That happens to be correct, Rock Hall is not St. Michales but it’s still worth a quick visit. It’s like stepping into a time machine back or a Norman Rockwell painting (right down to the drugstore with a soda fountain).

If you want to anchor, Swan Creek is just on the other side of town and should still be nettle free at that time of year. It has three marinas; Haven Harbor is the nicest, followed by Osprey Point and Spring Cove.

From any of these marinas, you can pick up the Rock Hall Trolley which will run you anywhere around town for a couple of bucks for the whole day. The trolley can also take you to Chestertown.

From Rock Hall you can then proceed south through Kent Narrows on to the Wye River and/or St. Michaels.

I’d only do the Hyatt in Camridge if you have a lot of kids who want pools, mini-golf, volleyball, game rooms, etc. I agree that it’s expensive, but I have such kids, so we go there quite a bit.

The bottom line is you have many, many options…. Enjoy!
 
I didn't mean Red Eye's - I meant Harris Crab House, which is right next to Red Eye's. I've been there about half a dozen times and have never had a bad experience.

Here are a couple of websites to help you with your planning:

www.marinas.com
www.activecaptain.com

ActiveCaptain is a little harder to use and you have to register (free).

David
 
Greg,

If I were you, I would leave Baltimore and book over to the narrows and down to St. Michaels for a day or two. I would then run over to Annapolis for a day or two.... The other stuff I would do would be dependent on weather and work your way down to Solomons Island. From Solomons Island southward, the bay gets pretty wide and nasty with no land in sight at times and I know when I had my 380 DA, it had to be a good day to head south from there (or north to there). A good stopping point on the way home is Sarah's Creek/Yorktown if you want a slip or to anchor out in Mobjack Bay (go to the north branch of the Severn River).

I would skip the Hyatt in Cambridge... they have nice pools... expensive food sucks... oh... and over aggressive dock boys.
 
I will second Spring Cove, it's a really nice marina in easy wealking distance to the rest of the island. Also they tend to have the cheapest gas in the area.

-CJ
 
For all you guys going to BIH, the trip would be much nicer in a clean 410 diesel Sundancer:thumbsup:. Shoot me a private email for details:grin:.
 
Hoo'sdave said:
Nothing clean about the smell of diesel see ya at the BIH
Click to expand...

You driving or boating? If boating consider cruising with/following us as we will be passing by Deltaville on the way up.

If driving, why? It's a boating trip! Anyone can drive.
 
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