Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:32:35 -0000, Skip Gundlach
wrote:
Winds are forecast for 15knots east all day for our run to
Solomons, where we expect to anchor in Back Creek. We'll be there
for several days as we pick up various shipments sent to us, and
try to enjoy the area with a little less drama than here!
Be advised that the holding in Solomons is marginal also. It is one
of the few places where our 120 pound Spade has not gotten a firm bite
on the first try. The bottom is soft, silty mud with shells mixed
We anchored off Oxford (between the point and the ferry dock) in
2000and had no trouble with the holding although Bob had to reset the
anchor once.
At the time I wrote:
!Tried to find the place in Town Creek, but there were 2 boats there
already.
!
!Went back out near the ferry dock and anchored. It took Bob two
tries to get the anchor set.
!Ernie came and rafted with us on our anchor (50 lb Max anchor with
125 feet of 5/16ths chain). Ernie called the restaurant he was going
to take us to (Latitude 38) and then we each took our own dink and
tied to the other side of the ferry dock. The restaurant sent someone
to pick us up and take us to dinner.
!This is a very fancy restaurant with fancy dishes and fancy prices.
I took part of my steak home with me Alice had quail, and Bob had a
scallops. Afterwards, we went back to our boats and had a nice chat.
!In the morning, Ernie came over to our boat, and then I went over to
his to show him how to use electronic charting software, but it is
different from mine. I think he got cold feet and decided to figure it
out himself after I said that I found out how to do it myself by "keep
on trying until it either worked or broke".
!Bob was concerned that we were dragging, because we had 2 heavy
boats on one anchor. I thought that "Another Day" a motor boat that
was anchored near us was dragging. We were in the same relation to the
little orange and white buoy near the ferry dock that we had been. Bob
and Ernie said he couldn't be dragging toward his anchor. Bob took in
50 feet of chain.
!
!Eventually the guy on Another Day came out and looked at his anchor,
but he didn't do anything about it. Bob and Ernie eventually admitted
that I was right and he was dragging, but since we wanted to get to
the South River that afternoon, and Another Day was getting too close
for comfort, we unrafted about 9:50 and Ernie sped off. The anchor was
up by 10:15.
The next time we came to Oxford on that same 2000 trip (August) we
docked at Mears Boatyard.
!We walked over to the Chatterbox Cafe for lunch, and saw Jim and Pat
working on their boat at Oxford boatyard and said we'd be back after
lunch. One of the reasons we came back to Oxford was to visit with
them - they were out of town when we were here before.
!
!A big bowl (which they called a cup) of gazpacho was $4.50, and we
each also had a chicken salad sandwich (had to eat with a fork) was
$3.95. Very good and satisfying.
!
!We walked around to the Oxford Boatyard and saw Jim and Pat's boat
(they've completely torn out the interior - the exterior looks
beautiful), and then it looked like rain, so while they stowed their
tools,...
!.. we walked back to our boat. It started to rain. Bob walked
quickly back to our boat, and was able to close the ports and hatches
that we'd left open before things got too wet, and put down the side
curtains.
!
!He got a little wet, but I (going more slowly) got absolutely soaked
to the skin - it rained so hard I couldn't see very well because of
the rain on my glasses. After I got to the boat, I stripped all my
clothes off in the cockpit - the curtains were too steamed up for
anyone to see me, and I didn't want to drip in the cabin any more than
necessary. We actually hadn't needed to do a wash, but we did need to
get all that wet stuff dry.
!
!A big Island Packet named ExFed (painted in FedEx colors) had been
put at the other end of our side of D dock. Jim and Pat (using trash
bags as raincoats) came over to our boat and we visited while it
gradually cleared a little. After they came aboard the marina guy put
an Jeaneau in between ExFed and us. Jim asked if I didn't want to go
forward and fend them off our boat and I said I thought our anchors
would do just fine. No one would want their boat in contact with our
ugly pointy anchors (one a Max and one a CQR).
!
!They put a BIG Hattaras named Prima Donna on the T end of D dock.
Their bow stuck out a little past our stern. They had a motor scooter
aboard we found out later.
!
!While Bob attempted the laundry, I used the pay phone (none of the
portables worked) to download pocketmail. The pay phone was under the
steps, right where the rain poured down on it. Everything there was
wet and it was almost impossible to keep to receiver and the
pocketmail dry even when I put it inside my raincoat.
!
!Wearing our foul weather gear (just in case), we walked along the
waterfront to the Robert Morris Inn (by the ferry dock) for dinner. It
was really a nice evening although damp and a little overcast. One of
the houses along the street had some BIG binoculars trained out on the
Tred Avon - on a tripod - the large end lenses looked as big as
saucers.
!
!We dined by the window in the Tap Room. This is another expensive
fancy place (we were put in the Tap Room because that was 'more
casual' although the menu was the same).
!
!Bob had a house salad ($5) and the fisherman's appetizer as a main
course ($8.50 - fried clams, shrimp and scallops). I had a combination
dish (can't remember the name - surf and something) which consisted of
an *excellent* broiled lump crab meat crab cake (a la Robert Morris -
apparently they do two types - and Oxford crab cake and a Robert
Morris crab cake) and a grilled chicken breast. I didn't eat the
chicken - saved it for lunch the next day. I couldn't figure out what
was in the crab cake other than crab. It was a wonder to me that it
even stuck together. My dinner cost $19. It was one of the lowest cost
items on the menu.
!
!With it, I also got a nice warm hard roll, a corn muffin, asparagus,
fried zucchini, and something mashed which I think was rutabaga or
some root vegetable that I don't normally like, but which was good. I
ordered the chicken and crab because it was cheaper than just the crab
by itself. Go figure. I had strawberry pie for dessert and Bob had
coconut key lime cake.
!
!As we walked back we had a friendly discussion/argument about how
many boats were anchored where we had anchored last time, and whether
they had anchor lights or not. One (which Bob didn't see at first)
didn't have any light visible to us, and one apparently had an oil
light that went out as we watched.
in, not a good combination. Probably the best anchor for conditions
like that is something with lots of fluke area, perhaps a large,
oversized Fortress. Since they can be dissassembled, it is not that
difficult to carry around a big one for "special" conditions.
Something like their FX-85 would give you a great deal of holding
power and only weighs 21 pounds.
http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortr...hor_guide.html
http://www.fortressanchors.com/safe_anchoring.html
One of the anchorages in the Back Creek area of Solomons is right near
the museum. It used to be that you could not go to the museum by
dinghy - you had to approach by land and pay admission before you
could land a dinghy. I think that has changed now.
In any case, this is very protected, and also near to things like
grocery stores for provisioning.
The anchorage area has been reduced in recent years by the
installation of moorings.
http://p.vtourist.com/1547007-Anchor...ons_Island.jpg
http://p.vtourist.com/3558627-Sports...ons_Island.jpg
We anchored in Mill Creek off Back Creek. (one of many, many Back
Creek's in the Bay area) where we waited out a storm.
The area is nice and sheltered, but you still need to set your anchor
well. There were 5 or 6 boats there with us, and we were the only ones
that did not drag. Photo
http://p.vtourist.com/3558630-My_pic...ons_Island.jpg
shows Charlie checking his anchor - he had to pull it and reset it.
We have a 55 lb. SuperMax anchor and all chain, and we did not move.
http://p.vtourist.com/3558629-Calver...ons_Island.jpg