Great Shellfish Bay

September 27 – October 7, 2007

That's the translation for the Algonquin Indian word Chesapeake. This is the 4th time we have been through the Bay with FLUKE, but it will be the first time we have spent quality time getting to do some sightseeing. Great weather has put us ahead of schedule by 6 days before the start of our Krogen rendezvous!

Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S.: 195 miles long, 3.4 – 35 miles wide, and 21- 174' deep. A lot of cruisers spend multiple summers here exploring inland creeks, visiting historic towns to learn about early American government and maritime history, or just recreating on the wide open waters of the wildlife rich Bay.

Crabs, Crabs, and more Crabs

They compete for channel space with all types of commercial vessels, some daily working boats that ply the Bay waters for fish, crabs, oysters or clams. Others are gigantic ocean going freighters or tankers that are transporting grains, automobiles, or petroleum products to large ports such as Baltimore or industrial ports at points north accessed via the C & D Canal. We can't forget the Naval military vessels of all kinds that utilize the southern end of the Bay from the Atlantic Ocean to the huge Naval facility at Norfolk.

We decide the logical places to visit would be south of where we exited the Elk River after going through the C & D Canal and closer to Solomons, MD where our rendezvous was to be held. Wayne had recently read about an anchorage called Langford Creek which had been given favorable reviews and was located on Maryland's eastern shore near some small towns that sounded appealing, so we decided to try that first.

Actually getting to Langford Creek involved going about 16 miles off of the Bay up the Chester River. The scenic, winding passage goes through a lot of farmlands and wooded areas. Apparently duck hunting is a popular sport since there was a duck blind on every point of land. By the time we finally managed to get securely anchored we were near an old farmhouse with a huge silo and recently plowed under corn fields. The area was so quiet and peaceful.

Duck Blind

Rocking at Rock Hall, MD

Further investigation revealed that we could pick up a trolley service ride to Rock Hall from the parking lot of the Lankford Creek Marina, an easy dinghy ride from where we were anchored. The clean marina is a full service facility with lots of dock space, haul out service, pool, ship's store, and friendly staff kind enough to allow us to leave our dinghy there the whole day we went into town for Rock Hall's annual Fall Fest. Our trip to town got off to a shaky start when our ride to town showed up driving a Ford Explorer instead of the trolley, thinking she was picking up 4 adults, when actually there were 7 adults. She offered to make 2 trips, but we toughed it out, putting 3 people, including Eddie, in the back with the gas cans!

Festive Street Banner

Rock Hall, at the very end of MD Route 20 by land, was originally a tobacco port-of-call. As commerce changed the land crop was changed to bay bounties such as crabs, oysters, and fish. Hunting for those treasures from the sea still occurs today with both commercial and recreational fisherman calling Rock Hall their home port.

Old Oars Inn

The town remains small and laid back. The picturesque main street has vintage buildings, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants all centered around their Bay cultural heritage. For the Fall Fest, the quiet nature of the town was left behind for a day, replaced with live music, food (we had crab dawgs and clam strips for lunch) and art vendors, and educational exhibits depicting historical events and Bay wildlife viewing opportunities. Our favorite musical act was a couple of men imitating the Blues Brothers. It was so small town funny with lots of audience participation.

Blues Brothers Revisted

The main town dock had an original Bay Skipjack boat, now currently used for educational purposes. These traditional, wooden, oyster drag boats gained fame for coming up with a novel idea on how to get around the law which was passed saying that only sailing vessels could drag for oysters. They are a large, open decked sailing vessel with a large hold compartment down below. Sturdy enough to carry heavy drag gear, they also carry a small, motorized push boat off the stern which actually pushes them along during the dragging process. We heard that there are about a dozen Skipjacks still in operation today. In the heyday of plentiful oyster harvesting they could stay out on the Bay for long periods of time, sailing from bed to bed. Bay Buy boats (one on display in the water at the dock was vintage 1920s) would pull up alongside and buy oysters to resell on shore.

Other displays showed antique tools that were used for hand harvesting oysters, clams,and crabs. Unfortunately we missed the crab picking contest-I always wondered how the pros picked those crabs!

Maryland, Not England!

To put ourselves even closer to Solomons we decided our next stop would be Oxford, MD, located almost right across the Bay from Solomons, 30 miles away. That would mean we could just spend a morning getting to the rendezvous marina.

To get to Oxford we decided to take a “shortcut” called the Kent Narrows. It is just a tiny strip of water with a fast current and a 65' wide drawbridge for a multi lane overhead highway connecting the Chester River to the Eastern and Prospect Bays. Since the area is prone to shoaling it is dredged regularly and navigational markers are moved as needed, or so boaters hope. One dredged part of the channel is 8' deep and 60' wide, so it is a tight passage for us, especially if it is windy. Since we have entered into a “bolder” stage of our cruising life we decided to give it a try this first day of October. All the markers were accurate so we passed through with little strife.

Kent Narrows Drawbridge

Since conditions were mild we decided to anchor almost at the intersection of the Tred Avon River and Plaindealing Creek. We found good holding, and it would be an easy dinghy ride across the Tred Avon to get into Oxford. An added bonus for me was getting to see a commercial crabber right up close one morning. As a single boat operator he was using a method whereby he placed a long line baited (commercial crabbers use eels) at 3-4 yd intervals. The line sinks to the bottom. He retrieves the line and hooks it to an arm with a little wheel hanging over the side of the boat. Slowly driving the boat forward the line is drawn up. As the crabs become visible the crabber scoops them from the piece of bait they are holding on to and dumps them into a basket. I would like to try that, but not every day or in rainy, cold, or windy weather!

The Early Morning Crabber

Oxford was founded in 1683 as a port of entry for the Maryland province, making it an important center for international shipping up until the time of the American Revolution. Today the town is on the National Registry of Historic Places, with minimal commercialism. The narrow tree-lined streets are bordered with well preserved private homes. There is even one home, the Grapevine House, that has a grapevine from the Isle of Jersey planted in 1810. The tallest structure in town is the decorative water tower.

Oxford Building Mural

Taking a Rest

It is nice to spend some time walking along the streets admiring the beautiful homes, looking out over the water and docks at the commercial fishing boats plying their trades, taking your pick of several waterside restaurants, and peeking in at all the work in progress in the active boatyards in town. A trip to the Cutts & Case yard is a must. They specialize in classic wood boat restoration and have 2 huge covered boat sheds filled with boats. It is like a museum, and they openly welcome you to walk through the facility and even take your dog! There is a real museum in town, aptly named Oxford Museum, but it was closed the day we visited.

Cutts and Case

We bought really yummy deli sandwiches from the Oxford Deli & Market and took them over to the park for a picnic lunch. We were impressed with townspeople who stopped to talk to us in two different places, asking if we had any questions and where we were from. The town has a reputation for welcoming boaters, and it is evident in the atmosphere where ever you walk.

The Strand

You can't leave Oxford without a leisurely stroll along the main waterfront street known as The Strand. The historic Oxford Bellevue Ferry landing is on one end. The ferry Talbot can carry 9 cars, some motorcycles and bikes and walkers. That operation really adds such a home town flair.

Ferry Talbot

Ferry History

The Robert Morris Inn (1710), now famous for its crabcakes, even sent out nationwide, was originally the home of RM Sr. and Jr. Jr., being a pal of George Washington, helped finance the Revolutionary War. George rewarded him by letting him sign the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and U.S. Constitution.

Robert Morris Inn

We had a great day in town such that when we got back to the dock where we had left the dinghy we were only mildly irritated to find that the tide had gone out and left FIN with more mud than water underneath. The crew exchanged some loud, bad sailor words with each other trying to place blame (that is often the first priority on this ship) and then proceeded to try to solve the problem. I wanted to document the event with a photograph, but my crew members didn't like the idea. Fortunately I was far enough away where neither one of them could grab the camera. They have this crazy idea that I shouldn't be telling our readers about our “mistakes”. That's silly because if anyone was keeping score we would be big winners by far, so when I can sneak in some boating “dirt” I will. I bet it makes you laugh anyway, right?

Men at Work

The Big Event
October 3 – 6, 2007

The official starting date of the Krogen Cruisers/Kadey-Krogen Yachts 30th Anniversary rendezvous was October 4. However, on October 3 we got a call from our friend, Ted, on our sistership, Seaclusion, telling us if we wanted to be sure to get the power hook up we needed to get to the dock ASAP. Apparently Krogen owners were very anxious to get together with others of their kind and the majority of the boats were already at Calvert Marina's dock.

Since this was our first “big” rendezvous we were really curious how these big boats were all going to be packed into such a small space. For these events the boats do not side tie to the dock. Two opposing docks are used, stern tying each boat to the dock and then to the boats on either side. Line handlers (volunteer Krogen owners) pull the boats into their place by using long lines strung from both the bow and stern of the boat to docks on either side. They did such a great job packing all the boats in, and it sure was interesting just to watch how they did it. It is a great way to meet the other Krogen owners who are packed in tightly all around.

Some of the Krogen Fleet

After FLUKE was safely tied to, we plugged in our power cable. We felt like we had just returned from a Lewis & Clarke type expedition as it was the first time since we left Florida in June that we had plugged into shoreside electrical service. Plus, we could use all the water we wanted since we also had dockside water hookup. Ahh, to have a really long hot shower was a treat for all. Even doing the 4 loads of laundry was a relief. I usually let the laundry pile up until I know we will have access to water since it takes about 20 gals to do a large load, and I can't justify using that much water when the supply is limited.

When we checked in at the registration table we were given the complete agenda of activities so we could plan what events and presentations we wanted to go to. We still had a great surprise when, as we were sitting down to our first dinner on board at the dock, our friends, Janet and Bruce Smith (No Call), peeked in the cockpit door. We had spent time with them in the Bahamas this past Spring, and they had said they wouldn't be able to attend the rendezvous. Turns out, Kadey-Krogen asked them to do all the photographic and videographic work for the event and flew them in. The fruits of their labors will be a DVD, a copy gifted to all attendees from Kadey-Krogen. I'm sure it will be a treasured keepsake based on seeing other works created by Janet and Bruce.

For the opening night dinner, 225 people were seated. There were 70 boats registered, representing 7 different Krogen models. Some owners, or wannabes, had flown or driven to the site. Our friends who own another sistership, Reclaim, flew in from their home in Colorado. We had the opportunity to meet the new owners of the first Whaleback, Adagio, we ever looked at (it was love at first sight!). It was fun talking to them about their boat; they are Canadians and cruise up in Georgian Bay. Sounds like a place we would enjoy.

We listened to speaker presentations about several boating topics. One of our favorites was a detailed slide show about the history of Krogen yachts and the building of a Krogen 44 over at the Asia Harbor factory in Taiwan. The attention to detail and craftsmanship during construction is why the yachts turn out so beautifully in the end. Every person who steps aboard FLUKE always remarks about the beauty of the wood and quality of the joinery. Now we know how it's done.

We had a 2 day flea market and book swap tent. Cruisers could sell boat items that they no longer needed or just give things away that might be useful to someone else. We've been reading a lot this summer, so we had a lot of books to put out, and we were able to pick up even a greater number in return.

Unique to this rendezvous was a dog parade. Dogs are such popular cruising companions, and the Krogen group certainly has its fair share of canines; 2 dozen dogs joined in for the evening dock stroll wearing their finest cruising attire. Funny costumes such as a chili suit for a long, low dog and a lady bug for a little tiny squirmy Yorkie made people laugh. Ursa looked chic in her famous sunglasses.

Two of the most favorite events at each rendezvous are the gadget presentations and the famous Krogen Krawl. The gadget presentation is a group event that lets cruisers show anything they found to be useful for life and travel on a boat: hardware, tools, galley ware, pet supplies, safety aids, and items for fun and entertainment. The Krawl is basically an open boat time whereby cruisers allow other cruisers to tour their boats to see any kind of work that has been done or just to show off a new decorating scheme. Both events are such a great way to learn.

No one can talk about a rendezvous without commenting about the food. Opening night was a couple of hours of appetizers followed by a chicken BBQ with member potluck dishes. The second night had delicious Caribbean themed food. Open bars, sumptuous desserts, and lots of door prizes made for some real happy Krogenites.

We were happy to have been able to attend and get some faces attached to the names of cruisers who regularly share information in the newsletters and email list serve. It wasn't sad to leave: we were eating too much food, we had more places to go, and we needed to rest from a 3 day whirlwind. Getting away from the dock went smoothly as everyone cooperatively took their time easing the big boats apart.

Krogens Departing

Stay tuned for the next chapter when we share our adventures about “Looking for George”.