"2004 in Reedville/2 nights in Mill Crk in 2000" Reedville Travelogue by grandmaR

There are three narratives here. The top one (two sections) was for our first trip to the Great Wicomico when we anchored in Mill Creek on the way to Broad Creek in Deltaville.

The bottom one (two sections) is for our first trip down the ICW, when we also anchored in Mill Creek. We went to Deltaville this time too, but anchored in Fishing Bay..

The middle three sections and this picture are our latest trip when we went to Tangier Island the next day.

Two anchorages in Mill Creek

This cruise started Sept 23rd 2000 - Friday

Over the weekend we started to sail down to Mobjack Bay to meet with some friends of ours. This was the first time we'd been south of the Potomac.

Friday, (we started about noon - late because I was considering whether we should go or wait on the weather) we sailed down the Potomac almost to Smith Point. From there on we motored on the Chesapeake Bay mill pond.

We decided to stop and anchor in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico. As we were coming in, a large (about 100 feet) grey boat (a menhaden boat) came boiling up behind us on the port side. We were on the starboard side of the channel, but thought since he was overtaking that he would go around us.

NOT. We finally made a panic circle to the starboard out of the channel so that he wouldn't ram us. At that point he made a whole bunch of rapid blasts of his horn.

In any case, we anchored south of the R4 in Mill Creek. (The lower anchor symbol without a green line going to it.)

We could see Reedville (lights and smokestacks)across the river. It was very peaceful - we were the only ones there except for a bald eagle sitting on a fish trap.

Reedville from the Great Wicomico 2003

The next morning, I talked to our friend by cell phone (good signal with both ATT and Verizon phones here). He was concerned about approaching weather (the rain from the dying H hurricane and also possible thunderstorms). We went into the Rappahannock side of Deltaville for a visit.

Bob on the dock by the boat

It was about 10 before we got the boat dried off, and got her ready to leave. The wind tried to blow us sideways into the slip, but it worked out OK. We were going to get fuel, but Bob figured we'd never get off the fuel dock afterwards, and we don't really need it as we've got 50 gallons or more in the tanks.

Bob did his usual trick of putting the sails up right away as we motored out the channel of Smith Creek. I had a hard time holding the bow into the wind which was 20-30 knots. Finally he turned away from the wind and got the rest of the sail up (just main and staysail) and turned the engine off, and we sailed toward the mouth of the Potomac.

I'm hoping that the winds will drop off a bit this afternoon as predicted - NOT. It is too windy and too many waves for me to feel comfortable using the digital camera.

We hear on the radio that there is a sailboat taking on water off Point Lookout, and we see the CG boat from St. Inigos going out to him. Eventually we get to the mouth of the Potomac, and see him with the CG boat and also the state police helicopter overhead. According to what we hear on the radio, a plastic thru hull broke and a 2" stream of water was coming in to the boat. But it was so rough that the CG took all the passengers off, and took the boat in tow. They are having trouble getting the pump started so everyone is bailing. Found out from the paper later, that a small power boat was taking on water at about this same spot later in the day.

We had a very fast trip downwind to Reedville. The peaches that were in the wire hanging basket got so beat up that Bob threw them out later. As we come down to the Greater Wicomico, we see a menhaden boat coming out of the river. They apparently decided it was too rough for them, and turned around and went back to the dock along with all the rest of their kin. (See top picture)

When we tied up at Reedville Marina, we had gone 29.3 nm at an average speed of 5.7 knots. The GPS said the max speed was 9.8 knots which is more than our 7+knot hull speed.

The owner of the marina was not there, and they don't answer the radio, so I called on the phone and some of the restaurant personnel came out and helped us tie up on the face dock. His instructions to them before he left was that any boat less than 35 feet could take any available slip. I like a face dock better, although we are subject to a lot of dock walkers looking at the boat.

Some of antique and classic trailerable boats

We had an early dinner at the Crazy Crab Then we walked up as far as the museum. They were having an Antique and Classic Boat Show this weekend, and boats were on display on trailers and also at the docks behind most of the houses on Main Street.

I got a walking tour map from one of the docents for the museum (she was leaving, but she ran back to get one for me), and I walked back along Main Street taking pictures of the houses that were on the tour or looked interesting.

They put a big power boat named Fair Dinkum in front of us on the face dock (below). Neither of us can stay more than Friday night, as they need the docks and slips for the boat show.

After we got back to the boat, we got dessert (I had apple pie with ice cream and Bob had coconut cream) and took it back to the boat to eat. The restaurant was too full for us to get a seat, and it was pretty windy and cold to eat outside.

Fair Dinkum on the dock in front of us

Saturday, we wait for Fair Dinkum to leave - he needs a fan belt and no one here has any idea when or where one can be purchased. The gas dock is right in front of Fair Dinkum, and someone is there getting gas, so he has a hard time getting out.

(And his being there makes it hard for other people to get in to get fuel, although we did see a single hander in a crab pot boat make a very nice job of it.)

It is very easy to get off the dock with FAIR DINKUM gone. We push off about 9:20 and Bob puts up the main and jib, and turns off the engine when we get out of the river.

Next for 2004: Tangier Island

Smith Point

We sailed out of the Potomac on a good wind, but as we came around Smith Point out in the Chesapeake the wind died. We spend the night anchored in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico farther up than the first time past the G5. The green line on the chart is our track for this trip.

The night in Mill Creek was very quiet. There was another sailboat across the way this morning, but no other activity at all.

Great Wicomico Spider 2003

We have breakfast and pull the anchor about 8, and motor out of the creek and into the Chesapeake. It is a nice day with hardly any wind. We try to sail at least once, but don't manage well at all. The wind is directly behind the boat, and there is too much risk of accidental gybing and we don't have a whisker pole. We've decided to go down south of Stingray point and go into Deltaville to anchor for tonight.

The next leg of the trip is Deltaville