"Sailboat trip to Crisfield - June 2003 & Aug 2004" Crisfield Travelogue by grandmaR

Bob on RosalieAnn in Crisfield (Somer's Cover)

August 8 - Arriving

The entrance profile of Crisfield has really changed. The landmark brick building is barely visible and they are building a big condo right by the entrance channel. (Photo below taken when we leave)

We tied up in Crisfield after a trip of 12.4 nm. We haven't even tried to sail as the wind is under 5 knots. A boat named EXODUS comes in after us and is across the dock.

There are many empty slips in the marina, but I suppose it is Sunday and everyone has to be back at work on Monday. Most stuff in Crisfield is closed (like the little museum). I took the laptop up and used the email line.

We went up and ate at the Waterman's Inn which was closed when we were here before (i.e. on Monday and Tuesday), and had the Early Bird Platter (served before 6 pm) for $10.95 each - two small entrees and two vegetables. After we got back to the boat, I went for a swim, but the water was quite cold, and I couldn't stay in it long.

Large new building by harbor entrance

It looks like the predicted winds are from the SW and will be good for getting back home today and there are possible thunderstorms again tomorrow. So we cast off relatively uneventfully about 0900.

We motor back through Tangier (which is shorter than going around Smith Island).

Fast shuttle to Tangier Island

We motor sailed until we reached the Tangier Light and then the winds became variable, dropped to almost nothing and were from directly astern so Bob pulled in the sails. It was very hot with no wind.

We passed the head boat Miss H. B. Good II, and the Tangier Island boat passed us.

Menhaden fleet (edited to fit frame)

We saw what looked like a fleet of menhaden boats in action. Saw many other fishing boats and heard a lot of chatter on the radio - some from fishermen but a lot of one sailboat calling another. One guy was calling a menhaden boat - the menhaden boat didn't answer of course. (They are busy fishing and don't answer.) If you look in the picture you can see the net arms on the boats.

Menhaden boats spot a school of menhaden and encircle them with nets - usually they take the ends of the net around the school in a small boat.

James Island ATON and power boat 2004

A small sailboat came by up on plane like a power boat. They got to the marker off Tangier and stopped -then turned and went toward Tangier. Probably a Mac.

We came around by James Island, which is mostly low marshy land and no longer has anyone living there, although the Jane's Island State Park is there (charts call it James Island and some other sources call it Jane's Island).

(ATON stands for Aid to Navigation)

Fertilizer Plant stack 2004

I read from the Gunkholer's Guide and other guidebooks about
Crisfield to Bob. We start seeing the landmarks mentioned in the guidebooks, like the old fertilizer plant stack on a peninsula at the south end of Jane's Island. This plant burned down many years ago, but it is noted on the charts and is a landmark from the water.

Old house on point 2004

Bob's aunt had a house here so we've been by land
before.

The Gunkholer's Guide told us that one of the oldest houses in Crisfield was the last one on the point on the south point coming in to Crisfield (the book is on the boat and I don't remember the name or story about the house). This was the last house, but doesn't look that old. I'm not sure if another newer house has been built farther out on the point (there is a Victorian looking house a bit closer in) or if this one has been so extensively renovated that it looks new.

The book also said to look for a large brick building as a landmark to find the entrance to the harbor and then look for a small sign pointing to the harbor entrance.

I had called the marina (which is a state facility) the day before to get a reservation, so when we got to the 10 and 11 markers we called them again at about the point this pictures was taken, and got our slip assignment. It was E6. We motored in to the channel with the headboat BARBARA ANN II breathing down our neck because she's faster than we are.

After I managed to miss-throw the line twice, we got into our slip. It was very hot and I was sweating, which I hate as it saps all my energy which is little enough to begin with. Our trip was 32.7 miles and took 6 hours 17 minutes.