"Cruising into Mobjack Bay" Hayes Travelogue by grandmaR

Wolf Trap &Bob with his sunglasses on his forehead

We pass Wolf Trap Light (which is named for a British ship named Wolf which got 'trapped" on the bar here).

We are still going south but don't want to go all the way to the York River. I decide that we should to to Mobjack Bay. Mobjack Bay is a very wide bay with four rivers running into it. The most southern of these is the Severn. This is a different Severn River from the Annapolis one.

There aren't many marinas listed on Mobjack Bay that take transients. So I decide to call the Severn River Marina. Their ad in the 2001 ICW guide says that they have only 5 feet depth at the dock, and I'm not too sure about that as I think we will be aground. Also I cannot find information about this marina in any except that one guide book.

The ad also says they have a restaurant and floating docks. They reassure me about the dockside depth and give me a dock assignment, but they do not have and have never had a restaurant or floating docks.

Hovercraft (two views with trawler heading south

Suddenly I look over and say to Bob - Is that boat on fire? I half think of calling the Coast Guard on the radio to report it, but as we watch I see that it is water being sprayed up into a cloudlike mass. Bob asks retorically if the Navy is testing the hovercraft again. I remark that it is a good day for it - pretty much flat calm.

Eventually the hovercraft stops and just sits there in the water. When it is sitting still, you can see the big fans on the back that make it go.

Processing plant that we saw from the Poquson Rive

By noon, we are entering Mobjack Bay.

When we got into the Severn River, I tried to call on the radio, but they didn't answer. I had to call on the phone again. Normally there's no one there to help you tie up (they don't get many transients) but the office lady rounded up a couple of people to help us. By 1410 (2:10 pm) we have arrived at the Severn River Marina off Mobjack Bay after a trip of 34.8 nm at an average speed of 6 knots.

There's a picture of the banks of the Severn in the Intro

Sunset over Sarah Creek

I checked in( marina picture), and called Paul and Barbara who have a 33 CSY which is in Sarah Creek off the York River. The Severn River is on one side of the peninsula and Sarah Creek is on the other side. They came down and met us at the marina, and took us for sunset munchies at their boat, and then we went to eat at Dolphin Cove.

French boat anchored at Severn entrance

Cast off without a problem (no wind or current). Although this is another place where the lines have to be tied to pilings.

The wind is supposed to be light and variable, and then Saturday is supposed to clock around and be strong from the north again. So we want to be back up north again before that happens.

Mobjack Bay in the morning

The question is - where shall we go today?.

I thought we should go to Tangier again, but Bob isn't sure that we can get all the way up there.

I also thought of going back to Jackson Creek, but Bob thinks that will be too far to get home in a timely manner on Saturday.

Bob suggests Fleets Bay, but I don't want to go back to Indian Creek because it is too far from town and they don't take you in to a restaurant any longer.

So I decide to make us a reservation at Dozier's in Broad Creek on the north side of Deltaville.

New Point Comfort

I've taken us on a different track, and we actually get to see the New Point Comfort lighthouse (which is abandoned) from fairly close up. I find that there is a big difference between the magnification I get with the two digital cameras. The new one gets much more zoom.

Next: Back to Deltaville.