"Pre-Labor Day 2007" Tangier Island Travelogue by grandmaR

Green One

We reached the Green 1 for the Bay entrance to Tangier at 2:30. Bob said he didn't see any less than 10 feet all the way in. I had tried to call the Reedville marina from the Potomac, but they don't answer the phone if the restaurant is not open and it isn't open until 5 on weekdays (and it is closed on Monday). I tried from Tangier, but I got no cell service.

Mr Parks came out and helped us to tie up. It costs $30/night for a boat over 30 feet plus $5 for electricity. He said he'd take us on a tour, but he wasn't around, so we walked up into town

Both of the GPSs said that our trip was 46.6 miles yesterday, but I must have forgotten to reset them after we went out with our grandson. The trip to Tangier took about 5.5 hours, puttering along at about 5 knots. We were having trouble pumping out the toilet on the boat. Bob thinks there is something blocking the vent.

Cart front post in front of me

I had in mind to go to Spanky's for ice cream, but it was closed. My back was really painful and I couldn't walk upright at all. We started to walk back, stopping to rest frequently.

Mr. Parks saw us when he came up to get his mail on a motor scooter and came back in a golf cart. One problem - there wasn't room in the cart for three of us - it was a two seater. So I sat on the outside, with one cheek on the edge. I kept having to resist the opportunity to brace myself on the passing fences. We saw the museum, which said it was open, but didn't stop.

Mr. Parks found this sign amusing

We went past the fire department and he showed us where the school had to be raised several feet because of flooding. On the way back and Mr. Parks looked to see if the grocery store had ice, but they were out. He said he didn't make ice anymore - the electricity for an ice maker was too expensive. He said running a heat pump in the winter it cost him $800/month.

Bob's crabcake sandwich

After I rested and loaded pictures to the computer, we walked back to the Channel Marker for dinner about 6. At first it didn't seem to be open, but eventually we were seated (although the sign said 6-8 kids only 8-10 adults only). They gave us a small loaf of bread with honey butter. The bread was almost toast - it seemed like it had been reheated multiple times. Bob had one of the specials - crabcake sandwich with a cup of vegetable crab soup for $12.95. The soup looked excellent. I had crab meat sauteed in butter with cole slaw and green beans for $15.99 from the regular menu. It was very good.

Cat by the marina

When we walked back to the marina, we saw multiple adolescent cats. Last time all the cats were grown cats- this time they were all little one.

About dusk another boat came in and went through between the piling off our stern and us - their fishing pole scraped along our dinghy. Apparently they were French, and came from Deltaville through the Sound side entrance because they thought the Bay side had only 4 feet depth. I was talking to them a bit - our boat was too low in relation to the pier for me to get off, so I couldn't help them tie up and Bob was already undressed. The mosquitoes started to be bad, so I finally convinced Bob to put in the screen in the companionway hatch and close the other hatches.

Dog at the end of a pier as we left

Today we have a very short distance to go, but Bob is impatient to be off. It was hard to get him to wait even until 8 am yesterday. He said someone was in the marina bathroom and he doesn't think it was anyone from the other boat as that appears to be still shut up.

We motored out of Tangier toward the Tangier Sound side. The French boat said they touched here last night but I didn't find out what their draft was. The mail boat came up behind us and passed, and then the depth sounder started to go on and off. Bob said it was from mud they stirred up. There was almost no wind, so Bob didn't even attempt to pull out the sails.

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