St. Michaels Public Library: Chesapeake plus

We arrived in St. Michaels, Maryland about 2 days ago after an easy and pleasant sail from Annapolis. From the bustle of the big city, we have now escaped back into somewhat rural life in a tiny town with cute shops, few pubs, a smattering of restaurants and many, many boats. Things of note in St. Michaels: 1. This is where the movie "The Wedding Crashers" was filmed. There is an expansive, elegant estate on the North side of town called "The Inn at Perry Cabin". Upon the evening of our arrival, we heard a great duet in the style of Jim and Ray. We took our dinghy to where the music was coming from, and happened upon what appeared to be a meeting of insurance executives. It was a cocktail hour on the lawn of this same resort, so instead of crashing a wedding we crashed a "meeting". In any case, the music was great and the setting unbelievable. 2. The Public Library is the very same one in which James Michener did most of his research for the novel "Chesapeake". He and his wife were living near St. Michaels while he wrote the book, and he set up a trust fund afterward to endow the Talbot Library. This library is participating in a Bay-wide event to celebrate Michener's 100th birthday and tonight is hosting a discussion group in the same manner as Peter White's "Tortilla Curtain" event. Luckily, we have both just read this book and intend to participate! 3. The Maritime museum spreads over 18 acres with numerous buildings including a working light house and ship restoration workshops. It would take all day to discover all the interactive exhibits and learn all that the museum has to offer. The establishment of St. Michaels dates to the mid 1600's, and by 1700 the town became a major shipbuilding center concentrating on fast commercial sailing vessels. Three ships are presently here: the Lady Maryland which is a traditional Bay-style "Pungo Schooner" and two active Skipjacks, the Sigsbee and the H.M. Krentz from Annapolis. The town is no longer a ship-building center, however it is certainly a haven for boaters - both sail and power. Last night we witnessed a multi-class sailing regatta which took place here at the entrance to the harbor under a sky changing from brilliant orange to muted purples and finally to silvery moonlight. It is a sailor's dream here with a great, quiet anchorage, convenient and culturally active town, and great tennis courts at the High School. We plan to stay through the weekend as we have found a non-smoking sports bar with football specials (we were laughed at wildly when we inquired if there were a non-smoking sports bar in Annapolis). We will post up some pictures for your viewing pleasure and debrief re: the "Chesapeake" book discussion.

Historic Annapolis: revolutionary fun

Coming into Annapolis harbor, one cannot help but be awed by the warships heading out of the Naval Academy and the Academy itself. We managed to miss crashing into any of the busy harbor traffic and pick up a mooring ball just in from of the City Dock. Annapolis was an extremely important city before and during the American Revolution, and the Capitol Building was the site of many meetings of the planners of that war - and in fact the site where in 1783 George Washington resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the army to accept the Presidency. For a short time, Annapolis was actually the capitol of the new country, until a part of the state of Maryland -the land on the Potomac which is the present District of Columiba was selected. We were able to take a bus to D.C. for a one-day whirlwind experience. It's hard to put into words the feeling you get when looking at the Lincoln Memorial beyond the reflecting pool at the Capitol Mall. We went to all the major monuments and the Hirschorn Museum and sculpture gardens of the Smithsonian, but all around us the wonder of the capitol's buildings and gardens bloomed. Having learned of the great men and principles upon which this nation was founded, it was bittersweet to visit DC as those principles seem to have all but disappeared from present-day political goings-on. Notwithstanding, it was well worth the trip. Returning to Annapolis, we enjoyed three days of their Plein Air painting competition, culminating in a lovely reception in their new Arts and Culture center. This is a large former public high school which has been completely devoted to plastic and performing arts - they even have a ballet company! Other Annapolitan highlights included the Fall Festival, watching football at the Rams Head (go blue...!!!) and a great blues band at the Acme. Annapolis showed us wonderfully restored colonial-era neighborhoods amid both St. John's College and the Naval Academy. There was as much or as little nightlife and cultural activities as anyone could want! The sail to St. Michaels was far easier and more pleasant than the winding trip up the Chester River, and highlights from our present location will be coming soon.

Leaving Chestertown: the next phase

We just attended a lovely service at the Episcopal Church which defines the town square, and were dismayed only by the aged population of the parish. It is a wonderment that some churches still survive. It is perhaps fitting that we will be leaving tomorrow; I think this is what happens as young people leave small towns such as this to seek their futures in larger cities and those left behind must try to continue without them. So we are leaving Chestertown with a great sense of the history and tradition, the importance this town commanded in Revolutionary War times, and it's ultimate decline with the establishment of super-highways and abandonment of the waterways as primary transportation arteries. The attached pictures are of the schooner Sultana under full sail, a lovely sunset over Chestertown Harbor, and Wayne planning the next leg in the darkness that falls early here in the Chesapeake. Surely any visitor to Chestertown will be enchanted by this friendly little town - we attended a men's varsity soccer game at Washington College yesterday and to our suprise there is never any fee to attend their games! This is also perhaps indicative of our feeling that - if there was a fee - no one would come...but all we can say is if ever in the Chesapeake with a few days to spare, the trip up the Chester River is well worth the time.

Chestertown and beyond - how to survive the Chesapeake

The weather has broken here after a rainy day yesterday and lovely, fresh 70-degree weather is upon us. We continue to haunt the public library but are branching out into playing tennis, exploring the many local art galleries, and boat maintenance. Wayne is becoming a diesel engine mechanic from sheer necessity. We have discovered that routine, preventive maintenance is critical to the performance of even the newest of diesel engines. This requires much reading of diagrams and instruction manuals, obtaining (hopefully) the correct parts, and spending a couple of hours getting dirty and sweaty. How appropriate that he has been (re)reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". There are many situations aboard a 2-foot by 6-foot space that require a certain amount of Zen thinking - including the feeling of being trapped. This is most easily dealt with by going above-board and looking out at the beautiful sky/river/town/etc. New pictures in that regard coming in the next post. Part of this can also be dealt with by moving along, and so we are planning the rest of our Chesapeake adventure right now. Stay tuned!

Remember Andy's?...

We have returned to the public library in Chestertown as the profound heat and humidity of the Chesapeake is too much for our northern constitutions. It is about 90 degrees here with a slightly overcast sky and an unending haze. We tried to go back to the boat for a relaxing afternoon but the heat index is staggering and we wilted. The only refuge in such an instance is the air-conditioned library. One of the spunky and fun athletic coaches we met last night was the women's soccer coach. We were the only 3 people (the 2 of us and this gal) in the entire bar rooting for the Packers during their masterful defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles last night. She turned to us in amazement and said, "...was that you guys cheering for the Packers?" We had to admit it was, and she exclaimed, "I'm from Wisconsin!!!" (Madison area as it turned out) We discussed many yooper things and all three of us had to agree that this kind of heat in September is outrageous and should be illegal. Ah well, we were looking for warm weather. One thing we did NOT expect to find was Andy's Bar! For those of us who fondly recall peanut night, the chopped off pool table, jumbos, and dancing on the tables to jukebox tunes by Wild Cherry and the like - this does not compare. Andy's here is a spacious pub with comfy chairs in one room, a bar about the size of the Marquette Andy's in the center, and another game and comfy chair room in the annex. The pub fare is quite recherche - salmon quiche, gazpacho, etc. But it is a friendly place and very fun. We saw a gal named Jennifer Brantly with her Nashville band there who had been described as "Cheryl Crow fronts a Country band". She was good indeed but we only made it through about one set. The photos associated with this post include the exterior of Andy's (Chestertown), High Street, the schooner Sultana and the harbor. We are bound to be expanding upon this week's entries every day - that is until the temperature outside reaches more UP-like parameters for this time of year.

Delightful, historic Chestertown

We have been at anchor for 2 days now just off the riverfront scene in Chestertown, MD. This was one of the first colonial settlements in the Chesapeake, established circa 1760. It is home to George Washington College, forgive my earlier incorrect assertion but actually the 10th oldest college in the United States. This (expensive) small liberal arts school is most known for it's creative writing and business programs along with a brand-new science building designed to boost interest and enrollment in that area. Where to begin when describing this little jewel? The waterfront area has 2 lovely little parks, just beyond which lie the brick mansions of early prosperous merchants and planters. The port is home to one of the oldest sailing skipjacks on the Bay, an oystering boat with a flattish bottom (2 foot draw), center board which can be raised and lowered, and an outside boom for hoisting incredibly large sails. Also at port here are a locally-built wooden replica of a Revolutionary War era schooner and an oyster-buy boat, one which specialized in purchasing and transporting the large haul of oysters that the watermen of the skipjacks would harvest. The town itself cannot shed its european flavor from the crazily-intersecting streets and prim row houses to the grand churches with their extraordinary stained-glass windows. The Episcopal church here is reknown not only for being one of the oldest in the US, but also possessing of a tiffany window. There is a Quaker meeting house here at which I was tempted to attend Sunday services, but did not know if I would be able to refrain from speaking for such a great length of time. These people and their history are inspiring - truly righteous - persecuted during Colonial times, speaking forth strongly against slavery, raising money to rescue Jews from Germany during the second world war. They represent the best of our country's desire for liberty and freedom. We were fortunate to meet several of the young coaches from Washington College last night, and learned that the "big" sports here are lacrosse and tennis. They have a superb stadium but no football team. We hope to attend at least one game there, as well as the Saturday morning Farmer's Market and Saturday afternoon Art in the Park. There are a number of charming shops, artist ateliers, and coffee shops where the mood is definitely libertarian to centrist Democrat and we feel happy here. Next post hopefully more history. As for now, we are staying here until we wear out our welcome.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENTS

We are in Chestertown, Maryland after a 25-mile trip up the Chester River and think we'll stay for a while. This quaint colonial town boasts Washington College, the first chartered college in the U.S. We will post more about the trip tomorrow, however we are BEGGING our blog readers to leave us your email address with your comments - we cannot seem to pick it up otherwise. Our email is: wfrancis55@gmail.com Thanks for reading everyone, and more news tomorrow.

Rock Hall Blues

We are in Rock Hall, Maryland - the site where George Washington met with his Revolutionary War compatriots several times to take a paquet boat to Annapolis. The town is probably not a lot larger than it was during this era, however the number of boats here is extraordinary. We spent the night before at Still Pond, a lovely secluded anchorage which suited us just fine. There was absolutely nothing there - no town, no marina, no distraction. There were, however, several other sailboats anchored nearby. We chatted with some folks who were on their way to Baltimore and we traded stories and advice. We laughed about the addage that everyone runs aground in the Chesapeake. I fervently hoped that we could avoid this experience but why would I think that? It did happen the very next day, on the approach to the deep harbor just north of Rock Hall. It was necessary to navigate a tiny Creek inlet in order to get into the deeper harbor. After discovering that our outdated charts did not match the buoy numbering system any more, the stress level for navigation was greatly increased. Although by matching our charts with land forms and existing buoys we managed to avoid Swan Point's shoals, upon the approach to this tiny creek entrance we felt the ominous ploof or thud or whatever you want to call it. Whatever the word, it is an unmistakable sensation - like when you wake up and you just KNOW you are pregnant. Holy Wah. Thank goodness a local waterman back from fishing was willing to pull us off, from which point we tied up at the deserted gas dock of the closest marina to reassess. Well, I thought I tied us off to the post, but suddenly Wayne looked up from the charts and noticed the bow of the boat was in fact swinging away from the dock and strait toward the wall. Quick action on both our parts resulted in avoidance of obstacles but now we were back in the water and having to figure out something to do. I broke down and asked respectfully if we could not just go to the closest recommended marina and that is in fact what we did. I had always intended to do laundry at Rock Hall and have spent the last hour and a half in the laundry room at the marina! All is well, we will spend one more day here and then on to the Chester River and Chestertown. One should not get the impression that life aboard is all strife and work: we have seen the wonders these waters have to offer from schools of dolphins off the New Jersey coast to blue herons, bald eagles, and ducks galore here in the Chesapeake. Sunrise and sunset are always glorious, the sun an orange ball slipping into the pastel clouds above the wide waters of the Chesapeake Bay, shedding a golden glow upon everything as far as the eye can see. So, I guess you have to run aground occasionally in order to appreciate the sublime moments. Tomorrow: on to Chestertown. With the school year getting started everywhere we are of course somewhat sad to be missing all the excitement, but will be very content to be tomorrow back in a college town.

The "Lock Crew" in the Erie Canal, Capt. Wayne, Lt. Isabel and Spec. Officer Sarah

Picture of Cassie on anchor in Havre de Grace

Leaving our Haven of Grace - on to ? - exciting visitors

We have enjoyed the quiet, quaint Havre de Grace atmosphere for several days now, and are feeling it's time to move on. We hope to go to Rock Hall, MD, Baltimore (perhaps catch the Orioles vs the Red Sox...), Annapolis, and several other places during the next couple of weeks. We managed to get ourselves into the City marina yesterday just in time to be surprised by some wonderful friends! For whatever reason I decided to turn on the cell phone in the morning and was greeted by 2 well-received messages: the first from my Mother who is safely at the Hilton Hotel in Istambul! The next was from our delightful friends Nikolage and Rina from New York City. We had missed them while there as they were struggling with an overload of work and the sequelae from a bicycle/car encounter which left Rina bruised and battered. I imagine they were hoping to leave the city behind and were kind enough to drive all the way to Havre de Grace to come and see us. We could not have been more spoiled - not only were we blessed with their presence and lively conversation but they brought gifts of organic popcorn, Earl Grey, great CDs and a 12-pack of Red Stripe! Although we never should have accepted, they even took us out to dinner. What a wonderful Labor Day that I will never forget. Our conversation centered around sailing as they are also considering an extended sailboat voyage at some point in time. They are young and in love, and it of course sounds like a very good idea. What I have learned is that it is far more about work, compromise, and learning to understand the needs of another person than just breezing along reads books sipping lemonade! Romantic as the concept is, the execution involves sweat, discomfort, and slime of various natures. The reward: a lovely breeze the other morning left me at the tiller with Mainsail trim and Genoa billowing as I sailed our beautiful, classic boat upon the same waters as all of the great American patriots of the Revolutionary War. It can be a thrilling experience, and the sense of power and history overwhelmingly worth the sacrifices made. To all that have been commenting and reading without commenting again we thank you and wish you all the best as the academic year begins to hit its stride. Rina is bringing an extraordinary performance artist to the DeVos in the next month or so, which should prove to be very exciting. She has been in contact with Melissa and I just wish we could be there for this opening. I understand there is an outstanding exhibit presently of guitars as art (and other string instruments) which I hope our readers will also check out. As soon as we get to wherever we are going we will look for internet access for another update. For today: thanks SO much to our lovely Labor Day visitors and bonne chance in all endeavors to our students and scholars.