TEXAS RANGER: September 2014

Thursday, September 11, 2014

St.Michaels, MD and Oxford, MD Sept 10-11

     At least twice in the past we have attempted to visit St. Michaels, one of the hottest boating destinations on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  It has been "full", and finally this week we found it more open. We crossed from Annapolis, passing many Navy warships en route to Baltimore for celebration of the 200th anniversary of the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner". We had hoped to attend some of the festivities, but by the time we realized we might be back in the area in time to do so, the harbor's marinas and anchorages were all full. We also passed the Bloody Point Bar Light. While the light isn't very colorful, the name certainly is! We arrived in St. Michaels shortly after noon following a delightful passage, and backed into a tight slip. We then set off to explore this interesting little village, wander through its shops, and visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  That facility was well worth the trip, and it houses exhibits that detail and display boats and equipment related to the various maritime industries that have existed in this bay for centuries. A screw-pile lighthouse is on scene to be climbed and explored, as are boat building and model boat building facilities. Museum exhibits related to tugboats, waterfowl hunting, and the harvesting of oysters, crabs, and other seafood are present. The massive duck-hunting gun shown in the canoe photo was used illegally to sneak up on large groups of ducks floating on the water surface at night. One shot would often net 30 or more birds. Many other types of multiple-shot guns were also used, and finally police action was needed to bring the practice to an end.
     The next day we traveled to Oxford, MD, to see this quaint town. The trip involved some upwind slogging through short Chesapeake Bay chop, so it wasn't the most relaxed travel we have had, though once in the Choptank River we were traveling downwind. Upon arriving, I asked the marina dockmaster what to "do and see" in Oxford. His response: "not much". We wandered through the town, but he was right. There was only one "gift/souvenir shop" measuring about ten feet square, and the museum was closed. I thought I'd change a large bill at the one bank, but it is only open from 9-12 daily.  We did find a nice restaurant, and the area seems to have many marinas, but I'm not sure what drives any local economy.
     Following the passage of a cold front, we will head south for Solomons, MD, where we will keep the boat for a month, during which we will return to Texas for a visit and attend the Kadey-Krogen Rendezvous when many owners of boats of the same brand as Texas Ranger will gather for seminars, information sharing, and socializing. Texas Ranger has traveled over 3,000 nautical miles this summer, and seen many sights that are "once in a lifetime" adventures.

Oxford, MD

St. Paul's Church, Oxford, MD

Oxford, MD

Texas Ranger at Dock, Oxford, MD

Bloody Point Bar Light

St. Michaels Harbor

St. Michaels, MD

St. Michaels Parish

St. Michaels, MD

Museum Old Buildings

St. Michaels, MD

Chesapeake Bay Skipjack

Screw Pile Lighthouse

Good Looking K-K 48--Texas Ranger

U.S. Coast Guard

2-gauge Duck Gun

Museum Wildlife

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Port Washington, NY to Annapolis, MD Sept. 7--9

We got underway about 0800 from Port Washington for our passage through the East River and New York Harbor. Timing is everything for this journey, because in some portions of the East River the current can flow at 4-5 knots, and if it is against you, very little progress is made. After careful study of tidal current tables, the captain determined that a departure time of 0800 would place our arrival time at the first narrow spot with a current, Throg's Neck Bridge, at slack water before the beginning of the flood tide. That would place us in the faster sections of the river later with a favorable, but not unmanageable, current. It happened as planned, and we passed Hell Gate (named for the current flow) just before Roosevelt Island and Lower Manhattan at 12.2 knots! It was an exciting, but controlled, ride, and the favorable current helped us all the way through the harbor, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and even along the upper New Jersey coast. We had not determined a specific destination for this day's run, but since we were making such good time, conditions were so favorable (light wind behind us from the north and mild sea state), we elected to continue down the New Jersey coast. In addition, weather was expected to deteriorate within a day or two, with the possibility that we would be "stuck" for days. We passed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge out of New York Harbor about 1100, Barnegat Inlet, NJ at 1800, Atlantic City at 2200, and reached the eastern side of Cape May about 0200. It was a beautiful full-moon night in the Atlantic. Since the slack current at the entrance to Delaware Bay occurred at 0330, we elected to continue around the tip of Cape May, and reached the Delaware Bay entrance right on schedule at 0330. Thus, we were able to ride a favorable current all the way up Delaware Bay, adding at least two knots to our boat speed. Conditions were a little sloppy since we were going more into the wind that previously, but it was not an uncomfortable passage. We arrived at the C&D (Chesapeake and Delaware) Canal entrance at 0930, and continued to ride our favorable current through the canal and into the Chesapeake Bay! I don't know that we could ever again expect to have the current with us for almost the entire trip. We even had favorable current at least half-way to Annapolis, where we elected to dock and recuperate.
We arrived in Annapolis about 1645, negotiated the ever-present sailboats racing in the harbor, and nestled into the "back half" of a slip with a larger boat, well-protected from the impending storms, and crashed. I didn't rinse the boat, because the heavy rain coming was to do that for me. Not! Despite the appearance of the sky, we saw nary a drop. So, the next morning, before setting out to sightsee and shop Annapolis, I got to wash the boat. We enjoyed re-visiting this sailing mecca, but were surprised at the relatively empty docks and moorings. I suppose that, in a couple of weeks as the boat shows approach, that will all change and the harbor will once again be bustling and filled to capacity. The slower pace suited us well this time, however, and we enjoyed our stay!

New York City

Always Awe-Inspiring

Annapolis, Storm a-Coming (?)

New London & Groton, CT, Stratford, CT, and Port Washington, NY Sept. 3--6

After a fun stay in Wickford and the chance to see old friends and meet many new ones, we turned in the rental car, and headed west for New London and Groton, CT (they are on opposite sides of the Thames River). It was a fairly short trip, and so we arrived in time to rent a car and make a quick trip to Defender Marine, which is in Waterford, just west of New London. Defender is perhaps one of the largest mail-order marine supply houses in the country. The surprise is that it is also a massive "storefront"; though there are warehouses, the quantity and variety of items in the store shows that many mail-ordered items are "picked" off the store shelves. Since we arrived only 20 minutes before closing, we had to return again the next morning. Kay befriended one of the managers, and got a tour of the entire facility, including the upstairs office from which she took the photo shown below. Our New London marina was inside a cove; a boat yard operated by the same family since 1881. To enter, the railroad swing bridge had to open. We were stunned--trains came and went all night! We drove around New London, which is obviously having hard times, and the next morning we went to Groton to tour the Naval Submarine Museum (can't go on the adjacent base). It was an impressive stop, and the tour of the first nuclear sub, Nautilus, was most interesting. Subs throughout history have come in all sizes and shapes, and many smaller, older ones were on display.
After returning the rental car, we traveled to Stratford, CT, and docked in brisk current at a marina a short way up the Housatonic River. The next morning we worked on the holding tank, replaced the vent filter, and pumped out before crossing Long Island Sound to Port Washington in Manhasset Bay, our staging stop for the trip into and through New York City. We passed New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, and New Rochelle, cities well-known to sailing activities. Massive weekend homes surround the Manhasset Bay area, and one of the other boats visiting the marina was a 100-foot catamaran. Its beam was 48 feet! We stayed two nights, awaiting the passage of a storm front, and then set off towards the Chesapeake.

Nautilus Periscope

Stratford, CT Denizen

Execution Rock Light, Port Washington, NY

Near Port Washington, NY

Defender Marine

Nautilus

Double-Barreled Sub

Submarine Museum

Amtrak on Marina Bridge

New London, CT

Bartlett Reef Light, New London, CT

New London Light

New London Fort Trumbull

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Mystic Seaport, CT Sept. 2

We spent a fascinating day at Mystic Seaport, a recreated village typical of the boatbuilding days of Mystic, CT. There are shops for all of the types of businesses which were involved in support of the shipbuilding and fishing industries typical of the 19th century. There are several restored large boats, including the whaleship Charles W. Morgan which was built in 1841 and last sailed in 2014. Many exhibits detailed the steps in shipbuilding, and several other old sailing ships were present to be toured. Exhibits of nautical artwork, museum pieces, rope-making shops, and even "maidenheads" (though not all were maidens) completed a fascinating visit that occupied many hours of sightseeing.

Exhibit of How Keel is Laid

Schooner L.A. Dunton

Crew Quarters "Before the Mast"

Rope-Making Shop

Full-Rigged Ship Joseph Conrad

Some of the Village Shops

Fire Engine & Bicycles

Figure Heads Exhibit

Drug Store

Whaleship Charles W. Morgan, 1841

Nantucket, MA to Wickford, RI, Providence, RI and Newport, RI August 30--Sept 1

After several days in historic Nantucket, we moved west to Rhode Island, docking in quaint Wickford Village. This excellent little marina is homeport to friends on K-K 48 Gratitude, and was a base from which to explore the general area. Narragansett Bay is home to many yacht clubs, sailing activities, and the bustling Newport waterfront. Beavertail Light at the entrance to the bay is the third-oldest lighthouse in the country, and has been beautifully restored and is in the middle of a rustic state park near Jamestown, RI. Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, is a large city, but was remarkably "shut down" for the holiday weekend. We toured along the old historic area, and saw many incredible examples of old architecture, including the First Baptist Church in America, organized by Roger Williams in 1638 (the present building dates from 1775). In fact, Rhode Island was the first area of the new world truly founded to foster religious freedom. The old Federal Hill area contains the Italian section, and there is reportedly still a substantial mafia presence along with great restaurants. We enjoyed seeing Brown University with its many classic, old buildings, but we obviously arrived on the same weekend as the students--it was reminiscent of several trips to deposit our kids at college!
Newport probably has more true old mansions per square mile than anywhere else in the country, and was for many years the summer and/or weekend retreat of some of America's most wealthy. One can certainly understand why, when viewing the incredible vistas of the ocean that are available from the cliffs on which they are situated. Many are on extremely large estates, and are hidden behind well developed foliage. Also present is the church in which John and Jackie Kennedy were married in 1953. There is also animal research in the area (ag friends, can you name the breed of cow?), as well as some idiosyncratic kites flying on the windy cliffs above the ocean. Unfortunately, I was unable to tour the Herreshoff/America's Cup museum in Bristol because of odd closure days.