5/7/2011 QUEST CRUISING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH CASSIDY AND JOEY

5/7/2011 THE QUEST CRUISES THE NEIGHBORHOOD


SATURDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 19 NM

DOCKED AT: JOE AND SUZANNE FISCHER'S

                       ISLAND CREEK

SUNRISE: 6:00      SUNSET: 8:02

HIGH: 71               LOW: 50

What a day! Joey and his 8 year old Cassidy were here to visit Grandma and Grandpa bright and early. We all piled into the Quest and tootled out of Island Creek, into the Choptank River then the Tred Avon River and on up past Oxford.

CASSIE IS RARING TO GO

GRAND PA JOE AND CASSIDY HANGING OUT TOGETHER

Cassie took full charge and entertained us the whole way. We had a little dance, some recitations and she even drove the boat for a little bit. I think that must have been when we were going around in circles!!!

LOOK OUT WORLD!  HERE I COME!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our relaxed hours visiting with Joey and getting to know Cassidy. Thanks for joining us!

JOEY AND DAN BRINGING THE QUEST IN



We will be leaving the Quest here for about three weeks while we travel to Vermont to catch up on a little business, California to visit family and friends and then onto Kauai to celebrate Makoa’s high school graduation. We are so proud of our grandson and excited to be a part of this wonderful celebration.

MAKOA'S GRADUATION PHOTO

We will resume our journey on the Quest after June 1st and bring you up to date on our travels at that time. Hope to see you all then!

5/6/2011 TAKING THE FISCHER''S BOAT OUT FOR A SPIN

FRIDAY

DOCKED AT: JOE AND SUZANNE FISCHER'S

ISLAND CREEK

SUNRISE: 6:01      SUNSET: 8:01

HIGH: 71               LOW: 46

We had a great day out on the water with Joe and Suzanne’s newly acquired Mathews Brothers Blackwater 29 foot Down Easter boat. He has only had it a couple of weeks and we made the run to the Oxford docks for his first fuel fill-up.

HERE WE ARE, READY TO SET OUT ON OUR CRUISE

FUELING UP FOR THE FIRST TIME

It is perfectly wonderful now with everything abloom, the birds singing from the trees and the cool evenings. The Quest is quite happy calling this home for a while.

QUEST QUITE HAPPILY DOCKED AT THE FISCHER'S

5/5/2011 CAMBRIDGE TO THE FISHERS' HOME IN OXFORD, MD

THURSDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY:     11 NM

DOCKED AT: JOE AND SUZANNE FISCHER'S

ISLAND CREEK

SUNRISE: 6:02      SUNSET: 8:00

HIGH: 66                LOW: 48

The towering sail above the Dorchester County Visitors Center here in Cambridge is an Eastern Shore landmark and juts more than 100 feet into the air. The sleepy town is charming but suffering, just like so many little towns, from the flailing economy. We walked into town in search of breakfast but found no restaurants open for morning customers.

TOWERING SAIL AT THE DORCHESTER COUNTY VISITORS CENTER

Our luck changed when we ducked into A Few of My Favorite Things and met the proprietress, Carol Levy. She had wines, coffees, teas, chocolates cheeses, gift items and a genuine Smith Island Cake. We had heard of these works of digestible masterpieces but never came into close proximity to one. Carol served us up some coffee, a piece of this lovely cake and chatted with us for a while as we hovered around her sales counter.

SMITH ISLAND CAKE

It seems that this delicacy dates way back. The original recipe calls for pancake thin layers of yellow cake slathered with rich chocolate icing. Although they may have been only four to six layers in the beginning, the Official State Dessert of Maryland towers between six to twelve layers high and comes in a variety of flavors. Our “frosting with the cake” was white cake with beautiful coconut icing. The breakfast of champions!!!

Today is so much nicer than stormy yesterday. We enjoyed walking amongst the historic homes and were absolutely astounded to find these gorgeous blooming peonies. It’s only the beginning of May!!! Guess we for sure aren’t in Vermont!

                                                             BLOOMING PEONIES

Shortly before leaving from the marina this afternoon we saw this odd looking wooden sailing boat come in. It was an old skipjack, a traditional fishing boat used on the Chesapeake for dredging oysters. The HM Krents was built in 1955 and is one of only 46 remaining skipjacks. These sail powered vessels remain in service due to laws restricting the use of powerboats in the Maryland oyster fisheries. These guys were picking up a tour group and giving them a ride on a real, working skipjack.

SKIPJACK HN KRENTZ, STILL WORKING

We ventured out in the afternoon and made our way into Island Creek where we found the Joe and Suzanne waving from their dock in Oxford. We swung in, tied up and easily slipped into our old familiar friendship that has spanned 20 years and many miles. Their new home here has the most spectacular view with most rooms open to sights of the water. They have done lots of refurbishing work and it is almost done now. Who knew that Joe could pull off such a coup while Suzanne headed back to work each week? Nice job!



OUR VIEW OF THE HOUSE FROM THE QUEST



THE VIEW OF QUEST FROM THE HOUSE



We got a quick tour of Oxford then settled in for a good dinner in their airy dining room as we reminisced about past years and many good times.

5/4/2011 A STORMY CROSSING FROM HOOPERS ISLAND TO CAMBRIDGE, MD

5/4/2011 A STORMY CROSSING FROM HOOPER ISLAND TO CAMBRIDGE, MD


WEDNESDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 54 NM

DOCKED AT: CAMBRIDGE CITY MARINA  

                        CHOPTANK RIVER

SUNRISE:   6: 03   SUNSET:   7:59

HIGH:    57            LOW:    50

JUST THE  "REMAINS"

It was “up and at’em” early on the Quest this morning as we cast off under raining skies filled with ominous clouds and rough waters. We did not, however, beat the crab processors to work. I think they quietly started the painstaking task of processing yesterday’s catch at 4:00 AM.

Our stormy trip sent us right into the choppy waves. It was doable until they started coming up over the top and dripping into the pilot house from the weepy ceiling. We were scrambling to get the charts and guide books out of harm’s way. Well, if that wasn’t enough, later in our day’s journey it got to pounding on the port side “V” berth window so viciously that it blew the latch. Buckets of water gushed in, saturating everything from my sewing machine, the carpet, both mattresses and bedding and then anything else that might have been in its path. Ugh!

RAIN AND SPRAY FROM THE BOW PELTING THE PILOT HOUSE WINDOWS

TRYING TO SOP UP SOME OF THE DRIPPING WATER

The Cambridge City Marina, MD was a welcome sight, tucked back behind their defensive breakwater. Capable dock hands assisted us in tying up then we began to sop up, hang out, sweep and do laundry in both our machine and the marinas. It’s just a little water. By the time the laundry was about done the clouds were drifting to the margins and the sun was fighting its way into our day for the first time. Lovely

Wanda and David from The Bottom Line came here yesterday from Onancock and were already snugly tied up here. They gave us a call and asked if we would like to join them at the yacht club for dinner tonight. Didn’t have to spend too much time coming up with a positive answer to that question.

5/3/2011 RIPPONS HARBOR MARINA ON MIDDLE HOOPER ISLAND, MD

TUESDAY

RIPPONS HARBOR

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 44 NM

DOCKED AT: ROIPPONS HARBOR MARINA
                        ON MIDDLE HOOPER ISLAND


SUNRISE: 6:05       SUNSET: 7:57

HIGH: 80                LOW: 60

Ready to head out into the Chesapeake Bay we untied and began passing crabbers. The waters were not nearly as nice as on Sunday. We bounded about a bit but stayed on course and were passing the unique islands of Tangier, VA then Smith as we crossed into Maryland. Both are known for their fabulous blue-crab and charming isolation.

CRABBERS WORKING THE WATERS AND PULLING UP THEIR TRAPS

The deep waters of Hooper Straight brought us from the Tangier Sound to the Honga River and the chain of Hooper Islands. Although once a tobacco community during the Revolutionary War times, this unincorporated community in Dorchester County, MD has long relied on the fishing industry to see them through.

We spent the night at the Rippons Harbor Marina and Seafood. Janet, granddaughter of the founder, greeted us at the dock and helped us with our lines. Mr. Rippons started this facility in 1946 and his descendants carry on the family tradition of harvesting, purchasing when necessary and then processing the crab from the surrounding Chesapeake Bay waters. We watched them bring in baskets and baskets of crab from other local crabbers. They unloaded the baskets then steamed the crabs in readiness for tomorrows pickers and packers.

QUEST DOCKED BY THE RIPPONS CRAB PROCESSING FACILITY

THESE BASKETS OF CRAB WERE PURCHASED FROM OTHER CRABBERS

TIME TO UNLOAD TODAY'S BUY

We have no water and power hookups but are tucked in nicely. The only local restaurant is closed on Tuesdays but Janet generously offered their van if we wanted to venture over the bridge to one of the other islands. We thanked her but declined, opting to make some mighty tasty crab cakes from the pound of the freshly packed crab that Janet let us purchase. It just doesn’t get any fresher!

MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO MAKE CRAB CAKES
..............AND THEY WERE MIGHTY GOOD!

We are on the east side of Middle Hooper Island and can look over the extremely narrow strip to see the Chesapeake. The water doesn’t look quite so calm over there and may be getting worse as the next storm approaches.

5/2/2011 A DAY IN ONANCOCK, MD



THE BOTTOM LINE AND QUEST DOCKED AT ONANCOCK



5/2/2011 ONANCOCK, MD

MONDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 0 NM

DOCKED AT: ONANCOCK, MD

SUNRISE: 6:07 SUNSET: 7:54

HIGH: 75 LOW: 57

Just a day of bike riding, catching up on bills and lazing about. Kind of nice!

The name Onancock derives from the Indians word that means “foggy place”. The town was chartered in 1680 and was once the home of Francis Makemie, the father of American Presbyterianism. It is a fairly placid place; a few small fishing boats heading out, locals gathering to chat at the “Liars Bench”, graceful homes lining its avenues and brilliant azaleas still blooming. There is a hardware store, a bakery, a convenience/gas store and a few small restaurants but you have to travel farther for most things.75

THE LIAR'S BENCH

BEAUTIFUL HOMES LINE THE STREETS

A STATELY MANOR



VIBRANT AZALIAS LINE THIS DRIVE


The news of Osama bin Laden’s monopolizes today’s news along with the warnings that a major retaliation is likely to follow.

5/1/2011 NORFOLK TO ONANCOCK, VA ON THE CHESAPEAKE

SUNDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 63 NM

DOCKED AT: ONANCOCK, VA

      ICW MILE MARKER: ABOUT 12 MILES EAST OF MM 121

SUNRISE: 6:11      SUNSET: 7:53

HIGH: 69                LOW: 45

Craig and Alexis were off early this morning; first in a taxi to the airport where they picked up a rental car and then the scenic drive back to Vermont.

Dan and I did some boat cleaning both inside and out then cast off. The Norfolk Harbor is a most fascinating place. The military presence is evident everywhere. You could hardly tell where one ship ended and the next began in this impressive lineup.

SHIP AFTER SHIP AFTER SHIP

NOTE THE NEW STEALTH LINES

THE IMMENSENESS OF THE U.S.S. GEORGE H. W. BUSH
AIRCRAFT CARRIER  WAS AWE INSPIRING

Since we traveled the western shore last year, we opted to cut across the Chesapeake Bay and make our way up the eastern finger of Virginia before ending up in Oxford, MD at the end of the week.

The day was dismally dark and delightfully cool, maybe even cold. We passed car haulers, fishermen, freighters and sail boaters out in the channel of the bay before making a right into Onancock Creek that would lead us to the small village of Onancock.

CAR HAULER HEADING UP TO BALTIMORE OR MAYBE PHILLY

We wove through the charming homes sparsely sprinkled along the creeks shore then pulled up to the marina and docked right behind The Bottom Line, David and Wanda’s 58’ Hatteras.

ONANCOCK WHARF MARINA

OUR VIEW FROM THE QUEST

OK, this might be “the” story of the journey. As we are tying up, a 20’ center consul fishing boat is being loaded onto the trailer at the launch ramp. One guy is helping and eyeing both the big Hatteras M/Y. He looks up at me and says “My dad had two Hatteras’ yachts before he died. I sure miss him and your boats make me think of him.” Then he mentioned that he had bought a Cheoy Lee Yacht after he sold the last Hatteras. This rang a bell in Dan’s mind and he asked the man’s name. Well, sure enough, Mr. Walter Potter was the son of John Ray Potter who had this boat designed and made to order. Walter came on and took a photo of the original name plate that shows John’s name.

"HAY, MY DAD HAD A BOAT JUST LIKE THAT"

WALTER CHECKING OUT HIS DAD'S NAME ON THE
ORIGINAL NAME PLATE

QUEST STARTED OUT LIFE AS "MI-TOI

David and Wanda on The Bottom Line invited us over for cocktails and chat and before we knew it, night was upon us! It is so peaceful and charming here and we hope to explore the village tomorrow.

4/30/2011 DEEP CREEK BRIDGE TO NORFOLK, VA

SATURDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 8 NM

DOCKED AT: WATERSIDE MARINA

ICW MILE MARKER:   0

SUNRISE: 6:12      SUNSET: 7:52

HIGH: 66               LOW: 53

TODAY’S BRIDGES: 3

  1. DEEP CREEK BRIDGE 10.9

  2. NORFOLK SOUTHERN #7 RAILROAD BRIDGE 5.8

  3. GILMERTON BRIDGE 5.8 (IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RXR BRIDGE)

TODAY’S LOCKS: 1

  1. DEEP CREEK LOCK 10.6

We started our day off going through the Deep Creek Bridge where we had tied up for the night and joined the three other boats waiting to transit the Deep Creek Lock. The Lockmaster tends to both the bridge and the lock; driving his car between them to let us boaters pass through. He is also responsible for maintaining the grounds around the lock and we do appreciate his presences and assistance.

DEEP CREEK LOCK

LOCKMASTER AND BRIDGE TENDER

We had a bit of a wait for the Norfolk Southern Train Bridge and Gilmerton Bridge but once through we scooted right along to finish our short day. The Norfolk/Portsmouth Harbor is such a busy place; filled with military ships, barges, working tugs, ferries and tour boats. We made quick work of tying up then set off to explore the area.

The park area was filled with kiosks representing a variety of countries as this year’s Norfolk NATO Festival was in full swing. It is a time to celebrate the rich influence of the varied international alliances here in Norfolk. We saw a Bavarian style Oompah Band performing and scads of kilt bedecked folks wandering around.

COMPLETE WITH ACCORDION AND LEDERHOSEN

Norfolk’s signature symbol is the mermaid and we made it a point to visit several of the charming creatures. You would never know when one might pop up!

 

 JUST A SAMPLING OF NORFOLK'S FRIENDLY MERMAIDS

We also paid a visit to the U.S.S. Wisconsin, one of four Iowa-class battleships. This ship was launched in 1943 and commissioned in ’44. The ship served in WW II, the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm after a complete upgrade of its equipment. The City of Norfolk now has stewardship of this historic battleship and invites us all aboard to learn about her inner workings.

LOOKING UP AT THE U.S.S. WISCONSIN, .... WAY UP!

THE MASSIVE ANCHOR CHAIN WITH EACH LINK WEIGHING IN AT 130 LBS

It was Alexis and Craig’s last night with us and we had a great “farewell” evening at the lovely Byrd & Baldwin Brothers Steak House. We had much to reminisce about our past days together and plans to make for future visits on the Quest.