Weather fronts are stalled over the Chesapeake and promise to bring even more rain. Cruising dreams always have fair weather and blue skies but the reality is often different so put on the rain slickers and explore.
We were surrounded this morning at anchor by waterman laying out their trap lines for crabs. I was a little worried that our anchor would get fouled, but then I focused on the positive—we were probably in the mother load area and would bring up a Maryland Blue Crab on our anchor/chain and have a succulent dinner. I was disappointed when we only brought up brown sludge.
We traveled a short 15 miles over to Oxford through the rain and fog along the beautiful Tred Avon River. As we neared Oxford, the Oxford Bellevue Ferry (America’s oldest privately owned ferry shuttle) pulled out quickly from shore right in our path. This was not as “up close and personal” as when Destroyer #58 pulled out of the Portsmouth Navy Yard right in front of us without so much as a horn signal but that’s a whole other story.
We have had an ongoing discussion about using a marina vs. anchoring and it came into play again today. We had hoped to anchor between Buoy 9/10, but we were already soaked and more thunderstorms were predicted, so we opted out and went to a marina. Here’s another example of where the dream and the reality separate. What would you do?
Oxford is another quaint eastern shore village undergoing a metamorphosis from fishing town to tourist mecca but the economic downturn has slowed this a bit. With its brick-paved sidewalks, picket fence yards, historic homes (Bay homes for sale for 2.5 million) and the Strand beach along the river complete with benches at the end of every street, Oxford is inviting even on a rainy day. These boys dove right in but watch out for those pesky jelly fish. Oxford is home to Cutts & Case, Inc., classic wood boat builders, and the harbor is filled with their beautiful works of art. As the rain poured down, I was able to duck under the awning of the Oxford Market and take a picture of flowers loving the rain. The town is sponsoring a picket fence art contest and here’s a picture of what Oxford looks like on a sunny day. It's always a sunny day at the fantastic Scottish Highland Creamery for home-made ice cream and truffles.
We were surrounded this morning at anchor by waterman laying out their trap lines for crabs. I was a little worried that our anchor would get fouled, but then I focused on the positive—we were probably in the mother load area and would bring up a Maryland Blue Crab on our anchor/chain and have a succulent dinner. I was disappointed when we only brought up brown sludge.
We traveled a short 15 miles over to Oxford through the rain and fog along the beautiful Tred Avon River. As we neared Oxford, the Oxford Bellevue Ferry (America’s oldest privately owned ferry shuttle) pulled out quickly from shore right in our path. This was not as “up close and personal” as when Destroyer #58 pulled out of the Portsmouth Navy Yard right in front of us without so much as a horn signal but that’s a whole other story.
We have had an ongoing discussion about using a marina vs. anchoring and it came into play again today. We had hoped to anchor between Buoy 9/10, but we were already soaked and more thunderstorms were predicted, so we opted out and went to a marina. Here’s another example of where the dream and the reality separate. What would you do?
Oxford is another quaint eastern shore village undergoing a metamorphosis from fishing town to tourist mecca but the economic downturn has slowed this a bit. With its brick-paved sidewalks, picket fence yards, historic homes (Bay homes for sale for 2.5 million) and the Strand beach along the river complete with benches at the end of every street, Oxford is inviting even on a rainy day. These boys dove right in but watch out for those pesky jelly fish. Oxford is home to Cutts & Case, Inc., classic wood boat builders, and the harbor is filled with their beautiful works of art. As the rain poured down, I was able to duck under the awning of the Oxford Market and take a picture of flowers loving the rain. The town is sponsoring a picket fence art contest and here’s a picture of what Oxford looks like on a sunny day. It's always a sunny day at the fantastic Scottish Highland Creamery for home-made ice cream and truffles.
Kathy and Dean on Briar Patch joined us for an impromptu get-together. Here’s a picture of their beautiful hand-made wooden rowing dinghy.
