In this Issue

Philedelphia Cruise Report, July 6-18, 2008

SMSA boats Virginia Dare (Wayne and Sally Wilson) and Kalypso (Fred Siesseger) have finished a two-week cruise, off the beaten path, to Philadelphia. SMSA boats have completed this trip before, long before we became members and Curt and Dottie Hamilton of Serenity were kind enough to give us some pointers during the SMSA Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Our course north from Solomons included an anchorage in the Rhode river, a marina stop at Rock Hall landing, an anchorage and swim in the Sassafras River, the Delaware City Marina (with diner at Crabby Dick’s), and three nights in Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing Marina.

The weather worked to near perfection with the cruise plan, raining or casting down its malicious 100 megavolt outbursts only after the SMSA boats were safely tied to a marina dock. There were a few hot days, but almost always a cooling breeze at anchor, or a refreshing drizzle. Northbound we saw 5-10 knot winds from the SW and we sailed, sometimes on spinnaker alone, as long as the wind permitted 3 knot or more of boat speed.

Apart from the always-comfortable spots along the Chesapeake Bay, this cruise added a couple of unusual stops, Delaware City and Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia. Delaware City Marina is strategically placed right where you need a marina for either transiting down the Delaware Bay to Cape May, or up the Delaware River to Philadelphia. Just one-nm north of the C&D Canal’s east end at Reedy Point, the marina sits in a now abandoned spur of the original C&D Canal. Approach depth can trip up Virginia Dare (6’2”), though Kalypso was able to “raise the board”, leaving just over 3ft draft and the ability to slide sedately in on any tide height. The marina claims 7ft approach and 12ft alongside depth, but marina operators have learned that revenues are inclined drop just like the tide when too much respect is given to the precise definition of Mean Low Water. Fortunately, the tidal range is five feet at this spot and, with a little timing entry is easy. With 4.5ft of tide under us, the depth sounder reported 8.6ft on entry. It is possible that we were off the line. “Favor the green” is the local’s consistent advice. The fees are $2.00 per foot per night and $8.00 for 30-A of Delaware’s finest alternating current. Vessels can fuel, take on water and pump out here before their next long leg up the river, or down the bay.

Timing your passage on the Delaware to it's tidal current is even more useful going up the river than it is down the bay because of the shorter distance (37nm). If you get the right start, the current will not turn on you till you are nicely in the marina. Unfornutately, we didn’t, because Virginia Dare needed all the water she could get in order to get back out of Delaware City.

The trip up the river was far more interesting than any of us expected. We agreed to forgo the Bulkhead Channel, south of Pea Patch Island and retrace a mile of yesterday’s progress to loop back around the island and join the main channel north. Civil War era Fort Delaware sits on the north side of Pea Patch Island. There, a pretty, 40-something foot ketch under full sail and showing the Swedish flag passed us in front of the fort, bound down river. They waved and looked happy – we hoped Philadelphia had treated them well.

Beyond the island, the southern portion of the river is full of marshes on the Jersey side and some pretty little villages with old church spires on the Delaware side. That gives way to commerce as you move north. Marshes morph into petroleum terminals and refineries, church spires into power plants. Still, the general sense of the river is not homely, but interesting! Navigation is easy. We followed outside the marks up the red side – leaving the channel for the commercial traffic. Kalypso even managed a few hours of run under the power of her big Genoa. Lots of tugs with barges operating and the motor ship-tanker Overseas Diligence passed southbound. The ports showed healthy activity, with ships moored to piers and tugs waiting for dock space to tie-up and pump their barges.

Penn’s Landing Marina was as good as it gets in terms of facilities and location. The floating dock facility appears to have been built within the last 10-12 years to attract 50-ft powerboats – probably the mainstay of Philadelphia area boating. The up side of the currently repugnant gas and diesel prices is that 50-ft powerboats have now become quiet and sedentary. Of the approximatel 24 slips, just seven were occupied, and two of those were our SMSA boats. From Penn’s Landing marina it is a very short walk to all of Philadelphia’s colonial history and to a good number of restaurants. Fees were $1.50 per foot, per night including electricity - 30A and 50A.

We walked the historic district and Society Hill, visited the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross’ home, toured Constitution Hall and Carpenters Hall – site of the 1st Continental Congress and walked by the esteemed Dr. Franklin’s grave. On the walk back to the boats we found the Old City Tavern, which in 1774 was called, “the most genteel tavern in America” by none other than John Adams. We ordered three samplers of their locally brewed beer and ales – a near gluttonous quantity that went down without so much as a hint of bother, or gentility! We dined at one of Philadelphia’s most venerable old restaurants Bookbinders (1865) on Walnut Street, just 2-blocks from our boats and had a meal that gave credit to the old institution’s fine reputation.

We had planned to go to a Phillies game, but the imagined logistics of that were more bothersome than catching the ferry across the river to Camden, NJ to watch their AAA team, the Riversharks [sic]. They played nobly to their defeat by the Somerset Patriots on a clear warm night in their beautiful, new stadium on the riverfront. Fireworks afterwards as we walked the block back to the ferry for the night ride across the Delaware to Penn’s Landing.

We rode the current down the Delaware at 0720 Sunday morning. This time it pushed us along adding as much as two knots by the south end of the river. A ten-knot S wind against current humped the river up at Pea Patch Island, nothing adrenaline inspiring, just lumpy. That same helpful tidal current that took an hour off our trip downriver had by now scoured most of the water out of that “7-ft” entry into Delaware City. Virginia Dare planned to push on through the C&D canal and anchor in the Bohemia River. Kalypso could well have left us for the comfort of another night at the Delaware City Marina, but chose to press on with us through the canal. She was rewarded for her resilience by a convergence of commercial river traffic at Reedy Point, tugs with barges and a sea going ship. Nonetheless, Kalypso is a “gamer” and all the more impressive by being single-handed!

From Veazey Neck on the Bohemia we returned south via Worton Ck. anchorage, then two nights in Baltimore at Anchorage Marina, then an anchorage in Mill Ck. off Whitehall Bay and dinner at Jimmy Cantler’s famous creek-side  “dive”.  We droned down The Bay on auxiliary power Friday the 18th and took a tie at our marinas just before 1600.

There was plenty to do and plenty left undone. And, if anyone plans another Philadelphia cruise, they can probably count on both of these vessels to join in.

Top

Oxford Cruise Report, July 24-26, 2008

A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday didn’t deter nine SMSA boats from joining Reflections (Patty and Rich) on on the three-day cruise to Oxford, Maryland..

We departed Spring Cove Marina at 0700 hours on Friday. We were hoping for the 3 to 7 knots of south winds predicted when we entered the bay. Instead, we were met with a variable breeze and flat water. As we motored past Red 2, we tried to put the sails out but made a paltry 1.5 knots. Fred Siesseger, in Kalypso, motored by us and said he would see us in the creek. Since we were sailing so slow, Shawn, Patty’s eldest son, and Rich fished for a couple of miles. After a short time, we took down the sails and motored the rest of the way to Plaindealing Creek, off the Tred Avon River, off the Choptank River. Fred was already there and we anchored off his stern at about 1330 hours.

Between then and happy hour at 1730 hours, Decoy (Curt & Judy Larsen), Sequoia (Kate & Chris Miller), Rigel (Cheri & Mark DeLaVergne), and Lickity Split (Donna Maneely & Les Griffith, with Donna’s niece and her significant other) showed up and either rafted with Reflections or anchored out. Happy hour was aboard Reflections and was well attended with tasty hors d’oeuvres and some great sangria provided by the folks from Lickety Split. Wavedancer (Mark & Carrie Brownhill) arrived just as the sun was going down and happy hour was breaking up. The raft broke up and everyone anchored alone for the night. Even though the wind was brisk, Plaindealing Creek has a mud bottom with good holding power.

After a solid breakfast of eggs, bacon and biscuits, Reflections weighed anchor at 0915 hours Saturday and headed towards Town Creek. Since we had not ventured past the entrance to Town Creek, we headed up the Tred Avon a little ways to see what it is like. The plan was to form two rafts in Town Creek since the anchorage around Green 9 is limited. There was a large power boat anchored right in the middle, limiting our options. Most boats anchored separately in and around Town Creek; Wavedancer tied up with Reflections. Kalypso tied up in Mear’s Marina as his wife was going to join him. Sequoia put out the no-nettle pool and several SMSA folks took a dip to cool off. Some dinked into Hinkley’s Marina to tour Oxford and to take advantage of the hand dipped ice cream at the general store. Illumination and Noon Somewhere joined the group later in the afternoon.

Happy hour was held on Sequoia and Noon Somewhere who were rafted, and we able to spread out the elaborate snacks for the large group. The evening cooled off with a nice breeze and we shared stories, great snacks and some much appreciated adult beverages. Chris pulled out his guitar and serenaded the cruisers with music from Jimmy Buffet (?), Christopher Cross (?) and more.

At about 1830 hours everyone manned their dinghies and we headed off for the end of Town Creek to enjoy a delightful dinner at the Latitude 38 restaurant.  Our marine convoy consisted of six dinghies, four under power and two in tow. It was quite a sight! It was even more of a sight to see us all returning in the dark.

Sunday morning dawned bright but the weather forecast indicated we were in for some severe afternoon thunderstorms. Most cruisers took an early departure out of the anchorage for Solomons. Winds were primarily from the SW and eased as the day wore on, leading us to motor most of the way back home.

It was a great SMSA weekend of good food, good boats and happy fellow mariners in Oxford with a record of nine boats and 21 cruisers in attendance. It was a get together not to miss.

Top

Second Saturday Cruiser's Raft at the Clubhouse, September 13th

The next Second Saturday Cruiser's Raft will be at the clubhouse on Saturday, September 13. I will not be able to attend because I'm out of town on business, so we need volunteers to bartend and host the raft .

The raft will start at 5:00pm.and continue until around 8:30pm. If your boat is in the water, why not come tie-up at the T-dock? Cruisers can bring their favorite snacks to share, just like happy hour afloat. The bar will be open, so you can purchase your favorite beverages. At around 6:30pm, we'll eat potluck dinner, so please bring a main dish, vegetable, salad or dessert to share. Please contact Max Munger to sign up to help behind the bar.

Top

New York City Cruise, 2009 - Update

This earlier proposed cruise (see August, *the Clew*) has "caught the attention" of five other boats (so-far): Walkabout, Ruste Nayle, Kalypso, Reflections, and Champagne (a non-SMSA boat) Virginia Dare makes six. Two others feel a *very slight gravitational attraction*but do not care to plan that far in advance - fair enough.

Join in with no sense of commitment! This will be kept at the level of a winter pipe dream until the January '09 Cruise Planning meeting. That said, if you have ever had any interest in a leisurely cruise to Manhattan via the beautiful North Bay, through the enchanting C&D Canal then down the "notoriously" lovely Delaware Bay and finally up the sunny New Jersey shore, do chime in. Nothing is cast in concrete and adding your boat's name to the pipe dream list gets you voting rights in the itinerary and the start date.

The proposed cruise schedule is posted to the smsa cruise site, just follow the link at the top of the page. The itinerary for Manhattan is wide open. The possibilities are *large*: theatre, baseball, cuisine, history, sight seeing, shopping, etc., etc., etc.

Promise yourself a sail past Lady Liberty in '09.

To offer your thoughts or intention to join, contact me at vadare@gmail.com.

Top

Margaritaville Cruise September 13-14

The Margatiaville cruise has been cancelled as the leaders had a scheduling conflict.

Top

Nautical Songwriter and Storyteller Scott Kirby is a Big Hit at SMSA

Eighty-nine people came by boat, car, bicycle or on foot for the August 17th Scott Kirby concert at the SMSA clubhouse.  The crowd was treated to a three-hour show, in which the New Hampshire-based singer/songwriter/storyteller told jokes and stories in-between his mostly self-written songs.

“This is the best place I’ve played all year,” an enthusiastic Kirby said after the show.  “People were attentive the whole way through.  It wasn’t like playing in a bar.  It was more like some of the folk music festivals I play.

“And Solomons is such a beautiful place.”

Although a native New Englander, Kirby spent about 20 years living in Key West and still has a part-time residence there with his wife.  Many of his songs are based on his experiences on that colorful isle, and quite a few of the stories he told at SMSA also had a Key West element.

There are exceptions; “Heart of a Beach Town,” off Kirby’s 2003 CD, 4 Good Dogs, is set along coastal New Hampshire.  Many of his songs about sailing and harbor life find their inspiration from his sailing trips around the globe.  “Lucky Enough,” a song from the same album about living by the seaside, has been one of this year’s most requested songs on Sirius Radio’s Radio Margaritaville.

“I thought it was great just to have somebody with the flair he has for boating and a relaxed lifestyle to play right here on the river in Solomons,” SMSA Vice Commodore Clarke McKinney said after the show.  “You couldn’t find a better person to play that venue.  The maritime themes, unique songwriting – some that apply directly to the boatyard where SMSA now sits.  It was perfect.  I urge everybody to see him when you get the chance.”

Kirby was accompanied by lead guitarist and back-up singer Dave Edmisten, and the pair received standing ovations at the end of both the regular set and the encore.

The event was organized by Herb Reese, who is a personal friend of Kirby’s.  Lisa Flaherty did the lion’s share of ticket sales.  Other volunteers who worked at the show were: Rod and Pat Schroeder, Betsy Dodge, L.G. and Merrie Ruth Raley, Shannon and Ed Walters, Kim Egbert, Herb’s friend Elise, and Tim Flaherty.

Although the total dollar amount is not available at this writing, it appears SMSA profited about $600 on the event.  Perhaps best of all, the SMSA clubhouse and facility was showcased to dozens of visitors from out of the area, many of whom keep boats in places like Annapolis and Baltimore.

“I’m definitely going to check out Solomons for my boat,” remarked Jack LaMay of Leesburg, Va. as he stopped by a table that had materials promoting SMSA and Solomons.  “When I hear it’s so much cheaper here than other places and that the sailing is great, it definitely gets my attention.  And it’s beautiful here, too.” LaMay, a part-time sailing instructor, currently keeps a 25-foot sailboat on the Rhode River.

Scott Kirby has a MySpace page (www.MySpace.com/scottkirbykw), and his management promised that a picture or two from his Solomons visit would be posted.

Top

Social - Geezer Squeezer and Crab Feast

The Crab Feast was a great time. The participants in the Geezer Squeezer seemed to enjoy their morning sails. The next few social events coming up will be the Chili Cook Off and Oyster Scald on the 18th of November and the Annual Membership Meeting on the 1st of November. Hope to see everyone there.

The Social Chair needs to be filled for next year. It is time to pass it on, if you are interested and/or enjoy putting on parties, this position maybe for you. Please, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. This position has been a blast, I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know a lot of you over the last two years. Also for those who have an interest, I will not just be dropping this into your lap, I will be available to assist you through out the year. You can either email me at social@smsa.com , call me 301-863-8285, or catch me at the Friday Night Socials.

Top

Women's

I can't believe its almost the end of the summer already!  There are still two women's events left this season.  

The Women's Fall Race Series will be occuring September 13 and 14th.  There will be a crew breakfast along with the skipper's meeting at 7am at the SMSA clubhouse on September 13th.  Skippers: if you are planning on participating, please email me at womens@smsa.com so we can have an appropriate amount of food for the event.  A mini-rendezvous will be held at the clubhouse after the racing on Sunday where provisional results will be announced please bring snacks to share. Thanks to Shermax/Toby for volunteering to race committe for the weekend.  There were three boats that participated in the Marcy series which was a great event, I look forward to another great event in the fall!   

The Women's Overnight Sail will be occuring Septermber 27-28th.  The cruise leader for the event is Patty Kimmel.  Additional details can be found on the cruise page on the SMSA website. 

Top

Calendar

Classified