Once the capital of the emerging colonies, Annapolis remains a Victorian-laced blend of Northern efficiency and Southern hospitality. Revitalized several times, the waterfront community dates back to the 1600s and offers history buffs plenty of grist for meaningful exploration. Add to this the proximity to Washington, D.C., and there's good reason for you East Coast cruisers to detour up the Bay that captivated John Smith and see for yourself all that the estuary has to offer.
Annapolis is more than home to the U.S. Naval Academy and one of the best boat shows in the nation; it's a cruising crossroads that sees fleets of pre- and post-Intracoastal Waterway passagemakers saunter through each season.
Most spend a couple of days bathed in the city lights, getting a feel for the fine restaurants of Maryland's waterfront capital city. Unfortunately, those in a hurry miss out on dozens of different anchorages within five to 25 miles of Annapolis's busy harbor. These off-the-beaten-path alternatives lie just beyond the downtown thrum, and boast of a more laid-back, old-Annapolitian lifestyle, a kind of cruising that features secluded coves with all-weather protection and a link to nearby traditional waterfront communities.
RALPH NARANJOClassic Chesapeake Bay boat houses are popular on the Eastern Shore.Five of my favorites lie within a 10-mile radius of Spa Creek, the sixth involves a 25-mile cruise across the bay, and by watching the weather, you can enjoy a favorable sail both ways.
SHELTERED SOLITUDE
Just a couple of miles northeast from the sprawl of city moorings in Annapolis is a small bay that in turn leads to two navigable creeks. Whitehall Bay is surrounded by shoaling sand spits, but the transit around Greenbury Point is straightforward. Simply steer a course that honors the red day mark southwest of Hackett Point, and when it bears 18 degrees magnetic, turn to starboard and enter Whitehall Bay.
The 30-minute motoring and battery-charging exercise is worth it, because you get to enjoy a dose of solitude and savor a sunset at anchor. The little bay is reminiscent of Martha's Vineyard with a touch of antebellum architecture, and one of the stately shoreline homes belonged to Bermuda Race legend Carleton Mitchell, who sailed Finisterre to an unprecedented three consecutive victories. He was an ocean racer who once said that for every mile he raced his Sparkman & Stephens yawl, he cruised her 10!
Another big plus for Whitehall Bay is its built-in bad-weather bailout plan, which simply involves hauling up the anchor and heading upstream into Whitehall Creek. The well-marked estuary allows seven feet of so of draft to venture to, and a bit beyond, Whitehall Marina, a full-service boatyard that's transient-friendly. However, before you reach the boatyard, there's another all-weather anchorage called Ridout Creek, which you'll pass to port. If you'll be cruising the upper Bay during the fall, file it away as a safe spot to hunker down and hide from an infrequent gale or a late-season hurricane.
PICTURE-POSTCARD ANCHORAGES
Heading north carries you under the Bay Bridge and on past Sandy Point to the Magothy River, home to an uninhabited sandy islet called Dobbins Island. Perched toward the northeastern end of Sillery Bay, the sandy spit is sheltered by larger Gibson Island, which nearly closes off most of the mouth of the Magothy. The anchorage on the northern side of the island can be crowded on weekends in the early fall, but it's a wonderful spring, later fall or weekday stopover. The tiny island hints of a Robinson Crusoe experience, yet sits just a couple of miles from serious suburbia.
RALPH NARANJOThomas Point Lighthouse, located just south of Annapolis, is one of the few screwpile lighthouses still in operation.A right turn after leaving Annapolis astern leads you south down the bay toward the picturesque screwpile lighthouse at Thomas Point, an aid to navigation that marks the shoals off the mouth of the South River. This estuary sports a handful of coves and creeks that are easy to explore, though the river – like most on the Chesapeake – is dotted with sandy shoals. Fortunately, it's also well-marked, and can easily accommodate eight feet plus of draft up to the first fixed bridge (53-foot clearance).
Harness Creek is one of the most postcard-like anchorages on the Western Shore, bordered by the hardwood forest woodlands of a county park on one side, and a few tasteful waterfront homes on the other. It's a quiet, scenic, away-from-it-all destination that's still close to Annapolis. Check out Paddle or Pedal, a kayak- and canoe-rental facility at the Harness Creek dock, which is part of the Quiet Waters Park facility. For a small fee, you can tie up and enjoy a stroll through wooded trails that lead to a West Marine at the park entrance and Grump's Café, a low-key restaurant favored by local sailors, with great burgers and a unique Annapolis flair.
Selby Bay provides another South River anchorage affording solitude and a nice view of an undeveloped wooded peninsula. It is the first major port hand turnoff as you make your way into the river and lies downstream of Harness Creek. The straightforward, well-marked entrance leads you toward Turkey Point Marina, which has transient slips, and to starboard at the northern end of the bay lies a quite anchorage that offers good protection in northerlies. But if a serious blow is in the offing, it's worth moving up river to Harness Creek.
The next estuary to the south is formed by the confluence of the Rhode and West Rivers, which lead to the marinas, restaurants and boatyards of Galesville and the surrounding communities. Anchor just off Galesville's mooring field, and take your dinghy to a waterfront restaurant or the town dock to enjoy a bit of western Maryland that has resisted the sprawl of Annapolis. Indeed, it remains home to watermen who crab and fish the local estuary.
