The Sailing Club, Inc.

Trip Report Dividing Creek St. Michaels and the Magothy River October 22-25, 2004

The wind in my hair Blows from where I ne'er been To where I'll ne'er go. by Rob Chichester and Dave Steward I know this is not true for everyone but the October Trip is both the climax and the culmination of my sailing season. I look forward to it with the same zeal with which I promote the event. In some ways that may set one up for disappointment but the Chesapeake Bay has rarely disappointed me. This trip was no exception. Nearly everyone was at his or her designated marina Thursday afternoon. The Rock Hall crowd mostly headed to Waterman’s. Waterman’s has returned from being wiped out by Hurricane Isabel last year. The crab cakes were just as good and the beer just as cold as we had remembered. The Annapolis crews dispersed to Carrol’s Creek Café, the Chart House, and other establishments near their marina. Following a late skippers’ meeting, boats slipped their lines and headed down the bay. Everyone was underway by about 11:15 in the morning. The Eastern Shore group went through Kent Narrows in two groups, making different openings of the drawbridge. The Annapolis gang head southeast before turning northeast around Bloody Point. The winds were fresh and there were plenty of opportunities to fill the sails with the autumn winds. My crew sailed into Shaw Bay before furling sails. We were the core of the raft and we had to get into Dividing Creek first. Nine boats became one fairly quickly. The raft grew smoothly by adding boats to each side simultaneously. As each crew arrived, they ooh-ed and ah-ed at the beauty of this undeveloped creek. The queen was on her throne and her mantle was a long colorful panorama that could not have been more beautiful if it had been painted by an artist. In this case, the queen is autumn and her throne was the Chesapeake Bay. At the shoreline of Dividing Creek, the reds and golds just beginning among the trees spilled onto the water as if the artist’s brush lay seeping color at the water’s edge. There were no buildings visible anywhere…only trees and local wildlife. Only two other boats shared our harbor this night. In the morning, a photographer motored up to the raft. He explained he was from Chesapeake Bay magazine and that staff members were on a boat in an adjacent cove. They had heard our frivolity and mirth even at that distance. They were compelled to investigate the source of all the singing and merry-making. After a set of photos and the taking of names, the gentleman set off to rejoin his colleagues. We all made preparations for getting underway. Some boats wanted to go straight into St. Michaels to enjoy the town and its Fall Festival. Others (like Dave and me) wanted to ride the wind as long as possible. Our only limitation was getting into the marina in time to pay for all 8 slips. Our boats galloped down to Bloody Point before we turned around to head back to St. Michaels. We did not drop sail until we reached the mouth of the Miles River. The warm showers and a hearty repast were welcome treats. Some danced the night away at one of the local establishments. Others sought a television to watch the World Series. Many heeded the call of their bunks. Ironically, the boats bucked and rocked more in their slips than when we were anchored out the night before. The next day dawned with a pink and orange glow on the horizon. Those who had the fortitude to waken early caught the ends of a rainbow arcing over the town. Then the clouds lowered and light rain began to fall. Concerned about the lack of good sailing conditions, most skippers decided to stay in port one more night. It was said to be cold and drizzly all day in St. Michaels. Some of those who stayed attended the Jack Russell Terrier Races that were part of the weekend’s Fall Festival. Later, the five crews assembled to discern a winner in the Scavenger Hunt. There was great amusement and wide smiles at the “creativity” of some of the entries for the 40 items on the scavenger list. In the end, the crew of Wind Song (Captain McKenzie) took the prize with 28 out of 40 items. The party disbanded only when the hotel bar closed and everyone was in pain from the sidesplitting laughter during the judging. Earlier…Captains Steward, Buckley, and Chichester followed their crews out onto the water to discover yet one more destination. (The majority had judged that by leaving, the three crews forfeit the Scavenger Hunt.) The three had chosen the Magothy River for the night. The rain had virtually ended before we left the harbor. Indeed…it was possible to see Key Bridge in Baltimore from Love Point. Weather reports of NE winds overnight made a return to Broad Creek (from last year’s October trip) a comfortable decision. Once we rafted, we convened a cocktail party in the cockpit of Cat’s Paw (my boat). Yes…it CAN hold 17 people, even with the wraparound eisenglass. Each crew dined on its respective boat and the evening closed quietly. In the end, the winds were at most light and variable overnight and we all rode peacefully on one anchor or the other all night. The short sail back to each of our homeports provided an opportunity for leisurely “must-go” breakfasts. Some took the time to pack their bags before we hoisted anchor. The crew of Irish Rover transferred Stacy to Cat’s Paw to allow her ride back to New Jersey with Jane and Wayne. Rob and Dave bid farewell by radio at Baltimore light as the former turned east and the latter turned south. A short hour later, we began to see boats from St. Michaels heading up Swan Point Channel towards Rock Hall. We took our turns at the fuel dock and then executed the debarkation procedures specified by the charter company. It had been a great trip. As I said at the start, I was not disappointed. We were getting an early start home. Already the reminiscing had begun. Additional coverage of the October Trip may be found in the Camden Connection newsletter of L3 Communications Systems - East where several participants in the October Trip are employed. Photos by Betty Grieve, Tom Davies, and MaryAnn Gordon