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The Search for Columbus
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The Search for Columbus
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It may be an urban legend or folk tale told by tired seaman in the fo'c'sle of small leaky ships with heavy canvas sails. Christopher Columbus’s fourth voyage had an unscheduled detour on his way home from Rio Belen on the Mosquito Coast (Nicaragua). This detour caused by the hurricane of December 5th, 1502 beached two of his four ships on the shores of Jamaica – marooning their crews there. The remaining two ships were carried far north and entered the Chesapeake. Here Columbus sought provisions from the local Indians in what was to be known as Crab Alley. Once re-provisioned and refitted, the intrepid sailors made their way to Galesville, a small settlement on the West River. The town has not been the same since – seamen being what they are. This year, we will try to find irrefutable evidence of Columbus’ visit to the Chesapeake. We will arrive late Friday afternoon on October 5 at Haven Charters in Rock Hall, MD. After the skippers check out their boats, the crew can store their gear and head over to Waterman’s to get their fill of crab & grog. Then it’s back to the boats to unpack, store provisions and drink and eat anything that won’t fit on the boats. After a hearty breakfast and a skippers meeting (9:30AM), it’s time to slip the lines and head to our first destination – Crab Alley Bay. Our route will take us through treacherous (?) Kent Narrows with its narrow drawbridge, fast current and unscrupulous bridge tender. There is no need to worry, we will use the ‘iron’ jenny and the tender has been bribed to give us preference. After searching for artifacts on the edges of Crab Alley Bay, we will raft-up in Crab Alley Creek, opposite Johnson Island. Here hors’douvres and more grog will be brought out and we will discuss little known facts about Christopher Columbus. Everyone is encouraged to do a little research and astound all with unbelievable factoids about the man and his life. Sunday morning, after a leisurely breakfast and a little work untangling our anchor lines, we will head out to continue our exploration of Crab Alley Bay and the adjoining Eastern Bay. We will then set course for Bloody Point Bar (not too close) and the West River. Our destination is Pirates Cove Marina in Galesville. Once settled into our slips (all paid for), we have our choice of places to eat. Pirates Cove has a restaurant, but there is also Steamboat Landing with its waterfront view. Trust the Trip Leader and Assistant Trip Leader to choose the best. During our stay, we expect the crew to be on their best behavior – the town is still unnerved from Columbus’ raucous visit 500 years ago. Monday morning, after a hearty breakfast, we sail silently out of Galesville and head north, past Annapolis and under the William P Lane Memorial Bridges, then north east past Love Point and the entrance to the Chester River. The voyage of exploration ends back at Haven before 4:00PM. Hopefully, most provisions will have been eaten and there will be less to take off the boats. The cost of the trip is $350.00 per person (Skippers - $180.00). This price covers charter fees, insurance and one night’s slip fees. Food, fuel, and other incidental expenses are additional and will be handled by each boat’s crew. A $100.00 deposit is required to hold your position. Please make your check payable to The Sailing Club, Inc. and mail it, along with your completed reservation form, to Larry Sherwood at the address below. Reservations will be processed beginning April 13, 2007 with a random draw of those received by that date. All reservations received after that date are on a first-come, first-served basis. The balance of $250.00 will be due August 22, 2007. A pre-trip meeting will be held at a time and place to be announced. All crewmembers should make every effort to attend in order to meet your crewmates, plan your meals, and make travel plans.
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