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Chesapeake Destinations<br />
Solomons Island on the<br />
Way to Points South<br />
Tom Corboy, Chairman<br />
Cruising Fleet Committee<br />
Solomons Island is a tendril of land two miles long<br />
and half a mile wide that curls with a strangely languid<br />
and voluptuous look of tension, like a finger arched<br />
in ecstasy or death into the estuary of the Patuxent River.<br />
—J. R. SalamancaSouthern Light 1986<br />
Photos courtesy of Peter Thornton.<br />
One of the most memorable themed events was Pirates<br />
of the Chesapeake, the Fall Rendezvous in 2007.<br />
Held on Quarter Creek at the home of Jay and Kai<br />
Marchant, the weekend featured a lecture and book signing<br />
by the author of “Rumrunners of the Chesapeake,”<br />
activities of power-walking, knot-tying, and purse-making,<br />
and then a costumed extravaganza under the tent.<br />
A Cajun band and “low country boil” were the<br />
themes of the 2008 Fall Rendezvous at the home of Raymond<br />
and Susan Williams on the bluff overlooking the<br />
confluence of Luce Creek and the Severn River. Friday’s<br />
“starter party” featured Cajun dance instruction in preparation<br />
for the Saturday event. Folks gorged themselves<br />
on the crawfish and other seafood and vegetables were<br />
prepared in big steaming pots and then poured onto the<br />
tables for finger-picking consumption. Then it was an<br />
evening of dancing the two-step to a Cajun band from<br />
Atlanta. Spicy food and sore feet—it doesn’t get better.<br />
Solomons, some 45 nautical miles south of AYC, is<br />
a natural stopover for <strong>Annapolis</strong> cruisers and sailors<br />
venturing to or from the southern Chesapeake.<br />
Its robust maritime industry provides several options for<br />
those requiring marina accommodations as well as quiet<br />
anchorages on its many creeks. Its boatyards are capable<br />
of any and all types of repair should the need arise.<br />
Chandleries, grocery stores, and an emergency medical<br />
center are all within walking distance from the majority<br />
of the marinas.<br />
Heading south past the Horn Point shoal pole, one<br />
steers a few degrees to the east of Thomas Point Light,<br />
then parallel to the shoreline, passing the South and<br />
West Rivers. Past Shady Side and Deale, the next point<br />
of reference along the shore is the Chesapeake/North<br />
Beach area with its resort buildings and a bit farther the<br />
old Navy installation with its antennae farm. Soon the<br />
massive fuel storage tanks at Cove Point come into view,<br />
long before passing Calvert Cliffs and its nuclear power<br />
facility. After rounding Cove Point, its picturesque Coast<br />
Guard Station and massive fuel dock, one begins entering<br />
the confluence of the Patuxent River and the Bay,<br />
heading northwest toward Solomons.<br />
When entering the Solomons harbor area, one has<br />
the option of making a slight left turn toward Back Creek<br />
and its many marinas, or a slight right turn to the quiet<br />
anchorages of Mill Creek. Favorite marinas are Zahnheisers<br />
(great facilities and restaurant) and Spring Cove<br />
Marina (wooded picnic area and ample cooking grills).<br />
Although a 45 mile day tests the limits of comfortable<br />
sailboat cruising, Solomons and its many options make it<br />
the perfect jumping off destination for points south and a<br />
welcome respite before pushing on home to <strong>Annapolis</strong>.<br />
VOLUME 1, NO. 2<br />
AYC BEACON<br />
17