Day 217: Travel to Chesapeake City

Day 217: May 19:  Nothing was stirring at 5:00 a.m. when we woke. Made preparations and left the dock just before 6:00. We had a long day ahead, intending to cruise to Chesapeake City. Located at the tip of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D), Chesapeake City is the only town in Maryland that is situated on a working commercial canal.


It was another chilly day, the sun hiding behind the unrelenting cloud cover. Despite the cold, we were grateful for the calm water. An 11 hour day is always more doable when the water is still and reflective. Fish trap areas appeared out of the mist; sticks and nets warning all to keep clear.

It was an uneventful day with not many interesting sights along this segment of the river. Waypoint, the beautiful Fleming that rafted to us at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center raced from behind, catching up and overpassing us with no trouble. Captain Bill hailed us and chatted for a bit. He said he was headed to Freedom Boat Club at Summit Pointe, a bit further than we were going (Chesapeake City). 


We passed the Sharps Island Light, the third lighthouse to stand nearly 3 miles south-southwest from the southern end of Tighman Island in the Chesapeake, replacing the first two that had become obsolete or destroyed. In fact, the second light was forced off its foundation by an ice floe in 1881. With keepers holed up inside, it floated nearly five miles down the Chesapeake, finally running aground and allowing the men inside to escape. 

The current light was completed in 1882 and is best known for evoking the Leaning Tower of Pisa, having been tipped by an ice floe in 1977. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the many historic features along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. 

I found the story of this lighthouse and its predecessors to be interesting. There are so many structures on the waterway we take for granted. Until we take the time to investigate, it's easy to pass them by without a second thought. 


After passing the Chesapeake City Bridge, we turned to starboard into Chesapeake City's small but busy harbor. The anchorage basin was quite full but we managed to find a spot to drop the hook. With not a breath of air and no current there was no concern about dragging so we only put out 25 feet of rode. Chatted with a fellow looper from Maine. He said he and a few others had been anchored for a few hours and hadn't moved an inch. Looks like a peaceful night is in store for us. 















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