06/19 - 06/20 - Potomac River Cruise

L

Levity

New member
Hi All,
Would appreciate some info on cruising the Potomac from DC south to the Chesapeake. How long should this take? What are the best places to put in around DC and take out at the Chesapeake?
THanks,
Levity's Michael

On edit by Da Nag

Looks like this is shaping up as a cruise - added to the calendar, signup sheet is here.
 
Hi Michael! Glad to have another C-Dory on the Potomac. There are a few of us but not many. I have a home in Stafford, on Aquia Creek, about a third of the way down the river and another place on Cod Creek, about 90% of the way down, both on the Virginia side. There are lots of marinas to stay at, would recommend putting in as far north as possible near DC and taking out either around the Maryland shore in the Chesapeake or at some place like Reedville in VA just around the corner. It's a good piece of river, 80-90 miles or so and you can make a three day or a weeks' trip easily. Let me know what your preference is and I'll make some recommendations. Maybe we can get together for a day or two, there's a marina just a mile or two from me on Aquia Creek and we'd put you up at our home if you'd rather not stay on the boat. Also have a dock at Cod Creek and you could stay there too.

Charlie
 
I've sailed the Potomac in two days in a 19 foot undecked British yawl, but that's not the way to cruise it--there's too much history. Get a chart and look up Mallows Bay (great anchorage--WWII ship boneyard), Pope's Creek on the Maryland side--good crabs; Pope's Creek on the Va side--history--GW's birthplace. Before you get there, check out Colonial Beach.
One of our number, who will probably weigh in- hopefully, lives down near the mouth of the Potomac, on the Virginia side. Point Lookout, Md. is interesting, again for the history--it was a Union POW camp. And in between, there's Westmoreland Cliffs, Nomini Creek, and at the mouth--actually a little around the corner to the south, there is Reedville, Virginia, a fine place, with good B and B's. In a CD, the length of the tidal Potomac is doable in a long day--that means, you can break it up into as many easy days as you want to. Make sure to go upstream from Alexandria--don't miss the beautiful skylines of Washington, D.C., and plan to spend at least a night up in the Nation's Capital, either ashore or on the water. Beautiful. Honest.
And, if you get down and have more time, come on up to the Annapolis area--we're on the South River just below A., and are one of several C-Dories on the river. Come visit. We'll leave the light on. Bruce Holly.
 
A copy of a post by me on another thread, paralleling closely the interest of this thread:

Thanks to Charie, Pat, Alma's Only, and all the others that have contributed to my planning. There is another thread currently running in this forum, titled "Potomac River", discussing much of the same area. Perhaps we should move to that thread.
Also, it sounds as though there is enough interest to investigate a C-Dory gathering. Check out the Potomac River thread for a proposal.
Thanks again,
Duane, Joane, Mini, and Tiny aboard Plan B

How about a June C-Dory gathering?

Duane
 
Let us know when you will be here - we'd love to join up for part of the way! We live in Alexandria, VA and keep our boat at Belle Haven Marina, just south of Old Town, Alexandria off the George Washington Parkway. There are transient slips available at the Alexandria town dock just north of us and south of Reagan National Airport. I cruised all the way from north of Baltimore to Alexandria in two long days (190 miles), but would recommend spreading it out a bit. Potomac itself is about 95 miles from Washington to Point Lookout. Schellenberger's "Cruising the Cheseapeake: A Gunkholers Guide" is a good resource and covers the whole Bay, the Potomac, and many of the other tributaries. If you are interested in touring Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, you can call them for tickets and they will meet you down on the dock, where you can leave your boat while you tour the grounds. Its a great way to arrive and depart! All the best,
 
How about a C-Dory gathering in June?

My June plans are to launch in or near DC, Take the truck and trailer to PA, near the confluence of the Delaware and Neshaminy Creek, then AMTRACK back to DC to begin the cruise.

Hopefully, we will launch around June 15, and arrive at destination around June 27 for the arrival of a Grandson. Obviously, my plans could change.

I would like to share any portion of this trip with local boaters who know the local eateries and pubs; and. last but not least, suggest a weekend gathering. Fathers Day weekend, June 19-20 would work for me. We could raise a glass to the Summer Solstice, which occurs @ 2057 on Sunday. Since we have to keep drifting north, how about the area around Annapolis, Baltimore, or the eastern shore at that latitude?

I am open to suggestions, as I have never cruised the Chesapeake.

Looking forward to your comments,
Duane
 
June 19 and 20 would work great for us--and we have a great place to anchor in Harness Creek, just south of Annapolis. Tbink about it. It would be fun to meet some of the C-Dory crowd on the right coast, and we can run shuttle service to some of the best Irish pubs around.
 
Duane, would like to join you near the lower Potomac, have a spot you can tie up for the night and will treat you and crowd for a cookout! Coordinate when the time gets nearer.

Cod Creek, just below Lewisetta, VA side about 8 miles from the Bay.
 
Now that most of the left coasters are at Jerrel's Cove and off the internet, its good to see you right coasters getting into the act. I hope to join you on the Chesapeake some day. Thats called retirement, and still a few years off.
 
Duane,
Ocrakoke Island is a real gem. It is the southernmost end of the NC barrier islands, accessible only by boat or ferry. About 90 percent of it is national wildlife refuge, so it has avoided the building boom that has afflicted much of the Outer Banks. From your photos, I can see that you enjoy out of the way places and empty beaches. Manitou Island looks great.

June 19-20 looks like a great weekend for a Chesapeake Bay C-Dory gathering. I would be happy to see you off from the DC/Alexandria area the week before - please let me know how we can assist. Your family and Tiny would be welcome to hang out at our place while you deliver truck and trailer and come back via Amtrak. (And we have a few Irish pubs around here, as well!)

Best wishes,

Tom
 
Count us in on the June 19-20 Annapolis gathering. If all goes according to plan, we'll have a new 22-ft by mid-May and will be itching for places to go.

Bearh, you wouldn't be Lisa's Dad by any chance? If so, we met at Washington College.

John & Liz
with the yet-to-be-named but eagerly anticipated C-Dory
 
We're getting overlapping replies, it looks like--Okay, folks, let's talk. Do we want a rendezvous near the mouth of the Potomac, or near Annapolis, on or near the weekend of June 19-20? Either way, count us in. Up near Annapolis, we'd be glad to host--depending on the weather and the direction of the breeze, we have good anchorages either in front of our house, or around the corner, in Harness Creek. We'd be glad to run taxi service, barbecue in front yard, run to Annapolis. Down in Cobb Creek area, we'd be glad to say howdy, and help as necessary, Charlie.
John, Liz--yessir, that's our baby. In the meantime, we're jest awaitin' on our new fuel tanks. Bruce Holly
 
Bearh et al. I'd rather do it near the mouth of the Potomac but will bow to the majority. Can I get an indication of those interested in coming and where they are? I can do a calculation of distances then and put it somewhere in the middle. If some are coming from NoVa (Otter) and some from Annapolis (Snowden) and some from in between, the middle (mouth) may be the best. As of now, 19th/20th weekend sounds fine, I won't know for sure till things get closer but knowing those dates will lead me to do my darndest to keep them free.

Please post your interest here, I'll create a separate thread when I have all of them or ask Head Nerd to do a signup sheet....
 
Anywhere is fine with me. If the distance is too great to do by water with the time available, we'll just trailer it to the vicinity and put in nearby. Suggest we let the majority rule, and the "loser" commit to a gathering on their turf later in the summer, okay? (By the way, Charlie, I have been in a conference most of the week and am unable to get away for lunch until next week - will email or give you a call.) Looking forward to an excellent Fathers Day weekend!
 
Charlie, I copied on of your pics with RADM Wyatt to my work email and shared it with a coworker that used to command a USN nuclear sub. he to can tell great stories, of course stopping short of what's classified. You are lucky to have a shipmate like the Admiral! Butch
 
OK folks - added this to the calendar, and created a signup sheet. I made Bearh the Cruise Director, as he was the first to suggest a date.
 
I kinda started this whole thing by throwing out my travel plans, and my desire to meet with/cruise with other Dories. We will start down the Potomac from DC on June 15th or so, enroute to the confluence of the Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek; arriving around the 28th. For us, an week-end with friends at or near Annapolis sounds great. However, we would enjoy company on the rest of the trip. A caveat: if impending arrival of grandson happens early, we will have to stop dawdling, and put the hammer down.
Duane
 
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