April 26-April 28 HAYES, VIRGINIA
We had been anticipating for months our return to The Bottom Line and beginning again our journey on the East Coast. David's recent back surgery and the subsequent unexpected complications were considered, discussed, and finally deemed to be manageable. We would accommodate his recovery as needed, keep the schedule flexible, and hire help to do the difficult jobs. He did not want to delay the trip and insisted he would be OK.
The weather was pleasant when we arrived at the boat and we quickly unloaded the two extra bags, filled with "necessities"--most of them books. We also had brought groceries, and computers. The scheduled work partially had been completed, the new curtains in the galley were a great improvement over the old plastic blinds, and we were delighted to be back.
A torrential rain storm battered the boat during the evening and thunderstorms of varying intensity continued for the next two days. Workmen completed their projects and helped us with newly discovered malfunctions "There is always something!" is surely the cry of every boat owner.
We were pleased with Severn River Marina's staff. They were prompt, willing, and capable. Sean Gordon, the manager, was eager to help. We met Mike, an owner of the marina and one of the principals of The Bluewater Group that operates several marinas on the Chesapeake. Mike told us about Bay Creek Marina and Resort on the Eastern Shore and graciously compted us for one night's stay in this new facility.
April 29-30 CAPE CHARLES, VIRGINIA
On Friday morning, the weather was clear, the winds were calm, and we were ready to depart from our boat's winter home. At the last minute, we learned there was another problem with a gauge. Two workmen promptly determined what was needed and had it repaired in several minutes. We left the marina with several of the staff standing on the dock waving to us. We had really enjoyed the folks at Hayes and would not hesitate to return there in the future.
The trip across the bay was without incident. I had spent some time plotting our course on the new GPS and we were soon in the blue water with a line of oil tankers, apparently waiting for word to go into Baltimore. The entrance to Cape Charles is via a very long and narrow channel, fortunately well-marked. As in many other places in the Chesapeake, the water can be quite shallow, often less than four feet. Since our draft is five feet, we are careful to follow the signs and pay attention to our depth gauge and the readings on the GPS. As we approached the entrance to Bay Creek, we began to get into mud and momentarily lost our steering control. The boat didn't make the required turn in time and seemed to be going out of the channel. Fortunately, David recovered control quickly, backed out of the mud, regained position, and was able to proceed without additional problems.
Bay Creek is a beautiful, pristine facility surrounded by a development of large homes and condos with Italianate designs and colors. We were given a golf cart that was "town legal" and we explored the area and the little community of Cape Charles. A once prosperous railroad and boating center, Cape Charles is now struggling economically. Many of the storefronts are closed and For Sale signs are placed in front of a large number of homes. The residential neighborhoods bear evidence of the former prosperity of the town. Many of the homes are large and grand. Hopefully the new Bay Creek Resort will be the impetus for wealth and activity that will rejuvenate this once-lovely little community.
Bay Creek Resort includes the Aqua, a beautiful restaurant with sweeping views of the Bay and the small white sand beach. Our lunch there consisted of the most delicious fried oysters either of us have ever eaten. They were small, sweet, fresh, and barely dusted in cornmeal. We considered them "gourmet dinner quality" and may try to copy them when we return home.
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