June 13-14, St Michaels, MD

Traveled west on the Choptank River from Cambridge to Tilghman Island and went through the cut known as Knapps Narrows. Small bridge across Knapps Narrows which opens on demand. It opened for us about 5 minutes after opening for another boat. Not much car traffic over this bridge so I guess there are no complaints about the bridge opening so often. This is another beautiful day for a boat ride, flat calm, partly cloudy with high clouds and air temperature is about 70 degrees. Almost sweater weather as we create our own 20 mph breeze on the fly bridge. Water temperature shows at 79 degrees.

Waterman tending a "trot line" catching crab at Tilghman Island

We turn north in the Chesapeake Bay from Tilghman Island and Knapps Narrows and head east and enter the Miles River and go another 10 miles to St Michaels, Md.

Sailboat going 12-14 kts.

One of our more interesting sights this morning was a small sailboat (about 25-30 feet) running beside us and going about 12-14 knots without the sail up. We were going about 15. I have never seen a sailboat up on a plane before. He must have had a very large engine.

Waterman entering St Michaels harbor

St Michaels Marina

St Michaels is charming! We walk two short blocks from our marina (St Michaels Marina) to the downtown area. We note that the scale of the architecture is smaller than in other towns we have visited recently. Stores are physically smaller and close together with good sidewalks and trees planted in the sidewalk area. The town seem compact without being crowded. Lots of small shops with good quality items and a grocery store right downtown. This is comfortable as a town to walk around in and a car would not be necessary. Feels a little like downtown Winter Park, Fl.

Cannon in the park

Shops

Church

Bed and Breakfast

Overcast, windy and much cooler today (14th). Sweater weather as temp in the 60's. Visited the Chesapeake Maritime Museum in St Michaels this morning. Their signature exhibit is the Hooper Straight Lighthouse, which has been moved to the property and restored. Lots in the museum about the history of the bay and the people who made their lively hood from the waters of the bay. The museum is a center of boat restoration for boats that worked in the bay and has several larger "skipjack" sailing boats restored on exhibit and several more being restored now in the shops. They have a program where members and guests for the day can participate in the restoration and learn the old ways of boat building.

Hooper Straight Lighthouse moved to the museum site and restored

Boat building and restoration are underway in a shop at the museum. Everyone is invited to help!

A "skipjack" type of sailing boat awaiting restoration. The bottom has been removed from this old wooden boat. Reminds me of a Wade and Betty Aycock project. Linda is ready to give encouragement.

The museum also has good exhibits on oystering, clamming and crabbing including crab tanks for picking out soft shell crabs.