Solomons Island to Cocrell Creek on the Great Wicomico River - Reedville, VA

We had a good run from Solomons Island to Reedville a distance of about 45 miles. We were able to motor sail for a while with both main and genoa. We maintained a speed over 7 knots for almost an hour before we had to alter course which put us too close to the wind to continue sailing. When we dropped the main sail and rolled up the genoa our speed went down to 5 knots. The waters at the Potomac River's mouth were relatively calm which made for a pleasant passage. It is important to get across the Potomac in good weather as winds against the current can create very uncomfortable conditions. The forecast was for high winds beginning early evening and lasting a day or two.

Fishing Vessels at Reedville

The US Navy was conducting naval gunnery practice; however, we were outside the gunnery area and safe. We had to alter course a little as we approached a restricted area where old military ordinance was dumped into the Bay with the thought it would be harmless. This proved not to be the case. In fact, there was an explosion in the area when a charter vessel entered the restricted area and cause some sort of disturbance which resulted in a detonation. No one was injured and the vessel was not damaged. However, the incident made the papers and boaters were reminded to watch their charts for restricted areas. It is clearly marked on the charts; however, you have to read the notes to learn why the area is restricted. Most people don't read the small marginal print.

Reedville

We arrived at Reedville an hour before dark. Reedville is a small town on the Great Wicomico River which is just south of the Potomac. In the 19th and early 20th Century is was a bustling harbor with up to 80 ships sailing from it to catch menhaden (a.k.a. pogies, bunker) to process into fish oil and fertilizer. At the height of this industry there were eight large fish processing plants and Reedville had the highest per capita income in the country. This wealth is reflected in the Victorian mansions that line Millionaires Row (when a million dollars was real money.) Today, the fishing fleet is a little more than a dozen ships and one processing plant remains in operation. It was still an impressive sight to see so many fishing ships at dock along the shore of a deep narrow creek. You could smell the fish processing plant as you sailed past. We headed further up the creek where the air was better.


http://www.baydreaming.com/destinations/reedville-virginia/

Fish Processing Plant

We decided to remain in Reedville an extra night as the winds for the next few days were forecast to be from the north with increasing velocity. The anchorage we used was well protected. The winds howled through our rigging on the first night even with this sheltered position. Wind speeds on the nearby Bay reached sustained speeds  in the twenties and gusts into the thirties. The following day, the winds subsided; however, the waves were high enough to make for an uncomfortable journey south. So, we just waited an extra day for the seas to settle.
Carla cleaned and waxed the cockpit area during our layover day. Dwayne worked on planning our trip down the ICW. We read some and watched a movie. The Cubs won the World Series but we didn't get to watch the game as we couldn't get it on TV due to weak signal. We followed the game by calling Dwayne's mother who is an avid baseball fan. Even this was hit and miss as the AT&T cell coverage was one bar at best. We repeatedly dropped calls and eventually gave up when it appeared the Cubs had a substantial lead. No cell also meant no wifi. Thus, this post is a bit late.