Day 42 & 43...Mill Creek #1

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2012

      Well the weather forecast for today was for Small Craft Warnings, winds from the NW @ 15-20 knots and gusts to 25 knots.       Needless to say we stayed in our pretty little hole by the brick house.  We read, napped and cleaned up a little.  I wish we could’ve gone but it was not to be.  No phone and one bar on the Internet again since we’re still in the same place.

     About the only interesting thing that happened today is that a huge tree floated by.  Gary said it must have been 12 feet long.

FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012

     There were small Craft warnings again but lower winds so we decided to try to get to Solomons, Maryland.  We left early (about 5:45a.m.) and got out into the bay by 6:30 a.m.  The sunrise was beautiful.  

     It wasn’t too bad at first, but the waves got progressively worse until they were 4-5 feet.  They were steep and boxy because the 15or so knot winds were against the incoming current.  The waves were slamming into the bow of the boat something terrible.  It was hard to walk around with all the rolling too.  Well we got to the mouth of the Potomac River and said enough is enough.  We turned ourselves around and headed back to the Mill Creek anchorage.  No pictures of the waves.  I was too busy holding on.  Think of the waves you’ve seen so far and add 2-3 feet. 

     On the way back, we decided to check out Reedville, Virginia.  That’s where the big ships we saw yesterday take the fish to be processed.  I took pictures of another kind of fishing boat holding two smaller boats.  

     Then I took a picture of the brick smokestack.  If you've ever been to Reedville you don't have to ask which one.  I found out that the smokestack was built 110 years ago and is 130 feet tall.  Reedville raised the money to have it restored recently.  Most people assume that the smokestack's original purpose was to vent steam from the first fish factory's boilers.

     Other than the Omega Protein Plant there was little there close to the water to take pictures of except the usual houses and marinas.  By now we were tired and ready to anchor back at our home away from home.  We anchored in another part of the creek and watched as other boats came in from that mess outside in the bay.  By almost dark there were four other powerboats sharing Mill Creek with us.  

     Well let’s see how things go tomorrow.  The weather forecast calls for lighter winds out of the WSW.  That sounds more favorable if it’s true.

     We traveled 28 miles today in 4 hours 30 minutes and ended up just around the corner from where we started.  Better safe than sorry.  Still no Internet or cell phone.