Continuing a Chesapeake summer tradition begun in 1992, Catalina 22 Fleet 10 hosted a one week cruise for 16 boats on the Bay during the last week of June. This year’s cruise featured a circumnavigation of Kent Island, with 2 nights in the Wye River, and stops in St. Michaels and Rock Hall. Previous cruises have visited the Choptank and Chester Rivers, as well as the Northern Bay.

Each year the cruise brings current and former Catalina 22 sailors from around the country to the Chesapeake Bay to experience one of the world’s greatest cruising areas. Traditionally, we alternate between being anchored out in a raft one evening followed by a marina stop the next evening, with a skipper’s meeting each evening to firm up the agenda for the following day. This year, many of the 22 sailors came in larger boats, so only half the fleet actually sailed Catalina 22s. In addition to local Fleet 10 boats (Slithy Toves, Artful Dodger, SeaHaven, and Quixotic), Catalina 22s also came from Florida (Swizzle Stick), North Carolina (Day Tripp’r and Odyssey) and Pennsylvania (NANA). They were joined by 2 Catalina 27s, a Tartan 28, 2 Catalina 30s, a Sabre 34, a Cal 35, and the queen of the cruise, Aurochs, a 37 foot catamaran. Besides local sailors, crews for these boats arrived from Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Highlights of this year’s cruise included great sailing, a chance to see the tall ships on the Bay, and the camaraderie of cruising friends, both old and new. Half of the boats cruise with youngsters, ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old, who made up a third of the 45 crew members! The cruise was coordinated and arranged by Jeff Martin, Jan Chappell and Michael DeManche. Jan and Michael directed the cruise on the water.

On Saturday, June 24, 2000, we initiated the cruise with boats assembling at Holiday Hill Marina in Whitemarsh Creek off of the Rhode River on the western shore of the Bay, about 10 miles south of Annapolis. Three rafts formed: Aurochs anchoring with the 22s rafting off her, and two other rafts of the larger boats. Crews dinghied ashore for the kick-off picnic catered through a local establishment. There, they picked up their cruise packet from Mike and Jan, and their T-shirt orders from Tony and Kim Orbeck. This year’s design by Tony featured a huge crab (legendary in the Wye River) coming out of the water around a Catalina 22. The weather was warm, and winds were mild in the creek, so the evening was peaceful.

On Sunday, the cruise destination was Crab Alley Creek off Eastern Bay, about 15 miles across the Bay on the south side of Kent Island. Crab Alley Creek runs north/south with 9 feet depths and houses on larger lots along the shores. The day was partly cloudy, with warm temperatures in the 80s and SE winds in the 10 to 15 knot range. The fleet set off at 9 a.m., and beat into the wind 7 miles across the Bay, hitting some choppy water off Bloody Point where the Eastern Bay flows into the Chesapeake. The ride up Eastern Bay was a 6 mile broad reach that was exhilarating. Most boats flew 150% genoas for the sail.

That evening, 2 rafts formed a little further up the creek than intended, due to some wave action in the creek entrance. The rafts were set by 3 p.m., and most crew spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the water, or visiting on each other’s boats. Some entertainment was provided as one 27 went aground while circling to get into position to raft up. She was pulled off when her anchor line was carried to Aurochs, already anchored, who winched her free!

During the late evening, thunderstorms lit the sky to the west, and some rain came after everyone had closed up for the night. On Monday, the fleet awoke to another bright day and a pleasant 10 knot wind from the south. One 22, Artful Dodger, had anchored individually for the evening due to the potential storms. In the morning, a local crabber looking at the two big boat rafts bumped into Artful Dodger as the crabber puttered up the creek. No damage was done, but the fleet picked up another story to add to its collection! It was also discovered that Snowy, a little white stuffed dog mascot traveling with crew from Florida, had been kidnapped. He spent the rest of the cruise flying from halyards and bow pulpits of various boats, until he returned to his owner in Rock Hall.

Monday’s sail was about 12 miles, from Crab Alley Creek across the head of Eastern Bay, into the mouth of the Miles River, and then up the Wye River to Granary Creek. Granary Creek has 7 foot depths well into it, and has a natural shoreline with few buildings visible. It was a beautiful close reach to the Wye, and then reaches and runs up to the anchorage. The fleet again set off about 9 a.m., and was at anchor by 2 p.m. Three rafts formed, with slight variations to the patterns set Saturday and Sunday evening. Crews swam and dinghied around the creek for the afternoon.

Granary Creek is on the south side of Wye Island, a natural preserve between the Wye and Wye East rivers. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a lodge on the creek, where the cruise directors had arranged another catered picnic. Tom Anastasio and Virginia Jenkins, directors of seven previous cruises, were able to join the fleet by land for the picnic. After the picnic, the youngest crews kicked a soccer ball around a field, while others played a game of 9 on 9 volleyball. Thunderstorms again were visible in the area, but only a slight spit of rain fell in the creek.

Tuesday’s sail was planned as a 6 mile sail further up the Wye River to a raft-up. The weather was forecast as good in the morning, but deteriorating to rain in the afternoon. Some boats needed ice, supplies and a pump-out, so they opted to head to St. Michaels (about 8 miles away) a day early. With the winds only about 5 knots, and on the nose, two cruise veterans motored out the Wye River engaged in a water balloon and bucket fight, to the entertainment of several other boats accompanying them. Aurochs and most of the Catalina 22s followed the original plan and sailed up the Wye to a raft up in a protected cove.

As predicted, heavy rains swept through the entire area from 5 p.m. on. Those boats going to St. Michaels tied up at various marinas and visited the town to restock. Those rafted up in the Wye river had a quiet if wet time. On Thursday, by noon the fleet reconvened at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, where slips had been arranged for everyone. The day was spent touring the grounds of the museum, shopping, eating and visiting in the town, and getting an ice cream at Justine’s, a tradition for anyone sailing to St. Michaels.

St. Michaels is noted for several reasons, in addition to the Maritime Museum. Legend has it that during the war of 1812, the town fooled the British when the British fleet sailed up the Miles river to bombard the town overnight. The townspeople allegedly hung lanterns in the woods outside of the town, and kept the town dark. The British shelled the woods, and the only damage to the town came when a shot or two fell short. In current times, it is the home of the Chesapeake Bay log canoe fleet, a craft that stems from Native American times and design, being built of logs and dug out. On many weekends, the log canoe fleet holds races outside the harbor. Ballast for the canoes are supplied by crew sitting outboard on long planks. An occasional dunking results from misplaced ballast!

Wednesday night, the fleet met in the gazebo on the grounds of the museum to celebrate the sixth birthday of Devin DeManche and the 39+ birthday of John Miller. Everyone contributed snacks to a congenial evening of swapping stories and planning future endeavors. Toni and Kim Orbeck gathered their family and some friends on their boat to renew the wedding vows they exchanged on the 1999 cruise.

On Thursday, the cruise plan was to sail out the Miles River, across Eastern Bay and up Prospect Bay to Kirwan Creek, a distance of 12 miles. Kirwan Creek is on the east side of Kent Island, with 10 foot depths in the middle but a winding channel. It is very sparsely populated with a woody shoreline. Winds were predicted to be southerly at 10, making this a broad reach or run. The tall ships were also leaving Baltimore this day, with some going down the Bay and out into the ocean to continue their journey toward New York and New England. They were expected to leave Baltimore at 11:30, and some of the cruise fleet opted to go down Eastern Bay to Bloody Point for a look, before heading back up Eastern Bay to Kirwan Creek.

The predicted winds never arrived, so both groups left St. Michaels about 10:30 a.m. and motored to their destinations. The tall ships were later than expected, not arriving off Bloody Point until after 4 p.m. Most of the cruise fleet puttered around at trolling speeds between Bloody Point and Thomas Point Lights, and waited for the tall ships to come down the Bay. However, the Pasquales, in August Moon, a Catalina 30, elected to motor up the Bay and watch the tall ships pass, and then go up the mouth of the Chester River on the north side of Kent Island and through the narrows to the Kirwan anchorage.

In all, the cruisers saw 5 tall ships up as close as Coast Guard boats would allow. By then, it was 5 p.m., Kirwan was about 15 miles away, and some weather was coming from the west. The group started motoring back to Eastern Bay, but could see 2 more tall ships silhouetted against the western sky as they went. A rain shower came through for 20 minutes, and then a southwesterly breeze at 10 knots filled in so the group sailed on a broad reach up Eastern Bay and into Prospect Bay. They met August Moon at the top of Prospect Bay, and all motored in to join the two rafts already established in Kirwan Creek.

Everyone settled in for a late dinner, continuing patterns of sharing grills and moving around the rafts to visit and discuss the day’s activities. Some showers continued to move through the area, but the anchorage was well protected from the 10 knot winds.

On Friday, the cruise plan called for a trip through Kent Narrows, where the drawbridge opens on every half hour, and then out the mouth of the Chester River and up to the Sailing Emporium at Rock Hall, a trip of about 11 miles. The day was predicted to bring 90 degree plus temperatures, partly cloudy, and north winds at 10. The rafts slowly broke up beginning at 9 a.m., and groups of boat made various bridge openings. The fleet beat out the mouth of the Chester River until the winds died shortly after noon. Then everyone motored the rest of the way to Rock Hall.

Rock Hall was a small waterman’s town on the eastern shore of Maryland north of the Bay Bridge and Chester River, mostly known as the town George Washington went through on his trips to Philadelphia, since the revolutionary era ferry from Annapolis came here. In more recent times, the harbor has become populated with condominiums, restaurants and marinas, as people from Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania use it as a base to enjoy the Chesapeake. The town still has a quaint charm, with Durding’s drug store still operating an old fashioned soda fountain on Main Street.

The Sailing Emporium is a first class marina, with a pool, ship’s store, community room, and a working yard. Here the cruise fleet spent the afternoon visiting town, stocking up and relaxing. Friday evening brought the final catered picnic. A number of Fleet 10 members and former cruisers who could not make this year’s cruise joined the group in Rock Hall for the picnic, including Mike Land who came all the way from Alabama to visit with the friends he had made on earlier cruises. Two fleet 10 boats made the trip by water to enjoy the festivities in Rock Hall.

After the picnic, many cruise crews sat on the boardwalk to watch the sunset over the harbor, and then moved to the community room at the Emporium to help Rachel Bernstein celebrate becoming a teenager. Snowy was also reunited with Merry Lynn, sporting a new pink life preserver to go with his fishnet Speedo bathing suit.

On Saturday, July 1, 2000, the cruise officially ended as the fleet headed home to its various ports. The trip back to the West and Rhode River area was about 20 miles. Winds were light and on the nose from the southwest, so many boats elected to motor and get in early.