Chesapeake Bay Rally — 06 October '11

06 October –13 October

.

CHESAPEAKE BAY FALL CRUISE

in company with

THE CRUISING CLUB OF AMERICA

6th to 13th OCTOBER 2011

We have been invited by the Cruising Club of America to join them in their annual cruise in the wonderful waters of Chesapeake Bay. This will be a privileged opportunity to join with our US counterparts and enjoy East Coast yachting at its very best. The rally will start and finish at the historic city of Annapolis, Maryland. Your Captain of Cruising has committed to leading the way on behalf of the Thames with a 50ft yacht and a crew of six (including two US citizens). It is hoped that a fine body of Thames members will join him in flying our burgee in the heart of US yachting.

Thurs 06 Oct

Annapolis 

Daytime: Check into charter yachts - Tour the historic town - Visit the Annapolis Sailboat Show trade day.

Evening: Opening cocktails at Mears Marina pavilion on Back Creek.

            (Guest cards available at the Annapolis Yacht Club if required.)

Fri 07 Oct

 Sail to St Michaels, Maryland, (30 miles). Town is famous for its shipbuilding and oyster industries, and was last besieged by the British in 1813.

Evening: Cocktail party (oysters). No organised dinner.

Sat 08 Oct:

Sail / Race to La Trappe Creek, (30 miles?). Raft party, weather permitting. Dinner aboard.

Sun 09 Oct:

Sail to Oxford, (5 miles). Once a thriving port shipping tobacco to Europe, now a sleepy little town. Visit Cutts & Case shipyard.

Evening: CCA Chesapeake Station Annual Meeting at the Tred Avon Yacht Club. Dinner at TAYC (jacket & tie).

Mon 10 Oct

Free sailing. Possible to visit the Wye Island conservation area with its woodlands and farmland, and picturesque  well-protected anchorages in small creeks around the island.

Tues 11 Oct

Sail North to Langford Creek (East) on the Chester River, (50 miles?).

Evening: Dinner at home of CCA members Bob and Lindsay Matthews.

Wed 12 Oct 

Sail back West to Gibson Island, (20 miles).

Evening: Final event at Gibson Island Yacht Club, "cook out, club bar and toasts to all."

Thurs 13 Oct

Sail back to Annapolis, (10 miles). Return yachts and disband.

 

Chesapeake Bay: The Bay is the largest estuary in North America, covering about 4,500 square miles in total and is on the East coast, South of New York and roughly level with Washington. Cities include Baltimore and Annapolis. The sheltered waters and innumerable anchorages have made it the centre of US yachting.

Yacht Charter: There are several charter companies in the Bay, but perhaps most suitable for our purposes are Annapolis Bay Charters , http://www.annapolisbaycharters.net/index.php , who have a number of excellent modern yachts available. Prices are around  US$5,000 all in for a 50 foot yacht for the week.

Charts: Official charts of the area can be downloaded free from http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/bookletchart/ . (Remember feet not metres!)

Flights: The gateway airport for Annapolis is Baltimore (BWI), 25 miles away. British Airways run regular flights from Heathrow to Baltimore with prices currently starting from just under £500 return.

Weather: Average temperatures range from 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (remember this is the States, so forget your Centigrades and other metric stuff!). The summertime prevailing SSE winds will be changing to cooler north westerlies.

Tides: With a tidal range of up to 1 foot six inches, secondary port tidal calculations can be left at home. 

Event Manager: For more information, contact Peter Innes-Ker on peter.innesker@yahoo.co.uk .