Branson Cove, VA to Annapolis, MD
On Saturday morning we headed north up the Potomac River, arriving at the Capitol Marina in Washington, DC in the early afternoon. That evening we shared a delightful dinner with our friends Saadia and Tehsin Ghafar at Central, a “warm hearted bistro abundant in whimsy and modern in style” where Mary’s cousin’s daughter Dawn Swaney is an impressive sous chef. The kitchen is exposed to the dining area, and it was fun watching Dawn work, but she was so busy that we weren’t able to visit with her.
On Sunday morning we breakfasted with our niece Ellen Wimsatt in Union Station before heading south back down the Potomac. We had been watching the track of tropical storm Gabrielle for the last few days, and since it was still forecast to head north up the coast towards us, we wondered how far south we would get before having to hole up and wait it out. The river remained flat calm, however, and we made it to the mouth of the Potomac, where we anchored for the night in a peaceful cove on Smith Creek.
Monday morning dawned with no sign of Gabrielle. She had decided to go inland instead of up the coast and dissipate during the night, so our cruise to Oxford, MD was on a flat calm Chesapeake; our weather luck had held again! We love the unspoiled beauty of Oxford and were happy to be wandering its quiet streets again. We visited the Oxford Museum, one of the several small town museums we have found so interesting during our trip, bought a few groceries, and lunched at Schooner’s Restaurant, where we had kindly been given permission to moor for a few hours.
Much to our relief (especially Mary’s!), the Bay remained calm all day. After lunch, we cruised through Knapp’s Narrows en route to Annapolis, MD, where we plan to keep the Cosmic C for a month at Mear’s Marina, the home of our friend Drew Cobb’s Formula 37 PC Another Perspective. The marina is also the new home of the 110-ft motor yacht Chanticleer, previously owned by the late Frances Langford (the Florida Thrush) who sang with the Bob Hope tour group during WW2 and appeared in The Glenn Miller Story, one of Pat’s favorite movies. The Cosmic C had shared several locks with Miss Langford and the Chanticleer on the Erie Canal in 2004 during what turned out to be the last voyage before she died in 2005. It was interesting to see some of the changes the new owners have made to this magnificent boat.
Mear’s Marina has among the best facilities we have encountered on the Loop. The weather had cooled, and so we were fresh and comfortable as we dined on board that night.
On Tuesday we explored Annapolis before picking up a rental car for our trip home the next day. The weather had broken over night, and we had to dodge occasional showers as we walked around the historic streets near the Annapolis waterfront. We went on board the Pride of Baltimore II, a reproduction of an 1812-era clipper privateer used to promote Maryland trade and tourism and for on-board education programs in American History and marine sciences, and we toured the US Naval Academy. Later our niece Ellen Wimsatt and her friend Drew Cobb took us for an early evening cruise up the Severn River on Another Perspective. The weather cleared, and we enjoyed a stunning sunset as we dined at the Chart House overlooking the Annapolis harbor.
On Wednesday morning we packed, tidied up the boat, and left for home. The Cosmic C will stay at Mear’s until we return on October 11 to join Drew and Ellen at the Annapolis Power Boat Show and then take out both boats for a short Chesapeake cruise ending (for us) at Cutter Marine on the Middle River, where the C will be stored for the winter.