Tuesday (9/24) was spent in Onancock relaxing, enjoying the view and walking into town, plus a few boat projects thrown in. Today more businesses were open, so I explored the shops then Michael and I went to lunch at Janet’s which was delicious.  In the afternoon we took Scout-About for a cruise through the surrounding area. The water was still, the shoreline densely wooded and picturesque homes were peeking out through the trees along with lots of wildlife. It was magical.

Wednesday (9/25) morning we said good-bye to Onancock. We slipped away from the dock about 9:00 headed to Tangier Island. As we approached the Island, we saw three huge fishing boats on AIS, 131 feet, 157 feet and 161 feet long, all of them right on our rhumb-line. Wow, there must be lots of fish out here!

Tangier Island is known as the working waterman’s island. As we navigated the channel into the harbor we encountered a village of crab and oyster shanties on either side that were built on pilings in the water. I read that they are peeler sheds where soft shell crabs are held until they molt, then packaged, and along with the oysters, processed and refrigerated to be taken to the mainland.

We arrived at Parks Marina about 11:00. No one was around so we tied up, stepped off the boat and walked down a dirt and gravel trail that led to town. The trail widened a bit and became the main road, just wide enough for two golf carts to pass each other. We walked by tiny houses on postage stamp sized lots with some small businesses mixed in, many in disrepair.

The locals are known for speaking their own dialect of English that has a kind of sing-song cockney accent. Very pretty, and I enjoyed listening to them. The entire island is only about three miles wide by three miles long. With only a couple of cars and pickup trucks, the main forms of transportation are bikes, scooters and golf carts. The population was about 470 in 2016 and is said to be shrinking because the island is shrinking. Thanks to rising sea levels it is losing about nine acres each year and the town itself has a total area of only 1.2 square miles. Some say the island will be uninhabitable in 30 years. We found it to be very interesting and different and we’re glad we had the opportunity to visit.

Thursday (9/26) we pulled out of Park’s Marina and headed across the big Bay again. We left about 7:45 and knew the Chesapeake might be a little sporty this morning and she was, but we didn’t want to get caught for several days in Tangiers. The weather forecast was for southeast winds, 10-15 knots and choppy seas but the wind direction and current were in our favor. In some of the shallow spots we had a few “gunnel to gunnel” surfing roundup events, but after about 45 minutes, as we reached deeper water, the seas smoothed out making the rest of the trip a delightful crossing. Somewhere along the way we said good-bye to Virginia and hello to Maryland.

We arrived at Corinthian Yacht Club on Smith Creek in Ridge, MD about 10:45. We were unable to reach anyone on the phone, so we tied up to their T-dock and followed their website instructions to search out the Club Measurer. At the Clubhouse Julie greeted me and said they would be happy to have us stay. Founded in 1903, it’s a lovely down-home Club run by volunteers. Located on about 20 acres, it has covered and uncovered slips, a clubhouse, pool, restrooms, laundry and five cottages. Old world charm in a rural setting.

Scout-About took us on a late afternoon cruise of our surroundings. Another delightful and incredibly quiet area with massive trees, a sprinkling of waterfront homes and more wildlife. Life is good.

We will probably leave here on Saturday (9/28) morning as there is a strong northerly wind blowing across the bay. Not favorable for us, so we’ll wait for the right weather window. Will keep you posted…