Playing on the Bay with Ed & Barb Daniel

There was fabulous weather during the Daniels' visit on "Island Hopper". Temperatures were in the mid to high 70s during the day with sunny skies. The winds were 10- 15 knots with the seas 2 to 3 feet.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Early Morning Fog

Debbie & Barb rode about 5 miles on bikes around Rock Hall in the morning. Kevin and Ed deflated the dinghy and winterized the dinghy motor. After eating lunch Barb & Ed took the shuttle service to Baltimore's airport for a 4:00 PM departure. We had a great time with Ed & Barb and are glad they joined us for 5 days in the Chesapeake Bay.

Saturday, September 20, 2008 The crew got up early this morning to ride bikes around St. Michaels, MD. Barb, Ed, and Debbie rode bikes to the Farmers' Market and the St. Michaels Maritime Museum, where Kevin met up with them on his bike.

Hooper's Lighthouse at the Maritime Museum

Then they rode to Perry's Cabin. Perry's Cabin is a beautiful estate like inn on the water. The grounds are exquisite and the inn facilities beautiful. After touring the inn they jumped on their bikes and rode back into the town. After stopping at the Blue Crab Coffee Shop and a few stores they rode back to the marina. "Island Hopper" departed the dock at Harbour Inn Marina in St. Michaels at 12:45 PM and arrived in Haven Harbour, Rock Hall, MD at 3:15 PM. After a quick tour of the marina they went to the Crab Fest sponsored by the Haven Harbour. Barb ate over a dozen crabs. She made up for Kevin, Ed and Debbie who ate hamburgers and nibbled on crab. After dinner they drove around Rock Hall and had drinks at the Harbor Shack. After cocktails they went to the drugstore for ice cream. Ed had a waffle cone that held about a pint of ice cream. After their evening snack they went back to "Island Hopper". Another great day on the water!!!!

Friday, September 19, 2008 Ed & Barb woke up early to walk around Annapolis and have a coffee at their favorite coffee shop in town. "Island Hopper" departed the dock at 11:00 AM heading to St. Michaels, MD. "Island Hopper" arrived at Harbour Inn Marina around 1:00 PM.

Pulling into the dock at St. Michaels

After lunch Kevin, Barb and Debbie took the dinghy across the harbor to the St. Michaels Maritime Museum. Kevin was the docent for the day. The museum has a wonderful displays and interactive exhibits about the life on the bay. The Hooper Island Lighthouse was a favorite exhibit.

Barb & Kevin at the top of the Hooper Island Lighthouse

The crew walked to the Town Dock restaurant for dinner. The seafood was great!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Barb & Debbie rode their bikes about 3 miles around the Inner Harbor waterfront in Baltimore before departing the dock at 10:40 AM.

"Island Hopper" leaving Inner Harbor

"Island Hopper" headed to Annapolis, arriving at 12:30 PM. After docking the boat the crew had a quick lunch and headed to the Naval Academy. Barb & Ed took Debbie & Kevin on a tour. It was a wonderful afternoon touring a few of the buildings on the campus.

Kevin, Barb & Ed at the Naval Academy

After visiting the Naval Academy, Debbie & Barb went shopping in Annnapolis. It was back to the boat for Happy Hour and then a walk to O'Leary's for dinner. O'Leary's is a favorite restaurant of Barb & Ed. We had another great meal with good friends.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Barb & Ed Daniel arrived at the Inner Harbor Marina around 5:30 PM. After they unpacked, "Island Hopper's" crew had wine and appetizers in the cockpit. They later walked to J. Paul restaurant for dinner. Everyone is looking forward to cruising to Annapolis tomorrow.

Barb on the back of "Island Hopper" in Baltimore, MD

Preparing "Island Hopper" for the Daniels

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Kevin and Debbie did laundry, grocery shopping, and boat maintenance in preparation for the arrival of Barb and Ed Daniel. Debbie & Kevin will take "Island Hopper" to Baltimore, MD. Barb & Ed will meet them at the Inner Harbor Marina around 4:00 PM on Wednesday, September 17th.

Cruising With The Crockers

Thank You!! Thank You!!! to Barb and Roy Smith

for loaning Debbie & Kevin their Maryland Burgee to fly on "Island Hopper". Barb and Roy are friends from the Ohio River Launch Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, but are originally from Baltimore. They have cruised the waterways flying the Maryland Burgee on their boat "Aerosmith".

We have been having so much fun with Jenny and Dan Crocker that we didn't make time to keep up the Blog. But, that's a good thing!!!! Wednesday, September 10, 2008 The Crockers arrived at Haven Harbour, Rock Hall at 12:20 PM. We went to "The Shack" for lunch. Jenny was brave and had a soft crab sandwich. After lunch, Jenny and Debbie went shopping in Rock Hall. Lucky for the men, not too much damage can be done in the Rock Hall shopping district. Kevin and Dan happily went on their merry way to check out the local marinas and boats. After playing around Rock Hall they went to Osprey Point for dinner.(http://www.ospreypoint.com/) Osprey Point is a lovely inn and marina. Thursday, September 11, 2008

Heading under the Bridge

Fort McHenry on the Waterfront

The crew prepared "Island Hopper" for a 9:40 AM departure. After a 2 hour and 20 minute cruise "Island Hopper" arrived at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. It was a great day for cruising the waterways of Maryland. After lunch on the boat Jenny and Debbie set off to shop their way through Baltimore. Kevin and Dan walked to a local bar on the other side of the harbor and enjoyed some brews. The crew ate dinner in the restaurant at the marina called the Rusty Scupper. Wonderful seafood was had by all!!!!(http://www.selectrestaurants.com/)

"Tide Point" - A Previous P & G Plant

A Sailboat cruising Inner Harbor

Just a few small yachts across the dock from "Island Hopper"

A view of downtown Baltimore from the boat dock

Dan Crocker sitting in the cockpit of "Island Hopper"

Friday, September 12, 2008 "Island Hopper" departed the dock at 8:30 AM, arriving in Annapolis, MD at 10:45 AM. It was another good day for cruising. Some mild rain started after we docked. Again, Jenny and Debbie went shopping, while Kevin and Dan did a walking tour of the Naval Academy. They ate dinner at the Annapolis Yacht Club. (http://www.annapolisyc.com/) Annapolis is a beautiful and quaint town around the waterfront. Saturday, September 13, 2008 "Island Hopper" departed the dock at 10:00 AM and docked at St. Michaels Harbour Marina in Saint Michaels, MD. Jenny and Debbie took the shuttle and walked around the small town of Saint Michaels. It is filled with specialty stores and boutiques. Kevin and Dan rode bicycles to the Saint Michaels Museum. (http://www.saintmichaelsmuseum.com/) The crew met at 4:30 PM to do a wine tasting at Saint Michaels Winery. (www.st-michaels-winery.com) After tasting 8 - 10 wines they happily purchased wine for tomorrow night's happy hour. They had a fabulous meal at Bistro St. Michaels. (www.bistrostmichaels.com)

Saint Michaels Harbor near Harbour Inn

Crab Claw Restaurant

Sunday, September 14,2008 Biking...Shopping...Lunching...Swimming...Cruising...Drinking...Dining This was a day that almost had enough action filled events to satisfy Kevin.

"Island Hopper's" Crew in the dinghy

The yacht "Diamond Lady"

Around 10:00 AM Jenny and Debbie hopped on the bikes and rode into town for some last minute shopping. After riding the bikes back to "Island Hopper", the crew jumped into the dinghy for a harbor cruise. After a short cruise they went to the Crab Claw for lunch. Jenny received a hands-on crab eating demonstration from the table behind us. After lunch it was back to marina for a refreshing swim. Captain Kevin said the water was too cold, so he needed more time than the rest of the crew to take a plunge into the water. "Island Hopper" arrived back to the home port, Haven Harbour in Rock Hall, MD. around 5:30 PM. The crew was ready for happy hour and then dinner at Waterman's Crab House. http://www.watermanscrabhouse.com/) The Crockers leave tomorrow morning to head home to Cincinnati, Ohio. We had a great time playing in the Chesapeake!!!!!

Arrival to Rock Hall, Haven Harbour Marina

Sunday, September 7, 2008 We arrived in Rock Hall around 7:15 PM. We were happy to find that "Island Hopper" was not affected by the stormy weather from Hannah. Tomorrow we will begin preparing for the arrival of Jenny and Dan Crocker.

Trip Summary by Captain Kevin

Sunday, June 8, 2008 TRIP SUMMARY Hello from Capt. Kevin, Haven't written much thus far, as I have been very busy with navigation and maintenance of Island Hopper. Luckily we had no mechanical issues or groundings. We saw more than our fair share of mariners who did not navigate as carefully as they were being towed off the"hard". Wanted to cover a few details about our recent voyage. We traveled 1205 miles from Stuart, FL to Rock Hall, MD. Rock Hall was fishing community until the past few years. Our summer home is Haven Harbour Marina on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay www.havenharbour.com/ . Many of the boat owners at the marina are from PA (Philly area) and NJ, which are a short drive. 80% sailboats in this marina, but with fuel costs I don't blame them! In our recent journey we were en route 20 days with 18 travel days. We spent two nights in Charleston and Hilton Head, respectively, neither of which we have visited prior to this trip. Our diesels ran 94.5 hours and we burned 1486 gallons of fuel or 15.7 gallons per hour. That corresponds to .82 MPG which is respectable for a boat. We averaged 67 miles per day which was 4-5 hours underway. One day over 100 miles and several at 25 miles. We left the marinas between 7:30 and 10:00 depending upon tides and how many miles we had to travel. We used Marinalife to book our marinas http://www.marinalife.com/ and would highly recommend the service. For internet access we relied upon a Verizon USB connection and/or a marina wireless network. The marinas had marginal service. I bought an antennae for wireless internet which allowed me to pick up unsecured wireless at a great distance, which in most cases were faster than the Verizon devise and better than the marina coverage. We ate breakfast and lunch on our boat and most times dinner at a local establishment. From gourmet to a marina bistro. ( I am being kind) I checked cruising websites nightly as I planned our next day travels, mostly http://www.cruisersnet.net/ for cruising problems. Mostly shoaling of the channel as the US Government has chosen not to maintain the waterway for commerce. Luckily, our navigation equipment includes tide tables so we could navigate the problem areas at rising tides (in GA and SC the tides are 6-8 feet) or avoid the areas all together by going out in the Atlantic provided we had a good pass to the ocean and decent sea conditions. We don't like to go in the Atlantic with seas exceeding 4 feet and winds in excess of 20 knots (23 MPH). Just not comfortable, so why do it. I also spent time daily reviewing and handling client matters as I have chosen not to retire, so I can afford the diesel fuel, which climbs with each fill-up. The vessel carries 600 gallons. Overall a great adventure. Especially with my great First (Best!) Mate. It takes a great crew to handle a 52 foot vessel in winds and currents. The wind always seems to pick up at the time you want to dock! No collisions though once I did a waive off as the current was pushing me into a 120 foot vessel, in Beaufort, NC. The damage I could have done would have been catastrophic! Luckily, I dodged that bullet. Till the next adventure!

Exploring Rock Hall, Maryland

Sunday, June 8, 2008 Kevin & Debbie got up early to prepare for a busy day. Kevin left with a driver at 8:00 AM to drive to Baltimore and pick up a rental car. Debbie stayed aboard and washed down the boat and began getting ready to leave on Monday. Kevin returned about noon and the two went into the town to explore. (http://www.rockhallmd.com/) After lunch on the boat we explored downtown Rock Hall. Our first stop was to the Visitor's Center. We then drove to marinas and checked out some of the stores and restaurants. Kevin found an old fashioned drug store and had a hand-dipped chocolate malt. Tonight's dinner was at a local restaurant on the bay called Waterman's. The food and view were great.

St. Michaels, Maryland to Rock Hall, MAryland

Saturday, June 7, 2008

"Island Hopper" left the dock at St. Michaels at 11:40 AM. We were in no rush to leave, since it will only be a little over 2 hour run today. The skies started out overcast, but turned hot and sunny quickly. The wind were SW 0 -5 and the seas were basically flat. It was an easy run, but the heat was building. We arrived at "Island Hopper's" summer port, Haven Harbour Marina, Rock Hall, Maryland at 2:00 PM.

The Water Tower Welcoming Us to Rock Hall

"Island Hopper's" Summer Berth, Haven Harbour Marina

Haven Harbour's Reception and Grill in the Background

After getting the boat settled we we explored Haven Harbour Marina.(http://www.havenharbour.com/) We were pleased with the facilities. With the heat and the lack of a car, we ate aboard. We are looking forward to getting a car tomorrow and exploring Rock Hall.