Solomons is also a nice stop. Spring Cove Marina has very nice grounds and a pool with music you can hear under water.

If you stop at Cambridge and your mast is taller than 50' you'll have to stay at the town marina and dinghy over to the Hyatt. The Hyatt has a great eclipse pool but the resturants are expensive.

Consider stopping at Oxford. It's a small town that you can see in a day, but nice anchorages surrounding the area. Trippe Creek was nice and is surrounded by expensive homes. Very scenic.

Either coming or going from St Michaels try the Wye River. It offers a number of places to drop the hook.

I know you said you would pass on Annapolis, but if you haven't been in by boat it's a different experience. Try picking up a mooring ball for $30 a night. The water taxi will pick and drop off right from your boat.


Don't forget the Magothy River for more anchoring options.

Good luck with the planning. And yes I agree what happened to this summer?
Mike

I have to agree with Daren's list! I'd really suggest a visit to Oxford, we enjoyed it last year. Mears Yacht Haven was a great marina with really good facilities (kids loved the pool there). You'll have a nice little walk into town (maybe a mile and a half) with a few restaurants ( I think two?), a nice little town park, a local museum and some shops (really liked the small book store).

No night life to speak of but worth the trip!

Recently complete Chesapeake Bay sailing over Labor Day Week on brother's Beneteau 423 "Breezing Up" out of Baltimore Inner Harbor. Visited the following anchorages and marina's :
• Whitehall Bay (first bay South of Bay bridge): 12 feet of water with protection from West and East winds. Take care in setting anchor as bottom is sandy and not muddy.
• Annapolis: anchor off the USNA Practice Athletic Field in 14 feet of water and muddy bottom. Anchorage exposed to E and NE wind.
• Herring Bay: Docked at transit slip ($3 / foot) at Herrington Harbour South (nearest to the mouth of Herring Bay entrance marker). Take care in making slip reservations as there is also a Herrington Harbour North at the other end of Herring Bay. Best anchorage near the channel entry to Herrington Harbour North at 9 feet of water. No protection from North East or East winds.
• Solomon Island: Back Creek at Marker "5", mooring balls of ZahniserS' Yacht Center between $35-$45 /day. Dinghy dock close at hand. Fee includes showers and bikes. Because we expected high winds over night it caused us to take a mooring ball. Mooring balls seems to be taking over the available anchorage area. Reasonable priced "sailor's bar" is the "Captain's Table" at the far end of of Back Creek. Has a dinghy dock.
• South Creek, West River: Good sheltered anchorage. 8 feet of water at anchorage. Hartge Marina Fuel Dock and restaurants nearby. Town of Galeville.
• Anchorage off the YMCA Camp Letts, Rhodes River, (Northside of West River). 9 feet of water. Take care in wind shifts out of the West.
• Harness Creek, Northside of South River: Excellent storm "hole". Anchored in 8 feet of water with very muddy bottom.
• Selby Bay, South River: No protection from strong NE and East winds. 8 feet of water.
• Hudson Creek, Little Choptank River (Eastern Shore): Best protection from N and NE winds. 8 feet of water.
• San Domingo Creek, Choptank River (Back door to St. Michael's. A bit of a walk to center of town from fishermen dinghy dock).