Cruising North on the U.S. East Coast

Part 7: Irvington, VA to Annapolis, MD (120 miles)

On the final leg of our trip north, we cruised from Irvington, VA, to Annapolis, MD, our home base for cruising the Chesapeake Bay during the summer. As The Tides Inn Marina no longer offered diesel, we decided to take a short detour for a fuel and lunch stop at Point Lookout Marina, situated just inside the mouth of the Potomac River.

The Bay played nice and was super smooth. As we cruised north, we were happy to see Thomas Point Lighthouse by the South River, just south of Annapolis … the signal our arrival was imminent. We were greeted by one of our Florida dock neighbors who was in the same marina as us in Annapolis, and managed to snap some shots as we were coming in. Small world!

The marina that is our home base for the summer is lovely, quiet and protected, but has direct access to the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay. There are swimming pools, tennis courts and a small beach. I love walking our doggies on the grounds of the community, though they can get a little distracted by all the wildlife, including herons, deer and foxes!

The view from our slip, looking out over the Severn, is amazing, with all the boat traffic coming in and out of Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay.

There are some fun opportunities for dinghy rides, exploring Back Creek, Spa Creek, Annapolis Yacht Basin, and Lake Ogleton. We love to just cruise around in the dinghy and admire the beautiful waterfront houses and the many sailboats everywhere in and around Annapolis – it is “the sailing capital of the United States” after all.

Organized by the Annapolis Yacht Club, the Wednesday Night Sailboat Races are fun to watch, with some 130 crews racing around markers in the Chesapeake Bay every week between the end of April and the end of August. I like watching the sailing classes too, especially the kids on their small boats with colorful sails.

We also love going into Annapolis to enjoy an ice cream, a famous Painkiller Cocktail, or some Maryland crab soup on what is called Ego Alley (where people come to show off their boats), brunch/lunch or dinner at one of the many nice restaurant options Annapolis has to offer, or even just for a stroll around the beautiful historic center of the town.

I always love seeing the Naval Academy midshipmen in their pristine starched uniforms walking around town, especially on weekends when they are out with their friends and family.