Hunkered down in Mill Creek

10/18/14
Mill Creek, VA; Chesapeake Bay
Position: 37 47.579N, 76 19.449W
Posted by Bill

Today was the first time we actually got to sail to our destination. Winds were 15 – 22 knots out of the NW and we were going S-SW…yay! It was great, but when we got to the mouth of the Potomac River the waves increased to 6-7 feet. It was a little crazy for a few hours but nothing we haven’t dealt with on Lake Erie. We read and heard that the Potomac can make the bay a little “dicey”, and they weren’t a-kiddin’.

Winds were supposed to increase to 30 knots tonight and tomorrow (again..sheesh!), so we decided to go and anchor in a very protected area south of Reedsville, called Mill Creek. Reviews showed that it is a quiet and picturesque anchorage but there are no places to go ashore, and the cell phone coverage is crap. This is why this post is late.

We met a couple in Deale on a Pearson sailboat called Paperbird. This is their maiden cruising voyage too, but they have lived and boated on the bay for many years. They are the ones who told us about Mill Creek. We were sailing along with a whole chain of boats heading south just like us, and sure enough, right next to us is Paperbird. We get on the marine radio and chat and told them we were going here to ride out the winds, and they changed their destination as well, so we followed them in. If we all stay tomorrow, we will dinghy over and socialize a little.

This place lived up to its reputation. It is so quiet and peaceful; we don’t know what to do! The shoreline is comprised of nice homes and farms and there is very little boat activity. We are anchored in 12 feet of water and have a beautiful view. It was blowing 18-22 knots most of the day on the bay and there is hardly a ripple in this anchorage…just what the captain ordered.

On the down side…we have an infestation of fruit flys. The bastards have taken over and we don’t know what to do to eradicate them!

If the forecast changes for the better, we will move tomorrow to someplace closer to Norfolk, or make a break for Norfolk…it all depends on the weather. So goes the life of a cruiser.

Pics:

Paperbird crossing Ingram Bay light.