DAY 36 -- CHESTERTOWN, MD TO HAVRE DE GRACE, MD

                             DAY 36 -- CHESTERTOWN, MD TO HAVRE DE GRACE, MD

            We left the fuel dock just before 11 for a long run (67 miles) up to Havre de Grace at the mouth of the Susquehanna and hence, arguably, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. It was overcast with rain in the forecast and a light wind out of the west. We got kind of a late start because Sue and Dave couldn't find a ride and had to walk the two miles to the boat from the Comfort Inn.

            Before we left a guy stopped by and asked if we'd give him a ride to his boat, which was anchored a bit downstream from Chestertown. He had come to town to buy groceries, and while it was a mystery how he got to town in the first place, we said we'd help. The guy -- TJ from Waycross GA -- ended up riding up on top with me and I got the full story, which was crazy and sad. TJ's wife died about ten years ago and he's had a hard time since (although their son is studying chemistry at Georgia Tech), and along the way he bought himself an old little cabin cruiser (a Carver) eight months ago and decided to do some of the traveling that he and his wife had always talked about. TJ had worked his way to Chestertown from the Brunswick GA area and was anchored out in a side channel off the Chester River a few miles downstream from town. He had left his boat (not clear how or why) and the boat slipped anchor and grounded itself in the mud along the marshes and some local kids found it and tore it all up -- stole a bunch of stuff and smashed other stuff -- like the carburetors on his Chrysler inboards, so that he can't run the boat. Then the DNR finds the boat and finds TJ (not clear how) and tell him that they have secured his boat, that the kids (four of them, one 14 and the rest 16) have turned themselves in, and that they're not really bad kids (which TJ keep telling me he finds hard to believe). TJ goes on to say that he will be meeting with the kids' parents and the DNR tonight (I wonder whose idea that was) and that he hopes the parents will do the right thing and compensate him for the $1500+ in damage and loss so that he doesn't have to press charges. And finally, that he just got a job in Chestertown and will start work on Wednesday. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Hope everything turns out alright for this guy.

            We pulled over to the side of the Chester River along the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge to anchor for lunch at noon and were underway again in an hour. The rain hit soon after, and we all retreated to the cabin for the next couple of hours. Visibility was very low for a while when the rain was coming down hard, but most of the time it was a light rain and weren't in any kind of danger. Not surprisingly, there was very little traffic on the Bay, although we did see half a dozen charter boats fishing off Worton Point (note the ugly lighthouse in the trees):

a beautiful sailing yacht headed upstream:

and a barge load of coal headed downstream.

            Havre de Grace is on the west bank at the mouth of the Susquehanna. The marina we booked was nice -- quiet and well-protected -- and within a short walk of downtown. Sue and Dave were able to walk easily to their hotel and to dinner (no Uber issues here!). We met for dinner at a nice family-style Italian place. Not much was open on a Monday evening, and we were fortunate that this place was, and that it was so good. 

            Here is the mouth of the Susquehanna. You can see the marinas on the left. The train bridge is for the main Amtrak line and there were trains running across it constantly. The dockhand said there are 120 a day. 

            And here is a picture of the Captain and First Mate in their usual positions on the flybridge (unless it is raining).