Evening star., 1937-06-27
FINE CRUISE AREA
CALLS YACHTSMEN
Limited Time for Vacation
Requires Careful
Planning.

the finest cruising grounds on the
East Coast. Ideally suited for the
auxiliary sailing yacht are the Lower
Potomac River, with landings that
have scarcely altered in the last 100
years, and the Chesapeake Bay, home
Of the bugeye, ancient two-masted
craft. still found carrying cargoes be-
tween nearby ports.
Yet this area remains the least
appreciated OF large number of
cruising spots. Tales OF shoal wa
ters, sudden Summer squalls and
nasty. choppy seas have drifted North
and kept yachtsmen from taking q
try in these waters. But local bay
boatmen of long standing argue that
there is sufficient depth for any boat
this side OF the Queen Mary, that
any one with half an eye on the
barometer and the low cloud bank
making up against the wind can get
to an anchorage in time, and that
seas are no chopper than those in
Nantucket Sound.
SUFFICIENT to say that once the new
boat owner has spent several weeks
knocking about Tidewater Maryland
and Virginia, he'll be out the follow
ing year, ready to take up where
The first cruise came to a close.
50 Miles = Day.
To the shore traveller so miles 4
day seems ridiculously small but
no yachtsman figures on averaging
more than that when he's taking
weather and tidal conditions into
account and not putting his crew and
himself on watches resembling a slam
to Bermuda. With an early start
from Washington-very early If 1t
means catching q favoring tide-a
boat can make anchorage for the
night in Nanjemoy Creek, west of
Upper Cedar Point lighthouse, or If
there has been good breeze to aid
our auxiliary. on below Matthias Point
to Upper Machodoc Creek at Dahl
gren.
Here the river widens, the wat
takes on deep green hue, and there
Is the smell of salt in the air, sharp
when 1t blows from the sea. If the
gentleman sailors are not tempted to
Idle away two weeks in fishing along
the Maryland shore off Rock Point.
IN st. Clements Bay or Piney Point,
or exploring Virginias S historic North
ern Neck at Wakefield and the No.
mini Cllffs-With its shores Uttered
with sharks teeth of bygone age
then they should be able to make the
second days harbor in the St. Marys
River or Smith Creek. just below and
inside Of Point Lookout.
Plenty Of Yachting Activity.
The favored cruising area from here
lies TO the north on both shores, CEN
ter OF bay yachting activity. The ex-
perlenced skipper picks his day for
rounding storm-washed Lookout and
laying course for short run to
the mouth of the Patuxent River and
then into Solomons Island, finest
harbor on the bay and the only one
on the western shore until West River,
about SIS miles above. A typical bay
fishing resort. Solomons is the port
OF M. M. Davis e. Son, now recog-
nized as outstanding yacht builders in
the East. OF its ways this Spring
went the cutter White Cloud which,
rumor has it, may carry off the hon.
ors for its owner. George Whiting of
Baltimore, in this years ocean clas-
sic. the 475-mile yacht race from
New London, Conn, to Gibson Is
land, Md, starting today.
To be assured a safe anchorage in
event Of a squall, the wise yachts
man steers from tide-ripped Cove
Point, above the Patuxent, for the
Eastern Shore and its many harbors
In the Little Choptank and Choptank
Rivers and Eastern Bay In this lat
ter tributary Of the Chesapeake, at
sleepy st. Michaels, gather yachts
large and small from ports as far
away as Philadelphia and New York
for the Miles River Yacht Club Re-
eatta. Timing his trip for arrival
there around August 4, the sailing en-
thusiast is assured of a yachting fest
r1valtng race week at Larchmont on
Long Island Sound In addition to
speed boat races and two days Of sail
events In practically every class, the
visitor sees the famous log canoes,
with their spread of kitelike canvas
race for the Governors Cup, SYM
bolic OF supremacy on the Chesapeake
Famous Craft At Magothy.
With the week drawing to close
the yacht skipper hurries north for
a run past Kent Island and the mouth
OF the Severn River into the Magothy
River, port Of the well-known Gibson
Island Yacht Squadron, which spon-
sors the ocean race. The speediest of
yachts are expected to finish OF Balti-
more Light by Wednesday or Thurs
day Should the Washington sailor be
In the Magothy at that time, those
much photographed racers seen in the
yachting magazines Edlu,
Kirawan, Zaida and Mandoo Twill
be swinging from club moorings, while
outstanding bluewater sailors gather
ashore for presentation of trophies.
Cruising down the western shore,
there will be stop in Annapolis, home
not only Of the Naval Academy, but
Chances boatyard, which this year
constructed one of the new fleet Coast
Guard patrol boats. Here too will be
found at least one or two bugeyes
with q single Negro crew sleeping on
forward hatch while its skipper rows
ashore to arrange for a new cargo.
Before the long run down to Solo
mons and the run up the Potomac,
the Capital yachtsman might have
tims to stop for a day at one of the
thte tributaries lying below Thomas
Point. the South, Rhodes (harbor OF
the Y. M. c. A. Camp Letts) or West
Rivers. At the latter spot each Sun
day there is extensive sail boat racing
~ the West River Sailing CI,,h on.