Reviews from Thomas Fox (10)

Marina Review for Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox , Pinch Me, on Jul 11, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Rating: 5

Ryan the dock master was a rock star getting us into our slip. He was also impressive helping other boats leave tight slips safely. He was super helpful and made us feel welcome. The restaurant upstairs accommodated 10 of us for an excellent meal. We'll definitely be back!!

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Marina Review for Granary Marina

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox , Pinch Me, on Jul 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Rating: 3

Very friendly and helpful owner but no other dockhands. 40' slips are very tight - you'll need either a bow thruster or line to maneuver confidently if there's any wind. Outside slips are much easier to get into/out of. Looked like most of marina is empty. But slipholders were very friendly and had been there a long time due to the somewhat lax rules imposed by the owner. Grills and shade tents are allowed on the dock. Docks need attention - lots of decay and splinters waiting to happen. You can buy ice from the dock office. Restaurant is just OK though service is good; bar is crowded (good for them!). The Sassafras is a beautiful river and I'd recommend a trip up this far. The anchorages are also gorgeous.

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Anchorage Review for Worton Creek - Mill Creek

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Pinch Me, on Jul 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Easy access to small anchorage. Depths seemed OK but most boats in our group grounded in mud at low tide. Was able to power off OK. Really nasty thunderstorms rolled through but anchorage very protected. Best to anchor in the middle of the channel as edges get shallow at low tide. Another boat was grounded at low tide in one of the two marinas to the North of the anchorage (5.2 ft draft) and had to wait for the tide to come up to float out.

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Marina Review for Safe Harbor Great Oak Landing

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox , Pinch Me, on Jul 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Rating: 4

Great and helpful staff at the dock. Pumpout and fuel facilities very easy to access. Slips are rather extended with posts well beyond the length of most boats, but slips are relatively slender. Good finger piers. Power seems to vary from slip to slip. Mine had a 50a and 30a; another 2 boats down had 2x30a, but power is close to your boat, as is water. Pool is small and gets very crowded. Restaurant service is good but food is just OK. Grills pretty new and nice; huge tent was up for 4th of July and nice to eat under when it rained. Biggest thing to know is Fairlee Creek entrance is challenging and best approached at slack tide. There are idiots swimming/sitting in the water on both sides of the very sharp and narrow turn into the creek. Over/understeer and you might hit one or more of them. Darwin Award candidates.

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Anchorage Review for Middle River - Stansbury Creek

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Pinch Me, on Jul 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Anchored here at the mouth of Stansbury Creek for 6th of July fireworks - which were fantastic. Anchorage is relatively narrow but with sufficient room at creek mouth to swing with good scope out. Depth isn't sufficient for sailboats much beyond the mouth.
Holding good despite 180 degree wind swing and anchor reset fine. Shoreline to West is all private property; to East is State Police land, it appears. Unclear whether there is public access from the water but tons of powerboats anchor in the shallows to party - not sure if anyone goes ashore. Patrolled by Law Enforcement.

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Anchorage Review for Hart-Miller Island

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Pinch Me, on Jul 9, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Powerboats can get close as water is waist high nearly all the way to the public beach, even around the breakers. Sailboats will need to anchor 300-400 yards off the beach but it's an easy dinghy ride and soft landing on the sandy beach. Anchor grabbed and held on first try for the 4 hours we went ashore. Just go slowly around the beach as lots of swimmers in the water.
Friendly Park Rangers who also sell ice and snacks (including ice cream!). Even at height of summer when the beach is broiling you can take a cool walk through the woods or borrow a bike and ride the bike path. Well worth a stop in good weather but exposed to winds with northerly component. Lots of powerboat wakes. Patrolled by law enforcement.

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Anchorage Review for Little Choptank River - Phillips Creek

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Pinch Me, on Jun 29, 2023
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 5.2'

Make sure you honor channel markers with a bit of a margin - there's shoaling around some of them. Pretty easy to get to the anchorage, and saw no other sailboats over the weekend. You can anchor a good distance from shore to avoid bugs and get breezes. Holding in mud was very good. Strong Verizon signal. Very remote - some houses on shore, but most seem to be summer homes. A few locals on speedboats, but almost no one else. Wind protection from most directions pretty minimal given the size of the anchorage, but lots of room to swing or drag and not be in immediate danger if you're on top of it. Very quiet and pretty. Wasn't clear there was anywhere to walk a pet.

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Anchorage Review for Back Creek - Solomons

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Intrepid, on Oct 15, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.0'

I anchored at the very end of navigable water in Back Creek in 8 feet. There's only room for one boat there, but it is VERY protected. Private property all around so no shore access, but very quiet. Anchor didn't reset after 180 degree wind shift so had to reset before going to bed in the dark. Set was just OK - could power it slowly backward, but the wind protection is so good it was enough. Soft, stinky, thick, sticky mud bottom. You better have a washdown hose and use it continuously. I stayed there for two nights waiting out unexpected bad weather on the bay. Barely even noticed in this hiding spot. Plenty of marinas and services a short motor away if you want it.

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Anchorage Review for Hoopersville

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Intrepid, on Oct 15, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.0'

Protection only from bay fetch and chip, no wind protection. Anchor set well first time in mud and held in 15+kts of wind. No other boats in the area except an occasional fishing boat. Very remote and no access to shore or harbor without dinghy for sailboat. Fair weather anchorage only. No services. Very quiet!

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Anchorage Review for Little Choptank River - Hudson Creek

Reviewed by: Thomas Fox, Intrepid, on Sep 7, 2020
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 5.0'

Pretty anchorage - very quiet. There's really two spots - the first is the most popular and marked on the map, but the second has plenty of depth for most boats, and when I was there had no boats - just a short distance from the marked anchorage. Wakes from powerboats are present, but not a lot. Did have to set anchor a second time - first didn't take at all. Second set just fine in mud.

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