ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Chesapeake Bay, MD, Friday, 06 June 2008

By yesterday evening we had arrived in Annapolis. The last time we saw a collection of boats numbering in the thousands and thousands was out in Ling Beach, California. Every inch of shoreline was taken up by dock space and the traffic on the narrow creeks was busy.

John had a tip from his cruising guide that we could anchor for free in one of the creeks feeding the Severn River. As we motored in, we spotted several yachts at anchor. A lady was cleaning her boat from the dinghy and confirmed that we could squeeze in there too and not have to expect a visit from the wharfinger, harbour police, sheriff or Coasties.

Whereas nearly everywhere else we have visited makes it difficult to land a dinghy without finding somebody with an outstretched palm waiting to be greased, Annapolis leaves the beaches at the end of each street free and provide stainless steel ladders to get up to ground level after tying up your dinghy. We spent a fun afternoon on a walking tour of a small part of Annapolis, this wonderful eighteenth-century brick town ending with sore feet for us swabbies and a big ice cream cone along the old harbour.

You could definitely spend a few days visiting this town.