Dot's Way Cruising Cat: Deep Creek to Onancock, Virginia

We got an early start leaving the serenity of Deep Creek anchorage only to find the Seventh Railroad Bridge down for a train and then down for almost an hour for another train as all the boats circled the basin. We finally got through with three other trawlers as the sailboats had to wait until 8:30 am for the bridge restrictions to end for the Gilmerton lift bridge which we could get under at 30 feet. We followed two large container ships as we passed by the navy aircraft carrier docks on our way out to the Chesapeake Bay. There were over twenty container ships anchored along the shipping channel stretching up into the bay, It was a beautiful sunny day with a gentle south wind as we headed across the bay and up the eastern shore to Onancock. We stopped at the first anchorage along the beach at Ware Point instead of heading into the town basin. We have dockage reserved for three nights starting Wednesday so we can receive a mail shipment and enjoy the historic artist colony town.

Sunrise with mist over Deep Creek

Moonrise over Deep Creek Lock

Mile 0 of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

Railroad and highway lift bridge

Canada geese circled as the boat circled waiting on the bridge openings

Boat traffic heading to the bay

Point Comfort lighthouse

The inside beach at Onancock Creek

A magical sunset on our first day on the bay

After a pleasant evening with the anchorage to ourselves, the wind changed direction and we had the waves lulling us to sleep until the wind moved again. We had the crabbers come up to our stern checking their crab pots before we headed by dinghy to the beach We were able to walk almost five miles from inside Onancock Creek to around the point into the Chesapeake Bay at low tide. Glenn was rescuing the Horseshoe crabs that had been beached. We continued to beach comb coming up with a few pieces of driftwood. After lunch, we pulled anchored and continued up Onancock Creek,

Crab pots galore and crabbers pulling traps

Sandy Beach for dinghy landing

Huge horseshoe crabs

Bayside beach

Amazing there are any crabs with all the traps

Who knew tiger beetles were endangered

Only mussel shells on the beach

A few shorebirds

Driftwood sculpture

Crab basket blew ashore

Interesting driftwood

Aandoned trap washed ashore

Tiny sailboats out and about in the channel

We are anchored outside Cedar Creek which is the next anchorage up the channel to the town of Onancok for Tuesday night. We have a reservation for dockage at Onancock Wharf Marina starting Wednesday for three nights. We headed into town Wednesday morning for breakfast at the Corner Bakery but looks like they were only serving doughnuts so we headed back to Foggy Place Cafe for a delicious egg and cheese with avocado on ciabatta bread. We were entertained by the resident dog staying in the cafe. We walked about town and found out about Wine Wednesdays at the Old Onancoke School so that's our plan for this evening. We enjoyed roaming the Old School classrooms filled with different artist galleries all serving wine and cheese and crackers, I bought some beautiful notecards of land and sea prints of her paintings, We ended up at Bizzotto's Galery and Cafe which turned out to be cloth tablecloths and candlelight so we recelebrated our wedding anniversary with veal marsala and chicken parmesan and the best yeast rolls and of course a bottle of wine.

Almost hidden

Yard art

Historical Society Museum

Historic church

Creative stop sign

Bed and breakfast garden

Another bed and breakfast garden

Onancock Landing Park

Great free dinghy dock and kayak launch

Fuel dock at Onancock Wharf Marina

Historic Hopkins Hardware Store and Mallards Restaurant

Great egret on a calm morning

Looking up at the flybridge solar lights

Outside in the middle of the night to see the full moon we were seeing through the bedroom window

Old Onancock School now artist center

Octupus art my sister would like

Our elegant dinner at what I thought was a pizza place

In window of cafe

This morning we enjoyed a long hot shower in the gorgeous bathhouse and then a repeat of breakfast and finished our coffee outside the cafe talking to another sailor cruiser. We started laundry and sat out at the liar's bench in the shade and in between had a beer at Mallard's outside seating across the parking lot from the boat. The wind picked up and we had some thunder showers as we checked out the marina loaner car to go to Walmart and CVS, The rain brought in some clear skies and cool temperatures.

Historic churches of Onancock

Old cemetery

Old hardware store now the lobby of Mallards Restaurant

At Onancock Wharf

Docked right next to Mallards and boat ramp

The Liar's bench right outside the marina office

The ferry to Tangier's Island leaves from the marina

This morning we walked to the Corner Bakery where the line was almost out the door for their delicious donuts We finished our coffee back at the Liar's Bench while we waited for our third and final free load of laundry to finish. Our walk about town took us to the wine shop where the wine and cheese tasting is tonight. We got the loaner car again and went into Onley to the Autozone and Food Line and Truck Supply before lunch at the 3 Knots Tap House where we sat outdoors in their covered courtyard for beer and pulled pork nachos. We strolled through several art galleries and tonight is Second Friday where the street is blocked off and music plays and the galleries are open late. We had a wine and cheese tasting at the wine shop. We then had a drink at the Blarney Stone Pub waiting for the band to play and then enjoyed a drink at the tables they set up in the street and listened to the band to find a band playing at Mallards on the wharf that we can hear on the boat,

Colorful galleries

Wine with rider on an octopus

Hand-made musical instrument gallery

Beer and view of the old hotel

King Steet Gallery

Sunrise or sunset balcony

Nautical taproom with 40 beers on tap

Wine and cheese tasting in Altitudes gallery of photos taken in flight

Our last day at the dock so we filled the water tank, hosed the deck, took our last shower, and headed back to Blarney Stone Pub which was open for breakfast only on Saturdays. After a wonderful corned beef hash and eggs breakfast, we wandered over to the Farmer's Market which opened at 9 am. I exchanged a book at the little library and then we headed directly to the homemade bread booth and bought a loaf of sourdough though they had quite a variety of bakery goods. We bought new potatoes and farm-fresh eggs and at our last stop, we got a Mexican squash and snap pea pods. We stopped to talk to the Rocket Shell lady as she collected metal from the rocket blasts over the bay she found on the beach and decorated them with shells and other beach-combed objects. We left the dock and headed back to the mouth of Onancock Creek and anchored off the beach at Ware Point. We hiked the beach and found a nice picnic spot overlooking the bay. Back to the boat for a lazy afternoon. This time we are not alone on a Saturday but there are half a dozen beached boats in the anchorage.

Just noticed the mural near the rooftop

Pair of Osprey

Shore birds on the bayside beach

Fiddler crabs galore

Red-winged blackbird perched on driftwood

Our perfect picnic perch

Marching fiddler crabs

A lazy Sunday morning drinking coffee and reading books before we headed up to explore the unnamed creek beside us and then up to the Onancock dinghy dock. We headed back to Blarney Stone Pub for a brew and lunch at their outdoor seating. The temperature has finally got into the 80s even though it is nice in the shade. We walked out North Steet until the sidewalk ended and then cut through the grounds of the Historical Society museum and admired the classic bay boat before heading to Onancock School to hike the Nature Trail with its native plants labeled. We ended up out by the bridge in the neighborhood and back to the dinghy dock by the marina. The breeze has picked up and we have a great anchorage to watch the boats come and go as they make the turn.

Great blue heron in the anchorage

Great egret on the seawall in the anchorage

Puppy watching us at Spinning Wheel B&B we have stayed out before

Bay boat Anne C

Along the nature trail

The observation deck on the nature trail

Beautiful bank

Field of hay and wildflowers with bees buzzing

Beautiful blooms

Bees love the blooms

Yard art

Permanent sunflowers

Fishing

On Monday morning we woke up to wet decks as it had rained gently during the night not waking us up. Glenn made sourdough French Toast and then we had a break in the weather so dinghied into town to find the Waterman Museum. It is located in the Old Onancock School Artist Center but is only open on Saturdays. We were surprised to find Foggy Place Cafe open so we enjoyed a latte in their outdoor garden. We walked through the shady neighborhoods and eventually ended up crossing back over the bridge near the dinghy dock. It looks like the rain might be hit or miss but the breeze has picked back up so it is cool on the boat. This will be our last day in Onancock as the weather improves and we head to Solomon's Island tomorrow.