Cruising on Last Dance


This blog archives the adventures of Glen and Jill Moore and provides a means of communication for friends and family. Exploration and adventure have been synonymous with boats and water for centuries. The joy of adventures shared while exploring new places and meeting new people has built a strong bond for Glen and Jill. Last Dance is the platform for the exploration.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." St. Augustine, 354 - 430

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain, 1835 - 1910

"There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats." The Wind in the Willows, 1908, Kenneth Grahame, 1859 - 1932

"I've never believed speed and ease are conductive to living fully, becoming aware, or deepening memory, a tripod of urges to stabilize and lend meaning to life." River Horse: a log book of a boat across America, 1999, William Least Heat-Moon,1939 -

The Great Loop -- The current adventure is a circumnavigation of the Eastern United States, cruising north up the east coast through New York into Canada, across the Great Lakes to Chicago, navigating multiple river systems south to Mobile, along the Gulf coast to the Florida Keys and back to St. Augustine. This trip by boat is commonly referred to as the Great Loop. Progress and current location are indicated by the red line on the map to the right. It was titled the Traceless Path in recognition of a German sailor we met in St. Augustine who published booklets of his travels with hand-drawn, detailed maps describing his travels across the water as the Traceless Path.



Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Chesapeake Bay -- Dropping Anchor

The Chesapeake "is still the world's most enchanting inland water.  If a man owned a boat
which drew less than four feet, he could cruise the Chesapeake for a 1000 consecutive days
and drop the anchor each night in a different cove."
                                                                                                                  James A, Michner, Chesapeake

Hanging at anchor in some of the coves along the eastern shore of the Bay was an enchanting experience.  The geography of the Bay has many peninsulas lined with smaller peninsulas.  These peninsulas have been named "necks," and there are many.  As an example, the chart below is of the neck that lies between the Little Choptank River on the south side and the Choptank River on the north.  This unique geography creates the 1000 or more coves.




If the old adage:  "A picture is worth a 1000 words" is correct, the more efficient means of communicating the experience of these coves may be through photography.


Hudson Creek off Little Choptank River












Baby Owl Cove, Broad Creek, off the Choptank River










San Domingo Creek, Off the Choptank River









At the Navigable End of the Little Choptank River





Chester River, Chestertown






Sunrise over the River



Wye River


Anchored in Pickering Creek, View from Audubon Park


Resident of the Audubon Park


Dividing Creek



Skipton Creek, Old English Pub and English Garden


Sassafras River




Last Dance at anchor on Back Creek off the Sassafras River.  The view is from a bridge at Mt. Harmon, which was a tobacco plantation prior to the Revolutionary War.  The house and property have been given to a historical nonprofit group to manage and display to the public.  Most visitors arrive by car.  This group recognizes and welcomes cruising boaters by having a dinghy/kayak landing marked with a Maryland State Flag.  The home serves as a museum and provides a beautiful, romantic setting for many weddings.














View Across Back Creek from the Widow's Walk

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