Friday, June 29, 2007 - Deltaville to Reedville, MD

We cast off from Fishing Bay Harbor Marina at 0930. It turned out to be relatively easy to back Seascape down the fairway after all but it was calm with no current. We went out the mouth of the Piankatank River to Chesapeake Bay around Stingray Point. We passed the Rappahannock River an proceeded northeast up the Wicomico River. It was a fine day to be on the water, cool (65degrees) and overcast with one to two foot seas from the northwest. Once we were in the river we turned north into Cockrell Creek. We anchored in the middle of one of the branches of the creek in nine feet of water.

Dora was injured while playing with Sailor, of all things. She was standing in the passageway between our stateroom and the solon when she bent down to pick up one of Sailor’s toys at the same time he was jumping up the stairs. His head struck her face very hard giving her a bloody nose. We applied an ice pack to stop the bleeding and keep the swelling down but she was in pain and it still looked pretty bad for a while.

In the afternoon we went for a rides in the dinghy around Cockrell Creek. There was no public dock to land the dinghy so we tied up to the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum dock and walked down Main Street.

In the latter part of the eighteenth century, Reedville became the center of the menhaden fishery, with 15 large processing factories and 60 ships to supply them. The Great Depression and over fishing killed the industry. Now there is only one factory operating with the relics of the past decaying on the waterfront.

However, it is still a great place to visit. The smell of the processing plants were once odious but the remaining factory has a high smoke stack and has taken other precautions to minimize the odor. The industry was once so profitable that numerous old mansions line Main Street. They have been preserved or restored to their previous splendor.

Soon after we got back from our dinghy ride, a couple rode by slowly looking at Seascape. I stepped out on the aft deck to say hello. Steve and Ann have a weekend home on Cockrell Creek and a Willard trawler. The graciously offered to take us for a tour of the creek in their boat and show us their trawler. It turns out that they also have a 27 year old daughter named Sarah. When we got back, just before dark, we gave them a tour of our boat.