Once in a Blue Moon: Tuesday, June 11: Hopping over to Tilghman Island

Date: June 11, 2013

Day on the Cruise: 57

From: Oxford, MD

To: Knapp's Narrows, Tilghman Island, MD

Statute Miles: 12.8

Time: 1.75 Hrs

Cumulative Miles: 1,423.2 SM

On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

It rained again this morning, but by 10:30, it cleared up and turned into a warm, humid, beautiful day. We walked into Oxford and toured the Cutts and Case wooden boat yard. This is an old original boat yard that builds wooden boats and restores wooden boats. The buildings were wide open so we walked around inside and looked at the various wooden boats that were in storage, under construction or repair, and sitting in the barns.

Sort of a show room of sorts

Cutts and Case, Oxford

In the Shop

Looking alongside the "Americana"

Wooden sailboat

Wooden launch

Wooden sailing canoe....Hello Monty Cook!

In the shop

Wooden launch "Foto"

Another Monty Cook special

In the shop

There was one 65' boat that has been under construction for awhile. Her name is "Americana". She has a beautiful varnished hull, but the pieces of the superstructure are hanging from the roof structure awaiting placement in their final resting places.

65' Americana

Americana

We saw a lot of wooden sailing ship models in the buildings, along with very old motorcycle models, motorcycles, and old boat engines. There were also a lot of wooden spars (masts and booms), in all forms of repair. All around the yard were workers very patiently and slowly doing wooden repair, finishing, sanding, prepping, etc. What struck me the most was how young these yard workers are. They are definitely learning a craft that is more and more a lost art.

Models

Wooden Canoe hanging from the rafters....Hello Monty!

Spar building

Wood shed. Did not see any beatings behind this wood shed today!

Young workers prepping a spar for varnish

Cutts and Case Docks

Wooden boats at the docks

After looking around at Cutts and Case, we walked over to the Oxford yard of the Hinckley Yacht Co. They are from Maine, but have added yards along the East Coast, including Savannah. Hinckley hulls have a very distinctive look. One of their famous designs is a "picnik boat" that is a long, narrow hull that is mostly open in the back.

Hinckley's Oxford yard

The iconic Hinckley hull!

Hinckley yard

Hinckley Picnic Boat

Hinckley docks

Hinckley Picnic Boat

Walking into town, we tried to visit the museum, book store, and shops, but they are closed on Tuesdays. Oh well, we got sandwiches at the Oxford Market again and went back to the boat to eat lunch.

Susan and the lilies

Beautiful back yards

Enough said

Another picket fence

My favorite hangout

Oxford market

Oxford Market

Lilies around the fence post at our marina

Dog walk area at our marina

Doll house outside the marina. Not sure if someone lives in this or not!

Street by our marina

Part of our marina

Garden area at the marina

Another picket fence

Street along "the Strand" in Oxford

Looking at planters along a street in Oxford

Plantera along the street

At 1:00, we backed out of our slip, got a pump out, and headed back down the Tred Avon River into the Choptank River. We then went West, then Northwest over to Tilghman Island for the night. This is the jumping off point to cross the Chesapeake Bay. We are at Knapp's Narrows Marina. There is a canal that crosses the island, and a road that runs North-South that crosses the canal over the Knapp's Narrows Bridge. The marina is just West of the Bridge.

Heading toward Tilghman Island

Coming into Knapp's Narrows on Tilghman Island....VERY Shallow!!!

Knapp's Narrows Bridge opening for us

Watermen unloading their seafood

Waterman boat

Looking West into the Chesapeake

Watermen boats at the marina

Tilghman Island is a waterman's haven. There are fishing and crabbing boats everywhere. They line the canal on docks, and this is a very vibrant seafood producing area.