234 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



[April 15, 1886. 



CRUISE OF THE COOT. 



xix. 



FROM Annapolis it is customary to make Black Walnut Cove 

 inside the southern end of Tilghman's Island, in the mouth of 

 the Choptank River, a run of twenty-five miles, and nearly half the 

 distance to the mouth of the Patnxent River, which is usually the 

 next harbor ou the voyage down. Although Walnut Cove is oh the 

 eastern shore of the Chesapeake, and involves crossing over, it is 

 almost directly in the course owing to an elbow in the Bay. There 

 are several good harbors on the western shore immediately below 

 the Severn River. Four miles places you abreast the South River 

 and six miles leads you into West River, both of which are easily 

 made, while a fifteen mile run will take you into Herring Bav. 

 But these are generally skipped, as they do not afford a good day's 

 run. Below Herring Bay there is no shelter on the western shore 

 for thirty-five miles, until the mouth of the Patnxent is reached, 

 unless you except a smooth under Cove Pointtwenty-six miles down. 

 The fifty odd miles between the Severn and Patnxent is therefore 

 best split by putting into Walnut Cove. Should the wind head you 

 off in this attempt, there is always a chance of anchoring under the 

 lee of Kent or Wade's Point in Eastern Bay or of Poplar Island, in 

 doing which caution is necessary, owing to surrounding shoal 

 water. Alter clearing the black buoy No. 19 off Tally's Point in the 

 mouth of the Severn, steer about S. by E. for Bloody Point Light, 

 which is fixed red and a prominent object by daylight. Then haul 

 up due south and skirt Poplar Island, giving it a tolerable berth for 

 deep water. Steer S. by E. again for Sharp's Island Light, eight 

 miles away. Leave it to the southward, passing between it and 

 black buoy off southern end of Tilghman's Island and sweep round 

 into the cove. If the wind is from the southward seek the creeks of 

 the Choptank instead. Next day you can lay a course for the 

 Patuxent, and so complete the remaining half of the distance from 

 Annapolis. 



The Choptank; itself is a great river four miles wide with over 9 

 fathoms in some spots and haslateral branches innumerable, giving a 

 hundred miles of shore line to be explored if the time can be spared. 

 Shooting is excellent in these creeks, especially during the ducking 

 season. The town of Oxford is situated eight miles from the mouth 

 and should be taken in by yachtsmen. Cambridge, a city of many 

 attractions, is about twelve miles up. You can let go in 13ft off the 

 pier or in 7ft. at low water in the creek. A run ten miles further 

 down, or thirty-five miles from the Severn, shows good anchorage 

 under James and Ragged Point, in the Little Choptank. Below this 

 the Eastern Shore has no harbors, and the beach is shoal for many 

 miles, so that the western coast is to be preferred. 



The Coot sailed out of Annapolis through a vast fleet of oystermen 

 of all kinds, making a magnificent picture. Scores of pungies and 

 buckeyes were bending to the freshening northwester. Their low, 

 smart' hulls and rakish rigs with flat setting canvas standing out 

 against the clear blue sky in strong relief, made a maritime picture 

 worthy the brush of an artist. The fleet looked like a bunch of 

 yachts in the perfection of their outline and grace of their man- 



eU Wit S h the wind increasing in strength and kicking up the sea, the 

 Coot resolved to stick to the weather shore and rest content with a 

 run down to Herring Bay rather than cross over to leeward where 

 navigation was not quite so simple. She was jibed over to port, 

 rounding Tally's Point, and drove past the desolate looking summer 

 hotel with a bone in her teeth. South and West River were opened 

 and passed, the coast being dotted with dredging vessels standing 

 off and on. The shore was skirted down till Fairhaven in Herring 

 Bay bore well abaft the beam, when the yacht was hauled up to 

 fetch into the long submerged sandpit which forms a partial pro- 

 tection to the bay from the eastward. The channel leads round this 

 spit far to the southward. No buoy marks the termination of this 

 tongue on which there are but 2 and 3ft. Later I learned that a 

 bnoy had been moored, by private enterprise I believe, where one is 

 much needed. The chart shows no mark of any kind. Not aware of 

 this. I brought the Coot up too soon, steering for a pungic at anchor 

 on the bar, in the belief that she must be in water deep enough to 

 float the Coot. Suddenly there was a bump, then several more, and 

 the wake of the Coot showed that she was stirring up sand enough 

 to cloud the waters. Fortunately it was only about half ebb and she 

 slipped off into deeper water inside after crossing the bow of the 

 pungie and discovering that the latter had grounded hard in a 

 plumb position which deceived me at the outset. If less confidence 

 had been placed in the centerboard and more in the lead, the 

 narrow escape from sticking in a dangerous place in the coming 

 blow would have been avoided. From 7 to 10ft. can be counted on 

 inside the bar well up to the head of the cove. The Coot was 

 turned up in short boards passing outside of a bush planted on a 

 tongue projecting south of Fairhaven pier. A steamer from Balti- 

 more calls at the place twice a week and a store can be found at the 

 harbor. There is an inner pond into which small boats can get at 

 top of high water, but the sea in the harbor proper is never serious. 



Things had scarcely been snugged aboard the Coot when the wind 

 came out howling and freezing cold from N.W., so that I congratu- 

 lated myself upon not having attempted the longer run across the 

 Chesapeake to Walnut Cove. It shrieked and whistled all night. 

 The skiff was full of Ice next morning and the anchor line like a rod 

 of ice Towards noon the wind lulled, but shifting round to N.E. 

 continued to blow furiously, raising a tremendous sea outside which 

 sent all the ovstermen in for shelter. Having got as far round as 

 E.N.E., the gale slowly backed into N.W. and for two more days 

 kept up at top notch, at times reaching the strength of a hurricane. 

 I could not leave the vacht. owing to cold and sea, so had to spend a 

 rather dismal Christmas in something like close confinement. A 

 large r white sloop under reefed mainsail had sought shelter and 

 forged up alongside, the skipper hailing for rum wherewith to cele- 

 brate the auspicious day. Popped head out of the cabin and re- 

 gretted exceedingly that my supply had been exhausted and An- 

 napolis did not seem equal to replenishing the stock with desired 

 quality. To this the skipper answered that he had hailed in fun to 

 see who was aboard the little t catboat and find out where she was 

 bound, his sloop being a Maryland police cutter, engaged in driving 

 dredgers off illegal ground into deep water. When the wind lulled 

 in the evening he and his deputy pulled alongside for achat and a 

 smoke. Not until the fourth day was the Coot able to resume her 

 voyage and that nearly came to an early termination by mashing a 

 finger under the anchor while securing it forward where there is so 

 little room in a cat rigged boat. Alter an hour's doctoring the yacht 

 got underway again, this time almost literally with a single hand. 

 There was a nice wind from W.N.W. and not very cold. It promised 

 to blow me down thirty-five miles into the Patuxent, but failed to 

 meet expectations. Got round Holland Point under full sail and 

 rapidlv spun down the bold timber-clad coast, in company with a 

 large fleet of dredgers who dropped off one by one as they reached 

 their customary grounds. These dredgers carry a numerous crew, 

 usually ten to a dozen men. The skipper and mate are often white, 

 the rest invariably of the colored contingent of citizens, who right 

 manfully wind away at the cranks of an iron geared windlass 

 placed fore and aft amidships. The dredge or trawl, much like 

 oyster tongs on a large scale without the handles, is thrown over the 

 side with a stout rope attached, which is paid out over a roller on 

 the gunwale or smack's waist. The vessel is then tacked to and 

 fro with sheets lifted. Finally she is rounded to, whereupon the 

 dusky toilers haul the dredge in upon deck and dump the contents, 

 which are sorted and shoveled into the hold. At night a harbor is 

 sought. For this occupation the phlegmatic soul of the African 

 seems to be peculiarly adapted, though a galley slave could scarcely be 

 put to severer or more dreary toil. But the African has a finger in the 

 pie, as he is generally paid with a fraction of the catch or works, like 

 the whaler, ons hares. He is free with his money, light-hearted, good- 

 natured and always ready for more work without grumbling. The 

 more ambitious and steady, of whomthere are not a lew\ save their 

 earnings, soon own a little sloop or buckeye, then a large smack, 

 and finally become extensive employers of labor themselves. I ran 

 foul of one sable toiler of the deep who commissioned three vessels 

 and twenty hands. These he paid $2.50 and $3 a week and "found" 

 them. ''Oh, just give 'em some salt horse and a bite of cornmeal," 

 be vouchsafed while expounding the economies of his business. He 

 was then bound after a tug, which he would charter for $75 to tow 

 his vessel out of the ice to market, and realize over $100 profit for 

 three weeks' work. "Oysters is up now, you see that freeze has kept 

 'em from coming in. but I propose to take advantage of High prices 

 and try again," and he paced the deck with the air of a capitalist 

 and speculator who would turn up his nose at the Knights ot Labor. 

 From 40 to 75 cents was being paid per bushel in the local markets by 

 the "bosses," who pack and ship out of the country. That man's 

 credit stood so high with the "bosses," that they lent him $75 out- 

 right to charter the tug, as he had no cash with him, having tramped 

 twenty-five miles across country to connect. 



It was not expected that the Uoot should put in a day without the 

 regulation gale. When Plum Point, eight miles below Herring Bay, 

 was over the bow, with the long pier just to be seen below, the wind 

 hauled into N.W. in a series of ugly squalls which knocked the boat 

 down to the cabin house, and caused the sheet to be spilled incess- 

 antly. Having kept well off shore to avoid the lee ol the bluffs, it 

 was now necessary to work the boat in under the land by a scries ot 

 half boards to each puff. A biscuit's toss off shore there is still 18ft., 

 so it was almost with nose butting into the. bank that the Coot lay to 

 her anchor, while the sail was close reefed and a hasty lunch 

 swallowed with the warmth of the stove to revive circulation. 

 Schooners had come down to reefed mainsail and jib, and a large 

 sloop close aboard had her ten men tying away reef points for dear 



life. As she drove under the Coot's stern showing nothing but 

 bobbed jib, I hailed the grizzly bearded mariner at the wheel to 

 identify Plum Point without fail. "Whar yer bound?" he casually 

 added. "iNorlolk." "Reckon you'd better keep inshore with that 

 thing." All the crew dropped their points and stared at the Coot 

 with a broad grin. In half an hour the boat was on her course 

 again, spinning away at a dashing rate, but I did not keep her 

 under the bluffs, as the sea was now very high beyond. Passed 

 Governor's Run where there is said to be entrance to a small creek 

 but could make out nothing definite. In the afternoon the wind 

 lulled again and the boat was boldly put across a ten mile bight 

 formed by the i-eceding shore. When off St. Leonard, the weather 

 had moderated considerably and reefs were shaken out. The snn 

 sank behind three remarkable bluffs and gulleys below St. Leonard 

 and left the waters almost calm, the yacht drifting with barely 

 steerage way for two hours, slowly creeping up on Uove Point Light 

 and the open roadstead under its projecting sandy hook. Seven 

 miles yet remained to the customarv harbor round Drum Point in 

 the Patuxent and it was now dark. The entrance being by buoys 

 which would be hard to make out. I resolved upon turning into the 

 Cove and taking chances for the night, rather than drift about to no 

 purpose. It was a risky and scarcely warranted plan, lor though 

 the night boded no evil, I had long ago discovered that in midwinter 

 half an hour can lash the Chesapeake into a gale from any quarter. 

 The chart was on so small a scale, the light on the point so blinding 

 and the background of pine so dark, with the beach so bold, that I 

 turned the Coot plump against the almost vertical sand wall, nose 

 first, and realized by suddenly being taken off my feet that the boat 

 had stood in about as far as she was likely to go. Perhaps I was 

 also a little drowsy from the cold and long vigil of twelve hours at 

 the stick. The Coot rebounded and jibed out into lift, where the 

 hook was let go to 15 fathoms. Many working vessels followed my 

 example until a fleet had collected under the saae spit. One fellow- 

 puiled his y awl alongside for some tobacco. Yachts were always well 

 stocked he said. He was dying for want ol the weed. They had 

 been out for a long time with a load of potatoes from North Caro- 

 lina. He got a package of Seal, plug cut, and sculled away 



happy. Slept sound and did not care a rap for impending gales. 

 Twenty-seven miles nearer warm weather. It remained calm and 

 serene all night, which was the first piece ot good I tick which fell 

 to the Coot on this voyage. 



Got the anchor at sunrise and was about shaking out the precau- 

 tionary reefs turned in for the night when an ominous tune through 

 the gear bid me keep fast. The boat swung away to the first or a 

 blow from N.N W. From the Cove light to Cedar Point across the 

 mouth of the Patuxent measures 5 miles, course due S., wind and sea 

 were over the starboard quarter and from that direction the Coot 

 can stand a deal as long as she can be kept off and her boom free. 

 Under close reef she soon was wallowing along at a dizzv spin, the 

 seething loam thrown off each bow in a long streak as far as you 

 could see. The protection of the weather 6hore was left with ex- 

 ceeding rapidity. Down the Coot's nose would drop into the deep 

 hollows and up would flv her haunches. 'I he boom end would go 

 skimming along in brine" and dip several feet at each lee roll, then 

 freeing itself suddenly, would bring up on the sheet with a wang 

 that shook every frame in the boat's body. It took all the muscle I 

 had to keep the helm up which had to be let go by lits and starts to 

 meet the yacht's wild antics. Held on to things as they were as we 

 were fiving across to Cedar Point beyond which a fresh lee would be 

 made. "This cape is a long, low triangular spit, all sand, with here 

 and there some patches of stunted growth. The banks below the 

 water are straight up and down, 4 fathoms on one side and 5 fathoms 

 on the other within a couple of boats lengths from the |fringing 

 pebbles. Down upon it we came at a rush, reached up abreast and 

 in an instant more ran into aflat calm, with not a breath to distend 

 the collaping sail. This strange phenomenon I have observed 

 around many of the sandy spits in Cuesapeake. Within fifty yards 

 astern it was blowing a stiff gale and ahead it was absolutely still. 

 While pungies were following in mv wake staggering rail to under 

 reduced sail, others &ahead could not oontrol their movements for 

 lack of steerage way. So potential was the effect of the low sand 

 spit in cutting off the wind as with a knife. The sudden change 

 which had come over the Coot, from the livelist and luost exhilarat- 

 ing kind of a race to sluggishly drifting as in a hot summer's day, was 



