Tangier Island in the Chesapeake
Posted by DudleyAndStephens@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 9 comments
Has anyone here sailed to Tangier Island recently? We went years ago and I'd love to do a return trip but I am wondering about the state of the marina there. It used to be owned by a gentleman named Mr Parks but has died since our visit. I'm unclear if it's still maintained or running.
ablindhedge@reddit
I sailed there twice last year and anchored out in cod harbor. Awesome island with a huge sandbar, good ice cream, and an amazing night sky. we dinghied through the marsh to get to the marina. There were alot of sunken boats and no one actually staying in the marina. Only other people we met besides the locals was a couple that came over on the ferry.
I draw 5'9" and the previous owner of my boat had taken it through the channel & stayed in the marina a few years ago when the owner was still alive. But after seeing all the sunken boats last year I dont think id feel comfortable without sounding it from the dinghy first.
DudleyAndStephens@reddit (OP)
TY for the info. I assume you got to Cod Harbor from Tangier Sound in the East?
archlich@reddit
What’s the draft like there? Charts accurate?
demo_graphic@reddit
Yes! We went two years ago so not sure how helpful that is to you. Kind of a creepy but interesting experience. We stayed at the marina and it was in surprisingly good condition, including nice bathrooms stilted over the water. No other boats were at the marina, and no staff. We called a posted number with no answer (according to my memory). We stayed a full day and night, walking the town. There were no visitors there at all because the ferries weren't running, so everything was closed, including the museum. It had a real ghost town feel. The locals would say meek "hello's" from their yards and watch us go by. The whole island was plastered with Trump signs. They seem very sheltered from society but obviously used to lots of visitors. The historical plaques around town highlight some disturbing events that have happened there over the decades. We had no cash left for the drop box, and the ATM's were all broken so we left a check for our dockage. It finally got cashed many months later! A very short weather window opened the next day, so we surfed over to Crisfield, Md. We got there on a dreary Monday and got weathered in for an entire week. This just felt like a larger ghost town and we were bored out of our minds — couldn't even find a bar! Couldn't wait to move on to Solomon's after that.
DudleyAndStephens@reddit (OP)
You couldn't find a bar in Crisfield? Wow. I have to ask, when did you take this trip. Being socked in by weather for a whole week on the Chesapeake is... unusual?
Good to know that the marina is there with a self-pay option and that the bathrooms are usable. How much water did your boat draw? I've heard the slips are often less than 5 feet deep.
Odd that you thought the place was creepy. When we were there 7 or 8 years ago everyone was very friendly although the Trump signs were unfortunate.
demo_graphic@reddit
I just went and checked our logs and we were only in Crisfield 3 nights — it just felt like a week! This was in early May. It was super gloomy, rainy, and windy. Arriving on a Monday was the worst part because so many things were closed Monday-Wednesday. There was a tiki-ish kind of bar right on the water that was closed every night so we used it as a dinghy dock. The people on Tangier we encountered were nice enough, but it was just so empty and we were the only outsiders so it gave it a creepy vibe for sure.
DudleyAndStephens@reddit (OP)
Interesting. Any issues with the docks in Tangier being deep enough for a sailboat?
demo_graphic@reddit
We were in a shoal draft vessel so it did not concern us. I think there was lots of depth on the main dock that extends into the channel. It was shallow in the slips close to shore. Active Captain has a review that says "There is 6' of water at the bulkhead dock around the bath house.". Time your arrival as the current rips through the channel.
Radiant_Active8927@reddit
Bought a sailboat in Crisfield twenty some years ago. Couldn’t wait to get out of the area. Never worked so hard to get a boat ready to go.
Between the mosquitoes that came out in swarms at sunset and trying to get the locals to do some work on time it was brutal.