# Sailing the Chesapeake mid November



## jjdin (Jun 15, 2009)

hi,
I am thinking about sailing down the Chesapeake from Annapolis to Norfolk but can't leave until mid November.
Would welcome any advice, information on the conditions that I may encounter since this would be the first time in the area.
Thanks


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
This site might you you an ideal of what to expect in November. Of course average conditions don't tell you what it will be like this year.
Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Quantico, Virginia, United States of America

It looks like you can expect some wind and cool wet weather. Chance of freezing weather and about 30% chance of fog. Really cool site for planning.


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## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

Mid November can be nasty with snow or cold rain OR it can be warm (mid 60s) and clear. If you can wait for decent weather that trip is possible. Plan your trip carefully and keep a careful weather eye.


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## 4arch (Jul 7, 2009)

Snow in mid november is extremely rare and if it does happen it's usually less than 1" accumulation.


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## mgiguere (May 22, 2004)

We sail the Bay 12 months per year...(pull the boat for paint in August when prices are down). Although it can be cool, it can be in some ways the best time. Bring a coleman stove to take the chill out of the cabin...and tow a fishing line because Oct & Nov the big Rockfish (stipped bass) head south. If the weather gets bad along the way, there are plenty of places to pull in for a couple days. You will also have a higher likelyhood of North to Northwesterly winds to push you down without having to tack. Of course if the wind is out of the south, it'll be a little warmer, but nonetheless, all sounds like a great time to go.

Moe
Crishelle
Chris Craft Apache 37 Sloop (S&S)


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Weather is a toss up as others have said, the big bonus is you will have the bay pretty much to yourself.

We regularly sail to Swan Creek (a popular weekend anchorage during the height of the season) for our annual Thanksgiving cruise and we're usually the only ones there  

Two years ago it was 29 degrees...burrr, years before I was in a T shirt?


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## NautiG (Apr 23, 2007)

It'll probably be nippy, so it would be nice to have some way to heat the cabin. Especially in the morning. It's tough to wake up in a cold, dark boat in November.

The winds will likely blow stronger and more consistently from the north. This will build up some short steep waves in the southern bay where they will have had the whole expanse of the bay to build up.

Crossing the Potomac that time of year can be fun too. I'd choose my weather windows carefully. A small craft warning in the bay during the summer often means a great time to go sailing, but in November in the lower bay it probably should be respected. 

I'm planning one one more week long cruise out of Deltaville in October, and hope to do some more short sails in November and December, weather permitting.

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

We sail usual till at least Dec 15. There can be a smattering of ice days followed by sleet, but the fronts blow through every three days.

BTW it is illegal to fillet a caught Rockfish on your boat and then cook it, for obvious reasons i beleive.

Dave


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## jjdin (Jun 15, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for the information and advice. It has been very helpful.
I guess that the bottom line is that this trip is feasible but, as usual, one needs to plan carefully around the weather conditions. It seems that conditions change often and, if faced with bad weather, it may only take two or three days before it changes.


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## motovationcycles (Dec 2, 2008)

*Chesapeake in November*

It's great!. Just pick your days and take your time. I sail out of Solomons all winter long. The wind is better and less boat traffic to deal with.


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## jason3317 (Dec 20, 2007)

I think you've gotten the correct advice. I took my boat from Rock Hall to Cape Charles around Thanksgiving a couple seasons ago. My recollection is that it is was cold, very cold once the sun went down. During the day, not too bad, bearable...but still cold. Polypro long underwear, fleece, hat and gloves.

Something else to keep in mind is at that time of year, the days are very short, so if you don't want to sail at night, you'll have only 8-9 hours of daylight each day. It will add a day or two to the trip to cover the 150 or so miles if you are sailing during daytime hours only.

Be careful with the weather, as is it not uncommon for a small craft advisory on the northern Bay to become a gale warning that time of year. I would not willingly choose to cross the Potomac in those conditions, so if you can hole up in Solomons or Reedville while it passes, all the better. If you get in trouble, or go in the water, you're in danger of hypothermia...


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## NautiG (Apr 23, 2007)

I'd also stay close to the western shore. If there is any westerly component to the wind, the shore should keep the waves from building up too much. The bay really does open up in Virginia. If you got out in the middle of it in bad conditions, you might have to look at your gps to convince yourself that you hadn't accidentally wandered into the ocean. There are also lots of good anchorages on the western shore in Virginia.

I made the trip from Baltimore to Deltaville last March. It was a lot of fun, but the main difference is the amount of daylight hours March versus November. It gets downright cold at night on the water in winter. I'd have a good sleeping bag too. 

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

*All good advice. Cold, north winds, and changable forecasts.*

But I wouldn't feel bad about it if I was heading south. The strong winds should be north and west. If you are comfortable with 20-30 knots winds you should be able to manage easily. Otherwise, you may have to work with the weather and pick your windows.

Read my blog, about a trip we made from Deltaville to Deale between Christmas and Newyears.

Sail Delmarva: Search results for homecoming classic


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## mgiguere (May 22, 2004)

What do you mean it's illegal to catch and fillet (and cook) rockfish on you boat. this doesn't make any sense at all.

Moe


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Moe, 

Heres a true story. a friend of mine caught two Rockfish this year off of Tillman Island from their sailboat. One was measured at 20 inches and the other at 24 inches so they were legal sized when they were caught. The motored through the narrows and anchored in Santa Domingo Creek and filleted the fish to have for dinner that night throwing everything else overboard for the gulls.

DNR boat with game warden came by their boat 1 hour later and inspected them finding the fillets and asked if they bought them to which they said no they had caught them. DNR warden mentioned he saw them pull them up when they were fishing near the Narrows and followed them.

He cited them and fined them for having fished up undersized Rockfish and said they must land at a dock before cleaning the fish. He stated the requirements were to bring them to land first or that anyone who caught undersized fish would just clean them on the boat immediately to avoid having to have them measured if they were legal if they were stopped.

They paid a $250 fine after fighting with a judge who sided with the warden.

Thats the DNR's sense

Dave


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## NautiG (Apr 23, 2007)

Yah, and you have to have two separate licenses to fish in the Maryland or Virginia Chesapeake. Or for that matter, another license for each state if you are traveling through the icw to Florida. The laws are not very common sense or practical for cruisers.

PDQ, I see you have a new Dickenson Newport heater Sail Delmarva: October 2009 I installed the same model a couple years ago on my boat. How do you like yours?

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

*I like the Dickson heater very much. A ton of heat, and no monoxide.*



NautiG said:


> Yah, and you have to have two separate licenses to fish in the Maryland or Virginia Chesapeake. Or for that matter, another license for each state if you are traveling through the icw to Florida. The laws are not very common sense or practical for cruisers.
> 
> PDQ, I see you have a new Dickenson Newport heater Sail Delmarva: October 2009 I installed the same model a couple years ago on my boat. How do you like yours?
> 
> ...


I put in a monitor a the same time, and not a peep. I have noticed the air getting bad just from cooking when I'm buttoned up tight, so I am a bit nervous about that. I have heard some very frightening stories regarding boats and monoxide. I think the last story I read was a fridge that was acting up.

As for following someone, in a sailboat (slow), and waiting for them to fillet the fish... that's nearly entrapment and certainly would make me question why he waited. So that they would clean them and have no defense? I would like to watch him explain that in front of his childrens' class and see if he is embarrassed. If I were the judge I would ask "why the delay?"

But I'm glad to read the note - a trap I could easily fall into, since a cruiser is NOT going to the dock first. For a cruiser, anchoring is the same thing. Dumb.


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## fendertweed (Apr 4, 2003)

pdqaltair said:


> As for following someone, in a sailboat (slow), and waiting for them to fillet the fish... that's nearly entrapment


actually, it's not ... legally, not even close ... fwiw (I'll spare you the legalese details). but it would be annoying.


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## NautiG (Apr 23, 2007)

I think the dnr guy would pretty much have to don some scuba gear and place some undersized fish on the line for it to be entrapment. Although it sounds like if the sailors had kept the fish carcasses instead of dumping them overboard, they could have proved the fish were of size.

Maybe that's the lesson to be learned. Keep the stinky carcasses aboard until you dock. Still Chef Dave's story sounds like a waste of the government and a taxpayer/sailor's time and money. Seems like the dnr ought to have better things to do with their time.

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

*Yes, I do understand. It just "feels" that way.*



fendertweed said:


> actually, it's not ... legally, not even close ... fwiw (I'll spare you the legalese details). but it would be annoying.


Nearly was the wrong word. I only meant it is not straight forward "pull over, your driving too fast" and it should have been. To me the fillet rule is a safety net to catch those that would clean them on the way to the dock. Silly.

If you have a problem with someone, you either tell them, or you don't. He was waiting for more infractions, which he got, if in fact the fish were undersize in the first place. I wonder if he just knows he can always bag a sailor on that one. Like a cruiser was going to even compare with the habitual illegal fishing that abounds.

I guess I will keep taking my chances, because I'll be damned if I'm going to take fish home so I can eat them days later. Fortunately, it seems I catch spot, croaker, and blues.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

pdqaltair said:


> Fortunately, it seems I catch spot, croaker, and blues.


:laugher


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

A similar story to Chefs...

My uncle was crabbing, while on the hook in the Wye. The DNR came for a peak. They had been keeping everything, then they would pick out the small, illegal catch and throw them back...unfortunatley the DNR thought differently and they were fined $250.00


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## lapworth (Dec 19, 2008)

I hate to stick up for the law but rember we almost lost all the rockfish population before. Thanks to regulations we are all able to still enjoy Trophy Season. Keep your lures on the bottom in november and good luck.


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## NautiG (Apr 23, 2007)

I like it when the law goes after the guys who are really causing the problems Seafood Wholesaler, Owner Sentenced in Illegal Rock Fish Conspiracy - Southern Maryland Headline News

Still $250 is pretty expensive for enjoying some fresh fish on your own boat. But I've paid more for worse meals.

Now if they'd start going after all the liveaboards and cruisers who don't pump out. That's something I might be able to get behind.

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

I am with you Scott.....get the dumpers who are poluting the Bay.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

NautiG said:


> Now if they'd start going after all the liveaboards and cruisers who don't pump out. That's something I might be able to get behind.
> 
> Scott
> Gemini Catamaran Split Decision


I like the way Annapolis handles this: make it easy to pump out (a pumpout boat comes to you for $5) and then require anchored boats to prove they've had a pumpout at least once a week. Seems to strike a good balance between anchoring rights and water pollution prevention.

But if I had my druthers I'd be going after chicken farms and fertilizer runoff first.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

Personally I think boater poop is the least of the bay's problems.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

Apologies to the O.P. I should have at least answered the question instead of helping the thread go further off topic! 

The Chesapeake Bay in November ...

November is cold, but it isn't bitter cold, usually, but it is more than just light jacket cold. I guess you'd say it is coat cold, but not coat, hat, scarf, sweater, and long underwear cold. And better protection if you are going to be getting splashed with water of course.

I don't think you want to spend a November night on the Bay without heat, it is too cold for that, though if you don't mind roughing it then a sleeping bag and some blankets piled on would probably be enough to sleep.

It is very windy in November, the winds actually decrease as you near and pass the Solstice before they pick back up in February, and late autumn winds are gusty and not steady winds like they are in the winter months. December and January is usually a kind of quiet frost-sparkled wonderland around the Bay with periods of high steady winds that don't have (m)any wind breaks to stop them from sweeping through anchorages, but it isn't nearly as breezy or gusty as October and November. When it does blow in the depths of winter, however, it really blows.

The real threat of snow is in late February through early March, you would be very lucky to see a snow of any depth in November or even December. Ice storms are always more of a concern than snow.

Water in October is cold, in November is enough for exposure and hypothermia, and by January and February is rather painful. Fresh water freezes do sometimes happen in November, more often in December, and very often in January and early February with periods of thaw - the ground is equally frozen at those times, with periods of thaw/mud and crunchy ground alternating sometimes on a daily basis from noon to night. During these depths of winter you usually get wind for periods of days and calm for longer periods, and you usually get frozen fresh water for days in a row as well determined by whatever air mass is in the area.

By late winter the sun is warmer on your face and you can expect crocus and early daffodils by mid-February in patches, but the grass doesn't green up until March and April.

Hope that helps.

Edit - I'd start crossing the Potomac in the morning, it isn't a very fun intersection to be in at night, and there aren't (m)any good places to anchor for some distance on either side of the Potomac.


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