Cruising the Chester

Almost due East across the Bay from the Magothy River is the mouth of the Chester River. The Chester is deep and navigable for more than 30 miles through historic Kent County. Settled in the mid 1600s, Kent County was one of the first two counties in Maryland. Our gig last weekend was at Conquest Beach on the banks of the Chester. I thought then that it might be fun to explore the area by boat because it looked so pristine and historic. We left our dock about 3:00 PM today. Within 30 minutes we had crossed the Chesapeake Bay and passed Kent Narrows to starboard, making our way northeast up the river. At its lower reaches the Chester is very broad, but it's still important to stay near the channel because it gets shallow fast. After about 5 miles the river becomes more narrow and winding with rolling farmland on both sides. A careful glance through the trees reveals colonial mansions, many built by retiring English ship captains who made their fortunes transporting goods across the Atlantic and up the river before America was a country. There's surprisingly little modern development along the Chester. Much of the area is protected as a wildlife and nature preserve. We spotted two bald eagles but were unable to get close enough for pictures. By 4:30 we had wound our way up to the dock at Chestertown, one of the oldest and best preserved towns in the nation. We tied up beside the schooner Sultana. A tour of the rebuilt revolutionary war era ship was just finishing, so we had plenty of eager hands to help tie up the boat. I wasn't sure we were docked legally, but no one seemed to mind. We secured the boat and walked the same cobblestone streets that George Washington tred up to the historic distric. According to a marker, Chestertown was once the busiest port in Maryland, which is surprising considering its distance from the Bay. Apparently it was the primary entrance point for trade in and out of Maryland. There was even a "tea-party" tax revolt here mirroring the one in Boston. After exploring around the nicely restored colonial houses and visiting a couple of gift shops, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant by the water. On the menu was a kind of oyster pot pie that was delicious. Dianne took the helm for the return cruise, navigating perfectly along our previous GPS track, back down the river toward the sunset. -S