Balti-More (or Less?)

Rounding Bodkin Point north of Gibson Island, Brio quickly joined the commercial traffic entering Baltimore Harbor. The channel is narrow enough and close enough to the Harbor that there's no separation zone established to keep the incoming and outgoing traffic separate. Brio's on her toes, focused on what's ahead, but constantly checking for any boats coming in from her port, starboard or astern. Baltimore Harbor is 6 to 8 miles inland from the Bay and provides a sheltered place for a few days while we pick up crew (Charlie), buy fuel and groceries (Whole Foods is a quarter of a mile away from where our Marina is located), and enjoy stretching our legs along the waterfront.

The stark reminder of the terrifying accident from last winter, when the freighter ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused the massive mid-section of the Bridge to collapse into the Harbor.

The view from the stern after passing the Bridge. You can see the stubs of roadway on both sides of the image.

The view to the west, where cranes are recovering and rebuilding the structure.

The view to the east where what remains is "full stop."

There is a buoy just beyond the Bridge which marks the spot in the Harbor where Francis Scott Key, who was impisoned on a British prisoner ship, saw the rockets red glare and the flag which was still there. We pass the buoy, knowing that the British warships were about 3 miles distant from Fort McHenry, pictured below.

We understand from the flag's exhibit at the Smithsonian that the British fired everything they had, including rockets and other modern devices, at the Fort through the night. When they saw that the flag still was there in the morning, they had exhausted their supplies and couldn't fire any more. They gave up and sailed away.

Note that the flag above the Fort is not flying because of the shut-down. Sad.

Once we passed into the Inner Harbor, we fueled up and then went over to our Marina. We crept in slowly, not knowing fully what to expect. But the berth was wide (maybe 20 feet versus Brio's 15 foot beam) and it was a smooth landing.

Once docked, we headed off the stretch our legs. Since the Fort was closed, we focused on the waterfront, including groceries.

After stocking up, we headed further into the Harbor to see several ships at dock and on display. One was a 1930s destroyer which saw service at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. There was a light ship that was stationed off the mouth of the Chesapeake.

And a submarine that saw service near the end of World War II.

The USS Constellation, built in the 1850s, was the last sailing ship like the USS Constitution in Boston.

Being an urban environment, the Harbor has an endless challenge to keep the Harbor clean. Mr. Trash Wheel to the rescue.

Going a block or two in on the city's streets, we come across a plaque commemerating the encounter of the Massachusetts 6th Infantry Regiment with pro-slavery gangs in April 1861, just as the tensions surrounding Fort Sumter were on a hard boil and Lincoln had only been inaugerated on March 4th.

On a cheerier note, a restaurant with a strong reputation, Miss Shirleys, boasts an incredible menu of breakfasts and lunches guaranteed to fill even the most empty belly. Of course we had to try it!

Needless to say, we enjoyed dishes we can't easily make on Brio. A stack of pancakes (one blueberry, one strawberry), maple syrup, bacon, hash browns. Yum!

We are safely nestled in at the Marina. The nor'easter is creeping up the coast and winds here are maybe 20 knots today (Sunday). The Marina is sheltered by tall buildings and the flags nearby are limp. Across the Harbor, they are snapping in the wind.

We look forward to Charlie's joining us in another few hours!

Cheers,

Brio