After leaving Alexandria and making a day stop at Mt. Vernon, we dropped the anchor for the night in Mattawoman Creek. About 15 minutes later, we noticed an osprey sitting in a tree about 50 yards away. He flew away minutes later as two eagles took up their perch in the same tree. They stayed for more than an hour. We watched as they fished and flew recon missions around the creek. As night fell, a deer came down to the water’s edge to feed on leaves and drink from the creek. We felt that we had our own private viewing of wildlife in their natural habitat!
The following morning, we proceeded down the Potomac River and once again encountered the debris fields flowing downstream caused by the flooding in DC. We plowed through piles of tree limbs, tree trunks, tires (some still on rims!), propane tanks and 55-gallon barrels. It was like navigating in a junk yard!
We made our way back to Colonial Beach before the weather turned and rain caught up with us once again. We ended up staying a second night hoping for better weather. The next morning brought more rain and small craft advisories, so we stayed in Colonial Beach until about 3:00 p.m. The weather cleared, and we set out motor sailing to Breton Bay. It was getting dark as we dropped anchor for the night. While the skies had cleared, the river was still very choppy so we all were worn out and ready for rest.
The following day we headed back out into the Potomac and set a course for the St. Mary River. We traveled about 8 miles up the river to St. Mary’s City. This was the site of the first capital of Maryland and is a favorite anchorage for boaters around the region. There were about 20 to 25 boats in the pretty Horseshoe Bend anchorage for the night.
The next morning at first light we hoisted anchor, traveled down the St. Mary River to the Potomac and turned east toward the Chesapeake Bay. Our 17-day side trip up the Potomac was over. We had experienced several centuries of struggles by our ancestors to make our lifestyle possible and witnessed nature on its terms, a truly unforgettable journey.