Would anyone familiar with Swan Creek at Rock Hall please let me know conditions there for depth, anchoring, and if it’s easy to get shore access by dinghy (to exercise the dog and our 5-year old). The water seems thin on the chart. We’ve been to the Sailing Emporium at the basin before, but this time we want to anchor out. Thanks.
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We go there a lot
Brian, My family and my sailing club are in Swan Creek alot. We'll be there this weekend as a matter of fact. This weekend we will be at Osprey Point Marina, not on the hook. This weekend is Rock Hall's Fall Festival and you will have a hard time finding a slip. We usually anchor in the creek. As you enter the creek there are some privately maintained markers to mark the channel. Respect them and you should have no problem, at least 8ft. All the marinas are to your starboard and the anchorage is to your port. Once you round the last mark (to port) into the anchorage there is pretty good water that extends quite aways back if you stay near the center. You didn't specify what you draw but depths range from 8-9 ft down to nothing. As for a dog beach, there is a wooded stretch of shore on the East side of the creek along the first 1/3 of the anchorage (at least for now, I believe there are plans to develope it). We dinghy "Skippy" there for shore leave. Not really much of a beach there. The rest is private homes. In the past we have dinghyed to one of the marina's and caught the Trolley into town but we were under the radar, without specific permission to tie up. You know what they say...."It's easier to get forgiveness than permission" Tom s/v Orion's Child
Brian, My family and my sailing club are in Swan Creek alot. We'll be there this weekend as a matter of fact. This weekend we will be at Osprey Point Marina, not on the hook. This weekend is Rock Hall's Fall Festival and you will have a hard time finding a slip. We usually anchor in the creek. As you enter the creek there are some privately maintained markers to mark the channel. Respect them and you should have no problem, at least 8ft. All the marinas are to your starboard and the anchorage is to your port. Once you round the last mark (to port) into the anchorage there is pretty good water that extends quite aways back if you stay near the center. You didn't specify what you draw but depths range from 8-9 ft down to nothing. As for a dog beach, there is a wooded stretch of shore on the East side of the creek along the first 1/3 of the anchorage (at least for now, I believe there are plans to develope it). We dinghy "Skippy" there for shore leave. Not really much of a beach there. The rest is private homes. In the past we have dinghyed to one of the marina's and caught the Trolley into town but we were under the radar, without specific permission to tie up. You know what they say...."It's easier to get forgiveness than permission" Tom s/v Orion's Child
Google Earth picture
BBC, the spot where you indicated the anchorage is just at the mouth of Swan Creek. You can go quite a bit further upstream (toward the top of the image) before you run out of water. Depending upon the evening, numbers of boats, powerboaters in particular, it can be pretty noisy in the lower anchorage area, although it does make for some entertaining moments watching folks go through the anchoring dance. A good marrital therapist could hang out a shingle and make a few bucks on the side cleaning up some of the messes we've seen here.
BBC, the spot where you indicated the anchorage is just at the mouth of Swan Creek. You can go quite a bit further upstream (toward the top of the image) before you run out of water. Depending upon the evening, numbers of boats, powerboaters in particular, it can be pretty noisy in the lower anchorage area, although it does make for some entertaining moments watching folks go through the anchoring dance. A good marrital therapist could hang out a shingle and make a few bucks on the side cleaning up some of the messes we've seen here.
Swan Creek depths
Most of the depths in the main area used for anchoring are more like 6 feet at low tide. You may find deeper water closer to the center of the creek. As you round the last mark and turn up into the creek, its best to anchor well clear of the first duck blind on your right. Their is shoaling just to the west of the blind. Swan Creek is a great spot for anchoring, but it can get crowded, especially on holiday weekends.
Most of the depths in the main area used for anchoring are more like 6 feet at low tide. You may find deeper water closer to the center of the creek. As you round the last mark and turn up into the creek, its best to anchor well clear of the first duck blind on your right. Their is shoaling just to the west of the blind. Swan Creek is a great spot for anchoring, but it can get crowded, especially on holiday weekends.
Good info, thanks!
Appreciate all of you taking the time to post. We draw 5' and will definitely be visiting soon (must admit I was thinking of this weekend but am having a second thought based on Tom's mention of the fall festival, which I didn't know about--thanks Tom). Swan Creek is very convenient being a close anchorage to Annapolis, and I'm looking for good alternatives to our usual close-by anchorages of Harness Creek/Rhode River/Severn River when we do just single overnight trips. We've been to Bodkin Creek and that is excellent too although my blood pressure goes up a tad at the entrance due to shoaling. Love that google earth stuff and the topo map! Happy sailing! Brian
Appreciate all of you taking the time to post. We draw 5' and will definitely be visiting soon (must admit I was thinking of this weekend but am having a second thought based on Tom's mention of the fall festival, which I didn't know about--thanks Tom). Swan Creek is very convenient being a close anchorage to Annapolis, and I'm looking for good alternatives to our usual close-by anchorages of Harness Creek/Rhode River/Severn River when we do just single overnight trips. We've been to Bodkin Creek and that is excellent too although my blood pressure goes up a tad at the entrance due to shoaling. Love that google earth stuff and the topo map! Happy sailing! Brian
From Annapolis...
... you have lots of choices for single overnight trips. Of course, a lot depends on the weather and wind strength and direction. Being in Annapolis, I assume you've explored the upper reaches of the Severn. Going north, the Magothy offers lots of anchorages, but I'd stay away from behind Dobbins Isl as that's where everyone goes. If the wind is right, you can make it up to Fairlee Creek on the eastern shore. As one poster below noted, you can explore the Chester and Corsica rivers forever as they are grand. If the wind favors going south, head over to the Wye River (and like Dobbins, avoid the popular Shaw Bay) and head up around the "S" bend to either Granary or Dividing Creeks on the north side. Or head across Eastern Bay and drop your hook behind Tilghman Pt, or keep going down to St Mikes and the great anchorages on the other side.... You couldn't be in a better place to cruise from....
... you have lots of choices for single overnight trips. Of course, a lot depends on the weather and wind strength and direction. Being in Annapolis, I assume you've explored the upper reaches of the Severn. Going north, the Magothy offers lots of anchorages, but I'd stay away from behind Dobbins Isl as that's where everyone goes. If the wind is right, you can make it up to Fairlee Creek on the eastern shore. As one poster below noted, you can explore the Chester and Corsica rivers forever as they are grand. If the wind favors going south, head over to the Wye River (and like Dobbins, avoid the popular Shaw Bay) and head up around the "S" bend to either Granary or Dividing Creeks on the north side. Or head across Eastern Bay and drop your hook behind Tilghman Pt, or keep going down to St Mikes and the great anchorages on the other side.... You couldn't be in a better place to cruise from....
Swan Creek update
Brian, Just an update; I was there this weekend and they have almost completed what appears to be 2 new homes at "Skippy"s" favorite shore leave spot. There is also now a dock under construction there. I guess we'll have to find a new place for Skippy's shore leave, most other spots on Swan that we have tried are mud flats covered in reeds. Tom s/v Orion's Child
Brian, Just an update; I was there this weekend and they have almost completed what appears to be 2 new homes at "Skippy"s" favorite shore leave spot. There is also now a dock under construction there. I guess we'll have to find a new place for Skippy's shore leave, most other spots on Swan that we have tried are mud flats covered in reeds. Tom s/v Orion's Child
Our dog loves mud flats with reeds!
In fact, one of her strange habits is that as soon as we get her ashore via dinghy such as at a tiny mudflat, she'd just as soon go back in the water to do her business. She's a Portuguese water dog and figures that's where she is supposed to go I guess. Thanks again to you and others for info. Brian
In fact, one of her strange habits is that as soon as we get her ashore via dinghy such as at a tiny mudflat, she'd just as soon go back in the water to do her business. She's a Portuguese water dog and figures that's where she is supposed to go I guess. Thanks again to you and others for info. Brian
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