Smith Island

[Bad Obsession]

I am thinking about visiting Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay this summer. I am wondering if anyone has any information of the island and if it is worth stoppping at. I have heard that there is some shoaling in the area as well and that it is pretty shallow (I only draw 3 feet). What is there to do on the island? Are there some must see places? How are the restaurants? Is there a marina that has transient slips?Thanks in advance for any information that you give!

 

[John F12771]

A visit to Smith Island

I haven't been to Smith Island for about 6 years or so and don't plan to go back. If you like remote, rustic, quiet places with litte to do, Smith is for you. The best entrance is from the west. We draw five feet and had no trouble. You must stay in the channel. There is a town dock to tie up to with no electricity. The one place to eat was a snack bar not open for dinner. It also served as a store. You can walk the entire island in a half hour. Watch your shoes. The bottoms will be covered with tar, when you return to the boat. The most excitement is watching the Crisfield ferry come and go. I kind of enjoyed it. My wife hated it. We did get a lot of reading done. We spent the night, but should have arrived early and the moved on in the afternoon. I hear that the better stop on Tangier Island, just south of Smith I. The guides say there is much more to do. After the Smith experience, I'm havng a hard time getting my wife to consider Tangier.

 

[s sauer]

Smith

Smith and Tangier Islands are very rural, and basically down home waterman commuities. The channel in to Smith island is well marked and has 6-7' depths going to the town of Ewell. Tangier to the south is the smaller of the two islands, and there is a tour boat from Chrisfield to Tangier, and that's the only way I've been there many years ago, since I was concerned with my 5'-2" draft.There would be some information on dockage and/or overnight slips in The Guide to Cruising Chesapeake Bay.

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

Ditto to John F's comments...

I plan to do Tangier soon. I hear it's better than Smith - where I probably won't be returning.

 

[BBC16385]

Smith no, Tangier yes

Forget Smith I. If you go, approach from West. We draw 5' and got stuck pretty hard in the middle of the channel when we went several years ago. Finally got off and had no trouble leaving the next day [since I then knew where the "real" channel was]. There is nothing at Smith to see or do. I will never go back.Tangier is one of my favorite places for a number of reasons. It is more compact, more people, more buildings and cemetaries and restaurants, etc. You can go straight through the island from either side and come out on the other [warning: swift current]. And it has a marina.My favorite part is the mile long two sided beach on the south end of the island. You can get there from the South end of the West Road or by anchoring in Cod Bay. Photo below is from one of my many trips there. Spend the day at the beach at one of the Bay's prettiest spots!