The Chesapeake Bay is an immense and varied cruising ground, and one of the world’s most delightful destinations. It’s just so…genteel. Not only the ambience of the towns and anchorages and the people you meet there, but also the Bay itself. It has warmth and an essence that occupies you from the moment you step aboard your boat.

Chartering on the Chesapeake can have you in the midst of a large city with aircraft carriers and barges in the morning and by afternoon secured in a bucolic anchorage surrounded by a tall pine forest or undulating marsh grass. One of the best jumping-off points for your charter adventure is Deltaville, VA, nestled between the Rappahannock and Piankatank Rivers. Protected, yet accessible, the location is perfect for boaters of all ages and levels of experience.

Deltaville is a central hub for cruisers in the southern Bay and Norton Yachts Sailboat Charters is your go-to facility for chartering. From sailing lessons to provisioning, they will send you off in style with their fleet of well-maintained vessels. Anchor in Jackson Creek or Fishing Bay the first night, or head up the Rappahannock River to Urbanna to get your sea legs. If you stay in Deltaville, make your way to the Deltaville Maritime Museum, which presents the history of the region and its dependence on boatbuilding. If you are lucky, there will be a baseball game at the stadium (circa 1948), where you can sit in the covered wooden grandstand while cheering on the home team before you get underway. If you go the 18 miles upriver to Urbanna, there are a few restaurants and quaint shops to visit in town, which is a short walk up the hill from the town marina or the anchorage. There are plenty of places to stow your dinghy anywhere in these two towns.

Read the full story.