Seaside Cruise on the M.V. Oyster Catcher

Saturday we spent a blissful morning boating on the Eastern Shore aboard the M.V. Oyster Catcher. The trip was through the neatest little museum called the Barrier Islands Center in Machipongo, VA,(www.barrierislandscenter.com) but the boat left from Oyster, VA. The Oyster Catcher, built in 1984, is a modified skipjack with plenty of natural wood and the feel of being on the African Queen. It was a beautiful sunny day as we motored out through the seaside marsh on the high tide. Captain Smitty and his first mate Buddy were a wealth of information about the history and ecology of the area. We cruised out to Cobb Island, the original site of the Cobb Island Life Saving Station, but the island is now uninhabited. The life saving station was brought over on a barge and is the large white building along the shore just outside the marina.
Of course my favorite view of all time is the point where sky meets water on the horizon, but the various greens of the marsh grasses and the cloud formations were pretty spectacular, too. The best part news is that because so many researchers are working in this area the ecology in this part of the Eastern Shore is rebounding the and oysters are making a comeback. And the barrier islands are left alone to do their job, protect the mainland. Of course any day spent on a boat is a perfect day!