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Sinepuxent Bay extends south from Ocean City Inlet to South Point where it meets the head of Chincoteague Bay. Chincoteague is the largest of the Delmarva Peninsula’s inland bays. At its widest point, Chincoteague is seven miles across.

A barrier island forms the eastern border of Chincoteague Bay. The island includes Assateague National Seashore which stretches south from Ocean City Inlet to the Virginia State line and Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge which extends from the Virginia state line south to Chincoteague Inlet.

Combined, these two nature preserves form one of the largest sections of natural beach and barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of the United States. There is a rugged beauty on the barrier island, the shifting sands and harsh salt environment give rise to a resilient group of plants and wildlife. A strong dependency exists between the barrier island species. The small dune grasses, for example, trap and hold the sand, while providing a protected environment for small burrowing animals. Without the dune grass the sand would be eroded by the wind and tides.

The Town of Chincoteague, located at the south end of the barrier island, is a typical coastal town. A coast guard station, with well kept white buildings, stands in the center of town along the harbor.

The Chincoteague Fire Station also stands in the center of town. In the early 1970’s I attended my first professional conference at the Fire Station. At the time I was working as a research biologist studying the potential impact that the Salem Nuclear Generating Station might have on the ichthyoplankton of Delaware Bay. The conference focused on estuarine research. We listened to research papers during the day and went to Chincoteague’s restaurants to eat oysters at night. I am not sure that the second floor of the Fire Station is still used for conferences, but there are still plenty of restaurants serving oysters.

This morning I launched the boat, with a northeast wind was blowing 10 to 15 knots, straight down Sinepuxent Bay. I was happy to round South Point and duck behind the cover of land. The water behind the Point was calmer. I had plotted a southwest course, allowing me to take advantage of the wind as I headed down Chincoteague Bay.

Around mid morning, I noted an increase in the wind. Sailors recognize changes in the wind by watching the water. The wind causes the surface of the water to ripple. Stronger breezes produce bigger ripples. Wind blowing from the same direction over a long period of time will cause waves. If the wind is strong enough, these will crest to form white caps. If the tide is moving in the same direction as the wind, the waves get larger. If the wind and tide are in opposition, the waves get choppy. Bigger bodies of water, like the ocean, allow the wind to build up bigger waves. The bottom line — the wind produces the waves, bigger waves are produced by stronger wind and the longer the wind can act on the water the bigger the waves.

I had reached the center of Chincoteague Bay. The northeast wind blew down the Sinepuxent and across the Chincoteague crossing about 7 miles of open water before reaching the boat. The tide was ebbing. The waves were rolling, cresting and forming white caps. The stern of the boat would be picked up and carried to the top of each wave. There, the wind would catch the side of the boat and push the stern to the right or left. The boat would slide down the wave pulling hard to one side. With each wave I had to use the oars to correct the sideways slide and reposition the stern into the wind and waves. If the boat became sideways, a wave could break over the side and fill the boat with water.

I continued to fight the waves. I watched in dismay as large areas of rippled surface water moved from the northeast toward the boat. The waves grew bigger. At times, they appeared to be higher than the stern of the boat. The good news, I was moving along at 4 — 5 knots. The bad news, I was in the middle of the Bay about 4 miles from where I had agreed to meet my land support. I had to keep rowing and keep the stern of the boat into the wind and waves.

Moving more quickly than I anticipated, the wind pushed me toward the shoreline. Just as waves build up as they near the beach in the ocean, the waves in the Bay were building up as they crossed the shallow water near the shore. The water became very choppy. The waves began to roll and break.

The wind blew the boat onto a small beach. About a quarter mile to the north was a single farm house. To the south there was an expanse of marsh. One mile across this marsh was the beach where my support vehicle and team were waiting. I attempted to launch the boat back into the wind and waves. This was not possible. Even wadding into the water, the wind and waves were too strong to allow me to row back out and south to the rendezvous point.

I called the support team to let them know where I was and that I was safe. Then I hauled the boat along the beach and marsh to the north toward the farm house. I hoped the farmer would understand my plight.

After a half hour of pulling the boat through the waves along the beach and across the marsh, I reached the house. Two very large and one very small dog charged from around the side of the house. After a few tense moments of growling and barking, they became more interested in getting their heads scratched than in protecting the property.

The dog’s owner, Bill Bruning, came around the side of the house on a tractor. He smiled as he saw me standing amidst the dogs — wet, tired and muddy. Without introduction he knew who I was. He had read about the Delmarva Odyssey in the local papers and was happy to offer assistance.

Bill is a third generation farmer and gentleman. He has lived on the Chincoteague Bay his whole life. Bill’s grandfather and grandmother came from Baltimore and bought the farm, which had previously been used as a hunting lodge. They first saw the property in the summer, when the mosquitoes were so thick that Grandma said, Absolutely not. They visited again in the Fall. The ducks and geese were thicker than the mosquitoes. Bill’s grandfather said, We’re buying it. Over time Bill’s grandparents changed the land from a hunting lodge to the farm.

Bill has seen significant changes to the area around Chincoteague Bay. He watched as the sleepy little villages became recreational areas. Bill doesn’t think the changes are necessarily bad, they are just changes. But the 800+ acres that Bill farms have not changed. The point of land that Grandma and Grandpa bought as a hunting lodge and turned into a home remains the same. Well, maybe the shoreline has eroded a bit, trees have gotten older and died, the old high antenna came down in a storm, and the house has been renovated. But overall, it is still pretty much the same.

Bill lives on the farm with Roseanna, his wife, and his daughter Kirby, although Kirby spends most of her time at college at Salisbury University. She mentioned something about leaving civilization to come back to the farm for the summer.

Bill and I talked about ecology and farming. We discussed how farmers are really stewards of the land. They pride themselves on using sound agricultural practices, like no-till farming and buffer zones around the fields to limit nutrient runoff into the Bay. Bill limits the use of pesticides and fertilizer. He does this primarily for economic reasons. After all it doesn’t pay to apply excess fertilizer if the crops can’t use it. Bill also limits the use of pesticides and fertilizer to protect the environment. Bill and Roseanna don’t spray for mosquitoes. While the mosquitoes are still as thick as when Grandma and Grandpa bought the place, Bill and Roseanna would rather not spray the plants and vegetables in the garden. If the mosquitoes get real bad, we go in the house.

The farm is secluded. Its two miles down a dirt lane to get to the main road — which itself is only a two lane back country road. Television and computer broadband cable services are not available. But in talking with Bill, Roseanna and Kirby I sensed that they liked this secluded and peaceful setting. Like the land, the farm, and the marshes, they are a part of the rhythm of the Chincoteague Bay.

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