The Boating Issue

For over fifty years, Bluewater has worked to build an impressive infrastructure of physical locations, service yards, top quality brands and a team of expert sales, service and support professionals. Not only do we have some of the most seasoned Sales Professionals in the industry, we’ve backed them up with one of the East Coast’s largest support systems of in-house closing, financing and documentation specialists to ensure we put our customers first and provide an enjoyable experience.

THE

BOAT SHOWS

OCTOBER 6 – 9, 2022

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

By

OCTOBER 13 – 17, 2022

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Maryland Dove Sets Sail

But

Years of

Talk of the Bay

10 Boating Beyond the Basics

A dilettante boater ups her game Susan Moynihan

13 Women at the Helm

At Reedville Fisherman’s Museum Ann Eichenmuller

8 Boats Not to Miss at the Annapolis Boat Shows

Baltimore

Annapolis

Deale

Mary’s

On the Cover:

Tiara 43 LS will be presented by North Point Yacht Sales at the Annapolis Powerboat Show. The “LS” is short for Luxury Sport. It will be one of hundreds of new boats on display in the water at the show.

PUBLISHER

John Stefancik

EDITOR

Jefferson Holland

CRUISING EDITOR: Jody Argo Schroath

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST: Cheryl Costello

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Susan Moynihan EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Ann Levelle, John Page Williams

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rafael Alvarez, Ann Eichenmuller, Robert Gustafson, Mark Hendricks, Marty LeGrand, Kate Livie, Angus Phillips, Nancy Taylor Robson, Charlie Youngmann

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Caroline Foster

NEWS DIRECTOR

Meg Walburn Viviano

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jim Burger, Dan Duffy, Jay Fleming, Mark Hendricks, Mark Hergan, Jill Jasuta, Caroline J. Phillips

GENERAL MANAGER

Krista Pfunder

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rebecca Volsoin

ADVERTISING

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Michael Kucera • 804-543-2687 m.kucera@ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com

Richard J. Royer

Theresa Sise • 410-263-2662 office@ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com

FROM THE EDITOR

Boats and More Boats

by Jefferson Holland

“Jeff, could I see you up on the quarterdeck for a moment, please?” came a voice from above. I had tucked myself into an aft corner of the main deck aboard the newly launched Maryland Dove, trying to stay out of the way of the bustling crew when I heard the call.

Now, I’ve read every Patrick O’Brian novel at least twice, so I know all about tall ships and especially the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Wars, when the quarterdeck was the sacred sanctuary of the captain, and I know that when the captain politely invites you up there, it’s not an invitation, it’s a command. So I presented myself to Capt. Will Gates and to my surprise and delight, he said, “Jeff, I need a helmsman. Please take the tiller.”

Oh, heavenly days. I grasped the softballsized knob hand-carved into the end of the tiller and for the next several blissful hours, I steered the ship out of St. Michaels Harbor, down the Miles River and into Eastern Bay while the captain and crew concentrated on how to properly set the sails of a rig that no sailor has sailed in at least 300 years. You can share my thrill when you read

Kate Livie’s first-hand account on page 32.

So welcome to the “all boats —all the time” issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine. You’ll read about new boats in not just one, but two reviews of extraordinary boats (page 17) by Capt. John Page Williams and you’ll meet a venerable 90-year-old log canoe called Mystery in a virtual love letter by Nancy Robson (page 62).

Our cruising editor Jody Argo Schroath will share some of her favorite places to slip away to for a quick overnight cruise starting on page 41.

And I’m pleased to introduce a new columnist, Angus Phillips, who provides a how-and-why argument for good old used boats on page 68. Angus was the outdoor editor at the Washington Post for 30 years, and now he’ll be sharing his sage expertise on a full range of fun adventures to explore around the Bay in future issues of CBM.

All this in preparation for the world’s best—if not largest—certainly the original in-water boat shows in Annapolis. See you out on the docks! Meanwhile, please have fun reading the October edition of Chesapeake Bay Magazine

TALK OF THE BAY

Boating Beyond the Basics

A dilettante boater ups her game.

by Susan Moynihan

My first boating lesson was in 2nd grade, at a sailing school on the Potomac. In a fleet of Optimists, we learned how to raise sails and manage lines, find the direction of the wind and use angles to make our way around makeshift race courses. I loved “practice capsizing,” and the freedom of being in the water, farther away from shore than I could ever swim on my own.

Later on, my parents got a Pearson 38 and we spent a lot of time on that as a family. But as I grew into a teenager, my interest in boating waned. I moved away from the Bay and got out on the water here and there, mainly on vacation. I remember feeling immensely proud of myself when I rented a skiff in the Bahamas and caught a mooring ball— something I hadn’t tried in years—on my first attempt. On other people’s boats, I was always happy to take the helm for a spell if the captain needed to attend to something. (As you well know, there is always something that needs attending to on a boat.)

All this is to say, I sort of know my way around a boat. When I moved back to Annapolis after 20 years away, I

thought I’d be ready to buy one; it’s like riding a bike, right? But here’s the catch: I’m older, the boats I like are bigger, and now I know how much they cost. Also, the waterways around the Chesapeake are busier than they were 25 years ago. (That’s not my imagination talking; data show that 420,000 Americans bought their first boat just last year.) Scan the news and you’ll hear of tragedies from on-water collisions or boaters drifting away due to an improperly set anchor. The last thing I want to do is cause myself or anyone else harm when I finally buy a boat.

Which is how I found myself with Captain Marla Keith on a late summer Sunday afternoon. I’d signed up for a daylong “Women at the Wheel” class through Annapolis School of Seamanship. (Note: ASOS is the sister company of Chesapeake Bay Media, who I freelance for, but I booked and paid for this on my own, without any involvement from the higher-ups.)

ASOS offers a full slate of boating classes, from introductory classes to getting your Master Mariner’s license. I opted for the women-only version of their “Basic Boat Operator” class, with a maximum of four women per class.

Captain Marla came to boating well into adulthood, when she fell in love with sailing during a week-long sailing class in the Caribbean. In fact, she loved it so much, she changed her entire life and has been sailing and teaching ever since, for more than 20 years. Her solid credentials, engaging presence and quick laugh made me know I was in good hands. There were three other women in the class, all there for different reasons: Dottie, a wanna-be boater with minimal experience and dreams of buying a boat; Elizabeth, a busy mom and former sailing instructor who wanted to get more comfortable with powerboats and show her young daughters that “it’s not just dads who drive;” and Daphne, a boatowner with her husband who was looking for confidence in what to do should an emergency arise while they’re out in their powerboat.

After quick introductions, we headed to our classroom: a 23-foot Boston Whaler center-console, docked in busy Spa Creek. The small class size meant we’d all get our hands on the wheel, a major plus over online learning. Our first task was practicing turns by doing figure 8s in the St. Mary’s mooring field; then we moved on to 180-degree pivots, learning to maneuver in tight spaces. The group was as encouraging as Captain Marla, rotating turns at the helm and cheering on each other’s success.

Then came our first round of docking practice. “I thought we were saving this til the afternoon,” Daphne said, to worried chuckles all around. After all, docking is probably one of the most stressful things for boaters, evidenced by that familiar T-shirt, “I’m Sorry for What I Said While Docking.”

Captain Marla assured us that docking was a skill anyone could manage. And if it took us a few tries, no problem—and no apologizing. One of her key rules of class is, “There is

no ‘sorry’ on this boat, only ‘Thank you for your patience’ if things take a few tries to accomplish.”

That rule was key to building our confidence. Captain Marla talked us each through our individual approaches, advising us when to turn, when to bump the engine and when to just coast. Much to our surprise, we all successfully did it, boat and pride fully intact. After a break for lunch, we went back out, this time docking on our own without voice instruction, then practiced entering and backing into slips.

Our last challenge was entering the fray that is Spa Creek on a summer afternoon. We went over radio channels, charts and channel markers, and got multiple chances to learn what to do when a nearby boat is oblivious to your presence (because, Sunday afternoon in Annapolis Harbor).

My biggest takeaway was “Slow is pro.” Go in with a plan, give yourself plenty of time to do whatever you need to do, and you’ll stay safe. Also, stay cool and calm. If you start to panic because things aren’t working out as

planned, pause and breathe, then try it again. There’s no shame in not doing something perfectly the first time; in fact, that’s how you continue to learn as a boater. Come to think of it, those takeaways make great life lessons as well—and that’s one more thing I love about boating.

Susan Moynihan is Contributing Editor of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and the author of 100 Things to Do in Annapo lis and the Eastern Shore Before You Die. She daydreams about trawlers.

Become a Better Boater

Want to begin or upgrade your boating skills? Here are some ways to start.

Get your safe boating license. In Maryland, anyone born on or after July 1, 1972, must have a Certificate of Boating Safety Education in order to operate a mechanically propelled vessel in state waters. Numerous companies offer the 8-hour online course, via companies such as AceBoater (aceboater.com) and Boat US Foundation (boatus.com). ASOS partners with the latter; after our class, we all received a link to their online instruction portal for further training and testing for our license. dnr.maryland.gov/nrp/pages/boatingsafety/safety_certificate. aspx

Virginia’s rules are stricter, with no grandfather clause. All operators of personal watercraft such as jet skis and wave runners, and all operators of motorboats with a 10hp or greater motor is required to have a NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators)-approved boating safety education completion card on boat when operating the vessel. Virginia offers instruction free of charge as well as a list of approved instructors, including AceBoaters and BoatUS. dwr.virginia.gov/boating/education/requirement/steps-torequirement/

Find the right school. The Chesapeake Bay area is swimming with boating schools, and they don’t just cater to kids. Annapolis Sailing School (annapolissailing.com) offers basic instruction for adults as well as specialty courses like a 3-day, 2-night liveaboard class aboard their fleet of Beneteau 37s to get your American Sailing Association (ASA) Bareboat Cruising Certificate. The woman-owned Chesapeake Boating Academy (chesapeakeboatingacademy.com) on Kent Island offers 3-hour on-water powerboat classes ranging from Intro to Boating to precision docking and open-water training.

Join a boating club. Having access to different types of boats is a great way to learn what’s out there before you commit to

buying your own. Freedom Boat Club (freedomboatclub.com) calls itself the world’s largest and oldest boat club and is amply represented around the Bay, but there are also Carefree Boat Clubs (carefreeboats.com), Chesapeake Boating Club (chesapeakeboatingclub.com) and more. The premise is similar: A one-time upfront payment and monthly dues lets you charter from the fleet all season long. At Freedom, everyone is required to do a New Member Orientation with a licensed Coast Guard captain, and they offer one-on-one training as well.

Hire a boat captain. If you have a boat, you can hire someone to come work with you on your own vessel. Want to practice docking before you head to St. Michaels, or need help getting comfortable maneuvering your upgraded, longer boat into your slip? Ask at your local boating school or yacht club for recommendations for freelance captains. Some schools offer one-on-one instruction on your own boat, like Sail Solomons’ (sailsi.com) one-day Systems course, designed to get you familiar with the electronics on your own boat.

Buy a boat from a company with specialty training. Every reputable boat brokerage will give you a check-out to go over specifics of your new boat, but some manufacturers take it a step further with instructional websites, trial cruises and brand meetups designed to connect you with their boats and with other boat owners, building community that can be a vital resource for information.

Visit a boat show. We’re lucky enough to have one of the biggest in our backyard, the Annapolis Boat Shows, and they have great educational offerings even if you’re not in the market for a new boat. The United States Powerboat Show runs Oct 6 -9, and the United States Sailboat Show is the following weekend. The onsite Cruiser University will offer more than 70 classes over the course of the two weeks, with instruction on everything from navigation techniques to weather forecasting. The First Sail workshop is a 45-minute hands-on sailing lesson for beginners, and the Take the Wheel workshop goes over what to look for in sailboat design and lets you test-sail boats pre-purchase. Learn more at annapolisboatshows.com

TALK OF THE BAY

Women at the Helm

New leadership means new opportunities in Reedville

by Ann Eichenmuller

There are women at the helm of the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, and they know exactly where they want to go: the next level.

“For 30-plus years, the museum has done an amazing job of protecting history,” notes RFM’s new Executive Director Liz Buxton. Now she and RFM President Becky Haynie believe it is time to build on that foundation.

Located on the banks of Cockrell Creek in Virginia, the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum occupies land once owned by Captain Elijah Reed, who relocated his Maine menhaden fishing operation here in 1874. The

Greater Reedville Association, cofounded by Haynie’s father, Wendall, purchased the property and opened the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum in 1988.

RFM has grown to include three buildings, a permanent collection, changing exhibits, and boat building and model shops. But Buxton and Haynie have a larger vision—one that focuses not just on continued expansion, but also on widening the museum’s visibility and appeal.

“I’d like to see the museum become a destination, drawing people from as far away as Washington, D.C., Richmond and Baltimore,” Haynie explains. “I think we have something here they can’t see anywhere else.”

We are aboard Haynie’s boat, tied up behind the restored skipjack Claud W. Somers and buy boat Elva C. at the museum dock, where she and Buxton are busy charting a course for the museum’s future. It is a task these women seem destined to fulfill. Becky Haynie, who took over as president last year, is the descendant of generations of fishing boat captains with lifelong

RFM President Becky Haynie (left) and Executive Director Liz Buxton (right), at the helm of the museum’s skipjack

ties to the Reedville community. Liz Buxton, who grew up on the waters of nearby Gloucester County and Urbanna, joined RFM as executive director this spring, following decades of experience in environmental conservation and historic preservation. Both share an abiding love for the culture and traditions of the lower Chesapeake—and endless ideas for sharing it with new audiences.

Ideas like a new public kayak launch at RFM’s dock, along with guided trips exploring Reedville’s history on the water. Or an innovative partnership with Rappahannock Community College to offer an onsite class on the history of Reedville, complete with a lecture on the fishing industry, walking tour of the

historic district and time aboard the museum’s vintage fishing vessels. “It will be the first class of its kind here,” Buxton says enthusiastically.

But it isn’t just adults that Buxton hopes to reach. She wants to get children engaged and involved as well, through activity-based outreach programs at local libraries and onsite experiences introducing children to working watermen and marine life.

“We recently hosted a group of students from the Lowell School in D.C. and one of our local watermen brought over his boat. He tied up right here and hand-tonged oysters.” Not only was it cool to watch and touch the oysters, but the kids also saw what hard work it was and developed an appreciation for

Reedville waterman Phil Shahan brought his deadrise to the museum to show students from Lowell School in Washington, D.C., how he handtongs for oysters and then sorts through the catch on the culling board.

“Not only was it cool to watch and touch the oysters, but the kids also saw what hard work it was and developed an appreciation for the people who harvest their food.”

the people who harvest their food. Buxton believes that experiential, hands-on activities are essential to children’s involvement. “We just got crab nets and we’re going to have chicken necks so children can try crabbing as part of their museum visit.”

While gaining a wider audience is one of the women’s goals, so is fulfilling the museum’s role in the community. This quaint little fishing village that RFM calls home is both untouched and changing. Its streets are still lined with Victorian houses and its waters still support a vibrant fishery, but the population now includes an increasing number of urban and suburban retirees.

“We’ve been discovered,” Haynie notes with a wry smile. “People are coming in, renovating homes, fixing docks—it’s a good thing.”

And an opportunity. The museum plays a key role in incorporating these

newcomers into the community while also introducing them to the region’s history and culture.

“The Museum is the social hub,” Haynie says, pointing to the RFMsponsored Cocktails on the Creek, a casual weekly BYOB affair in the museum’s pavilion where newcomers and locals meet. There are Concerts on the Creek and Independence Day festivities, Easer Egg hunts, family boatbuilding workshops and a popular RFM lecture series.

Not only do these events help create community spirit, they also attract new museum supporters, which is essential to day-to-day operations.

“All our exhibits are staffed by volunteers. We have volunteer crew on our boats,” Buxton points out. “We need these new retirees, a new generation coming in.”

To fulfill their vision, they also need more funding. Buxton notes that she is

pursuing grants, but the museum still relies on donor support. And for some of the history they are trying to preserve, time is running out.

“The old watermen are passing away, and their history is vanishing,” Becky Haynie says. “We need to share that history to develop appreciation for it.”

The Museum has been collecting “amazing stories” from elderly local fishermen in the hopes of creating an interactive oral history exhibition—if the funding can be found. Executive Director Liz Buxton is optimistic that they can navigate the challenges ahead. “We just have so much potential to grow.”

Award-winning contributor Ann Eichenmuller is a Virginia-based sailor and scuba diver, and the author of four nautical mystery novels.

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Aspen C120

LOA: 42'6"

Beam: 13'10"

Draft: 39"

Weight: 25,500 lb. (estimated, with gear)

Transom Deadrise: N/A

Bridge Clearance: 12'10" (arch down), 18'6" (arch up)

Fuel Capacity: 220 gal

Water Capacity: 100 gal (11 hot)

Waste Capacity: 83 gal

Cabin Headroom: 6'8"

Aspen C120

by Capt. John Page Williams

ForChesapeake boaters interested in extended cruising, the 42'6" C120 from Aspen Power Catamarans offers an intriguing opportunity. Its creator, Larry Graf, developed this model and her six smaller sisters first for Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Georgia behind British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, and the Inside Passage to Alaska. This fleet flagship adapts well also to our Bay and the East Coast, as well as The Great Loop (which True North, our test boat, is currently exploring with her skipper, first mate and dogs). Over the summer, they negotiated the seas of the open Great Lakes and explored the islands of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay. Fall finds them

headed down the Mississippi, into the Ohio and then the sometimes-close quarters of the Tennessee RiverTombigbee Canal Waterway flowing south into Mobile Bay. They’ll winter on the Gulf of Mexico before heading back up the East Coast to the Chesapeake next spring.

Graf, founder and CEO of Aspen, is an ingenious designer, an obsessive engineer and an enthusiastic, experienced explorer. His Aspen power catamarans are unique: Their asymmetrical hulls mimic Polynesian proas to provide stability and seaworthiness with extraordinary efficiency and extensive cruising accommodations (in the C120, 600 square feet of deck and living space).

Power for the largest model, the C120, is a single Volvo D6 diesel of 440hp, set deep in the larger starboard hull to drive a conventional inboard shaft turning a large four-blade propeller and set at a low angle for efficiency. A shallow keel protects the propeller and rudder, while powerful bow and stern thrusters provide maneuverability.

Both hulls of an Aspen are narrow enough for their length to beat the speed limitations of conventional displacement hulls. In the open Chesapeake out of Deale, Md., True North showed a top speed of 20.0 knots while burning 20.4 gallons per hour at 3,300 rpm—not bad for a 25,500-lb. vessel with about 2,000 lb of cruising gear aboard and some growth on the bottom. High cruise was 14.9 knots at 12.2 gph (2,700 rpm) and low cruise 7.9 knots at 4.4 gph (1,800 rpm), a good blend for passage making at “trawler

A king-size berth with skylights sits on the centerline. Below: Amidships, there's s a full head with shower in each hull.

speed” with enough top end to run ahead of a storm or make a tight schedule. Range, assuming 10% of the C120’s 220-gallon fuel supply held in reserve, works out to 242 nautical miles at high cruise and 355 nautical miles at

DISCOVER THE HISTORIC CHARM OF ST. MICHAELS.

Just over the bridge is “The Heart and Soul of Chesapeake Bay,” a scenic 19th century waterfront town that restores mind, body, and spirit with every visit. From walking tours and culinary excursions to antiquing, wine tasting, and sunset cruises, you’ll want to escape for more than a day.

low cruise. We do note that these numbers are lower than the ones on Aspen’s website, which were taken in the cooler, saltier waters of Puget Sound on a comparably loaded C120 with a clean bottom.

The Aspen’s starboard drive hull is significantly broader than either hull of a standard catamaran of comparable size. The extra beam encloses a roomy engine compartment with easy access for service. This hull also offers space for a queen-size berth and enclosed head for guests. While the two hulls are identical in profile, the port hull is 35 percent narrower. Their fluid-dynamic relationship reduces drag to help the boat cruise more efficiently. The design team, analyzing possible vectors, shaped the hulls to compensate for the right-hand-turning engine’s torque. Thus, the boat’s long, narrow hulls track straight with a balanced helm on what the Aspen team calls its SeaGlider system. C120 owners say they are regularly impressed with the way their boats track in both head and following seas, whether on autopilot or off.

The design team also obsesses

over buoyancy, from macro analysis of the 3,700 lbs.-per-square-inch pressure it takes to push each hull down one inch in the water to the fact that the starboard hull’s inner chine is 3" wide vs. 1" for its outside chine. Another design key is the fact that the tunnel between the sharp hulls is proportionally about twice as high for its width as the tunnels on most planing power catamarans, to eliminate “tunnel slap” when coming down on big seas. The tunnel at the bow is about 52" above the waterline and 16" at the top of the transom platform. “There’s a lot of room for immersion,” Graf told us. “The tall tunnel provides ‘long-travel suspension’ like that on the front wheel of a motorcycle. Ten inches of immersion in a wave produces 37,000 lbs. of buoyancy, more than enough to lift the 27,500-lb. boat. She just bobs through seas,” he added. Moreover, the design team molded the tunnel’s ceiling with a sharp, V-shaped center section to cleave tall seas that enter it, while providing a handy channel to run the boat’s carefully engineered interior wiring and plumbing.

While 35 percent narrower, the port hull’s actual drag is about 50 percent less, without the hindrance of

The helm includes a multi-screen Garmin electronics display.

another keel, shaft, strut, rudder or propeller. The single engine design also saves machinery weight, which in turn eliminates the need for heavier structural components and more fuel capacity. The total savings reduce the boat’s weight approximately 40 percent from a comparable symmetrical cat, with correspondingly decreased drag. Even so, construction is robust, using high-end modern composite layups that include S-glass and cross-linked, glass-fiber-reinforced Coosa board coring. To counteract potential contact with shallow water obstructions, though, the hulls’ fiberglass construction is reinforced with Kevlar fabric and watertight bulkheads at the bows. They’re also laid up with ingenious double bottoms.

Graf and his team cruise their own boats year-round in their challenging home waters, but Graf is a born explorer, so he and several Aspen models have made a wide range of voyages elsewhere, such as a 2014 circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in a 32' C100 on one tank of fuel, including the exceedingly challenging open Pacific west side. In 2019, he and a friend towed a 34' outboard-powered L107 nearly 1,200 miles through the Canadian Rockies to Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada. They launched at the lake’s outfall and cruised 1,120 miles down the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean. There, Aspen’s service manager and his son flew in and the friend flew out. Graf turned the boat around with his new crew and . . . wait for it . . . ran the 1,120 miles back upriver to Great Slave Lake, all in two weeks! Read the epic story and look at photographs under the Adventure tab on the company’s website. You can also read the story of Knot Wafflen, another C120 whose owners took a long-distance shakedown cruise from the Aspen plant in Burlington, Wash., to Alaska and back. Then they turned south to

How

You Belong YHere ou Bellong Heere

the Sea of Cortez, from which they had the boat trucked to Galveston, Tex. They cruised along the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, then up the Atlantic coast to Annapolis, a total distance around 10,000 miles.

Incidentally, Knot Wafflen’s owner maintained a meticulous log on that trip. Here are some real-world numbers for that trip through a huge range of salinity, temperature and sea conditions over a very long cruise:

Total Mileage: 10,502

Average High Cruise: 17 knots

Trawler Cruise Speed: 8 knots

Max. Speed Surfing Down the California Coast: 27.8 knots (32 mph, per Garmin GPS)

Trip Average Fuel Economy: 1.48 nmpg (Wow!)

Engine Hours: 1,058

Obviously, Larry Graf and the

Aspen team build in seaworthiness as well as efficiency, but because they also cruise their boats, they constantly refine both the larger features and the fine details of their living accommodations. For the C120, the catamaran configuration offers a bright, roomy combined pilothouse/ salon that includes a full galley and roomy dinette, all designed to be efficient for daily living. Arrangement of berths, heads and machinery spaces takes full advantage of the twin-hull configuration. Design ingenuity is evident throughout, in all materials and systems. For a small example, check the simple but secure and attractive solid teak overhead wineglass rack in the galley. The helm includes a multi-screen Garmin electronic display and seating for two. An optional “Aspen Adventure Electronics Package” hints at the C120’s designed mission.

Below the bow deck, a king-size berth sits on the centerline, with standing headroom on each side in the two hulls. Amidships, there’s a full head with shower in each hull. After each head lies a queen berth in the starboard hull and a single in the port hull. Aft of the salon is a shaded cockpit with seating and teak table. Hatches in the stern quarters provide access to the drive engine (starboard) and a Kohler 6-kW genset (port). The broad transom platform mounts an ingenious dualwinch system for carrying an 11' center-console RIB dinghy with 20-hp outboard. The flybridge offers a full upper helm and seating for eight people, with a convenient drawer refrigerator and a polished teak table with compass rose inlay.

Engineering and placement of operating systems is laid out ingeniously for daily operations and long-term maintenance. Note on the

website the company’s series of YouTube videos full of systems explanations and operating tips. Larry Graf loves to point out and educate owners on even the smallest details of his vessels. He and his service team are always only a phone call away for owners with questions.

Aspen sells factory direct, which is great for prospective owners in the Pacific Northwest, where the company regularly organizes events “to gather everyone together to share cruising experiences, exchange ideas and meet the other owners and members of the Aspen family.” Aspen buyers who live in other parts of the country can take delivery of their new cat at the factory and cruise the Pacific Northwest on a shakedown cruise that might include one of the company gatherings. When their Northwest Cruising is complete, the factory will prepare and ship their Aspen to their homeport.

So, where can an Aspen C120 take you this year? MSRP at publication with a single 440-hp Volvo D6 was $1,208,950, but please refer to the company’s website, aspenpowercatamarans.com, for current pricing and more information.

There is a queen berth in the starboard hull (above) and a single berth in the port hull.

BY COTY JONES

A Dream Team Produces the Chesapeake’s Fastest Deadrise

by Capt. John Page Williams

Composite Yachts 55

LOA:

Transom

Bow

Max

For more information, visit

At 55' long, Skinny Witch tops out at 55 knots (63.5 statute miles per hour). Some folks would say she’s the loveliest, too. That’s certainly the opinion of Jerry Murrell, her owner. He loves the graceful, traditional profile of her sheer line, tumble home and deckhouse, to say nothing of the beauty of her teak and mahogany bright work. And he loves her speed, which allows him and his family to fish her all over the Chesapeake from her home in a creek at the mouth of the Potomac River in Southern Maryland.

Commissioned in May, she has already proven that she catches fish. Two specialties to date have been

trolling for rockfish, with parachute jigs behind planer boards, and for cobia, with big red surgical hose eels. She has also proven adept, under the direction of skillful skippers, at sight-casting to cobia with large orange bucktails and live eels. Since each of those techniques requires careful speed control and precise handling, their success is testimony that she is much more than just a pretty go-fast. The speed doesn’t hurt, though, since she can and does easily fish anywhere from the Potomac’s Cobb Island down to the American Mariner wreck in the Southwest Middlegrounds, Windmill Point at the mouth of the Rappahannock, and even outside the

two-hour run, “loafing” at 48 knots). At summer’s end, she even did some bottom-fishing for spot, croakers and white perch with her three generations of the Murrell Family, and the fall season finds her jigging for rockfish. As the weather turns colder, she’ll be a natural to run-and-gun looking for gannet storms, with those big, spectacular birds diving on baitfish to signal schools of rockfish attacking from beneath.

The Design

So where did this extraordinary deadrise come from? It turns out that she’s as local as Composite Yachts, on the Choptank River, but with design

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consultation from as far as Ann Arbor, Mich., and twin MTU diesels from Germany. Murrell’s concept, which he came up with some five years ago, was a 55' yacht-grade deadrise that could run 55 knots. He asked several builders about such a project, but the honest answer that most impressed him was “I don’t know. Let’s hire an architect, build it on paper, then test it.” That came from Lewis Hardy, who with his father, Martin, and brother, Rob, own and run Composite Yacht, an established firm in Trappe, Md., across the river from Cambridge, that has deep expertise in everything from traditional wooden boat carpentry to 21st-century infused Kevlar and carbon fiber construction. The architect who took

on the challenge was Lou Codega— best known as the designer of Regulators, but who also has extensive experience drawing high-speed small craft for the military services.

“Jerry Murrell wanted a deadrisestyle boat that’s really fast. The trick in design,” Codega told us, “forces the helm into forward position. To run soft in a Bay chop, I had to make the forefoot as sharp as possible without bow-steer. Being big buys you ride quality, especially in the Chesapeake. She measures 55' with only 16'-plus of

beam. (Thus her appropriate name: Skinny Witch. Murrell always names his boats after his wife Janie, and Skinny Witch is her childhood nickname.)

“I based the beam around the engines,” he said. “Styling cues come from traditional deadrises but she’s more streamlined, and nothing below the chines resembles a semidisplacement deadrise. She’s pure go-fast, with a 17-degree deadrise at the transom twisting to a sharp 48 degrees at the bow. The waterline is slender up forward, with high chines. There was a narrow band of design around the twin engines, 1940-hp MTU 12V 2000 M96Xs with 1.75:1 ZF V-drives, turning custom propellers through wake-adapted struts and rudders in shallow pockets, balanced with seven-degree shaft angles and three Humphree interceptors across the transom.” Codega, Murrell and the Hardys took the design to New Jersey’s Stevens Institute of Technology for the tank testing. “The model tests verified the design’s ability to achieve astounding numbers,” Lou told us.

Even so, there was more engineering to do. “The top 5% of our speed took 50% of our budget,” Lewis Hardy added. “Jerry allowed me to hire

The interior is elegant in its simplicity, from the copper-topped wet bar (top) to the wrap-around settee (left).

The large, open cockpit (right) is protected by an overhead hardtop and features an aft steering station.

To cut through Chesapeake chop, the boat's deadrise is a sharp 48 degrees at the bow.

Hardy added. “Jerry allowed me to hire anybody I needed to make this project a success.” The team called in University of Michigan hydrodynamic specialist Dr. Brant Savander and his firm, Maritime Research, LLC, of Ann Arbor. The powerful Maritime Research computers reviewed the design, the Stevens Institute data and the hydrodynamics of the propeller shaft struts and rudders, running simulations of the bottom’s behavior at speed. “The simulations let us see pressure points,” said Lewis. “They looked like clouds, showing cavitation. Then we had to

to simulate modifications that could eliminate those pressures. Al Horsmon, another Michigan naval architect, worked out all of the structural engineering for laminates and hardware in the resulting hull form. That’s how much time and detail went into this one design.”

The Build

“We built test laminates,” Lewis recalled, “and then a test boat (a CY 26, the yard’s classic design), using a new build process with Scott Bader Company and composites consultant Jef Benkelman, who brought broad knowledge and experience. We had to learn our way through tricky issues like temperature spikes, viscosity changes in vacuum-bagging, adjusting films to get the precise resin mix for fiber consolidation, and then testing hardness. This is aerospace stuff.”

Construction finally began with spraying gelcoat in June 2019. Laying up the hull took a month. The outer layer of the CY 55’s hull is Kevlar, for

puncture resistance. The rest is 95% cored carbon fiber with urethane acrylate resin, laminated, vacuumbagged and cured in an oven with the temperature and resin viscosity carefully controlled during curing. The layup included fiberglass-cored panels strategically placed everywhere equipment had to be mounted. Fully loaded with engines, generator, Seakeeper and 1,900 gallons of fuel, the boat weighs only 55,000 lbs. Composite Yacht is “the best builder I’ve ever worked with,” said Lou Codega. “There’s a chemistry between Jerry Murrell as owner and the Hardys. Also, I have to mention Leon Lahman, the shop foreman, and Paulo San Juan, who are really, really good at high-tech carbon fiber laminates.”

“Everybody knew what was needed,” said Lewis. “The team gelled from the start. Jerry Murrell stuck to his concept; his project manager, Sean Durand, worked closely with us; and our Composite team looked constantly for small weight reductions that added

up. On Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., we held a full team meeting to go over everything, especially problems. The keyword every day was ‘remain disciplined’ in all facets of the build. There was no wish list, no ‘incremental weight gain.’ Lou had built the design around a weight budget. We hit it close. We were weighing the trashcans at the end of every day.

“The owner stayed with the simple accommodations necessary for fishing boat,” he continued. “He’s a genuinely nice guy, thoughtful and bright. He allowed Lou, us Hardys and the rest of the team to do what we do well.” The boat has a small generator (12.5 kW) to run air conditioning, the Seakeeper and other systems on a 220-volt system, which is lighter than 110. All raw water

intakes run through a sea chest to save weight. The batteries are NorthStar lead-acid for simplicity. Ken Houle, the MTU specialist at distributor Johnson & Towers checked in to the shop frequently to make sure installation of the powertrain achieved the full power plus the design-spec balance and shaft angle. The high-performance MTUs ask for 550 gallons per minute of cooling water, so the Composite team had to design and fabricate partial bypass lines around the mufflers, all while keeping within the weight limits.”

Controlling all of that power required special MTU BlueVision controls integrated with the ZF V-drives. They’re “almost like rheostats,” Lewis said, “to ease the boat forward in close-quarters maneuvering. Add in her

hydraulic bow thruster and she’s easy to handle around a dock.” Those controls also provide the precision speed control that make Skinny Witch successful at trolling lures like red hoses.

The Murrells have found they “can touch 55 knots any time we want. She cruises especially easily with a soft ride at 1,600 rpm, making 42 knots while burning 80 gallons per hour,” Jerry reported. “The wheels are one-off 34.75" x 53.90" Michigan Marlin Nibral 4-blades,” Lewis explained. “Brant Savander specified custom rake and cup for the blades. And yes, they’re ‘a tad out of square,’” he added with a chuckle. The boat is also “wicked quick,” accelerating from zero to 40 knots in 13 seconds and to full throttle in 18. “She’s a slippery little boat,” said

Lou Codega with a smile. “She feels alive as she accelerates,” said Rob Hardy. “I’ve never felt anything like it—on the water, on land or in the air.”

Even so, “this is a family and fishing day boat, a fun boat. She’s Spartan belowdecks,” Lewis continued. (That conclusion caused Lou to comment, “She’s simple, but I don’t know if Spartan is the right word. Composite Yacht did an absolutely superb job with the joinerwork and finishes. ‘Elegant in its simplicity’ would be better.”)

“We’re really happy with everything about the boat, especially the beauty,” said Jerry Murrell. “She definitely catches fish. Our builder and naval architect have been fantastic. They all get along together. I can’t think of one thing wrong with the boat. My wife can’t believe how beautiful it is. We love looking for cobia as they move around. Everything is working well, as designed. The systems take a little getting used to, but they are performing as promised.”

So when will Composite Yacht build the next CY55? There are no orders yet, but the Hardys are already thinking about the next project. “The limited-production molds we created for this project could build more 55s,” Lewis concluded. “This design would also produce a really nice boat with a bit less power and simpler laminates.”

In the end, this Dream Team of owner, designers and builders has created not only an exceptionally fast Chesapeake fishboat but also one of great beauty, strength and efficiency. It will be interesting to see what elements of the CY55 trickle out to other boats from Composite Yacht.

Pricing varies with custom options. For more info, visit compositeyacht.

Editor-at-Large, educator, guide and author of three quintessential Chesapeake Bay books, Capt. John Page Williams was named a Maryland Admiral of the Bay in 2013.

What’s Old Is New Again

MARYLAND DOVE sets sail

I’m one of the first people to sail on the new Maryland Dove, and it’s not at all what I expected. I was ready to step through a thin place between now and 400 years ago and enjoy a little on-thewater time travel. What I got was an experience more like riding in the passenger seat of a very complicated new car while it’s being driven off the lot. The woodwork on her is so fresh that it’s still a little tacky. The sails are a snowy laundry white. There’s not a frayed line anywhere, and from the waterline, her hull paint is so bright and shiny you can almost see your reflection.

BY KATE LIVIE

photos by Jefferson Holland

This new Dove is a love letter to period authenticity

The new feeling clearly extends to the captain and crew. Whereas a normal tall ship cruise is a little like watching an intricate ballet of familiar tasks, today the crew on Dove is still trying to learn the ropes—literally. As the crew begins to raise the sails, the staysail gets stuck.

There’s some time spent trying to adjust the lines, with Captain Will Gates calling back and forth with first mate Jeremy Heveron as they try to decide which one needs tightening. Marlee Putnam, the waterfront education supervisor, looks over at John Fulchiron, a volunteer crew.

“Is it muscle memory yet?” she asks. “Getting there,” he says.

Jim Knowles, the crew shipwright, has worked at Historic St Mary’s City for eight years, since the days when a new Dove seemed like a very distant dream.

“It’s all different than the old boat,” he says. “It’s easier in a way than a

The Maryland Dove on an early shake-down sail on Eastern Bay in August, 2022 (above) and a year earlier at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (below).

squaresail. The spritsail especially is very complex and large, and there’s all these little nuances to learn. We haven’t gained our crew confidence yet. But we will.”

No doubt there’s a learning curve when it comes to sailing a brand new, 400-year-old tall ship. Especially one as unique as this iteration of Dove. Whereas the old vessel represented a generic tobacco trading ship, this new Dove is a love letter to period authenticity. Carefully built to reflect the original 1634 ship, 2021 Dove reflects the leaps and bounds made in maritime research and marine archaeology since the last version was constructed. Unlike the paper research of the past that relied on period accounts or old texts, this Dove’s historic accuracy was informed by actual 17th-century vessels. Thanks to technology like sidescan sonar, 3D modeling and advancements in the conservation and

Meet Maryland Dove

• Year Launched: 2022

• Shipyard: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

• Owner/Operator: Historic St. Mary’s City Commission

• Length Overall: 84'

• Length on Deck: 57 '

• Length at Waterline: 51'

• Beam: 17'

• Draft: 8'

• Height of Main Mast: 64'

• Sail Area: 2,019 sq ft.

From 2019 to 2022, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum worked closely with Historic St. Mary’s City and naval architect Iver Franzen on the design and construction of the new Maryland Dove. Built to replace the aging 1977 Dove, Maryland Dove brings a new level of period authenticity and historic detail to Maryland’s signature flagship.

Known for his work with tall ships such as Pride of Baltimore II, Kalmar Nyckel and USS Constitution, Franzen designed Maryland Dove to closely reflect the form and function of the original vessel that sailed to the Maryland colony with Ark in 1634. Unlike the larger passenger ship Ark, Dove was a small and nimble trading vessel, well suited for navigating the shallow waterways of the Chesapeake and beyond during the establishment of the colony and its first capital.

The new Maryland Dove will serve as Historic St. Mary’s City’s floating ambassador and one of its signature exhibits. After a short outreach tour in September of 2022, Maryland Dove returns to Historic St. Mary’s City where it will be open to the public as a dockside exhibition and on-the-water experience.

restoration of shipwrecks, Dove is rich in detail from vessels that sank more than 300 years ago.

The differences really show above the hull. The Jim Richardson-built ’70s Dove was square rigged, reflecting the best scholarship at the time. Today’s Dove is a marvel of 17th-century technology—a reminder that sailboats were truly the most advanced machines of that age. Nothing makes that clearer than standing below her rigging and looking up. An intricate webbing of lines, sails and custom-built blocks tangle overhead, all designed to sail close to the wind whether off the coast or on a transatlantic voyage.

If it looks authentic, it is. Dove boasts a kind of rigging that’s been largely lost to time: the Boyer rig. Prior to the start of the build, a brain trust of maritime architects, historians and shipwrights from the

A videographer from Maryland Public Television films the crew as they check the set of the new sails.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Historic St. Mary’s City pooled their knowledge, poring over 17th-century charts, models and Dutch Renaissance paintings to figure out precisely what the sail plan might have been. Then the museum sent shipwrights Joe Connor and Sam Hiltgartner to Sweden to explore an actual recovered 17th-century Swedish warship, Vasa. The result is a mashup of art history and applied archaeology: a flexible Boyer rig with a combination of lateen and square sails that could sail the shallow waterways of the East Coast on trading missions and cross the expanse of the ocean.

The old-is-new Boyer rig will make Captain Will Gates’ life a little easier. “It was my wish when we started that we’d end up with something that is more accurately representative of the original 1634 vessel, and we have,” says Gates. “But we also have a vessel that’s a little handier in the waters that we’re sailing, and meets the modern needs of the program with Coast Guard safety standards while combining historical accuracy.”

Gates is unsentimental about the upgrade. “It was an albatross to maintain that rickety boat,” he says, referring to the ’70s Dove. “It wasn’t a job, it was a lifestyle. I’d wake up at midnight to check the bilge.”

The crew seems happy about it too. Ask Marlee Putnam what her favorite part of this brand-new ship is, and she’s quick to answer. “This is the only Boyer rig in

“And here she is—a dream realized, a dream we can all share.”

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North America. Minus the Pinnace Virginia in Maine, but they’ve been working on that build for a long time—ten years maybe? Anyway, until Virginia’s done, we’re it.”

The rigging design also addresses an awkward problem for the staff at HSMC. Visitors to the historic site would head down to the waterfront to explore Maryland Dove and assume they were stepping onboard a period-accurate vessel. So for decades, the educators working on Dove would greet everyone with a little preamble—yes, this Dove represents a kind of ship from Maryland’s past, but it’s not based on the real 1634 Dove

Understandably, it was confusing at best, disappointing at worst, and over time it became increasingly problematic. Visitors to the site have only become more savvy and rightly expect a historic site like HSMC to bring not just facts but authenticity to their experience.

“It’s important to meet our visitor’s expectations,” says Peter Friesen, Director of Education at Historic St. Mary’s City. “They expect the ship to be an authentic representation of the 1634 Dove, rather than the 1970s tobacco trading vessel named in honor of Dove. The organization wants to tell a more nuanced history, and this new ship will be a big part of that.”

For Friesen and the staff of Historic St. Mary’s City, this new, accurate Dove is just one of the ways the organization is refining its storytelling to reflect a broader approach towards history— one that encompasses Native American history as well as the stories of the colonists, and that uses personal histories to build empathy across the centuries. There are currently expanded tours, a fresh approach to interpretation, and a new visitor’s center soon to break ground. It’s an exciting chapter for the organization with Dove as the flagship experience.

“We’ll have more time now to talk

about that beginning voyage to establish a colony,” Friesen says. “And with the recent discovery of St. Mary’s Fort, we can help visitors understand a broader story of colonization—of force, of violence, of a race for resources to use in trade.”

Dove will be a big part of how that story gets told, whether as a dockside on-the-water exhibit for visitors to explore, or eventually for cruises on the St. Mary’s River. A slate of annual outreach voyages is also up for consideration, especially now that Maryland Dove has a rig that can be sailed with ease.

But all of that is in the future. For now, there’s just the open water of the Miles River on a warm summer day, a fine wind filling the gleaming white sails of the new Maryland Dove. Captain Gates opens her up, wake cresting behind us, while the crew squints into the sun and calls back and forth, finding a groove. The mood is buoyant.

“It’s big and it moves and it works,” Gates says. “It’s a living, almost breathing thing.” For Gates, sailing Dove is setting the capstone on over 20 years of lobbying, prepping, working. And here she is—a dream realized, a dream we can all share. “Dove is a big part of our Maryland story,” Gates says. “And even though a lot of people know about it, I invite everybody to come visit her and see there’s still so much more to learn.”

To plan your visit to Historic St Mary’s City, or to learn more about Maryland Dove, visit hsmcdigshistory.org

Kate Livie is a Chesapeake writer, educator, and historian. An Eastern Shore native and current faculty at Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society, Livie’s award-winning book Chesapeake Oysters was published in 2015.

BY JODY ARGO SCHROATH

t seemed like such a good idea at the time. Nearly all summer long, fuel prices climbed and climbed into the ionosphere. Would they ever stop? It was enough to keep even the most dedicated cruiser at the dock. So, we asked ourselves, why not take some of the Bay’s most popular boating centers and find around-the-corner cruises—that is, short and economical ones—for each. But just before the story was done, fuel prices finally started coming down and down until they were nearly back to where they started.

Was our story still a good idea? Of course! First and foremost, they are all good suggestions, if we do say so ourselves. Second, our directions take you off the well-sailed path, to anchoring spots you may not know about. Third, we boaters don’t always have a lot of time to spend in our favorite occupation, so why not have a series of short, fun cruises in our go-bag? Lastly, fuel prices could go up again any time. Just saying . . .

Save time and fuel with these quick cruises. And they’re all just around the corner.

Partying at Hart-Miller Island

’m going to start with Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore’s most wildly popular destination and weekend madhouse. Really, what’s not to love—throngs of boaters, plenty of secondhand music, a great place to splash around, a state park with miles of trails, a nice long beach and some surprisingly lovely scenery. If you can get away during the week, you’ll find Hart-Miller a much quieter place, though the park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And if you come in January, you’ll have the place to yourself.

Hart-Miller lies on the Bay side of Baltimore, midway between Back and Middle rivers, separated from the mainland by Hawk Cove. That’s where you’ll want to drop anchor. You’ll have some protection from the Bay’s chop

Creek. Not only does this creek have what is possibly the best name on the Chesapeake, if not the world, but it also offers one of the few opportunities on the Bay for watching planes take off and/or land from the comfort of your boat. (Gravelly Point on the Potomac lets you do the same thing, but in an ear-splitting, big-passenger-jet kind of way. And you must do it while sitting awkwardly smack in the middle of the Potomac. This is much better.) We suggest you can pull off the main channel approximately opposite Maryland Marina and drop the hook in a suitable amount of water. Then you can alternate splashing around at the little beach on the western shore with watching small private and corporate aircraft go in and out of Martin State Airport in a relatively quiet and dignified fashion. And after 10 p.m., they don’t do it at all. (A side note to sailboats: If visibility is poor, you will need to notify the tower that you are there as your mast may pose a hazard to air navigation.)

As a bonus, and only if you are feeling adventurous, you can return to the main Middle River channel and go upriver about a mile and a half, drop anchor, then come ashore at Wilson Point Park near the boat ramp. Alternately, you can try your luck in the old Martin Lagoon a little farther on. Either way, hike across MD 587, go up the drive opposite and you’ll find the Glen L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum. Inside the museum, you find lots of fascinating information on Martin Aviation; outside, you will find a lineup of old aircraft, many of which were built and developed here.

A few more ideas

and access to the park docks. The north side of the island is closed to visitors, but the south side and its large pond are open most of the week in season. There is even a bit of overnight camping. All in all, it’s a great way to feel part of the Bay scene while doing as little (sipping a cold drink in the cockpit) or as much (beaching, bicycling and sipping a cold one in the cockpit) as you like.

Plane-spotting on Frog Mortar Creek

While we’re in the neighborhood of Middle River, I want to mention another right-around-the-corner destination that also happens to be one of our favorites: Frog Mortar

In downtown Baltimore, of course, you can find days of activities all rolled into one short trip. Tie up at one of the city’s many convenient marinas or try the wall in the Inner Harbor. For something quieter, as long as the wind is not from the northeast, try dropping anchor outside the Patapsco River channel just inside the mouth of Rock Creek. Sit back and enjoy the view.

Hart-Miller Island

STEPHEN

BADGER

The not-that-Mill Creek cruise ’m particularly excited about this pocket cruise, because I’ve been beating the drum for this trip for years. And what better time to bring it up . . . again . . . than now, because it’s just so close to Solomons, a great mid-Bay point. And it’s fun and easy and economical. So where are we going? Mill Creek. No, not the Mill Creek right next door, which, yes indeed, has plenty of good anchorages. I mean the Mill Creek that is less than three miles upriver and shares its entrance with Cuckhold Creek.

It couldn’t be easier. Turn up the Patuxent, pass under the Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, skirt Point Patience (checking your depth sounder to see just how remarkably deep it reads), and look for Patuxent markers green “9” and “11”. Pass between the two markers and then pick up Cuckold Creek entrance markers “2”, “3” and “4”. Bear to port, leaving Clark’s Landing to starboard. You are now in Mill Creek. Look ahead and you’ll see your destination, where no doubt at least one boat—and possibly 16 boats if it’s a summer weekend—have already staked out their territory. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of room, and most people will go home when the sun sets. Drop the anchor and then have a look around.

Along the eastern shore, you’ll find Myrtle Point Waterfront Park, which has 7.3 miles of trails, plus two miles of shoreline. To the southeast, you’ll see some marshes and a series of very small marsh islands. This is a great place to explore in whatever floaty items you’ve brought, winding in and out of the reeds. Right in the deepest pocket of the shoreline, you’ll find a small beach and just beyond that the trail that winds around the periphery of the park. Swim, paddle, picnic, enjoy. Watch

the birds. Once you’re back on the boat, relax and think about dinner. If you don’t want to cook, climb back in the dinghy and motor back to Clark’s Landing, where you’ll find Stoney’s Landing—famous for its very big, very round crabcakes.

Jefferson-Patterson Park, here we come!

Here’s another great choice for a fuel- and time-friendly getaway. An additional three miles up the Patuxent, and on the opposite shore, you’ll find beautiful St. Leonard Creek. The entrance is easy; just pay attention to the well-marked shoal on the northern shore. And the creek is deep for nearly three miles. You’ll have your choice of

pleasant anchorages up the creek, and you can give a nod to the former Vera’s White Sands Restaurant and Marina, once the most famous and certainly most eccentric spot on the Bay. Vera is gone, though some of her statues remain, as does the view, from what is now just called Vera’s. But if you really want to be kind to your pocketbook and the environment, I highly recommend you drop anchor just inside St. Leonard’s entrance, just behind Petersons Point to port. Climb into the dinghy and head for the nearby pier, also tucked behind the point. From here you can pick up the trail to JeffersonPatterson Park & Museum, Maryland’s very special archaeology center that preserves and documents more than 9,000 years of human settlement via trails, exhibits and a fantastic Visitor’s Center.

JeffersonPatterson Park

WILL PARSON/CHESAPEAKE

BAY PROGRAM

ll Deltaville is divided into two parts (sorry, Caesar) and both are chock-a-block with boats. Broad Creek on its Rappahannock side offers at least half a dozen well-protected marinas, while Fishing Bay and Jackson Creek on the Piankatank side provide equally tempting dockage and a very popular anchorage. Since it’s a bit of a haul to get from one side to the other, I’ve divided this up into two sets of quick cruises. Let’s begin with the Rappahannock side.

a slip at Regent Point Marina just across the creek and dinghy over from there. Regent Point is a lovely place to while away a day or a weekend in any case.

Two ways to enjoy Windmill Point

Here’s another idea for Broad Creek boaters with a draft under five feet: Simply zip across the Rappahannock the three miles to Windmill Point Marina. After you negotiate the slightly tricky but well-marked entrance (a call to the marina for the latest best route would be a smart idea), you’ll slip inside the basin. Once settled, you’ll find a beautiful little beach with a million-dollar view. Then stroll up to the Tiki Bar and Grill next to the pool and enjoy the rest of the day.

For those with deeper draft or in search of a less developed getaway, I suggest going the few extra miles to the other side of Windmill Point. Here you’ll find Little Bay, which lies on the south end of larger Fleets Bay. Little Bay, like every great anchorage on the Chesapeake, tends to get a little busy on summer weekends, but, like the others, tends to empty out at sunset. In any case, there’s plenty of room to anchor. Take a dinghy trip ashore and you’ll find some of the sweetest sand beaches around. After a nice swim, take the dinghy into the watery interior of Windmill Point and see if you can figure out how to get to the other side.

A few ways to do Gwynn’s Island and the Piankatank

Treat yourself to an oyster cruise

I propose that you set off up the Rappahannock about seven miles to Locklies Creek, which lies on the south side of the river. Turn in and you’ll soon spot Merroir Tasting Room to starboard. Merroir is the original restaurant for Rappahannock Oyster Co., which now has restaurants from Washington D.C. to Norfolk. If you’ve chosen a nice, quiet day, drop the anchor just off Merroir and dinghy into their dock. Sit outside on this beautiful spot overlooking the river, and enjoy oysters grown only a few yards away. However, if the wind is kicking up, take

On the Piankatank side of Deltaville, I suggest that you make the four-mile trip across the river to Milford Haven, behind Gwynn’s Island. (Before you go, be sure the Gwynn’s Island bridge is operating.) Once through, you can anchor in the first bay and dinghy into Hole in the Wall restaurant for sustenance. If you’re looking for a quieter spot, you can try Edwards Creek on the north side. But my preference, especially If the weather is hot, is to go a little bit farther and drop the anchor behind a long low spit of land known generally as Gwynn’s Island beach. Here you can catch the breeze off the Bay yet stay protected from the worst of the chop. I believe you’ll find few more beautiful anchorages on the Bay.

If you want to go a bit farther, you could also take a short cruise up the Piankatank to supremely protected Healey or Wilton creeks. If you can get under the 43-foot bridge, go just a little farther to Berkley island.

Gwynn’s Island

A futile suggestion for a Lynnhaven Cruise

et me begin this final section by admitting defeat . . . kind of. Most of the boats in the Norfolk/Portsmouth area are probably in Little Creek and Rudee Inlet, rather than inside the Elizabeth River. The obvious quick trip for Little Creek and even Rudee Inlet boaters is a trip into Lynnhaven Bay and then by the Narrows to Linkhorn Bay, the back door to Virginia Beach. A stop at one of the marinas along Long Creek offers access to restaurants and shops.

The main problem with focusing on Lynnhaven, however, is the Lesner Bridge, which has a fixed clearance of only 35 feet, thereby excluding pretty much all sailboats bigger than a Hobie. About 95 percent of the boats on the Bay side are owned by fishermen, which means it’s a great place to be if that is your favorite way to spend a day.

A useful suggestion for a cruise to Deep Creek Lock

When I give talks about doing the Intracoastal Waterway and ask people what they are most nervous about doing it, they invariably reply, “Running aground!” and “Going through locks!” Hence this maybe surprising suggestion: Do the Deep Creek Lock at the start of the Dismal Swamp Canal and then spend the night at Elizabeth’s Dock a few yards beyond. Why? On this trip you don’t have to worry about the first fear, and as for the second, it’ll be easy. The trickiest part may be not missing the turn-off, which is directly after you come through the I-64 High Rise Bridge, and which I almost always miss. Deep Creek Lock is about three miles after the turnoff.

The lock has four openings a day—8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.—so you may want to time your trip so you arrive somewhere in the neighborhood of the next opening. If you don’t, it’s easy just to sit and wait, with no current and no chop. When you arrive, call the lock on VHF channel 13. The locktender will tell you to wait for the stoplight to turn green and will usually tell

you which side to take. While you are waiting, put your fenders out and attach your long docklines to the fore and aft cleats. When you get the green light, pull slowly into the lock and then stop wherever the lock tender directs. The locktender will then hold a boathook over the bow. Take the center of the dockline and put it over the boathook, keeping the free, or bitter, end in your hand. He or she will take your line and put it over the bollard. Same operation for the stern. Then as the chamber fills and the boat rises, you keep the boat next to the bulkhead by taking in slack. Eventually, the locktender will say you’re all set and to motor slowly out of the lock. You flip your lines off the bollards and you’re off. That’s all there is to it.

Now instead of heading off down the canal, make a sharp turn to starboard just outside the lock and tie up at Elizabeth’s Dock. The dock was built a number of years ago by a boater in memory of his wife, for the use of Dismal Swamp boaters. There is no water or electricity, but there is a very nice park and playground and lots of room to exercise the dog. It’s also free. If you walk along the shore, you’ll find the remnants of an earlier lock near the end. Finally, give yourself a pat on the back for adding a new boating skill!

Deep Creek Lock

PAMELA K SPAUGY

BOATS NOT TO MISS BOATS NOT TO MISS

So many boats, so little time. Even if you went to all four days of the powerboat show and all five days of the sailboat show, you still wouldn’t be able to see everything. You can start strategizing your show experience with the official programs that you can find on ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com, or you can get a head start by browsing through the next few pages for a preview of just a few of the stellar boats that will be on display at the shows (or their dealerships), from the new Adventure 218 by Grady-White to ZAR Inflatables Mini-Lux Rider 15 to the Excess 15 cruising catamaran.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

Whaler’s largest Outrage yet, with an overall length of more than 36’ and a generous 11’3” beam, gives it room for a exible, workable cockpit, a redesigned bow area for lounging and shing, and an overnight-able cabin with a double V-berth and an electric head with a vanity and sink, not to mention an optional ybridge.

There are three Mercury power options: triple 300-hp outboards, triple 450s or twin V-12 600s. Joystick Piloting comes standard, along with Mercury’s DockSense docking assist system. Triple Mercury 400 hp Verados can propel the boat over 60 mph at 6800 rpm. The 23-degree deep-vee hull cuts through the chop and the ared hull keeps spray away. The hull is built with Boston Whaler’s foam-encapsulated unsinkability.

Avid anglers will appreciate the 55-gallon pressurized transom live well, port and starboard shboxes, four bow rod holders, six cockpit rod holders, four across the transom and ve on the T-top. The backs of the seats aft of the helm station fold down to form a table or rigging station. Boarding is easy via a transom door and a port-side dive door with a removable ladder. Split seating in the bow allows improved access for chasing sh and the anchor locker is situated at waist level for ease of anchoring.

Advanced e-Fathom technology relies upon lithium batteries and inverters for power, so there’s no need for a noisy generator. Digital switching technology allows remote control of key systems. Available from Chesapeake Whalertowne, whalertowne.com; and Chesapeake Boat Basin, chesapeakeboatbasin.com.

BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE and expand your horizons

During the Annapolis Boat Shows at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel AT THE FREE SEMINARS

HOSTED BY:

Modern Navigation

As we navigate into the 21st century, the incorporation of tech nology with traditional navigation methods can lead to greater accuracy and con dence. Explore how to combine the latest, most popular tablet and smart phone apps with traditional methods to stay on the right course, the modern way.

Docking De-stressed

Is docking your vessel causing you stress and anxiety? Let the captains from the Annapolis School of Seamanship show you the ropes, tricks, and techniques to make docking easy.

Anchoring, The Art of Staying Put

Anchoring is an art as well as a skill. From choosing the best place to anchor to handling the ground tackle, this seminar will demystify art of dropping the hook.

How to Get Your Captain’s License

Between the USCG requirements for sea time, physicals, applications, and examinations, getting a captain’s license can seem daunting. An napolis School of Seamanship’s expert captains will discuss the ins and outs of becoming a licensed captain.

Cruising the Chesapeake

It’s not a stretch to label the Chesapeake Bay one of the most amazing estuaries on the planet. Each water side town has a history and culture all its own, and from the high key pace of the cosmopolitan upper Bay to the sleepier pace of tide water ports and the lower eastern shore, there’s a lifetime worth of landfalls to explore. Join Chesapeake Bay Magazine’s John Stefancik for a tour of some of the best places to spend your weekends.

What Boat is Right for me

Thinking about getting into boating? There are many ways to enjoy boating from watersports to shing to cruising. Join the pros from Annapolis School of Seamanship to get an overview of the styles and types of boats and how they t the boating lifestyle you choose. Topics Include: Types of Boats, How to Choose the Right Boat for You, Accessories and Gear

Diesel Basics

The Marine Diesel Basics seminar is a must for anyone who has or is thinking about owing a boat with a diesel engine. Annapolis School of Seamanship covers basic principles and operation of the marine diesel engine. Principles of Operation, Anatomy, Systems, Basic Trouble shooting

Weather for Sailors

You don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. You just need to know how to nd out what’s going to happen and how to make good decisions. This seminar covers everything from apps to passage planning to heavy weather tactics

Night Navigation

Boating at night can be challenging. The di erent light con gurations on recreational and commercial boats can be confusing to interpret. Professional captains from Annapolis School of Seamanship will cover the various lights seen at night, as well as AIS and RADAR.

Power Management

With all the gear and gadgets on a modern sailboat, managing your electrical system is the key to keeping everything working while you’re away from the dock. Bob Campbell, of Marine Electric Systems, explains how to balance your battery capacity, charging sources and loads while cruising.

Heavy Weather Tactics

This seminar o ers step-by-step guidelines in how to handle chal lenges ranging from a severe single cell thunderstorm on the Bay to a fully developed gale at sea. Techniques ranging from ree ng and headsail handling to heaving to and towing a drogue will be discussed in detail. Understanding what lies ahead and knowing how to cope is a daunting challenge for every sailor.

Boat Systems

Modern cruising sailboats o er the comforts and conveniences of life ashore. Supporting and keeping all these systems operating properly requires not only knowledge of each system, but an understanding of how they integrate to keep the lights on and the heads ushing. Join the experts from Annapolis School of Seamanship for an overview of the systems aboard your boat from plumbing refrigeration and the electrical system that makes it all possible.

Sailing North Sardinia & South Corsica, or How To Sail Two Countries In A Week

Few easily accessible cruising areas in the world o er the possibility to navigate from island to island in just a couple hours’ sail. The rst that naturally come to mind, if you’re a sailor, are the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. In this presentation, explore the beautiful islands of Sardinia and Corsica, including the Maddalena Island archi pelago and the Lavezzi Islands archipelago.

Chartering in the British Virgin Islands Voyage Charters

The British Virgin Islands is a collection of beautiful destinations, each uniquely sought after, and there is no better way to experience them than from your personal, luxury yacht. Join VOYAGE charters BVI for a tour of this exotic archipelago, and a how-to guide on exploring them for yourself!

Sailing in Big Breeze Tyler and Carrie Andrews

Company owners Tyler and Carrie Andrews will be speaking on how to keep a boat underneath the sails. Carrie is a two-time Adam’s Cup winner and Tyler was top ten at Laser Collegiate Nationals, and a Thistle Junior National Champion. He’s also been runner-up at Flying Scot Nationals four times now, which he counts as a win.

Sailing Across the Atlantic and 309 Days Alone at Sea Matt Rutherford

Matt Rutherford has sailed across the Atlantic several times from West to East and East to West. Learn when to leave, what are the best routes, and how to sail back. Matt will also tell his story of becoming the rst person to complete a non-stop single-handed circumnavigaion of North and South America.

Seanapps Xavier Tissier

Ever worry about your boat when you’re not aboard? Of course you do, every boat owner does. Introducing Seanapps, the new mobile app that allows you to monitor your boat’s systems from the comfort of your own home or anywhere in the world for that matter. Quickly see location, water depth, fuel levels, interior temperature, and much more directly on your smart phone.

Adventure Doesn’t Happen at The Dock Emory and Kim Zimmer

Thinking about casting o the lines and sailing into the great un known? Wondering how to get started? Join Emory and Kim Zimmer for insights, tales, and photos of their sail around the world with the ARC World Rally and their life as live-aboard sailors.

Family A oat – Two Years Sailing the World with Two Kids and Two Captains Jim Toomey

Jim Toomey is an internationally published humor writer and syn dicated cartoonist best known as the creator of the popular comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon. In the summer of 2015, Jim and his family purchased a 45-foot catamaran and spent the next two years living the cruising life. In his talk Jim will discuss what inspired him and his wife, neither of whom had much sailing experience, to pack up their kids and the family dog and sail away.

Charter Ownership Programs Explained Dream Yacht Charters

Ever considered charter yacht ownership? Placing a yacht into a charter management program is a great way to reduce the cost of purchasing a boat and see the world—as well as o set the ongoing costs of ownership. Learn about the di erences in the programs, some amazing bene ts, and if it could be right for you.

Charter in Thailand Ron Patson

Cruising the stunningly beautiful and exotic waters of Thailand has never been easier. Hear from US expat, Ron Patson, who has been living and cruising there for the past twenty years.

Attitude Bob Bitchin

Attitude is the di erence between ordeal and adventure. Join Bob Bitchin and his lovely wife Jody as they recount their many sailing experiences, and tight spots they’ve gotten into, and out of.

LOCATION:

During the Powerboat Show October 7-8 in the rst- oor Spa Creek Room of the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel

During the Sailboat show October 14-16 in the second oor ballrooms of the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel

PRESENTED BY:

Seminars are free to all Boat Show attendees. The seminars are held at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel. See Show program for Schedule. Enter from Compromise Street or through the Pusser’s show gate. For more info, call Annapolis School of Seamanship at (410) 263-8848.

Limited seating available. First come, rst served. Seminar schedule and speakers are subject to change.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

Excess 15 Catamaran

It’s been said that anything worth doing is worth doing to excess, and the Bénéteau Group has put that maxim to work with maximum e ect in the new Excess 15. With an overall length longer than 48’ and a beam of a notch over 26’ and an 82’ high mast, the Excess 15 is the largest in the new family.

These dimensions provide for an expansive raised saloon/dining area with a 360° view shed through large, clear windows that also allow the skipper to see the bows from either of the two helm stations at the aft of each hull. The hulls can be con gured with three, four or even six double cabins. The generous beam yields a cockpit big enough for a table that can graciously sit eight guests. The cockpit is shaded by a retractable sunroof that can be opened for a clear view of the sails.

The reviewers in the boating media have all written about how well the Excess 15 sails with its sporty rig that provides 1,657 sq. ft. of upwind sail area. The optional Pulse line rig o ers more than 10% of sail area/displacement ratio. The consensus is that the Excess 15 combines high performance with the comfort of a large cruising catamaran.

Available from Crusader Yacht Sales, CrusaderYachts.com.

The new 280 Dauntless completes the full evolution of our iconic, multifunctional center-console bay boat series. True to its family name, our newest model empowers you to take on adventures fearlessly and explore uncharted territory with con dence. With a wide range of packages available, boaters can choose the right propulsion.

The all-new 280 Dauntless. Explore with Con dence.

280 Dauntless

BOATS NOT TO MISS

This newly reimagined version of the original walkaround cabin design from 1974 will appeal to both the devoted angler as well as families that pursue any variety of water sports. Powered by a single 250 hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard, the boat has a top speed of 45.3 mph at 5900 rpm. Optimal cruising speed is 29.7 mph at 4000 rpm with a burn rate of 10.8 gph. A 200 hp Yamaha is an option.

The 218’s generous beam provides room for a workable cockpit as well as an accommodating cabin with a V-berth and a portable toilet. Two side windows and a forward hatch keep cabin air fresh. Above deck, optional foredeck cushions cover the ush mounted hatch. The aft jump seats have GradyWhite’s patented reversible self-stowing cushions with non-skid safety treads and seat backs that pivot to provide more room for the angler to ght sh as well as easy access to the swim platforms for watersports. The curved windshield and hardtop protect the helm deck. There are cushioned sh boxes behind the helm seats.

Anglers will appreciate all the well-placed, abundant storage space in the cockpit and cabin plus storage for 10 rods. Removable drop-in boxes below the aft seats provide easy access to the bilge and batteries. Two insulated sh boxes, 120-quart at starboard and 126-quart at port, provide plenty of room for the day’s catch. Available from Tri-State Marine, tristatemarine.com and Taylor Marine, TaylorMarineCenter.com.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

Ranger Tugs took over the Ocean Sport 30 and converted this performance workboat from twin Diesel stern drives to twin outboards, substantially bee ng up the hull structure in the stern and adding a sturdy transom platform to accommodate the motors. As a result, the newly recon gured Ocean Sport 30 Roamer can achieve a max speed of 49.4 mph powered by two 350 hp Mercury Verados. The preferred cruising speed of “just” 33 mph at 4500 rpm yields a range of 433 statute miles, burning 1.2 mpg from the two 200 gal. fuel tanks.

The key feature is the broad, open cockpit providing up to 64 sq. ft. of work room. There are toe rails and padded bolsters all around, 8 rocket launchers, a 30-gal. live well mounted on the stern, a transom door, and self-draining, removeable sh boxes mounted under the deck. A handy helm station set in the forward starboard corner features engine controls, joystick and bow thruster controls.

Inside the pilothouse, there are windows all around, including four opening side windows and a three-pane windshield that angles forward to reduce glare. It’s further shaded by the hardtop that extends forward to form a cowling. There’s a dinette that converts to a double berth, a galley station and a helm station to starboard. Accommodations include a forward cabin with a V-berth and enclosed head and a spacious quarter berth tucked under the dinette.

Available from Seattle Yachts, SeattleYachts.com.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

Solara S-310 Center Walkaround

Solara is the new brand of boats from the manufacturer Fluid Motion, the builder of Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. Built in the USA, this 31-foot trailerable performance cruiser is designed for shing, entertaining and overnighting in equal style. Powered by twin Yamaha F250 hp outboards, the S- 310 CW features an advanced double stepped hull with uniquely designed Laminar Flow Interrupters that provide exceptional cornering ability. The deep V bow section with its tapered are provides a steady, dry ride in rough seas.

Fishable features in the cockpit include 6 rod holders topping the gunwale, 8 rocket launchers, a built-in sh box under the deck and additional storage in the lazarette. Standard features at the helm include a bolstered pilot’s seat with tilt steering wheel, electronic throttle controls, autopilot and dual Garmin 8612 chartplotters with a fully customizable display.

The walkaround leads to a spacious open bow where there’s seating for six guests. A unique utility console mounted in the bow houses a fully recessed anchor, line storage and a bow ladder that folds out when beached. The cabin below features air conditioning and reverse cycle heating, a spacious V-berth that converts to lounge seating and an enclosed head with an electric ush toilet and shower.

Available from Pocket Yacht Company, PocketYachtCo.com.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

The “LS” is short for Luxury Sport, and this, the third in Tiara Yachts' four-boat LS lineup, is long on both. There are three distinct and distinctly glamorous areas on deck where guests can relax and socialize, plus an accommodating cabin below that sleeps four. Powered by twin Mercury 600 hp Verado V12 7.6L outboards, the LS can surge from zero to 30 mph in 10 seconds at. Its optimal cruising speed is 43.9 mph at 5000 rpm, burning .72 mpg. With the 400-gal. fuel capacity, at that rate, the boat would have a range of 253 statute miles. Max-out speed at 6055 rpm is an impressive 54.2 mph. The bow features wrap-around seating and a reclining three-across lounge with ip up arm rests as well as ip-up footrests. The helm deck, covered by a broad hard top and protected by an impressive compound curved windshield, seats four comfortably. The helm features a glass dash, digital controls and joy stick. Just behind the helm seats, there’s standing room and a leaning bolster athwart a galley with an expansive countertop, electric grill, sink and two refrigerated drawers. At the transom, an innovative U-shaped lounge rotates 180 degrees to face forward or aft, all shaded by a retractable awning.

Available from North Point Yacht Sales, NorthPointYachtSales.com.

Tiara

BOATS NOT TO MISS

The Valhalla line of high-performance shing boats is a new subsidiary of the venerable Viking Yacht Co. The V-41 can be built for a wide variety of power options, from triple Yamaha 425 hp outboards to four 400 hp Mercury Verados. Each application can be con gured for joystick helm control with GPS station-keeping technology. Powered by the four 400 hp Verados, the top speed has clocked in at 73 mph at 6,850 rpm. It can reach 30 mph in just 7.0 seconds. Its best burn rate is .98 mpg, running 45 mph at 4,200 rpm. One of the V-41’s many admiring reviewers notes that the double-stepped hull with the tunnel on centerline creates two vertical walls or strakes that helps it stick to the water without sliding in turns.

The transom holds a 90-gallon live well. The decks are lled with insulated sh boxes, and rod holders can be installed virtually anywhere. A raised live well can be integrated into the forward lounge for quick access while shing from the bow. A Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer ts neatly beneath the cockpit sole.

Viking can install an optional gap tower with a custom hardtop and an upper helm station.

There’s an aft mezzanine seating module complete with armrests and an insulated cooler or optional live well under the seat. Forward, there’s seating with backrests, an anchor windlass and a port-side dive door. Available from Bluewater Yacht Sales, BluewaterYachtSales.com.

BOATS NOT TO MISS

ZAR’s mini LUX Rider 15 aluminum-hulled RIB comes equipped with a bow locker, engine well and a at double ooring. The hull and cockpit are self-draining. Standard equipment includes a Teak design EVA oor, bow cushion, bow backrest, bow step plate, keel guard, Bimini holder, backrest, luxury steering console and a reinforced hull.

Powered by a 50 to 70 hp outboard, the Rider 15 can easily pull water toys, waterski and tow tubes with the two installed D-rings on the transom, but an optional towing mast can be installed behind the backrest for wakeboarding. There are two davit lifting points in the bow and two on the transom, making it a good choice as a yacht tender. There’s a bench seat for two at the helm, another seat forward of the console, and a padded area in the bow for lounging and sunbathing.

The very light aluminum hull allows it to go fast and plane easily with a smaller engine. It’s powder coated to resist corrosion and saltwater. The tube chamber is constructed of a 5-layer reinforced high quality 1.100 dtex PVC material with a weight of 1.050g/m2 and a thickness of 0.9mm. All PVC seams are welded. An overpressure valve comes as standard equipment to protect the tube when in ated properly.

Available from Annapolis Yacht Sales, annapolisyachtsales.com.

Mystery90 years of

Story by Nancy Taylor Robson

Photos by Mark Hergan

Without her masts, she looks a bit like a beached narwhal: rounded white hull, long bowsprit pointed toward the cavernous boatshed’s mouth. It’s only when you come in that you see the gorgeously varnished new cypress and sassafras decks on Mystery. She looks damn good for an aging beauty. Mystery is celebrating her 90th year. It could be a watershed year for her and longtime owners, Francis and Evelyn Schauber (affectionately known as Franny and Suzy),

because, like the boat, no one is getting any younger. “We have a geriatric crew,” Suzy says. “Three on board are over 70, including Fran and me.”

Log canoe racing is demanding, sometimes grueling (albeit exhilarating) and doesn’t get any easier as the years go by. “I’ve been to the doctor’s once and the hospital twice, racing,” says Ron Mullar, longtime Mystery crew, who turned 73 recently.

to wherever the canoes were racing.

“I saw Fran sitting on the stern of Bojan, one of the chase boats,” Suzy remembers, grinning. And he saw her.

Franny was crewing on Mystery. The five-log, 34'8" by 8'8" Mystery—third largest canoe in the fleet—was built in Oxford by Harry and Price Sinclair in 1932. Commissioned by John D. Williams, who owned Jay Dee (which was built in 1931 but ineligible to compete for the Governor’s Cup due to her transom design), Mystery was designed to qualify. She did, but Williams repeatedly failed to win the cup, so he sold the boat in 1938. She changed hands several more times until John Whittum of Chestertown, Md., bought her in 1957.

Suzy liked watching, but she wanted to race. Besides, Fran was aboard. “I had watched for what felt like forever, and finally Kenley [Jenkins, who skippered] let me on board,” she remembers.

“This is Suzy and my’s last year,” Fran says as he heads toward the long workbench on one side of the shed. He pauses for a second, then adds with only the hint of a smile, “I’ve been saying that for the last ten years.”

Like many long-term relationships— both human and boat—this is a love story. It starts in 1966. Suzy was 17; Franny was 20. Suzy’s father was a big log canoe fan and often sailed the family’s Luders 33

Like all aging wooden vessels, Mystery needed continual attention, especially after the beating she’d take on race weekends. But there was no question of handing her over to a yacht yard. “Fran and Dean Burt were in charge of fixing her,” Suzy says. “Fran would go to a small Amish sawmill in Ridgely, Md., and he’d get white oak and long leaf pine.” When Fran’s father sold his half of Chestertown Brick Co. in 1972, Fran had to find another livelihood, so the newlywed Schaubers bought that small Amish sawmill. From then on, he milled the wood for Mystery. “Fran should really, really be proud of Mystery,” Suzy says. “Because all of that wood,

Suzy and Franny Schauber

except the logs, were Fran’s work.”

In 1976, Whittum offered to sell the canoe to the young Schaubers for “a very attractive price,” paid in installments. The decking at that time was plywood and needed replacing, so Suzy, Jim Stevenson (who later owned Noddy), Michael Dickenson and Fran’s cousin, Denny Schauber, spent the summer rebuilding Mystery.

Keeping Mystery Racing

On this June day just prior to the first race of the 2022 season in St. Michaels, she is in race-prep—or rehab, depending on your outlook. The continual renewal of the old canoe is still a theme in their lives today, 46 years later, and those of their 14- to 15-member crew. Fran insists that he was done tinkering with her until crewmembers Kyle Leaverton and Mark Hergan went to work. “I wasn’t going to touch her, then they started doing the decks and now look what happens,” Fran says, nodding at the pair.

Chesapeake photographer and VP of Stevenson University Mark Hergan had admired Mystery through a camera lens for years.

“His screen saver was a picture of Mystery before we ever met

him,” Kyle says. Mark is a newer member of the crew, but some, like Ron Mullar, have been with the Schaubers for decades, even generations. Mitchell Grieb was 14 when he joined his dad on board; he’s now in his early 60s. Kyle, 34, was preceded by his mother, Donna Hardy. “I was 13, and one day my mom said, “You’re going to race with Franny and Suzy,” Kyle remembers.

Keeping Mystery racing continues to be collaborative. Ron is working on the 60' foremast beside the workbench, while Kyle and Mark consult on the new halyards Mark brought with him. Meanwhile, Suzy, sitting on a crate,

scoots along the hull as she lays down painter’s tape on either side of the blue boot stripe between white topsides and what she calls the “kick-ass red” bottom. As she works, she and Ron re-litigate a race that had a “We was robbed” outcome. “They remember the details of races 30 years ago,” Mark smiles, raising an eyebrow toward them as he pays out the new halyard.

From Logs to Legacy

The fleet of Chesapeake Bay log canoes—those spectacularly over-canvassed, wooden (mostly) racing vessels—are almost all geriatric. Several of those that are still competing were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Others, including Mystery, are Depression-era babies. Descended, improbably, from single-log dugout canoes used for centuries by native tribes for fishing and transport, they’ve morphed considerably over time, growing from one to three and five logs bolted together, which enlarged the carrying capacity and reach.

Bigger boats called for spars carrying more and more sail, adding to their instability. Hiking boards loaded with moveable ballast in the form of crew, who scramble out and cling to the boards (and sometimes each other), counteract the propensity to capsize. Mostly (which is one of the real dangers in the sport). According to John C. North II, author of Tradition, Speed and Grace: Chesapeake Bay Sailing Log Canoes, The first log canoe race took place in 1859 in St. Michaels, while the vessels were still working boats. Now far from their working roots, Chesapeake log canoes — cinematically beautiful but extremely challenging racing boats — carry on a Bay tradition, and the competitive spirit of their crews is not only alive and well, but against all odds continues to thrive.

For Fran, in addition to the easy collegiality of the team, there is the beauty of figuring out solutions to problems. He points to a racked mast that broke when a stay parted. “I designed a wooden strengthener to spread the load to stress points where shrouds are attached,” he says. The mention of stress points triggers a question from the gallery.

“What’s the wind gonna be?” Ron asks no one in particular.

“Eleven to thirteen,” Kyle replies.

“I don’t like wind,” Ron growls. “Eight knots is what I like.” They all agree. These boats like light wind, and so do most of their crews. Racing, especially on log canoes, is challenging. But it’s the pleasure, excitement, comradery and tradition that keeps everyone coming back for more. The only question for both human and boat is: When to call it quits?

“We’re ready to give it up,” Ron says, nodding toward Suzy. “But she’s not.” Suzy looks up, grins, then keeps on taping.

Nancy Taylor Robson grew up sailing, racing and building boats with her dad and others. She’s the author of four books, including Woman in the Wheelhouse, a memoir of her six years working on coastal tugboats.

Talbot County is home to some of the most beautiful and historic small towns in America. Explore our culinary treasures, one-of-a-kind boutiques and elegant inns. Or bike, kayak and sail the Chesapeake Bay. Plan your escape today! 410-770-8000 | TourTalbot.org

CHESAPEAKE CHEF

Scallops Carbonara

The Deadrise, Hampton, Va.

Casual fishhouse The Deadrise has a one-of-a-kind vibe, overlooking the Old Point Comfort Marina near historic Fort Monroe, at the southern tip of the Bay. But a great setting is nothing without great food to match. That’s the job of chef Jason R. Selby, who was the opening chef back in May 2015 and leads the kitchen again now.

“Italian food is really my favorite in general,” says Selby, “and it pairs well with seafood.” He likes this recipe for its looks as well as the taste. “You eat with your eyes first. This is beautiful, and when you pair it with outstanding flavors, it’s always going be a home run.”

Selby offers advice to make this house favorite easier for home chefs. “Traditionally, carbonara is made by rendering pancetta, then adding whipped eggs and cooking very slowly, along with grated parmesan. In Americanizing the dish, it’s been standard to add heavy cream and peas. Adding the eggs after you’ve reduced the cream gives you a much lower chance of scrambling the eggs.”

And if you want to change it up? “I personally prefer it with fresh spinach,” he says.

The Deadrise overlooks Old Point Comfort Marina, by historic Fort Monroe.

SCALLOPS CARBONARA

NEEDED EQUIPMENT

Medium frying pan

Small cast iron skillet

Boiling pot for pasta

Cooking tongs

INGREDIENTS

3 or 4 healthy sized sea scallops (fresh and “dry packed” are a must here; you don’t want them shrinking away!)

2 oz diced pancetta

3 oz cooked pasta (I prefer linguine or spaghetti. As the dish isn’t overly saucy, I avoid hollow penne or riga toni.)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Parmigiano Reggiano (any parme san will do, but you should treat yourself to the best!), 1 tsp grated and some shaved

A palmful of frozen peas

1 Tbsp cold butter

1 tsp light oil

1 egg

Cracked pepper and sea salt

PREPARATION

1. Start your water to cook the pasta by the package directions.

2. In the frying pan, begin render ing the pancetta, nice and slow, on low medium heat. Mean while, heat the cast iron on medium heat and get it ready for the scallops.

3. When the pancetta is nice and oily, add a fair amount of black

pepper. Turn the heat up to just over medium and cook for about a minute, until it just starts to smoke. Add the heavy cream and the peas. (If you don’t care for peas, feel free to swap them for another green veggie, such as a handful of baby spinach.) Stir well and let the cream start to reduce.

Note: Make sure your hood vent is on and don’t let the pepper smoke too much! If you breathe in the smoke, it’ll make you cough like nobody’s business.

4. Season the scallops with a bit of salt and pepper. Add oil to the cast iron and, as the oil just starts to smoke, gently place the scallops in the oil. (Give them a quick nudge with the tongs so they don’t stick.) Cook the scallops for about 90 seconds, or until they are caramelized to your liking (somewhere between light brown and a rich walnut color). Gently flip the scallops and remove the pan from heat. Let the residual heat finish cook ing them as they rest.

5. By now, your cream should be reduced rather well. Salt it to taste. Add the pasta and toss or stir until it’s heated up nice. (Remember, the pasta is already cooked. Keep it al dente!) Add grated parmesan and stir well. Finally, remove the pan from heat, add the cold butter and fold it in. At this point the dish should not be blistering hot, which is important for the final step of introducing the egg as you don’t want it to scramble. Crack the egg right into the middle of the pasta and, with the tongs, pop the yolk and quickly fold it into the pasta.

6. Twirl the pasta into the middle of a nice sized pasta bowl. Place the scallops on top and shave some parmesan over it. (Remember, no one but your doctor should ever tell you how much cheese you need!)

Grab a fork and a spoon and enjoy!

Old Boats Rule

by Angus Phillips

Every October, hordes descend on Annapolis to look at boats. I may join the crowd for a day or two at the U.S. Sailboat and Powerboat Shows this year, but I won’t really be with them, for the simple reason that the vessels these pilgrims pore over are new, and I have never had an interest in new boats. Used boats are where my heart lies.

I’ve owned over two dozen serious boats in my life—serious meaning ones in which you could cross the Bay or go out in the ocean. If you add in dinghies, kayaks, canoes, sailboards, inflatables, rowboats and paddleboards, that number skyrockets embarrassingly, so we won’t even go there.

But never a new one, even with the little stuff. Why would you? New boats are great when you take them home, shiny and perfect. But they cost a fortune, and then you have to baby them for years to make sure they don’t get dings and scratches and end up looking like all the other old boats. Give me something inexpensive, pre-scratched and dinged—a boat that can be bought for cash and put to use tomorrow for crabbing, fishing, cruising, racing or just banging around.

Used boats have character. Of course, they also have issues that you’ll wake up late at night puzzling over, and eventually devising a solution for, and you’ll be a better boater for it. You will learn to be a painter, fiberglass-patcher, mechanic, electrician, rigger, sail repairer, carpenter, leak-tracer and on-the-water problemsolver. You’ll have no choice: If you don’t have the money to buy a new boat, you certainly don’t have enough to pay professionals to fix your old one.

Over a satisfying lifetime of buying, fixing, sailing and eventually selling old boats, I’ve learned a few things. So for the multitudes who come to the boat shows this fall to drift and dream, then go home to the grim reality of family finances, I offer my personal thrifty boater’s guide to crafty shopping.

1

PARTNERSROCK

Close to half the boats I’ve owned have been with co-owners. When you find a well-kept boat on the market and ask why the owner is selling, they’ll often say they don’t use it enough because they can’t find anyone to go out with. That’s not a complaint, it’s a cry for help!

Co-owners like that bring much to the table. They may have their own dock or a sweetheart deal at a neighbor’s. They already know the boat and its foibles, and you can easily see whether they’ve kept it up. If you think they don’t really want to sell, it’s worth offering a half-price buy-in, and everybody benefits.

You can get burned on a partnership, too, so it’s not something to jump into without careful thought. But I haven’t had a serious regret, and I’ve made some friends along the way. Obviously, you can afford twice the boat when you partner up, and when the bills come in or work days approach, or you’re itching for a sail but the spouse and kids are uninterested, there’s nothing like a partner to share the burdens and the joys.

no obvious flaws and the outboard fired right up. I didn’t waste a minute bartering, just made a good offer, hooked it up and towed it home. My 14-year-old son was waiting when I pulled in.

“Geez, dad, that’s not a 17,” he said. “That’s a 15.” He fetched the tape measure and proved it. The listing was inaccurate and I was fool enough to see what I wanted to see, not what was right there in plain view. No worries. I kept the boat and it was a good one, but lesson learned.

Rule3

BEWARE THEBUBBLES

Almost every used boat you’ll look at under 50 feet long is going to be fiberglass. It’s wonderful boat-building material, lasts a long time and is easily repaired if it cracks or is damaged in an accident.

CURBYOUR ENTHUSIASM

Deer hunters call it buck fever: the euphoria that washes over them when they set out in the woods with hearts thumping. I’ve felt it in a deer stand, envisioning a buck crashing through the brush and restraining myself just long enough to avoid shooting some fellow nimrod marching to his own deer stand.

And I’ve felt it on the way to look at a boat. You see what you want to see, not what’s actually there. For example, years ago I dearly wanted a 17-foot Boston Whaler. I monitored the ads until one cropped up at a suitable price. When I got there, the boat looked good—well maintained,

But underneath the glass skin lies a myriad of potential problems. The trouble sign to look for is delamination, which occurs when whatever core material that is underneath the fiberglass skin gets waterlogged or rotten. The glass then detaches from the wet core or frame and you get soft spots. If the deck under your feet springs up and down like an oil can, it’ll require repairs.

Likewise, check underwater portions of the hull for blisters, which are small areas of delamination that occur when seawater gets past the outer gelcoat layer and reacts to chemicals in the fiberglass by turning acidic and bubbling up. Neither soft spots nor blisters are deal-breakers; they’re not hard to repair, and small spots can often be ignored. But big areas of deck delimitation or large fields of blisters that are bigger than a dime suggest big problems underneath that you probably won’t want to tackle.

Rule4 BRANDSMATTER

The best builders got their reputations for a reason. When you do your homework and network with other boaters, you’ll soon come up with a list of manufacturers whose boats hold their value over time. If you’re buying an older boat, get one from a good builder.

Rule5

NEVER BE THE LAST PERSON TO OWN A BOAT

This is the most important rule of all. If someone is giving a boat away, or selling it for next to nothing, there’s bound to be a good reason. You do not want to be the one dragging it off to the dump. Don’t just walk away. Run!

Boating is meant to be fun, and I’m sure folks who blast away from the dealership in their sparkling new acquisitions, with warranties and guarantees galore, wear big smiles. With a used boat, it takes time to get to the same place, as you work out why the last owner sold it and what needs to be done to make it right. There’s almost always something they didn’t bother to mention.

So you’ll start off wary. But once you get past that hump and learn to trust the beast you bought to get you there and back safely, satisfaction sets in and just keeps growing.

Take it from a fellow who was on a crew that won its class in the Annapolis-Bermuda Race, then won first overall in the Down the Bay Race to Hampton a few years ago, all on a $10,000, 40-foot sailboat rescued from the ash-heap of history. There’s nothing like old boats to make you feel young and clever again. Old boats rule!

Angus Phillips was outdoor editor of The Washington Post for 35 years, covering the fishing, hunting and boating scene both locally and globally. He’s lived in Annapolis since 1983.

SAILOR’S HAVEN IN THE NORTHERN NECK

6+ MLW | 3630 SF | 3 BR, 3 BA | 1.7 ACRES

PRICE: $795,000

This serene private peninsula offers the most beautiful river setting w/ sailboat-depth water at your private dock. The home is located on the deep, protected Tipers Creek w/quick access by boat to the Great Wicomico River & Chesapeake Bay. House features the opportunity for water views from practically every room! The large eat-in kitchen has cherry cabinets, island & waterside deck w/awning. There is so much space for entertaining: a waterside formal dining room, large LR with gas FP & access to the waterside screened porch & a large FR with a woodburning FP & access to a waterside deck/patio. The den/sitting room has a wall of beautiful built-ins with a bar behind stained-glass doors. The 1st floor offers a big office, a first floor BR and full bath. The primary suite is gorgeous. This suite was renovated with a large bath featuring a tiled, walk-in shower, soaking tub, double sinks, vanity & multiple closets including the large walk-in closet w/built-in shelving. The 2nd floor has a huge guest BR with water views. There is an attached garage, 2 sheds, automatic generator. The pier has water, electric & 6 ft.+ MLW. NO HOA.

Contact: (804) 724-1587

TipersCreek.net ShultzRealtors.com

on this home.

Stunning Potomac River waterfront on gated 2 acres. Fully furnished; this 5 bed/4.5 bath home is ready for your next getaway. Home is 6,656 SF and offers everything you could desire; hot tub, sauna, palatial master suite, screened porch, 10,000 lb. boat lift plus 2 jet ski lifts, detached 2 car garage with loads of storage in addition to attached 2 car garage and 2 sheds. The spectacular sunset views promise not to disappoint! Offered at $2,100,000.

Buying? Selling? We have you covered.

Browse our showcase of CBM recommended Chesapeake Bay realtors; take a virtual tour of some of the bay’s most luxurious waterfront homes & estates; learn more about the market and what it takes to make your house a Chesapeake Bay Home.

16105 Thomas Road, Piney Point, MD

Your River Sanctuary

Set Sail From Your Private Haven

This

This

Your River Playground!

SOLOMONS AREA WATERFRONT PRIVATE PIER, DRUM POINT

Don’t miss this newly built waterfront home in the coveted Drum Point community of Solomons, MD. The 2700sf home with 1850sf unfinished basement features a 70’ deck, main-level primary suite, high-end finishes, and 100-feet of shoreline with a private pier on Mill Creek. Asking $1,100,000

Denise Neitzke REALTOR®/Team Member

Chris McNelis Associate Broker/Team Leader

Burroughs REALTOR®/Operations Coordinator

Will Hooper REALTOR®/Executive Assistant

Megan Erickson REALTOR®/Team Member

Denise Neitzke REALTOR®/Team Member

Chris McNelis ASSOCIATE BROKER/ Team Leader

Will Hooper REALTOR®/Executive Assistant

Lacey Foerter

Waterfront. Land and Farm.

Commercial.

Southern Maryland and the Patuxent River region since 1992

JUST

1.35

$519,900

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Southern Anne Arundel Co: 3Br., 2Ba. com pletely renovated over the years and located on 1.35 acres. Limited views of the Bay. Beautiful sunroom, kitchen with lg. center island, granite, 18’X20’ shed w/electric, lg. chicken coop. No covenants or restrictions. Schwartzrealty.com/MDAA2042178

100%

GREAT STARTER HOME

$310,000

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Deale: 2Br., 1Ba., freshly painted, new carpet, large kitchen, nice yard, walk to marina’s, waterfront dining, shops and more. 40 minutes to D.C., 25 minutes to Annapolis. Schwartzrealty.com/mdaa2012536

JUST REDUCED

JUST LISTED

WATERFRONT

MOVE IN READY

$454,900

CLYDE BUTLER 443-223-2743

Huntingtown; 3br., 1.5ba., Farmette with 3+ acres, horses are welcome. Large barn in very good condition. Move in ready, recently renovated.

schwartzrealty.com/MDCA2006808

WATERFRONT

$1,200,000

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Southern Anne Arundel Co: Over 2,900 sq.ft.+.. 5Br., 3Fb, 2Hb., expansive Bay views. Impressive waterfront porch, hardwood floors, formal dining room, owners bedroom with enclosed porch, 2 car garage. Close to North Beach boardwalk, marina’s & shops. 45 minutes to D.C.. Was the original “Inn of Holland Point”. Schwartzrealty.com/mdaa2044428

JUST LISTED

2 ACRES

$575,000

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Southern Anne Arundel Co: One level open floor plan living. 3Br., 3Ba. built in 2008. 2 car garage, unfinished lower level. 2 usable acres. 40 minutes to D.C., 25 minutes to Annapolis. Schwartzrealty.com/mdaa1005836670

JUST REDUCED

BOAT SLIP WITH DEEP WATER

$699,900

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Southern Anne Arundel Co: 3Br., 2Ba. with ex pansive Bay views. Pier with boat lift & jet ski lift. Updated kitchen with corian countertops, family room with woodstove, whole house gen erator. 45 minutes to D.C..

Schwartzrealty.com/mdaa2034564.

JUST LISTED

2 CAR GARAGE

$349,900

RAY MUDD/MIKE DUNN 410-320-4907

Deale: 3 Bedrooms, 2 bath. Main home consists of 1 bedroom, 1 bath. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath over the garage. Walk to community pier, waterfront dining, marina’s, shops and more. 45 minutes to D.C., 25 minutes to Annapolis.

Schwartzrealty.com/mdaa2043622

JUST REDUCED

THREE SEPARATE LIVING UNITS

$899,995

GEORGE G. HEINE JR. 301-261-9700, 410-279-2817

Annapolis, 9br., 6ba., Unique property ideal for large family or a family compound with three separate unites. In addition there are two separate and approved and recorded building lots. Must see this property to appreciate what it has to offer. Schwartzrealty.com/MDAA2042178.

ZONE FOR COMMERCIAL/MARINE

$970,000

GEORGE G. HEINE JR.

301-261-9700, 410-279-2817

Snug Harbor, 4br.,2ba., Home, income op portunity, property totaling 1,06931 acres. Commercial/marine zoned property, with 135 ft. Of bulk headed waterfront, 200 ft. Pier with 12 boat slips.

Schwartzrealty.com/MDAA2011224

garrett Realty

$1,495,000

CHISMAN CREEK

VERY RARE OPPORTUNITY! Deep water access in highly coveted York County! Dock has 2 jet ski lifts and 2 boat lifts. Elevator, backup generator, open concept kitchen and living room, sun room, library, and more!

$900,000

SUFFOLK is masterpiece of a waterfront home is located in the highly sought-after Riverfront neighborhood of Suffolk. With 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms plus an upstairs den/media room, the home has so much extra space!

$515,000

POQUOSON

Updated kitchen w/ granite counter tops and center island. 2 fireplaces in the dining room and living room. Large bonus room. Almost 1/2 acre lot, plenty of room for activities! Huge attached workshop!

COASTAL VIRGINIA’S

$1,200,000

SMITHFIELD

Deep water! Almost 11 acres. Refinished hardwood floors throughout the first floor, 3 bedrooms downstairs, with 1 bonus room upstairs and an amazing open floor plan with giant windows.

$650,000

WILLIAMSBURG

Extremely private, on a double lot in Seasons Trace. 2nd floor primary bedroom with 2 walk-in closets, 2 additional bedrooms and full bathroom. Basement features 2 more bedrooms and a full bathroom.

$500,000

YORKTOWN

4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms w/ primary bedroom on the 1st floor and a bonus room that could be used as a 5th bedroom! Vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace, large kitchen, IN-GROUND salt water, heated POOL!

$1,000,000

KINGSMILL

Custom built colonial in highly sought after gated community! Extremely large lot on over 1 acre with water views and deeded pond access. Walk out “sunlight” basement with kitchenette that opens to the yard.

$649,900

YORKTOWN

Gorgeous 4 bedroom 3 bath home. Beautiful landscaping, large kitchen w/ island, first floor bedroom and full bath, large sunroom. 1.72 AC lot w/ extremely large outbuildings for storage or entertainment space.

$449,000

SMITHFIELD DEEP WATER!!! Beautiful view of the Pagan River located next to Smithfield Station! e value is in the land! Property is being sold as-is/where-is.

Greg Garrett

Jackie and

STERN LINES

VIP Day

by Jefferson Holland

VIP Day at the Annapolis boat shows is always an exciting event, opening day when boating enthusiasts pay a premium ticket price to get a preview of all the latest new boats at the docks. But one year, an actual VIP showed up at the powerboat show, creating an exceptional buzz along the docks. This was a true media personality, the maven of home décor and gourmet cookery with a television and print media conglomerate all her own.

She waltzed through the gate with her entourage in tow and proceeded directly to the exhibit of one of the most prestigious Maine yacht manufacturers. The lead salesman showed her around a particularly expensive 55-foot day cruiser. “I’ll take it,” she said. She had one of her staff draft a check for the full amount, signed it with a flourish and handed it over. “I’ll have my man come by after the show to pick it up.”

“Oh, no, Ma’am,” the dealer said with his Down East drawl, “you don’t undahstand. We build these boats to ordah. We have eight other peoples’ boats to build before we can get around to building yours.”

“And when will that be?,” she huffed.

“Well,” he said, “if all goes well, you can come to the yahd and pick it up next Septembah.”

“Young man,” she glared, “do you know who I am?”

“Oh, yes, Ma’am,” he said. “You’re numbah nine.”

Luxury Reimagined

Walking a beach where the only footprints in the sand, are your own. Enjoying a refreshing drink from an island bar only accessible by boat. Waking up each morning with the exibility to sail anywhere you wish. These experiences rede ne luxury -- and are the hallmark of any yacht charter vacation.

This year, we invite you to discover unbridled freedom and authentic travel experiences with The Moorings. Unforgettable moments await.

UNLIMITED TRANSIENT NIGHTS

Whenever and wherever we have extra slips, Members stay for free.

Now Reserving Winter Storage

This winter,

From routine winter maintenance to major off-season repair, our marine service experts will ensure your boat is ready for next summer.

Outdoor &

marine

storage

11 locations on the Chesapeake Bay

FUEL AT OUR COST

Members will buy fuel at our cost from fuel docks operated by Safe Harbor.

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Make more memories and get more discounts at over 130 locations.

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