Best of the Bay 2022

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BEST OF THE BAY 2022

VOLUME 52 | NUMBER 2

T S E B AY B

E H T F O

6 Check out our picks for best restaurants, wineries, distilleries, and more.

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FOOD & DRINK

BOATING

LIVING We’ve tallied the votes for the most authentic ways to enjoy the Chesapeake’s heritage.

FROM THE EDITOR

Meet our contributors and CBM’s new editor-in-training. By Jefferson Holland

COVER PHOTO BY MILTON RODRIGUEZ

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SUNRISE ON TRAPPE CREEK Kate Fritzinger

Discover top boating towns, accommodating marinas, lively regattas, and more.

ON BOATS:

AXOPAR 28 CABIN

Axopar’s unique design and modular options work well in our waters. By John Page Williams

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CONTRIBUTORS As we reviewed all of the readers’ picks for this year’s Best of the Bay issue, we realized that our own crew of contributors and editorial staff should be tapped for their expertise as well, seeing as how they’re fairly well acquainted with all things Chesapeake—and opinionated, too. So, sprinkled throughout each section of readers’ Best of the Bay picks, you’ll get some insight from this wise group of writers.

You’ll also find this issue adorned with astonishingly beautiful images selected from all the ones submitted by our more photographically inclined readers. Each one is a winner in its own right.

— Jefferson Holland, Editor

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age J o hn P s William ADMIRAL OF THE BAY

John Page Williams is a CBM Editor-at-Large, educator, guide, and author of three quintessential Chesapeake Bay books. Read on for his picks on Boating and Food, and his column On Boats.

Niambi Davis

Robert n G ustafs o

Marty d LeG ran

CHESAPEAKE’S OWN

AWARD-WINNING WRITER

Niambi Davis was raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and loves sharing her home through words and pictures. Her picks span Food, Living, and Boating sections.

Maryland native and award-winning contributor Marty LeGrand writes about nature, the environment, and Chesapeake history.

Her bests include eagles and muskrats in Living.

ESVA ENTHUSIAST

Robert “Gus” Gustafson lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia by way of Chicago, Harvard University, and Capitol Hill. He shares his favorites for Food, Living and Boating.

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Raf ael A lvarez BALTIMORE BARD

Rafael Alvarez worked on the City Desk of the Baltimore Sun for 20 years, and shares his love for Charm City via fiction and nonfiction. See why he loves Fell’s Point in Living.

Sus an an Moynih ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Contributing editor Susan Moynihan’s book 100 Things to Do in Annapolis and the Eastern Shore was published in 2019. She lives in Annapolis and has a lot of opinions about Food.

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C hris D Dollar BAY FISHING GURU

Capt. Chris Dollar is a fishing guide, tackle shop owner, and all-around outdoorsman with more than 25 years’ experience in avoiding office work. See his gear picks in Boating.

J eff H olland WELCOME ABOARD!

CBM’s new editor has been sailing and boating on the Bay for the past half-century in everything from 100-year-old bugeye schooners to nuclear submarines. See his picks in Living and Boating.

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& D O O F RINK D B Y

S U S A N

C

M OY N I H A N

hesapeake Bay foodways run long and deep. Native American people have been enjoying the bounty of the Bay for centuries, evidenced by oyster middens dating as far back as 10,000 B.C. When colonists arrived in the 1600s, they brought new traditions and ingredients designed for surviving transport and feeding a colony. Trading ships brought in spices and flavors from across the globe, and enslaved people brought their African and Caribbean cooking traditions, which they infused into European cuisine. Later generations of immigrants brought their traditions, creating thriving neighborhoods like Baltimore’s Little Italy. That flavorful influx is still happening; go on a food tour today anywhere from Adams Morgan, D.C., to Richmond, Va., and you’ll taste flavors from almost every continent, cooked through a lens of local ingredients.

What this means is that our food today is rich and layered, bringing global traditions to the lifestyle of fisheries and farming that still hold such prominence all around the region. The watermen working the crab pots off Deal Island or Crisfield, Md., will share their bounty with crab houses up and down the Bay, but you’ll also find it in a bevy of dishes: crab fried rice, southern-style fried green tomatoes, Baltimore’s classic crab spaghetti, soft-shell sushi rolls, crab curries and seafood versions of Irish shepherd’s pie. I bet you could eat crab every day for a month without ever having it as a crabcake—and the next month you could eat just crabcakes, without even scratching the surface of what’s out there.

And isn’t just the seafood. Take the rye whiskey resurgence, with distillers taking on the art that was begun in the earliest days of our country. Community-supported agriculture gained new prominence with the onset of pandemic-related supply-chain issues, and makers of all kinds are selling their goods at farmers markets. Pop-up restaurants and food halls are allowing a new crop of entrepreneur chefs to share their flavors and build up a fan base before investing in permanent storefronts. All of this is great news for anyone who loves regional food.

When you’re eating local, you’re sharing someone’s story—not just the people who grew it, caught it or cooked it, but also the people who came before them, who planted it, experimented with it, and perfected it.

Our Best of the Bay food picks are all about that shared legacy, with reader contributions on everything from oyster bars to breweries. Yes, they are opinionated and we hope they spark lots of conversations around the table, and give you reasons to seek out more of our regional bounty.

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BEST LOCAL RESTAURANT  Steak & Main, North East, Md., and Hole in the Wall, Mathews Va. What keeps you coming back to a restaurant? Great food, yes, but there also needs to be a good vibe that lures you to linger, and a welcoming team that makes you feel at home.

Our winners have it all.

Steak and Main, set on quiant Main Street in downtown North East, Md, has something for everyone: a classic steakhouse menu (including a fantastic 21-day dry-aged ribeye), but also a raw bar with six types of oyster preparations and an

STEAK AND MAIN

extensive sushi menu. The cozy ambiance, with beautiful woodwork accents from the ceiling to the furniture, creates an atmosphere that’s homey yet special. steakandmain.com Located just over the mainland bridge on Gwynn’s Island, Va., Hole in the Wall Waterfront Grill offers ample views from the bright dining room and two-sided waterfront deck.

The casual-comfort menu complements the scenery with locally sourced seafood, fish baskets (grilled, fried or blackened), oysters aplenty, and a fun menu of cocktails and mocktails to make any day feel like a weekend. holeinthewallwaterfront grill.com

age P n h BEST OF o J s THE BAY PICKS William Best All-Purpose Farm to Table

DENSON’S CHESAPEAKE BAY FARM TO TABLE OYSTER BAR, FOOD TRUCK & CATERING COLONIAL BEACH, VA. Rocky Denson and his wife, Blaire, take local seriously, from Northern Neck produce and special meats to oysters, crabs and fish from the Potomac and the Rappahannock, plus local wines and craft beers. Menus change with seasonal opportunities and the creative flair of Rocky’s imagination, built on the firm foundation of this third-generation family business. Check the current menu on the Denson’s Facebook page, order takeout, eat at the outdoor cafe, look for their food truck Chesapeake Beast, or schedule catering featuring the best food and drink the Northern Neck has to offer. densonsgrocery.com

HOLE IN THE WALL

BRIAN BORU RESTAURANT AND PUB

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true talbot. true chesapeake.

true

flavors call for our bike and water trails maps!

Easton • Oxford • St. Michaels • Tilghman Island No matter the season, Talbot County is the Eastern Shore’s culinary hotspot. Explore our coastal towns, fabulous restaurants, and elegant inns. Or bike, kayak, and sail the Chesapeake Bay.

410-770-8000 | TourTalbot.org Best of the Bay 2022

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BEST OF Sus an n THE BAY PICKS Moyniha Best Open-Air Oyster Bar

MERRIOR TASTING ROOM, TOPPING, VA. This alfresco eatery is deceptively simple. Order at the window, return for your plate when your name is called, and enjoy it at a patio table overlooking the very waters where the oysters you’re eating were raised. The briny air, view of weathered oyster boats, and sound of lapping waves only enhances the flavors of the menu, which features raw oysters, roasted oysters and oysters Rockefeller, as well as plates like red pepper crab soup, scallops in brown butter, and the craveworthy stuffin muffin: oyster stuffing with bacon and peppercorn cream sauce. rroysters.com

Best Casual Oyster Bar

THE LOCAL OYSTER, BALTIMORE Nineteenth-century oyster bars were unpretentious, unfussy establishments, the opposite of the fine-dining reputation they developed later on. The Local Oyster harkens back to that earlier era. At their two food hall locations—one at Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Marketplace, one at Arlington’s Quarter Market, and a third location coming to Baltimore’s Locust Point this summer—the vibe is cheery and accessible with long counters and communal tables, a slew of craft beer on tap and fresh bivalves, including ones grown at their own farm. Bonus points for $1 oysters when it rains. thelocaloyster.com

THE POINT

BEST CRAB HOUSE  T he Point Crab House and Grill, Arnold, Md. The perfect crab house has fresh, local crabs and plenty of places to spread out and enjoy them. At The Point, that means a restaurant with long tables and an oversized square bar with seating on four sides, and picnic tables on the side lawn. In warmer months, the windowed walls of this

former warehouse fully retract, the better to drink in the views of scenic Mill Creek. Not in the mood for picking? Enjoy small plates like jumbo-lump-topped fried green tomatoes or deviled eggs; hearty crabcake sandwiches and burgers; tasty pork, fish or shrimp tacos; and save room for Bryan’s fried cornbread sundae. There’s live music most nights, and a wait on weekends. It’s worth it. thepointcrabhouse.com

BEST BAR  Irish Restaurant Group, Annapolis

PIRATES COVE

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Best of the Bay 2022

Pick just one favorite bar?

We can’t, and neither could our readers. Thankfully, the winning Irish Restaurant Group has four. Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub is a cozy Irish pub with an award-winning whiskey list,

situated on beautiful Maryland Avenue in downtown Annapolis.

Brian Boru Restaurant and Pub is a friendly hangout for families and friends, located in Severna Park. Killarney House is an Old World, wood-paneled retreat in rural Davidsonville.

Pirate’s Cove Restaurant and Dock Bar in Galesville overlooks the West River,

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BEST OF Niambi Davis THE BAY PICKS Best Vegetarian Restaurant

EARTH TONES CAFE, DENTON MD. If you’re convinced that vegan/vegetarianism is synonymous with slivers of carrots, a few stalks of celery and a tall green drink, Denton’s Earth Tones Cafe will quickly change your mind. Try a silky soup or a sweet and savory toast like the avocado with egg, avocado and sharp cheese, or a new twist on the classic PBJ, crafted from peanut butter, strawberry preserves and lemon jam—the flavors burst in your mouth. Along with daytime deliciousness, Earth Tones offers nighttime entertainment in the form of live music, a dinner menu, and selections from the beer, wine, and cocktail list. earthtonescafe.com

CLOUDY SUNRISE Jessica Nguyen

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easily accessible by boat or car. They all feature fantastic food (including Irish favorites like shepherd’s pie at the pubs, and plentiful seafood at the dock bar), plus great live music and genial Irish hospitality. irishrestaurantgroup.com

BEST DOCK AND DINE  Pirates Cove, Galesville, Md., and Hole in the Wall Waterfront Grill, Mathews, Va. Boaters love tradition, and both of these winners from last year have the same recipe for success.

First is a great location:

Hole in the Wall is set on Gwynn’s Island, where the Piankatank River meets the Bay, while Pirates Cove is on the West River, convenient to Annapolis.

Add in ample docking space, wide open-air decks for waterside dining, fresh food with something for everyone, and you get that last piece: convivial crowds, made up of locals and boaters passing through for an afternoon or weekend. piratescove md.com; holeinthewall waterfrontgrill.com

BEST DISTILLERY  Lyon Rum, St. Michaels What’s not to love about a distillery and tasting room, set in an historic mill in the heart of St. Michaels?

Repeat winner Lyon Rum is going to be even better when it reopens for tastings in fall 2022 after a monthslong renovation. Meanwhile, check out our runners-up.

Set in D.C.’s Ivy City neighborhood, Green Hat Distillery’s bar and gin garden is open on weekends, offering tours, flights and cocktails made with their botanical-infused gin.

LYON RUM

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BEST OF Robert fs on THE BAY PICKS G usta Best Restaurant for Swelling Toads EXMORE DINER, EXMORE, VA.

The Exmore Diner is a hidden mecca for local seafood and Eastern Shore cuisine. Peas and dumplings, turnip greens and sweet potatoes are often on the “sides” menu, but if you keep careful watch in the summertime you can sample one of the best fish to come out of the Bay: swelling toads (Sphoeroides maculatus), also called pufferfish. Swelling toads are the Bay’s superior answer to chicken wings. They fry up crisp and light, and the tail serves as a convenient handle to nibble the tender white meat along a single, central bone. The Exmore Diner keeps Eastern Shore culinary traditions like swelling toads alive and is worth a special trip.

Check their Facebook page for the daily menu. facebook.com/exmorediner

BEST OF Sus an n THE BAY PICKS Moyniha Best Caribbean-Chesapeake Restaurant DREDGE, IRVINGTON, VA.

Chef Bryan Byrd hails from Virginia but spent time in Key West before returning home to open his award-winning food truck, Byrd’s Seafood Co., and then his acclaimed restaurant, tucked in a cute bungalow in Irvington. Island flavors are infused in everything from slow-roasted Cuban pork and half-baked oysters topped with chorizo, cheddar jack, and a spicy verde sauce to the Key Lime tartar sauce that accompanies blackened mahi and shrimp. Best yet, he sources from local purveyors, including their family farm, located just north in Lively, Va. dredgeirvington.com

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In ESVA, Cape Charles Distillery’s retro-eclectic setting is the perfect place to sip Virginia-grown bourbon, whiskey, vodka, and more, paired with oysters from nearby farms. lyonrum.com; greenhatgin. com; ccdesva.com

BEST WINERY

 Running Hare Vineyard, Prince Frederick, Md., and Williamsburg Winery, Williamsburg, Va. The arched windows, tile roof, elegant cypress trees and surrounding vineyards may say Tuscany, but this beauty of a winery is in Southern Maryland’s Calvert County. Running Hare offers something for

everyone, with wines (think popular varietals like malbec, sangiovese, chardonnay, and rose) as well as wide selection of local craft beers on draft at in their Southern Maryland Biergarten. There’s live music every weekend, food trucks for snacking, and even wine slushees to beat the heat on summer days. runningharevineyard.com Award-winning Williamsburg Winery has 50 acres of vineyards set on original Colonial-deeded land.

Enjoy the views from the bilevel deck, soak up the sun on the flagstone patio, add farm-to-table plates from Archer Tavern, or book a room at the inn and make a weekend of it. williams burgwinery.com

BEST BREWERY  Forward Brewing, Annapolis, and That Damn Mary Brewing Company, Hayes, Va. Forward Brewing opened in the Eastport section of Annapolis during the pandemic and quickly became a superstar, serving window-side from their nano brewery.

Nowadays you can also enjoy their tasty creations inside, paired with snacks like pretzel pizza and impossible meat sliders.

Their Kolsch-style Annapolis Boat is perfect for a day on a, you guessed it, or try

FORWARD BREWING

HERRINGTON HARBOUR SOUTH 7149 Lake Shore Drive North Beach, MD 301.855.5000

HERRINGTON HARBOUR NORTH 389 Deale Road Tracey’s Landing, MD 410.867.4343

Beltway to Bliss in 20 Minutes Discover it all at Herringtonharbour.com

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OYSTER SHELLS AT SUNSET, POQUOSON, VA. Jordan Krevonick

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a double IPA, barrel-aged Belgian, or sour ale. forwardbrewing.com Craft brewing has long been a male business, but not in Gloucester County, where owner and self-proclaimed overlord MJ (Mary Jane) Anderson has been brewing beer since 2018. Hit their cheery red barn for an ever-changing selecting of beers, brewed onsite to be both delicious and sustainably produced, and catch them at music festivals all around Tidewater Virginia.

(Don’t miss the fantastic beer descriptions on their website; if they don’t make you laugh out loud, you obviously need more beer.)

BEST FARMERS MARKET  C hestertown Farmers Market, Md., and Smithfield Farmers Market, Va. Farmer’s markets are the original grocery store, a centralized place where farmers can sell their wares directly to their customers, no middleman needed.

The best markets add in crafts vendors, specialty goods, and family-friendly entertainment. The Chestertown Market, based at Fountain Park on historic High Street, is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, through October.

CHESTERTOWN FARMER’S MARKET

The Smithfield Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, from March through October, in a lot just off Main Street. Both offer special themed markets throughout the year, and holiday markets in November and December.

Alongside farm-fresh

meats and produce you’ll find specialty purveyors selling sauces, baked goods and more; craftspeople with jewelry, leatherwork, stained glass; and live music, giving the morning a festival feel. chestertownfarmers market.org; smithfield farmersmarket.org

Photo by Gordon Campbell-At Altitude Gallery

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G N I V I L LIVING

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N

owhere else in the world can you enjoy the same blend of delights that make the Chesapeake Bay unique.

It’s surrounded by places as placid as the marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and as upbeat as Fell’s Point’s Broadway on a Saturday night.

If you did it right, it would take you a lifetime to make your way down one shore of the Bay and up the other while you savor the distinct character of each waterman’s village and every inspirational water view, whether you’re traveling on the water or on one of its many scenic byways.

Along that journey, you’ll come across the people who populate these places: the oystermen who still dredge the bottom from the deck of a hundred-year-old skipjack, the boatwrights who recreate traditional wooden vessels from raw timber in St. Michaels, the riverkeepers who plant oyster spat to help restore the waterways, and the artists who capture all of the Bay’s rich natural history and cultural heritage in water paint or song.

You’ll gain a sense of the rhythm of the seasons on the Bay—the piercing whistles of the first ospreys returning in the spring from their sojourn in Central America, the melifluous trill of the red-winged blackbird snatching summer bugs in the reeds, the symphonic calls of Canada geese gathering by the thousands along an autumn marsh, the lone cry of a bald eagle circling above a frozen tidal pond.

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SNOWY EGRET Toni Knisley

The range of outdoor experiences can be breathtaking. An enterprising adventurer could combine cycling, sailing, hiking, bird watching, swimming, and paddling all in one weekend trip. On the other hand, you might prefer lounging in the cockpit of a sailboat anchored in a remote cove or watching a moonrise from an Adirondack chair perched on the end of a pier.

The palate of food and drink is no less expansively encompassing; witness the distinct “terroir” of the wines from diverse vineyards or the “bay-oir” of oysters from various rivers. Restaurants range from dockside dining on picnic tables covered with rolls of butcher paper to elegant, candlelit settings. Menus feature not just the best seafood in the country— Maryland blue crabs and rockfish, to name just a couple of favorites—but also recipes for traditional fried chicken, stuffed ham, and barbecue passed down from generation to generation.

You can spend the night in a historic inn once owned by one of our Founding Fathers, a cozy B&B at the tip of a remote island, or a five-star luxury hotel in one of the Bay’s premier waterfront destinations. Of course, there’s always the option of cruises aboard boats under sail or power, with overnight stays either anchored out or docked at a modern marina with all the amenities of a posh country club.

Capt. John Smith had it right in 1612 when he wrote ecstatically to the folks back in Merrie Olde England, describing the Chesapeake Bay as “the land of pleasant living.” It still is, as you’ll see when you explore some of the highlights selected by our readers and contributors.

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II Doug Ebbert

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LIVING MOST CHARMING CHESAPEAKE TOWN  S t. Michaels, Md. This quintessentially quaint village on the Eastern Shore checks off on all categories that make for the ideal Chesapeake destination, whether visiting by boat or car: a world-class museum, waterfront restaurants, cocktail cruises, and a strollable main street festooned with art galleries and antique shops, luxury hotels and charming historic inns. Best yet, you can hang out with the locals at the Carpenter Street Saloon. tourtalbot.org

 M athews & Yorktown, Va. (tie) Contrasting towns tie for top honors on either side of the York River: Mathews, with its rural charm, art galleries, seafood and barbecue,

CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM

BEST OF Raf ael THE BAY PICKS A lvarez Best Place to Remember that Fell’s Point was Once a True Seamen’s Village RECREATION PIER, BALTIMORE

The lights (some 410 of them) spell “City Pier Broadway,” easily seen across the channel from Baltimore’s other great light show, the Domino Sugars sign. The white bulbs are screwed into the back of the “Rec Pier,” built in the 1700 block of Thames Street in 1914 to give the children of the working class a place to play without getting run over by a train or trampled by a team of horses.

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It is now home to a luxury hotel, with rooms that cost more per night that than my father and his tugboat buddies made each month when tugs docked on either side of the pier. But when I stare up at the Great Seal of Maryland carved atop the building’s arch, I remember the old salts who once made this, the foot of Broadway the most interesting neighborhood in Baltimore: folks like Mister Olie, the whisky-drinking Norwegian engineer rattled all his life after his ship was torpedoed; Gilbert Lukowski, the tough-as-an-oystershell union boss representing longshoremen; Agnes Karcz Garayoa, with a heart as big as an Esskay ham who would throw you out on your butt at her mother’s saloon if you started trouble. And my father, “the Chief,” who parked his canary-yellow 1966 Mustang inside the building before going aboard the tug America to start the big-ass diesel engines that nudged great ships into port.

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From the historic charm of Annapolis along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay to the entertainment district of Arundel Mills and beyond, discover all that Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have to offer.

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE AT VISITANNAPOLIS.ORG Best of the Bay 2022

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LIVING Off to the right, the twin spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge swing across to the Eastern Shore, while the silhouette of the Sandy Point lighthouse marks the horizon on your left. Sharpeyed beachcombers at Flag Ponds near Lusby, Md., can find shark’s teeth and other fossils from the Miocene era.

DOUG BARBER

 Y orktown Beach, Va.

FLAG PONDS NATURE PARK

BEST OF Niambi THE BAY PICKS Davis Best Beach to Find Sea Glass HOOPERS ISLAND, MD.

A few years ago, author Ellie Mercier presented me with a copy of her book The Sea Glass Companion. I learned that the bags of bright blue, green and white glass I’d seen in craft stores were not the real thing.

One day, another friend who is a casual collector invited me to ride along with her to Hoopers Island.

We walked the small beach where I found my first pieces of a brown bottle, a shard of broken crockery and the remains of an old medicine bottle, and we ran into another collector looking for pieces to make jewelry for an upcoming show. She told us the beach was her favorite and that when we returned, to come back at low tide. Since that first visit, Hoopers has continued to give its treasures to me, and I am always grateful. visitdorchester.org

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birding and wildlife, and proximity to historic New Point Comfort Lighthouse; and Yorktown, with its 18th-century brick buildings, where a stroll along Riverwalk Landing takes you by riverfront restaurants, boutiques, and the Watermen’s Museum. The American Revolution Museum interprets the nearby Yorktown Battlefield National Park. visitmathews. com; visityorktown.org

BEST PUBLIC BEACH  S andy Point State Park and Flag Ponds Nature Park, Md. (tie) The beach at Sandy Point stretches more than a mile.

Historic Yorktown boasts a two-acre beachfront where locals and visitors alike enjoy boating, swimming and fishing. A specially-adapted submersible wheelchair is available for rent, allowing beach access to everyone.

There’s an ADA-accessible fishing pier and grassy area for picnics, plus kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes for rent. You can also book a ticket on the Schooner Alliance for a sail on the York River. visityorktown.org

BEST COUPLES’ ESCAPE  W ylder Hotel Tilghman Island, Md. This boutique hotel welcomes both couples and their canine companions on its 9.5-acre waterfront site, home to 54 rooms and suites in the main hotel or the adjacent cottages. But note, while dogs can lounge on the porch with you or ride along on your rented kayak or SUP, they aren’t allowed in the heated saltwater pool. The chefs at Tickler’s Crab Shack and Bar Mumbo base their menus

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clubinfo@ChesapeakeBoatingClub.com Best of the Bay 2022

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LIVING on all that’s fresh from the onsite garden and watermen who bring seafood daily to Tilghman Island’s docks. wylderhotels.com

 The Hornsby House Inn, Yorktown, Va. A perennial favorite among loyal CBM readers, this homey B&B set on Main Street in historic Yorktown features five spacious guest rooms, each with its own private bath. It’s an easy stroll to restaurants and shops, and the inn is convenient to Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial Williamsburg, and other historic attractions. hornsbyhouseinn.com

BEST FAMILY GETAWAY  Annapolis, Md. Begin your journey through the past 400 years at the new History of Annapolis Museum at the foot of Main Street. All of the attractions are an easy stroll or a fun water-taxi ride away, including the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis Maritime Museum, and homes of the Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. Restaurants, gift shops, and art galleries line the streets from State Circle to City Dock. visit annapolis.org

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BEST OF Robert fs on THE BAY PICKS G usta Best Place to Spend 4th of July CAPE CHARLES, VA.

The town of Cape Charles has experienced a renaissance in recent years. This former Bayside railroad terminus and ferry port has become a hot destination for close-to-home Chesapeake vacations while retaining its small-town charm. No time is better to visit than the 4th of July. The beach, located within walking distance of the entire town, is more than ample enough to never feel crowded, even on busy holiday weekends. Craft and food vendors set up nearby. On the morning of the 4th, there is a parade featuring dozens of golf carts (the locals’ preferred means of getting around town) and bikes festooned with enough red, white and blue to satisfy even the most patriotic onlooker. The fireworks are outstanding for a mid-sized community, and boaters can get a slip at the harbor and take it all in from the comfort of their very own decks. visitesva.com

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VisitQueenAnnes.com | 410-604-2100 Best of the Bay 2022 ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com

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LIVING  Bethany Beach, Del. This family-friendly town on the Atlantic coast of Delaware is known for sun and surf as well as for the all the local restaurants and tax-free shops along the broad avenue leading down to the boardwalk and the beach. Charming hotels and B&Bs offer accommodations, though many private homes are also available for weeklong rentals. The town abuts the Delaware Seashore State Park, with its miles of secluded beaches on one side and the dunes and surfing area of Fenwick Island State Park on the other. visitdelaware.com

BEST HISTORIC SITE  Historic St. Mary’s City, Md., and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park, Church Creek, Md. These tied winners each provide a unique perspective on Maryland’s diverse history. The colony’s first settlers arrived at St. Mary’s City aboard the Ark and the Dove in 1634. An authentic reproduction of the Dove has just been launched and will soon be part of the town that serves as a museum of living history and archaeology interpreting Maryland’s original capital.

There are a number of ways to discover the heroic story of Harriet Tubman and

the Underground Railroad, but the best is to follow in her footsteps. In Dorchester County, you can visit the authentic places where this great American freedom fighter was born, where she grew up, where she was forced to work, where she escaped from slavery to freedom, and most astonishingly where—at the risk of her life—she returned time and again to usher scores of family members, friends, and other enslaved people along a network to freedom known as the Underground Railroad. The museum, run by the National Park Service, is a great place to start, then take to the byways with a guide to sites along 125 miles of rural back roads and state highways. hsmcdigshistory.org, nps. gov/hatu

BEST BIRD WATCHING  Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Dorchester County, Md. Situated south of Cambridge along the Atlantic Flyway, this waterfowl sanctuary comprises more than 20,000 acres of marshland, forest and open water. It’s crisscrossed with five miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of water trails for kayakers and canoeists, or you can spot the diving ducks, geese, swans and other migratory birds from your car along a 3.6-mile wildlife drive. Odds are good that you’ll see some of the many American bald eagles that take refuge there. fws.gov/refuge/ blackwater

CHESAPEAKE BAY WINTER WATERFOWL Donna Wadsley

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LIVING

BEST OF Sus an n THE BAY PICKS Moyniha Best Walking Tour/Picnic

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This seven-mile trail goes from Terrapin Nature Park on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay to the Kent Narrows Waterfront district. The trail affords pedestrians, runners and cyclists a unique opportunity to view wildlife in an environmentally sensitive setting while enjoying the scenery of the waterfront, canopied woodland and access to public parks. The trail is paved and ADA accessible, but it can be crowded during peak

CULINARY QUEST AT NO THYME TO COOK SOLOMONS, MD.

No Thyme to Cook is a cooking MOLL DYER ROCK school offering hands-on classes as As the story goes, Moll Dyer was a 17thwell as mixology sessions and events century immigrant to Southern Maryland. like wine festivals and themed dinner When an outbreak of flu hit the community, parties. Their newest creation is she was blamed for witchcraft and chased Culinary Quest, where they send out of her home by angry townsfolk on a bitter participants out on an app-guided February night in 1698. She died alone in the combination walking tour/quiz woods, frozen to a stone, and her handprint through the historic downtown. remains on the stone to this day. You can see Answer each question correctly to it, now protected under plexiglass outside get your next clue as you make your the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, way around, stopping at various as a monument to the need for tolerance purveyors to gather goodies for your and understanding from a woman unjustly well-earned picnic reward. accused. stmaryshistory.org nothymetocook.com

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BEST OF THE BAY PICKS Best Island for Birding

J e f f e rs o n H olland

EASTERN NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE This is one of my favorite go-to places to take a walk or a leisurely bike ride.

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,285-acre island located where the Chester River opens up onto the Chesapeake Bay. Its fields and forests are surrounded by salt marshes fringed with loblolly pines. The Audubon Society as designated the refuge as one of its “Important Bird Areas.” More than 240 bird species visit the refuge through the seasons, along with small mammals and many other wildlife species.

usage, so this may not be the ride for you if your goal is speed. kent narrowsmd.com

If you go in the winter to see the migratory waterfowl, you’re likely to see large flocks of tundra swans rafted up right by the little bridge leading over to the island. Winter is the only time you’ll see such a sight, but it’s also a grand season for a walk in the woods, and Eastern Neck has several trails through an interesting variety of habitats, from oak-and-holly woods to glades of loblolly pine, past salt marshes and through open meadows and fields. Each has its own character and its own set of critters. fws.gov/refuge/eastern-neck

 Yorktown Battlefield Tour, Va. Begin at the Visitor Center with a 16-minute introductory film of the story of the Siege at Yorktown, then explore the battlefield by bike on either of two self-guided tour routes that total 16 miles. Maps of the driving tours are available at the Visitor Center, and you can also download a smart phone app. Along the way, stop off at any of the park’s historic buildings, like the 1730 Nelson House that still bears scars from the 1781 battle. nps.gov/york

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LIVING

BEST OF THE BAY PICKS Best Public Dog Beach

J e f f e rs o n H olland

MATAPEAKE DOG BEACH, MD. There aren’t many beaches where you can play with your dog off the leash. Queen Anne’s County’s dog beach at Matapeake is located next to the county’s one public swimming beach.

The path to the dog beach runs along the outside of the fence and into the loblolly pines. About halfway down the mile-long trail, the path descends a steep bank and the forest changes from pines to yellow poplars and other hardwoods. It soon opens up onto a breathtaking panorama of the Chesapeake Bay. That view alone is worth the trip. The full 4.5-mile length of the bridge forms the northern horizon, while the massive stone jetty protecting the NRP boat basin juts into the Bay along the southern horizon. qac.org

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G N I T A O B B Y

C A R O L I N E

F O S T E R

Creative Director

I

’m not from the Chesapeake. I come from the landlocked Midwest; Duluth was my “seaside town.” But I was fortunate enough to grow up with a lakefront cottage where I spent the summers driving outboards, pulling waterskiers, and sailing in one-design races on a tiny lake in Iowa. I loved the lakeside playground as a child but longed to someday be on a big body of water—a place where boats weren’t dodging each other, avoiding mishaps and collisions by zooming around in a tight circle.

So the first time I stepped onto the cobblestones of Annapolis, with a view of the Chesapeake Bay from the top

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of Main Street (“Were there really towns like this in the U.S.?!”), I was moved to move there. My husband and I were in Annapolis to buy a boat—a sailboat, to live on. It was a harebrained idea, but as young newlyweds we didn’t have much to lose, or any idea of everything we were about to learn. Did I know that our Panda 38 would have fifteen pumps? Fifteen! Had I even heard of a pulsation dampener? Or an impeller? I thought sail trim, docking, and navigation were all you needed to know when you lived on a sailboat. I was totally wrong!

After 33 years of boat ownership on the Chesapeake, I

have come to know many people just like us who dove into buying a boat not knowing much about the mechanics of boats. But our Chesapeake community comes to the rescue. There are few places in the world where boaters have all the resources at their fingertips to learn every aspect of powerboating and sailing. From boat rental clubs—where you can get your sea legs before launching into a purchase—to diesel mechanics, electricians, riggers, and seamanship schools, our Bay is teeming with nautical experience. There is no easier place to learn the ropes (or lines) of boating than the Chesapeake Bay. There is also no better place for exploring and cruising. Our picturesque bay is shallow but soft and forgiving. The numerous anchorages are protected, peaceful, and usually have a good anchor hold. There is abundant waterfowl; fishing is top-notch. But it’s not all On Golden Pond. The summer squalls can come through with a fury, beat you up, and leave you with ripped sails and missing dinghies. Small craft need to heed the NOAA

weather warnings; it can be life or death. The Chesapeake Bay classroom offers all boaters a well-rounded education.

Boat ownership does not come without its own exasperating set of challenges, however. There will be mechanical and electrical problems that make you curse the day you bought your boat. The cost of marine repairs is usually well out of your anticipated budget. The DIY fixes are in places you can barely fit into, let alone turn a socket wrench. But after a few years of fortitude you realize your knowledge of boating has grown exponentially. Every new trick you learn from your engine mechanic, your diver, your boat broker, has built up a boating knowledge you never thought you’d acquire. And docking your boat? Well, you’ve got that down like motor memory.

So don’t hesitate to lock into that dream of boat ownership. Be patient. Learn from all the Chesapeake boaters who are knowledgeable and helpful; there are as many of them out there as there are beautiful creeks and harbors to explore.

FROM HOOPERS ISLAND Kate Fritzinger

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BOATING BEST SAILING TOWN  Annapolis, Md. and Hampton, Va. Annapolis is known as “America’s Sailing Capital,” not just because of the year-round series of races for boats big and small sponsored by several different yacht clubs, but also because it happens to be the capital city of Maryland. Oh, then there are all the bars, too. And of course, it’s the home of the original in-water sailboat show that’s gathered sailors to the City Dock from all around the world every October for more than 50 years. visitannapolis.com Hampton has much to offer sailors and powerboaters alike cruising in the southern Chesapeake Bay, from gracious yacht clubs to resort-like marinas and restaurants embracing

HAMPTON HARBOR

Ma r t y BEST OF THE BAY PICKS LeG rand Best Place for Kayakers to See Bald Eagles BLACKWATER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CAMBRIDGE, MD.

With some 28,000 acres of forestland, saltmarsh and shallow water, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge accommodates one of the East Coast’s largest breeding populations of bald eagles, a species seen year-round in this bird-filled Dorchester County sanctuary. Two launch sites, three scenic water trails, and several outfitters offering rentals and guided tours make Blackwater a welcoming haven for paddlers as well. fws.gov/refuge/blackwater

HERRINGTON HARBOUR SOUTH

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Tidewater traditions.

Summer is regatta season on the Hampton River, home to numerous sailing schools. Attractions include the Fort Monroe National Monument and the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse to the Virginia Air and Space Science Center. Hampton boasts a multitude of boat ramps and kayak launches that allow access to its many beaches and natural areas where wildlife abounds. visithampton.com

BEST MARINA  Herrington Harbours North and South, Anne Arundel County, MD These two family-owned marinas on Herring Bay in southern Anne Arundel County earn kudos on multiple levels, from their manicured grounds to the country club amenities like swimming pools, saunas, formal and informal dining options, not to mention nearly 600 protected, deep-water slips with direct access to the open Chesapeake Bay. The onsite Yacht Center is considered one of the most comprehensive boat repair and maintenance facilities on the East Coast. herringtonharbour. com 

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BOATING .

BEST OF C hris D THE BAY PICKS Dollar The esteemed editors of CBM have sent me on another fool’s errand to pin down the “Best of the Bay.” Lucky for them I am just the fool to try, with this caveat: There are too many great fishing products made in Chesapeake region to pick just one.

Best Bay-Made Fishing Lures G-EYE JIG

Years back, when Capt. Lonnie Johnson first introduced his G-Eye Jigs, I asked him why he decided to make his own jig heads. He replied that since he is super-focused on realistic action and quality, the best way to accomplish those goals is do it himself. What sets G-Eye Jigs apart from other jigs are the oversized, prism eyes, which help incite game fish to strike. G-Eye Jigs are hand-poured

age BEST OF J o hn P s THE BAY PICKS William Best Watermen’s Heritage Tours RAPPAHANNOCK ROUNDSTERN TAPPAHANNOCK, VA.

Join Capt. Richard Moncure and Mate Nate Parker aboard one of two vintage 38' roundstern deadrise workboats for fishing, natural history, and eagle tours around the spectacular Fones Cliffs; exploration of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail; and hands-on oyster tours. rappahannockroundstern.com

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using quality materials, and each jig is finished with a topcoat of UV paint for increased underwater visibility. He also uses superior hooks, so when you do hook into that big fish, it stays hooked. geyejigs.com

Best Handmade Custom Fishing Rods JLS CUSTOM RODS

As a fishing outfitter and part-time guide, I’ve learned a few things about quality rods. A relative newcomer to the custom rod-building game, JLS Rods will make you a rod to catch fish, whether it’s panfish, freshwater trout, red drum or cobia. Their rods are in the hands of hundreds of hardcore anglers and professional guides. Heavily focused on using high-quality components and craftsmanship, perhaps it is their willingness to do unique customization that sets them apart, at least in the eyes of their customers. So if you’re looking for a high-quality, custom rod, JLS Custom Rods should fit that bill. jlscustomrods.com

BEST MARINA continued  R iverwalk Landing Piers, Yorktown, Va. The Riverwalk Landing Piers provide docking for transient boaters close to all the town’s many restaurants and shops, outdoor concerts and festivals. The concrete floating piers provide 1,200 linear feet of dockage. A second pier located behind the Riverwalk Restaurant provides additional docking. Mooring balls are also available. Amenities include electrical, water, and sewer pump-out, plus a private shower and restroom. Readers appreciate the facility’s “Clean Marina” status. visityorktown.org

BEST SAILBOAT REGATTA  L eo Wardrup Memorial, Cape Charles, Va. For nearly 20 years, the Leo Wardrup Memorial Cape Charles Cup has provided a weekend-long “cruising event for serious racers and a racing event for serious cruisers.”

Sponsored by the Broad Bay Sailing Association, the regatta is named in honor of veteran sailor Leo Wardrup, who passed away in 2014. Rolling starts of various classes launch in mid-August from Norfolk’s Little Creek Marina and sail about 16 miles across the Chesapeake Bay to Cape Charles on the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. broadbaysailing.org 

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BOATING

BEST OF THE BAY PICKS

J e f f e rs o n H olland

BEST LONG-DISTANCE BOAT RACE

GREAT CHESAPEAKE BAY SCHOONER RACE Every October around Columbus Day weekend, schooners from all around the world gather in Baltimore to take part in this iconic overnight race to Norfolk for fun, camaraderie, and a grand pig-andoyster roast at the end. The fleet parades around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and down the Patapsco for the spectacular race start off of Annapolis. Proceeds support the environmental and educational programs of outstanding Chesapeake Bay organizations. gcbsr.org

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BOATING

BEST OF Robert fs on THE BAY PICKS G us ta Best Place to Get Hard-to-find Items for Your Boat H.W. DRUMMONDS, EASTERN SHORE OF VA.

Catering to watermen since 1959, H.W. Drummonds is a family-owned business that carries a wide variety of hard-to-find parts and accessories for boats, engines, and trailers. Drummonds is especially strong on all kinds of lubricants, lights and terminals, bottom paints, zincs, cleaning supplies, fuel tanks and treatments, and electronics like depth finders, radars and GPS units.

The knowledgeable staff will take time to understand your needs, and if they don’t have it in-house or at one of their four locations (plus three gas stations), they can usually get it in one day. hwdrummond.com

BEST OF Niambi THE BAY PICKS Davis Best Place to Watch the Sunrise and Sunset St. Michaels, Md., and Annapolis, Md.

My favorite places to watch sunrise or sunset are far removed from quiet anchorages. I like to greet the sun or end the day in a marina or on a mooring ball in the company of nearby kindred spirits. In ST. MICHAELS harbor, watching the orange and gold of the sun as it creeps up through the masts never gets old (and I’ve got the pictures to prove it). For sunsets, ANNAPOLIS HARBOR is my choice. Just before the sun goes down, it colors the tops of the waves with gold. Along with the STATE HOUSE dome in the distance and the sounds of "Retreat" from the NAVAL ACADEMY, sunset doesn’t get any better. tourtalbot.org, visitannapolis.org

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BEST OF THE BAY PICKS

J e f f e rs o n H olland

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL, ST. MICHAELS, MD.

KENT O. SMITH, JR

It’s a Father’s Day weekend tradition for the family to head over to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and watch Dad drool over all the beautifully bright-finished mahogany runabouts, vintage race boats, and elegant wooden motor yachts crafted by the likes of Chris-Craft, Trumpy, Gar Wood, and Lyman, on display in the water and ashore at the Antique & Classic Boat Festival.

Enthusiasts from all around the Bay area bring their lovingly restored floating treasures to the festival. Produced by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society, this June marks the event’s 34th year.

If you’re looking for a project, you’ll find it among the dozens of boats for sale in the “Field of Dreams.” The Nautical Flea Market has a wide variety boating accessories and equipment. The Arts at Navy Point features some of the best-known maritime artists and craftspeople from Canada to Florida. But the best fun is watching the fleet of 9-foot-long Jersey Skiffs hydroplaning across the Miles River. cbmm.org/ event/antique-classic-boat-festival

BEST THREE-STAGE REGATTA  Triple Crown of Charity Sailing, Annapolis, Md. The Triple Crown of Charity Sailing, sponsored by Weems and Plath, was created in 2018 to recognize the top sailor and fundraiser for The CRAB Cup, The Leukemia Cup, and The Hospice Cup

races. The skipper with best score in the three races and highest fundraising wins a “keeper trophy,” while the permanent trophy is on display at the Market House in downtown Annapolis. Proceeds benefit Hospice of the Chesapeake, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating program. annapolistriple crowntrophy.com

CRAB CUP

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BOATING

BEST OF age P n h o THE BAY PICKS J illiams

BEST OF rt THE BAY PICKS Robe ustafson

Best Historic Water Trail

Best Little-visited Waterfront Park

W

CAPT. JOHN SMITH CHESAPEAKE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL At 1,800 miles around the tidal waters of the Chesapeake, Capt. Smith’s is the National Park Service’s only all-water National Historic Trail. It follows the explorations of Captain John Smith and his crews from April 1607 to October 1609. During that time, he took extensive notes that he incorporated into the first accurate map of the Chesapeake Bay and its large tidal rivers, which he followed all the way to their heads of navigation.

Publication of the map in 1612 opened the Bay to English colonization in the 17th century. Explore it today by any vessels from paddlecraft to trawlers, using the free online guide at chesapeakeconservancy.org/apps/ BoatersGuide/.

G

MAGOTHY BAY NATURAL AREA PRESERVE, TOWNSEND, VA. For solitude in beautiful Eastern Shore surroundings, the Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve is a hidden gem. A few miles north of Cape Charles, Magothy Bay is a 445-acre state park that is little visited and a little hard to find! Its two trails include a loop through migratory songbird habitat, but the crown jewel is the 2.2-mile walk through the coastal pine forest and along a causeway overlooking the salt marsh along Magothy Bay and the barrier islands beyond. Look for wading birds foraging for shellfish, and diamondback terrapins and marsh hens enjoying the mud flats. dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves magothybay#news

Voted Best Marina in Baltimore Reader’s Choice 2021 - Baltimore Sun

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BEST OF Sus an ihan THE BAY PICKS Moyn Best Ferry

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TANGIER FERRY, TANGIER AND ONANCOCK, VA. There’s been a lot of talk of ferries lately, from suggestions of a ferry crossing to alleviate Bay Bridge backups to electric ferries in downtown Annapolis. But at the foot of Bay, ferries are a way of life for the folks on Tangier Island. The Joyce Marie II, a 36-foot, deadrisestyle boat captained by Tangier native Mark Crockett, does twice-daily roundtrips between Onancock and Tangier from May until October, ferrying locals and their groceries, visitors and their suitcases, and whoever else needs the hour-long passage. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at Tangier Harbor (departing 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) and Onancock

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BOATING

POTOMAC RIVER VIEW FROM PINEY POINT Ben Cohen

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II UNDER SAIL Doug Ebbert

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LONE BOAT AT SUNRISE Justin Gibbs

JUST MINUTES FROM THE BEST FISHING AND CRUISING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY HAS TO OFFER.

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BOATING

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE Monika Barilla

KAYAK AT SUNRISE Thomas Leffel

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BEACH SUNRISE Jessica Nguyen

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ON BOATS

Axopar 28 Cabin

by Capt. John Page Williams

Axopar 28 Cabin

LOA: 28'8" Beam: 9'8" Draft: 2'8" (engine down) Transom Deadrise: 22º Bow Deadrise: 60º Bridge Clearance: 9.3" Weight: 4,277 lb.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Fuel Capacity: 74 gal.

Water Capacity: 12 gal.

Max HP: 400 Visit Axopar’s extensive website at axopar.fi or East Coast Yacht Sales at ecys.com.

ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com 48

R

akish. That’s a good word to describe the Axopar 28: a bow entry that looks as sharp as an axe-head under a vertical stem; prominent triple lifting strakes interrupted by a bow thruster; wide double chines; two ventilating steps across the bottom amidships. A bird’s-eye view shows a narrow wedge of a hull. A West Coast-style pilothouse sports a rain-shedding, backwardsloping windshield. To a classically minded boater, the Axopar 28 Cabin looks downright radical. But take a ride and the design’s logic comes together perfectly. Built in Poland by a company based in Helsinki, Finland, this boat is purpose-built to perform well as an all-weather island

Best of the Bay 2022

commuter or a multi-function utility boat in its native Baltic Sea, a large Northern European estuary that bears striking similarities to the Chesapeake.

Axopar’s founders are paddlers, rock climbers and mountain bikers.

No wonder, then, that they build these boats to go places and do adventurous things, including adding cabin-top racks for bikes, boards, and kayaks.

The radical-looking hull is impressively effective, a product of sophisticated, computer-aided design that includes both numerical analysis of hydrodynamic flow patterns around the strakes and steps as well as careful weight distribution analysis.

The designers deliberately kept the narrow bow light, with the

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pilothouse’s weight centered amidships and a broad aft section to carry the outboard (on our sea trial, a single 300-hp V-8 Mercury Verado) and its considerable thrust. (Twin 200-hp Mercury V-6s are optional.) As a result, the 28 rises easily onto plane with almost no bow rise. In our sea trial with Lloyd Cooper, the Axopar dealer who runs the Annapolis office of East Coast Yacht Sales, we found our test boat reasonably efficient at speeds in the mid-teens, should nasty conditions dictate slowing that much.

She was happiest between 20 and 32 knots (4100–4500 rpm), where the smooth, powerful Merc burns 9–12 gallons per hour, giving the 28 Cabin a range of more than 160 nautical miles. Credit the two steps for a good chunk of that efficiency. Top end at 5860 rpm was 43 knots.

We ran out to the open Bay on a day with northwest winds of around 10

The berth in the aft-cabin model features a large hatch that opens for ventilation.

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knots and slid her through a couple of steep powerboat wakes at speeds in the upper twenties. Sitting in the pilothouse, we found the ride soft and dry. The sharp, 22-degree keel under the running bottom held the boat in tight turns, while the ultra-sharp, 60-degree bow sliced through the wakes head-on. Even more impressive was the way the subtle cutaway shape of the hull’s forward section provided enough buoyancy to ease over the other sides of the wakes, simulating sliding down the backs of following seas without any tendency to broach. Axopar’s design team clearly knows what it is doing with this complex shape. Oh, yes, and spray?

None made it above those chines, especially the five-inch-wide upper ones. Performance of this boat’s hull is a tribute not only to its designers but also to the lamination crews that ensure each hull precisely follows the intricate shape and sharp edges of the design, so that water flows past it as intended.

But there’s more. Laminating the 28 Cabin’s deck-and-cabin part is even more intricate, requiring serious craftsmanship to ensure that this yet more complex shape includes all of the storage lockers, ledges, and pilothouse. It too must be precise to fit tightly into the hull and onto the

WE’LL HAVE YOUR BOAT READY WHEN YOU ARE

The boarding/swim platforms extend aft on either side of the engine.

stringer grid. Axopar actually makes molding this process modular to provide multiple layouts for the 28 hull, including this one, in which the cabin fits into the cockpit sole after the pilothouse. Options include an open cockpit with aft-facing storage box and seat cushion above or a wet bar. The transom is open, with boarding/ swimming platforms extending aft on either side of the engine. Either way, the crews apparently do their jobs well. Our test boat ran solid as a rock.

Accommodations begin with the bow, which though narrow is seriously adaptable. There’s an anchor locker in the forepeak, with a windlass available.

A portside bench with storage under and a table form a picnic spot, but the table can lower partway to create a sunpad or a casting deck with the addition of a triangular part that fits onto a ledge molded into the starboard hullside. For maximum space, the table drops into a recess in the sole. A roll-up canopy is available to shade the area when the boat is on the hook. The front side of the pilothouse holds a head compartment with a wide swinging door. Inside, the bright, roomy compartment has comfortable sitting headroom on the toilet (portable with pumpout or porcelain with holding tank), a large vent, and a cabinet with counter and sink. 

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The pilot and co-pilot seats swivel around to form a dinette. They flip up (below) to reveal a cooler and sink.

Sliding doors port and starboard offer access to the helm, which holds one or two 12-inch Simrad electronic displays integrated with the Mercury outboard. Radar is optional. Two comfortable seats hold the skipper and a companion. They include flip-up bolsters for standing and leaning, and they fold forward to reveal a freshwater sink and a cooler below. They also swivel to face the two rear seats against the pilothouse’s aft bulkhead, with a table available between to serve all four.

A folding top overhead opens the cabin completely if desired, but when closed it is completely weather-tight. For cruising in the cabin model, the portside after seat swings up to reveal a 75" X 60"

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The Axopar’s sharp, 22-degree keel under the running bottom holds the boat in tight turns.

double bunk with 29" of headroom. The space is bright, with windows on each side and an overhead skylight hatch that can open for ventilation or standing. The hatch also comes in handy for anyone who needs access under the bunk to the plumbing and wiring systems in the bilge. The accommodations are spartan but comfortable enough for ingenious and adventurous souls. Lloyd Cooper and his wife have an infant daughter and plan on cruising the Chesapeake with her this summer.

Technically, Axopar’s pilothouse models qualify as commuters for all-weather transit to islands and other remote locations. The Baltic has more of them than the Chesapeake, but we could see this boat filling that role, say, for

someone in the Washington, D.C., area with a weekend house on Smith Island and a shoreside slip somewhere around Point Lookout to berth her during the week. Otherwise, the 28 Cabin could fill all sorts of jobs, from long-legged family day explorations and Saturday race committee jobs to most forms of Bay fishing. She would be especially effective for light-tackle jigging.

Price for the Axopar 28 Cabin with a single 300-hp Mercury ranges between $210,000 and $250,000, depending on options.

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

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3 bedroom 2.5 bath ranch located on a quiet cul-de-sac. Back up generator, beautifully landscaped, large deck, spacious back yard, detached 1-car garage and a very shallow tidal creek the property backs up to.

Suffolk

This 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!

running man

Nestled into the woods on an expansive lot, plenty of entertaining space on tiered deck!

Step inside to coziness with a beautiful wood fireplace, excellent walk in closets, granite counters and remodeled bathrooms!

757-879-1504 s 1-800-GARRETT

SmiTHfielD fielD

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

greg@ggrva.com ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com Greg

The Travel Issue 2022

Garrett

9

Your Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula of Virginia Real Estate Specialists

G r e a tW i co m i co R i v e r.c om

Escape to this Northern Neck Gem! This custom built home features beautiful architectural touches, lots of natural light and an open floor plan designed for entertaining and watching gorgeous sunsets over the Great Wicomico River. The property is like a resort with incredible outdoor spaces including a waterside pool, hot tub, screened porch, gazebo and outdoor shower. Pier is located on a protected cove with 5 ft.+ MLW. $1,075,000

Ye oc om ic oR iv er.com

$599,000

R e e d vi l l e W a t e rfro n t .c o m

$354,900

Please visit our property websites to view interactive floor plans, aerials, maps and more!

804.724.1587

ShultzRealtors.com

In Heart of Irvington ~ Fabulous Waterfront Town WALK, BIKE, GOLF CART TO TOWN WITH SHOPS, DINING & MORE!

The Lane Residence

York Road Residence

$1,495,000 - Irvington, VA

$2,895,000 - Irvington, VA

JUST LISTED

JUST LISTED

• COMPLETELY Renovated Home - Carters Creek Protected 4-5’MLW • 12k pnd. Boat Lift & Composite Decking @ New Pier • Fabulous Open Concept Perfect for Entertaining • Wood Burning & Gas Fireplaces in LR & Family • High-End Kitchen including Wolf & Sub-zero App. • 3 BD / 2,5 BT plus Waterfront Office • No-Flood Zone High-Speed Internet

• Carters Creek - 6’MLW at Pier - Boat Lift • Wide Views out to Rappahannock River • Two Homes combined perfectly for Multi-generational or Large Families/Friends • Custom 7200 SF Total - 5 BD / 6.5 BT Total • Quality Craftsmanship - 4 Fireplaces • Pool & Spa / Multiple Exterior areas with Screen Porches / Balconies / Patio • 2 Detached & 2 Attached Garages

Call/Text Anytime: David Dew 804.436.3106 DavidEDew@gmail.com

FABULOUS VIRGINIA

Call/Text Anytime: Katie Horsley Dew 804.436.6256 HorsleyRE@yahoo.com

Chesapeake Bay WATERFRONT PROPERTIES

Cranes Landing Residence $1,625,000 WICOMICO CHURCH, VA

• 3 Slip Boathouse w/ DEEP Water depth + Attached Workshops/Refrigeration • Boathouse once home to 45’ Yacht! + Boat Lift • 2nd Pier with 5’MLW - Unique Property - 5166 SF Home 4 BD / 4 Full & 2 Half BT

• • • • •

High-End Kitchen & Fabulous Wet Bar Great Entertaining Spaces Sunroom with Summer’s Kitchen WIDE Views throughout Home!

Multiple Attached & Detached Garages

Call/Text: Diana Wolfson (940) 395-1775 dwsellsnnk@gmail.com

4 O ff i c e L o c a t i o n s • Tr u s t e d s i n c e 1 9 7 5 • 3 0 + A g e n t s

H O R S L E Y R E A L E S TAT E . C O M

Voted Best Real Estate Firm 9 Consecutive Years!

Pow r

Fractional Boat Club

12

ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com

The Travel Issue 2022