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Fire Dept. Honored on 5th Anniversary of Saving Historic Workboat from Flames
It is nearly five years to the day after a waterfront fire threatened to destroy a beloved 1931 workboat. Thanks to the hard work of local firefighters, the deck boat is still around. Those firefighters were honored last weekend for their role in saving history. The York County and City...
Coast Guard Cracks Down on Illegal Boat Charters
The Coast Guard is patrolling Chesapeake Bay waters for commercial boat charters violating safety regulations—some who don’t even know they’re breaking the rules. This past Friday, Coast Guard Sector Virginia and Station Little Creek stopped a boat rental charter near Broad Bay in Virginia Beach. A USCG crew boarded the boat for a recreational vessel safety boarding, and found at least three serious violations that warranted terminating the voyage, the Coast Guard says.
Boating and Sun Protection: What your Dermatologist Wants You to Know
Being on the water all summer puts us boaters at a higher risk of skin damage than our landlubber friends. As longtime cruisers, anglers, and any other water lovers approach retirement age, it’s common for concerning sun-related skin spots to develop—some even requiring biopsy or removal. Sure, we’ve...
Dock & Dine Like a Pro—Here’s How to Make it Go Smoothly
Boating is, of course, about the journey and not the destination. Sometimes, however, it helps to have a really fun destination. Enter the Dock & Dine. There are waterfront bars and restaurants all over the Bay with open slips just waiting for you to tie up, step onto the dock, and feel like a million bucks walking to your table.
Chesapeake Cocktail: Support MD Watermen with Blue Crab Margarita
If someone told us that showing support for Chesapeake Bay watermen was as simple as ordering a summer cocktail, we’d belly right up to the bar. For the past several years, Phillips Seafood in Baltimore has offered such a cocktail. You can order it at the Inner Harbor to help raise funds for the Maryland Watermen’s Association. If you won’t be near the Phillips flagship restaurant anytime soon, you can recreate the drink at home, too.
A Pontoon for the Bay? You May Be Surprised
It’s the ultimate party boat, built for comfort and nicknamed the “Living Room on the Lake.” Some longtime Bay boaters turn up their noses at the thought of tooling around their river in a pontoon boat, but today’s modern pontoons just might make sense for some kinds of Bay boating. Pontoon-curious? Read on.
Best UV Sun Protection Clothing for Boaters
When you spend many blissful hours on the Chesapeake Bay, sunscreen can only take you so far. Sun-blocking clothing shouldn’t be overlooked as part of your sun protection plan. When it comes to what you wear, it’s the UPF, not SPF, rating that matters. UPF measures the amount of UV radiation that penetrates a fabric and reaches the skin.
Cruise of the Month: The History and Solace of the Wye River
There’s an almost ineffable joy involved in exploring the Chesapeake by sailboat. Moving at a slow crawl, an entirely new world begins to open around every bend. For our family, this is a quiet sense of adventure, and the Chesapeake unfurls a labyrinth of villages and cities, coves and bays to satisfy dreamers young and (unfortunately) middle-aged.
1st Yorktown Workboat Races in 19 Years Throttle to Success
Yorktown, Virginia, is well known for its Revolutionary War history, but this past weekend, Yorktown made a name for itself celebrating its commercial fishing and boatbuilding heritage as dozens of deadrise workboats took to the water. On Sunday, June 2, as a tribute to the Bay’s working watermen, the Yorktown...
On Boats: The Parker 2900 CC, a Bay Transformer
One of the most useful boat brands on the Bay, Parker Boats, has just added “Offshore” to its name. But the powerful 2900 CC still feels just right for Chesapeake waters. Parker boats have been staples on the Bay ever since Linwood Parker introduced his 25’ Sou’wester center- or-side-console open workboat in the early 1970s. From the start, that boat was a hit with commercial watermen, light tackle fishing guides, and recreational anglers.
Horseshoe Crabs, Bled for Vaccines, at Center of MD Lawsuit
June is a peak month for the horseshoe crab’s migration along the East Coast, following the high tides of each new and full moon. The annual movement of these “living fossils” dates back about 350 million years, so it’s believed to be the world’s oldest and largest wildlife migration.
Study: VA Living Shorelines Boost Recreational Fishing Economic Impact
Virginia’s legislation that made living shorelines the default option for erosion control (versus bulkheads or riprap) was met with some skepticism back in 2020. But a new study shows a benefit beyond wetlands conservation: these shorelines are generating local and state revenue through the recreational angler industry. Tidal marshes...
Resilience Lab, Designed to Float When it Floods, Opens on the Elizabeth River
A refreshing northeast breeze greeted visitors to the grand opening of the Elizabeth River Project’s (ERP) new Pru and Louis Ryan Resilience Lab in Norfolk, Virginia, last Thursday. The building and grounds incorporate the latest eco-friendly features and will serve as an education center and community hub. The building...
Low-Lying Tangier Island to Get $2.3 Million to Safeguard Fuel Oil Supply for Watermen
The town of Tangier Island, Va. has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to ensure the town’s watermen can keep getting the fuel they need to run their boats—and that fuel supply will be kept safe from an environmental disaster. The $2.5 million from the Virginia Department of...
Havre de Grace Museum Burns with Historic Artifacts Inside
The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal is investigating a large fire at a historic barn along the Susquehanna River. The barn was part of the Steppingstone Farm Museum in Havre de Grace, a Susquehanna State Park property owned by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and leased to Steppingstone.
First Bald Eagles Nest on Island Rebuilt with Dredge Spoils
Some eagle-eyed wildlife biologists have made a surprising discovery at Poplar Island. That’s the island in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Port Authority have been rebuilding over the last 25 years, using dredge spoils from the Port of Baltimore’s shipping channel. What was once almost entirely open water is now more than 1,700 acres of rock-ringed land.
Battleship Wisconsin Hosts Buffett Tribute Concert
You don’t have to be a dad to attend Fins on the Fantail over Father’s Day Weekend, but if your dad is a Parrot head, there’s absolutely no better gift. The maritime discovery center Nauticus invites you to Margaritaville on Saturday, June 15, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The historic battleship Wisconsin will transform itself into the world’s largest beach bar with themed drinks, food vendors, games, and much more. It all unfolds on the fantail of the largest and last battleship built by the U.S. Navy. The classic Buffett tribute band Tiki Bar will perform Buffett’s classic hits and lesser-know fan favorites starting at 5:30pm.
Getting Back to Bmore: New Experiences Await
For Baltimore boaters, it’s been a rough spring. With the destruction of the Key Bridge and the closure of the shipping channel, Baltimore’s maritime industry has taken a significant hit. But with the gradual re-opening of the channel earlier and more chances for recreational boaters to pass, Baltimore is ready to once again win hearts over as one of the best cruising destinations on the Chesapeake.
No-Commitment Fishing on Bay’s Upcoming License-Free Days
Are you new to fishing or maybe you just haven’t gone recently enough to have a current fishing license in your home state?. For a handful of days each year, you can fish in and around the Chesapeake Bay without a license. There are even some locations where you can get loaner fishing equipment if you are just trying fishing for the first time. These “free fishing days” in Maryland and Virginia are coming up soon—and they offer great opportunities to try out a new hobby or take a kid fishing for the first time.
Intracoastal Waterway Gets $48 Million in Future Dredging from VA to FL
If you’re a cruiser who has put in a lot of engine hours on the Chesapeake Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a tempting next step. With the mouth of the Bay as it’s jumping off point, the 1,100-mile ICW offers adventure and a ticket to the southern locales that can extend your boating season right into winter.
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