Chesapeake Harbour Marina

Marinas are just like restaurants -- you find yourself visiting the same places over and over again even though there are so many to choose from. Every once in awhile, you venture out to somewhere new and love it so much you wonder why you never went there before. That was the case with our visit to Chesapeake Harbour Marina a couple weeks ago.

Chesapeake Harbour is a man-made basin just outside of Annapolis.

Pulling into the basin.

We were lucky enough to get a spot on the first t-head on the right as you enter the marina (J Dock). The marina has direct access to the Chesapeake Bay yet it's very protected. Even being that close to the entrance, the only movement we felt was from boats entering or leaving the marina.

The view from our bow. We could see the Bay Bridge in the distance.

Looking back into the marina. I think we were the smallest boat in a t-head.

Proud Mary's Dock Bar.

A few boats pulled in along the bulkhead each night and the bar became a busy place.

We didn't get a chance to eat at Sam's on the Waterfront but the menu looked appetizing.

We spent most of our time by the pool overlooking the Bay.

I have to give a shout out to the lifeguards. The marina is surrounded by condos/rentals/vacation units (I'm not really sure the status of the community) so there are lots of kids around. These lifeguards were really on their game and the pool area was a safe and enjoyable area for everyone.

1. There was an adult swim for 15 minutes every hour. As a child, I hated adult swim -- I would sit on the edge just waiting for that whistle to blow so I could jump back in. As an adult, I see a lot of value in adult swim. Adults without children can enjoy the pool without being splashed. And adults with children get a chance to reapply sunscreen to the kids and maybe get them to eat something during the break.
2. There was a decently sized shallow area that was roped off from the rest of the pool. Kids had to pass a swim test to be able to leave the shallow area without an adult. The test consisted of swimming from one end of the pool to the other without stopping and then treading water for a set period of time. Since most of the kids were regulars, the lifeguards kept a list of who had passed the test and who had not. I was really impressed with this system. It encourages children to build their swimming skills and creates a safer environment.
3. The pool water felt extremely fresh and clean.

There was another pool in the community but, frankly, we loved the view here so much that we never sought it out.

There is also a small beach right outside the bay-view pool.

And we got all this at a discount! Baltimore Marine Center has a deal with Trident Marine Group so that BMC annual slip holders receive a discount at Trident Marine Group marinas and vice-versa. It's all part of BMC's loyalty program. Do other marinas offer programs like this?

We found that Chesapeake Harbour Marina is like a cozy version of Herrington Harbour South. It's a little resort community and it's not far from Baltimore. We'll be back!

July Neighbors

Seven new neighbors in July!

"Two Can Do" - Chris Craft

"Grand Passion" - 44 Ocean (This boat should look familiar as it spent the winter at Harborview.)

"Let's Go O's" - Cruisers Cantius

"Chasing Sunset" - SeaRay 400

"Xiao Ji" - SeaRay

'Sandpiper" - Shannon

"SnowBird" - Swift Trawler 42

Dinghy Poker Run

A Poker Run is a social event where people visit multiple stops (restaurants, bars, campgrounds, etc.) in one day to obtain a card for their poker hand. At the end of the event, everyone gathers together and the team with the best poker hand wins a prize. Events are organized by motorcycle groups, snowmobile clubs, and even horse riders.

On the water, people use their boats to visit marinas and waterfront restaurants in a poker run. The Rock the Bay Poker Run is a popular event for cigarette boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Those of us without a cigarette boat would never be able to keep up but that doesn't mean we miss all the fun. Instead we have the Middle River Dinghy Poker Run.

The rules appear to be simple:

1. Dress up like a pirate. (Optional, but apparently highly suggested.)
2. Fill your dinghy to capacity with friends (and lifejackets - safety first).
3. Bring anything you can find to get others wet -- water guns, buckets, an old laundry detergent container with the bottom cut out (my personal favorite because of the helpful handle).
4. Converge on Red Eye Yacht Club.
5. Set off with everyone for the first stop on the Run.
6. Get as wet as humanly possible between Red Eye and the first stop.
7. Get willing participants on spectator boats as wet as possible.
8. Return at the end of the day exhausted.

We did not officially participate in the Poker Run but we were anchored in Sue Creek which is a major thoroughfare for the event. Many of our crew partook of the opportunity to splash and be splashed.

The first dinghy makes an approach for our raft up.

Streams of water from fireboats can be seen in the background.

Prepare to get soaked.

Watch out for SUPs that trap your dinghy in a wet zone.

And at the end of the day, if you don't want to ride your dinghy all the way back to your home marina, perhaps you can find a friendly boater to transport a few.

What fun events happen in your boating world?

Life on the Docks

When I was in college my social life was rather organic. Yes, there were times when things were specifically planned in advance. In reality, many gatherings were spur of the moment. I would need a break from a paper I was writing and walk into the common room to see who was around. Party invitations would happen on the way to class. And beautiful sunny days were always an excuse to hang out in the quad.

Life at the marina is quite similar. I tend to see the docks as an extension of my living room (or salon in boat speak). Doug and I frequently walk the docks with a glass of wine in hand after dinner. We may run into people to talk to or we may have a quiet stroll. There are many inviting places to sit along the main promenade and people fade in and out of conversations.

So, it was no surprise to receive an invitation to watch a movie Wednesday evening. One boat had purchased a large inflatable screen and another had projection equipment. Sounds like a perfectly acceptable reason to host a gathering.

The screen was set up on the docks:

Apologies for the picture quality.

The screen fit perfectly in between two pylons which also served to anchor the screen in place.

And after a short rain delay, ten of us watched 180 Degrees South. While not a movie I would have chosen myself, I'm very glad to have seen it. The documentary also provided me with a new favorite quote:

 

"If I don't get on that boat, I know exactly what I'm coming home to.

If I do, my future is unwritten."

Cheers! To a future unwritten!

No Pests Here

When we lived in a house on land, we would often wake up to the remains of a dismembered cricket that the cats had left for us on the kitchen floor. Baltimore Kittens (aka rats) would freely roam the alleys of the city without a fear in the world. During the 2010 Baltimore Snowpocalypse, a couple mice met their demise at the paws of my cat, Latte. The poor things had probably sought shelter from the storm and instead caused me to scream when I was surprised by one of them on the bathroom floor at midnight.

But the worst critter story was a spider that kept me out of the basement for days. I went downstairs to clean out the cat's litter and instead found a spider capable of carrying off a small child. This thing was mean and furry and I didn't care if it was "more scared of me than I was of him." I was not going back in the basement until it was gone. (Note: I'm a huge animals rights advocate but a spider entering my home is a capital offense.) Small problem -- Doug was out of town, hence the reason I didn't go into the basement for days. When Doug did return, we fogged the basement and sat outside with the cats for a few hours while the fog worked its magic. When Doug went back inside he found the spider. AND IT WAS STILL MOVING! I'm telling you this was some crazy escaped science experiment. Luckily, it was moving slow and Doug was able to do away with the heinous creature.

How does all of this relate to living on a boat? Well, I can count on one hand the number of critters we've had to deal with since moving aboard. There have been a couple dead stinkbugs attached to the canvas. I recently saved a dragonfly from Latte's curiosity. And just the other night Doug had to revive his spider demolition skills. But our critter count has drastically declined since living on the water. I guess you could count the barnacles as a pest but they don't jump out and startle me during normal everyday activities.

I know I have probably just jinxed myself. Other boaters have posted tips on preventing and getting rid of pests. Maybe the combination of my urban environment and this year's extra cold winter have produced the perfect balance of nature and an unfavorable living environment for pests. Or perhaps we've just been lucky. Whatever the cause, I love this fringe benefit of life on the water.

For those of you with pest issues (and for my future reference which I'm sure I will need at some point), here are a few posts from the handy Boat Galley on pests:

How to Get Rid of Ants
How to Store Food on a Boat, Part 3: Avoiding Critters
Preparing the Galley to Leave the Boat

June Neighbors

We had one new neighbor in the month of June:

Plan "B"

I haven't had a chance to ask yet but I wonder if there was/is a Plan "C."

I'm predicting a full dock by the end of the week for the big fireworks display. Keep tuned for the July neighbors post at the end of the month.

Docking the Boat

Boats don't have brakes. No, seriously, they don't. I have to admit that is one of our favorite things to say to non-boaters when they are out with us. You should see the look on their faces when they first hear it. Unlike a car, you can't stop in a specific spot, pull the parking brake, get out, and then expect it to be where you left it. Don't believe me? Try it sometime.

Yes, you can use reverse to stop forward momentum. But again, the boat is not going to stay in one spot.

Even when a boat is docked there is a little bit of movement.

All of that being said, you can imagine that docking a boat can take a bit of finesse. Winds, currents, tides, the number of people watching, and pride....everything plays a part in the movement of a boat when docking.

There are online games to help you learn how to dock a boat. BoatU.S. even includes some helpful hints for real life scenarios. But, believing that you "know" how to dock a boat after playing the game means you also believe an eight-year-old can drive a car after playing Mario Kart.

We've had the boat for a year and I've participated in docking the boat many times. Participation = giving verbal cues on the boat's location in relation to the dock, tossing dock lines to helpful marina staff and fellow boaters, and jumping off of the boat with dock lines in hand to manhandle the boat into place. I know what is supposed to happen. Knowing and doing can be two completely different things.

I learned how to dock our previous boats but this one is a whole different story. Part of the issue is the view from the helm:

Unless you have x-ray vision, you can't really see the dock in relation to the side of the boat. This is why I stand in the back corner constantly cueing Doug on our distance from the dock.

On this particular day, the winds were calm. As an added bonus, we had two friends on board that also own a boat. Part of owning a boat for a long time means that you have a "learned instinct" (how's that for an oxymoron) about how boats react. Doug and I knew our friends could expertly handle all of my typical docking jobs while he stood with me at the helm.

It was go time. I made my approach and we discovered two issues. 1) Doug was standing in the exact spot that prevented most of my view of the back corner of the boat. This was not his fault. As my mother would say, "You make a better door than a window." He was being a door and I wasn't communicating the issue. 2) There was a sudden gust of wind. Doug is practically a boat-docking expert. He is ready to handle sudden shifts. I'm not there yet.

Doug got us back out of the fairway, stepped onto the other side of me, and I tried again. This time, rather than depending on Doug's instructions (which were great instructions by the way), I followed my gut. (Quick note: most of what my gut knows is from years of watching Doug dock boats.) I believed I could do it. I lined up for the approach. Quick pump forward with the starboard engine, back to neutral, see how it handles. Quick pump forward with the port engine, back to neutral, see how handles. Repeat until I was alongside the slip and start to spin.

Quick note for land-lubbers. Our boat is a twin screw. That means we have two completely independent engines on board. I can put one in forward and the other in reverse and spin in place (again, pending wind, current, etc.).

I spun the boat and started to back her in.

For my first time docking this boat, and only second attempt, I did awesome! And by awesome, I mean that I didn't hit any other boats and I didn't ram the dock. Can't say that I'm ready to dock anywhere other than my home marina yet, but baby steps are still steps.