Monday, June 27, 2016

Finding A Chesapeake Marina That Meets Your Needs

By Larry Brooks


Chesapeake Bay is an inland waterway off the Atlantic coast of the states of Maryland and Virginia. It covers an area of nearly 65,000 square miles and acts as a reservoir for more than 150 rivers and streams. The estuary is 200 miles in length and just under three miles wide at its narrowest. Its 12,000 miles of shoreline are serviced several dozen Chesapeake Marina. An area of huge ecological importance and outstanding natural beauty, the bay has been immortalized in Tom Clancy's book, Patriot Games, published in 1987 and in the 2012 eco-horror flick, The Bay.

Whether you are looking for a marina with full-blown resort facilities and boat services, or a secluded mom-and-pop operation away from the crowds, there will be a marina to suit your needs. Some have fitness rooms, Olympic-sized swimming pools and other sporting facilities. Generally, the more slips a marina has, the more elaborate the facilities.

The bay is a powerful magnet for jellyfish, or sea nettles. These diaphanous sea creatures, breathtaking in their grace and beauty, deliver a painful sting to the uninformed swimmer. They tend to congregate in the central part of the bay. Numerous agencies post details of largest blooms on their websites, and it is recommended that you consult them if you plan to dip into the water. If a particular marina is not troubled by sea nettles, they will usually indicate so in their sales blurb.

Bohemia Bay is tucked away in northern Maryland at the head of the bay. Facilities include a lighted entrance channel with lighthouse and jetty. There is a large swimming pool, a separate pool for children, a private beach that is free from pesky sea nettles, picnic area, and playground. The club lounge offers free wifi to slip-holders, a free swap library, dock carts, laundry room, and more. Moorings are accessible via water taxi.

South of Bohemia Bay on the Sassafras River is Skipjack Cove. Here, there is a marina with a total of 365 slips and docks that can accommodate ships up to 150 feet long. This is a full-blown resort with basketball and tennis courts, exercise room, fuel dock, pump-out service, playground and children's swimming pool.

In fact, a lot of marinas cater for families and have a wide range of amenities. A lot of them have swimming pools, a safer alternative to taking your chances with the jellyfish. Some have incredibly comprehensive services for the boats as well as the two-legged guests.

Chesapeake Bay caters directly to the boats that make family holidays possible, too! Halfway between Baltimore and Philadelphia at the headwaters of the estuary is a massive, full-service marina, complete with 40-ton travel lift and not one but, two 22-ton forklifts, a state-of-the-art high and dry boatel, and certified service departments for several boat manufacturers. There are 200 slips, both fixed and floating.

The bay is surprisingly shallow, so it pays to do your homework to find out what suits your particular water craft. The average depth is 21 feet, but 25 percent is only six feet in depth. Expect summers to be hot and humid. Winters are cold and occasionally mild.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment