Floatline - Chesapeake Bay News

May Days on the Bay

PropTalk wants you to put these "May Days" on your calendar. We don’t usually post calendar items here, so why now? Because May is shaping up to be a super busy month, and we simply couldn’t wait until the June PropTalk, which hits the docks May 15. We're happy to share:

May 10-11: Jarrett Bay Grand Banks Ride & Drive, Cambridge Hyatt
www.jarrettbayyachtsales.com

May 16: USS Constellation Museum BLAST, Baltimore
www.constellation.org

May 16-17: Food and Wine Festival, National Harbor, Washington, DC
www.foodandwinenh.com

May 16-17: Kilmarnock (VA) Crab Festival
www.virginia.org

May 17: Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Day, Dorchester County
www.tourdorchester.org

May 17-18: Model Boat Expo at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels
www.cbmm.org

May 17-23: National Safe Boating Week
www.safeboatingcouncil.org

May 18-21: Nordic Tug Rendezvous, North East YC, North East, MD
www.nordictugs.com

May 21: Blue Angels Fly over Annapolis
www.blueangels.navy.mil

May 23-26: Chestertown Tea Party
www.chestertownteaparty.com

May 23-June 1: Riverside Marine Boat Sale, Arundel Mills Mall, Hanover, MD.
www.riversidemarine.com

May 24-26: Memorial Day Pig Roast, Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse, Dumfries, VA
www.timsrivershore.com

May 25: Big Bands on the Bay, Norfolk
www.festeventsva.org

May 25: Soft Shell Spring Fair, Somers Cover Marina, Crisfield, MD
(800) 782-3913

May 30-June 1: Kadey Krogen Open House, Port Annapolis Marina
casey@kadeykrogen.com

May 30-June 1: Virginia Beach Patriotic Festival
www.patrioticfestival.com

May 31: Coconut Ball, Annapolis Maritime Museum
www.savethecoconuts.org

Data and dates courtesy of Rachel Engle
Photo of the 2008 Bay Bridge Boat Show in April by Mark Talbott
For more fun, visit www.proptalk.com.

Bay Bridge Boat Show Starts Today

Cool things about the Bay Bridge Boat Show:

1. It's 75 degrees and sunny--if you can't be out on a boat, why not be checking out 500 new and used ones?

2. The Show is not overwhelming. You can see it in a day and not get lost in it.

3. It's mellow during the week for serious buyers and busy and family-friendly (kids under 7 get in for free--expect a bunch of them) over the weekend.

4. Pretty boats, good food, friendly people, $2 for parking ($2!), and easy to get to as it's to the right just after crossing the eastbound side of the Bay Bridge. NEWS FLASH: The $15 parking signs are for private groups. Trust us, keep going: General parking at the marina is only $2.

5. Free seminars on Bay cruising, navigation, keeping your boat looking new, and deisel engine basics, among other freebies and vacation raffles at booths.

6. PropTalk Magazine will be there handing out magazines, coozies, and information on the season--no longer the upcoming season--it's here!

7. An awesome excuse to break in your new flip flops.

Open 10 to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday; 10 - 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. $12 tickets available at the gate or online at www.usboat.com.

Photos by Molly Winans/PropTalk

Get Your May PropTalk Now!

Just in time for your spring powerboating fun.

Of course, one rite of spring is prepping your “ride.” Joe Evans says, “…one spring season with a particularly ambitious list of boat repairs and improvements, I got to know the staff at the emergency clinic by their nicknames.” Read all the “gory” details in the Editor’s Notebook on page 12. Here’s what else is in store for you:

Toys and Fun for Everyone: The Bay Bridge Boat Show

What Fish Don’t Want You To Know

A Star Is Born: 46-Ton Beauty Moves from Luxury- to Lab-Mode

Top Secrets of the Commissioners of Spring

It’s About Time for Spring Fishing Tournaments!

Boat Shop Stories from All Over the Bay

A Short Long Cove Story

Hot Models, Parties, Festivals, and More: Plan Your Weekends Wisely

Pick up a FREE copy of PropTalk at one of more than 830 locations throughout Chesapeake Country. You can’t beat the price. www.proptalk.com

What's in Your Tackle Box?

"Rock on" to benefit the Bay! Don't miss the fun at the Boatyard Bar & Grill's seventh annual Fishing Tournament and Party April 19 in Eastport. Slap down $150 per boat of four anglers by April 17, and you can be one of the 150 vessels competing for a bevy of prizes (both cash and merchandise) in this catch and release event. April 18 is the skipper’s meeting; and April 19 is the fish “measure-in,” gala party, and awards ceremony.  There’s more fishy fun than you can shake a yardstick at, with live music, refreshments, and more. Proceeds go to the Coastal Conservation Association, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Annapolis Police Kid’s Fishing Camp for at-risk youth. www.boatyardbarandgrill.com

Photo from the 2006 tournament by Mark Talbott / PropTalk

The Pen Is Mightier than the Fishing Rod

Kids in Fredericksburg, VA, get your creative juices flowing.

"Take Dad Fishing for Father's Day" is a 10-year-old contest for aspiring anglers aged five to nine or 10 to 13. Kids must hand-write 250 or fewer of their own words to explain why they want to take their dad or other loved one fishing for Father's Day June 15. Prizes include guided fishing trips with area pros, including Captains Teddy Carr, Dave Fauntleroy, Tony Harding, and Ryan Rogers; and Abu Garcia Cardinal 300 rod-and-reel spinning combos.

Entries must include the author’s name, age, phone number, and address; be postmarked by May 17; and mailed to Perrotte-Fishing Contest, Box 1069, King George, VA 22485. Winners will be notified by May 28. www.fredericksburg.com

Shown above (R-L): Tom Weaver Sr., Tom Weaver Jr., Dave Reinhart, Mike Weaver, and Brian Weaver, all hailing from Pennsylvania, except the fish, which came from the waters off Ocean City, MD. Photo by Captain Aaron Rogers

April PropTalk is on the docks!

A hint of spring is in the air and the April issue of PropTalk magazine is on the docks.

Pick up a copy today and get the 2008 Chesapeake Bay Fishing Preview.

From the April issue - News Flash: Grand Prix Hydroplanes Added to the Fleet for the Cambridge Races, July 26 and 27. The Cambridge Classic, one of the oldest motor sports events in the nation with a history of roostertails, thrills, and spills since 1911, returns to Marsh Park and Hambrooks Bay on the Choptank River with the added attraction of the Grand Prix class of inboard race boats. Admission will be free for viewing from land or on the water. And, like all Chesapeake Bay powerboat racing events, the action never stops. This will be one of only two stops for the Grand Prix racers on the East Coast in 2008.

Registration is Open for the Boatyard Tournament

Opening day of the Trophy Striped Bass season is a tradition in Maryland and in recent years has been well-celebrated via the annual Opening Day Tournament organized by The Boatyard Bar & Grill (Eastport/Annapolis). The tournament has evolved into a premier catch-and-release contest and raises funds for local conservation causes. PropTalk is a proud sponsor of the event. The 2008 edition is set for April 19.

Maryland-based Compete-At is hosting the registration for the tournament. The firm, well-known in sailing circles, has been making inroads in the fishing world with its user-friendly event registration and management products.

Boatyard Tournament Registration

Compete-At.com/Fishing

Boatyard Bar and Grill Fishing

Photo: Opening Day 2007. Photo by Dan Phelps / PropTalk Magazine

Baltimore Boat Show 2008 Breaks Records!

In addition to record-breaking crowds and sales, the Baltimore Boat Show this past January had fun for everyone. We at PropTalk had a boatload of fun at the shows in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Ocean City, MD. Thanks for making them great!

Drum roll please… The results of PropTalk’s highly unscientific and somewhat sophomoric survey of Baltimore Boat Show goers are in! Here’s the hard data:

Best Kids' Boating on the Chesapeake: Harness Creek and Quiet Waters Park, the Rhode River, Rock Creek North (Maryland YC), tubing on the Severn, and Worton Creek (sans sea nettle)

Favorite Anchorage on the Bay: Dobbins Isle, Horseshoe Bend (St. Mary’s River), Lower Bay (Barbuda!), and Wye River’s Dividing Creek (beginning and end of season)

Reason to Hit the Baltimore Boat Show: “A dose of medicine for this cold weather,” “This is the first harbinger of spring,” and “Just dreamin’”

Top Tiki Bar: Birds of a Feather (Aliceanna Street—fireplace, dog, good scotch, no smoking), Mears Great Oak Marina (Fairlee Creek), Red Eye’s Dock Bar, Solomons (Cocomos), and Landfall Sailing Club, a singles club in New England

Favorite Transom Title: Broad Arrow, Chantey, Halimeda, Reel Fun, R&R, and Water Candy

Day or Night Person?: Three “sunrise people” and 12 “sunset aficionados”

Best Boat Beverage: Capt. Morgan, Corona, Dark & Stormy, Dramamine with a water chaser, Gin & Tonic, Frozen Mango Mojito, Guinness Extra Stout, Pina Colada, and “any cold beer”

Drop us a line about a few of your favorite things on the Bay at joe@proptalk.com. And, look for the May issue of PropTalk Magazine at the Bay Bridge Boat Show April 24-27. See you there!

Photo by Mark Talbott / PropTalk

The February 2008 issue of PropTalk Magazine is on the docks!

The February 2008 issue of PropTalk Magazine has arrived. This is the Baltimore Boat Show issue but it is also chock-full of news and information for the Chesapeake Bay boater. From the Polar Bear Plunge to Bay-wide Tides and Current Tables there's something in the package for everyone!

Beyond the Boat Show package, the issue includes a detailed look at Winter Learning Options for Bay boaters, including courses, special events, and other programs to help you improve your skills and knowledge through the colder months. Bay cruiser Jody Reynolds checks in from the ICW. Bay boatbuilder Ken Spring contributes a "relationship story" about life with a boat and engine post "sinking in the slip."

The issue's featured Dreamboat is the Seaway 24. Kendall Osborne walks readers through winter sun/skin care realities. Bill Shellenberger checks in with a Destination Rock Hall feature.

Every issue of PropTalk includes the popular Boatshop Reports (sponsored by Interlux), Chesapeake Fish News and Forecasts, and a boatload of topical and geographically-applicable ads from some of the region's leading marine industry businesses.

Every issue of PropTalk can be found for FREE at one of 823 distribution spots throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Captain Buddy Harrison Video

A video tribute to "The Boss Hog of Tilghman Island"

Source: YouTube