Marina, Captain, and close to airport

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unkle buck

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Would like to spend the month of September in Chesapeake and home base my boat there for the month. Need a 70 foot slip, 18' beam and 5 draft.

Ideally, I would like something that is close to a small airport, and would also hope to find a captain close by for part time use.

Should I call the marinas near the Solomons and go with that? Any orther recommendations?

Thanks

John
 
You could also try the Bay Bridge Marina. it has everything you would need including a small airport that boarders the marina. It is probably the best location on the bay. The local marinas could find you a qualified capt. for your needs.
 
Piney Narrows Marina and Mears Point Marina on Kent Narrows both have slips that coould take a boat your size. There are multiple restaurants within walking distance and the airport at Bay Bridge Marina is within 5 miles. There is a large supermarket within a mile. Both marinas have captains that are based at the marinas, and there are good maintenance and detailing operations close by that operate to clean and provision boats, so that you will find the fridge and freezer stocked to your specification, the holding tank pumped out, and the boat cleaned, spotless and with fresh linens when you arrive.
 
thanks
called them
$3/d for 30d is a little out there, but place looks good from the internet that's for sure
 
Mike Sweeney, who runs the brokerage at Mears Point, can put you in touch with good captains in the area. He has a link on the Mears Point Marina web site.
 
Solomons Harbor Marina may not be able to accomodate a 70 foot boat. In Solomons with a 70 footer you would find it much cheaper at Calvert Marina across from Solomons Harbor. They have some big T-heads and a large dock that could handle 70 feet alongside. They also used to have the cheapest fuel in Solomoms. It is not so close to town but is only $1.50 per foot on a daily basis and will give you a good rate on monthly.
I do not think there is an airstrip anywhere close to Solomons. You have the Patuxent Naval Air Station and a nuclear power station close by, so flying in that area is heavily controlled.
Herrington Harbor South is a great marina but you might find it a little tight to maneuver a 70 foot boat once inside the marina. I have a 47' Chris Craft and it is tight in some places to turn in the marina. The entrance channel can also shoal so you would need to check if a 5 foot draft is OK. They also have a another marina at Herrington Harbor North in Deale that also might be a little tight for a 70 footer.
If you want to go in the Solomons area you might want to look at the marimas off the lower Potomac.
A really nice marina in a hurricane hole is St. Mary's Yachting center. . They have a long dock that would have no problem accomodating a 70 footer and excellent serice on site with a 70 ton travel lift.

http://www.stmyc.com/

The same company owns the Solomons Yahting Center in Solomons which has mostly floating docks and some of their T-heads could handle a 70 foot boat.

http://www.solomonsyachtingcenter.com/

Point Lookout Marina on the lower Potomac also has a couple of T-heads that can take a 70 footer and is reasonable on price.

http://www.pointlookoutmarina.com/
 
Bluewater in Hampton Roads is on the lower end of the bay. Real nice marina and close to Norfolk.
 
Further south you have Crisfield on the eastern shore. Crisfield does have a municiple airport with 2 runways at right angles about 1000 yards long with the main runway being 14. It is just outside of town.
The main marina, Somers Cove, is a municiple marina and has good prices and transient slips to 120 feet. See the rates on their web page.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/somerscove.html

Do not try any of the marinas in Broad creek at Deltaville as you would find that your 5 foot draft would be tight for the channel into the marinas. Pascal can attest to that as he had problems there with a 70 footer last month on a run north.
 
For what its' worth,,,take a look at Liberty Marina on the South River , very close to Annapolis. Lee Airport ( small airport ) is 1/2 mi from there, and I know they can accomadate a larger vessel. You are 1mi. from the bay--Thomas Point Light.
 
Thanks again for the all the suggestions.

may try that bluewater for a few days b4 heading up.

Anywhere on the bay will work, doesnt have to be MD. Want to spend the month on the bay then come late sep, head up to DC for first 2 weeks in oct.

will check on lee airport....need at least a mile for a runway.

Mike, do you know of an airport near Culvert?

Bay Bridge sounded good, but they do not want to commit to a month in sep right now.

mears point didnt return call.
piney is too small

thanks much
 
The only non-military airport in southern Maryland is St. Mary's County Airport, which only has about 4100 feet of runway.

Have you considered Martin State Airport, which is just north of Baltimore? They have a 7000 foot runway. Just off the end of the runway is Long Beach Marina which claims to handle 70' LOA and 18' beams. Their number is (410)335-8602.

I don't know of any other "small" airport close to the Bay which has 6000' of runway.

Mike
 
Thanks Mike!!

Checked Bay Bridge Airport and i think that will do it.

Probably going to try Bluewater down south in Norfolk, then onto Bay Bridge, then end of September head to Solomons for a few days, then to DC

Anyone know DC?

Heard the Capital Yacht Club is good.

For evening cruises in DC we were thinking of getting our guests on there, troll around somewhere, then head to Alexandria, troll there, then try to make it back to where we started.

ie....go to Alexandria, hang out, then come back.

easy place to dock in town near alexandria etc?

tks
 
Try calling Tyler at "North Atlantic Marine Group" (google it for the number). He may be willing to sublease his T head for a month... this is at the Bay Bridge Marina. Could be a tough one with the boat show so close though. Lots of boats being moved in and staged for the show.
 
The Capital Yacht Club and Gangplank Marina are within easy walking distance to the DC Mall and Monuments and there are good restaurants right on the dockside. They can only accomodate large boats on some of their T-heads so you will need to book well in advance. The Gangplank Marina has more facilities.
Alexandria has been doing a lot of rebuilding and I have not visited the waterside in some time. You might have dificulties getting a slip for 70 footer on an hourly basis. They also have cruise ships comein and you would have almost no chance if one of those is on the docks at the time you visit.
If you can get under bridges wth an 18 foot clearance you could go to Georgetown and tie up on the bulkhead for a great time in Georgetown which has some of the best restaurants and nightspots in DC. It can get very crowded at weekends.
You will need a good chart of the DC area on the Potomac as there are large areas of the river that have skinny water for a boat requiring 5 feet.
You will likely be boarded and required to show proof of an approved boating safety course once you enter DC waters, which is after passing under the Wilson Bridge. There is construction still ongoing on the bridge and they enforce the no wake zone very well.
There is a new marina and resort complex south of the Wilson Bridge called National Harbor that would be able to accomodate a 70 footer and has a water taxi service to Alexandria and I believe they plan to extend this to central DC locations as well. That would solve the designated driver problem. The DC waters are patrolled by the USCG and the DC police and if you stay for a few days and cruise around count on being stopped and boarded, maybe more than once.
 
Doesn't Olde Towne have a municipal marina? Great restaurants there too.

If you try Bluewater, Give me a call. I'll come down and hoist a beer with you.
 
pale--i'll call tyler thanks
mike--you'd pick gangplank over capital yacht? would love to go to Georgetown but i need 25' with the antennas down
dave..will let you when i firm up the plans and look forward to hoisting.
thanks again for all the info
 
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