It’s gift-giving time and the new Coastal Art Maps designed by owner Joseph S. Tarella are one idea likely to please frequenters of the Chesapeake Bay. The hand-drawn maps offer a unique colorful perspective of the “Great Shellfish Bay” and its natural environs. Tarella has released the first 3 of a projected 10 maps depicting the bay: the area from Havre de Grace to Middle River, Middle River to Sandy Point, and Sandy Point to Herring Bay. Each map is oriented horizontally to illuminate the contrast between the densely populated western shore and the sparser, more bucolic, eastern shore.
Tarella, an architect by trade, uses pen-and-ink and watercolor washes on vellum, which give his maps a tactile quality. He started mapmaking as a hobby after he built a house on Long Beach Island and couldn’t find any maps of the area that he liked. Friends and family asked for copies and his labor of love evolved from there. The first three Chesapeake Bay maps were launched in September and another group is expected to be available in the spring. coastalartmaps.com
Winter Seminars
Winter in the Mid-Atlantic region is a perfect time to pick up new boating knowledge and perhaps, plan a long-distance cruise for warmer temperatures. Maritime museums, yacht clubs, professional training companies, and groups like the U.S. Powerboat Squadrons are some of organizations that host educational events. J World in Annapolis hosts a Coastal Navigation Seminar from 9AM to 4PM on December 13th, a comprehensive classroom course on coastal navigation and piloting. The curriculum covers charts and features, compass errors, plotting, triangulation, dead reckoning, route planning, tides, current vectors, aids to navigation, and an introduction to electronic navigation. The course text will be U.S. Sailing’s Coastal Navigation book. It’s an ideal course for anyone who wants to develop a solid foundation in navigation principles. The course includes U.S. Sailing certification if qualified. jworldannapolis.com
Time to fish
The 2015 version of the Maryland Fishing Challenge is under way. The free, year-round tournament is sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources and partners, and offers cash and prizes for anglers that reel in citation-worthy fish. Each September qualifying anglers meet at Sandy Point State Park for the finale party held in conjunction with the Maryland Seafood Festival. At this year’s final event, over $70,000 in cash and prizes were awarded. The grand-prize winner was Pennsylvania resident Rick Snider, who collected a boat-motor-trailer package from Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats. Bobby Gibson of Church Hill, Maryland, won an all-expense-paid fishing trip to The Bahamas. If you register a citation-size fish from Maryland waters from now until next Labor Day, you too will be invited to Annapolis next year. dnr2.maryland.gov
By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating December 2014
