Find upcoming events from Maine to Florida, along with detailed destination reviews of major hubs and lesser-known small towns. If you’re looking for the best cruiser resources, you’ve come to the right place. Each month, Southern Boating posts Regional Reports that cover the Atlantic Coast in detail. Chesapeake, Southeast Seaboard, the Carolinas, and down to Miami, Southern Boating keeps you updated on marinas, events and the resources you’ll need to successfully navigate the U.S. Atlantic.
Located in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park between Piers 4 & 5, ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina, the newest marina in New York City, New York, is under construction with new docks being anchored and a state-of-the-art wave attenuation system now in place. Construction is set for a fall completion and a grand opening anticipated for spring 2016.
The marina will accommodate boats from 16′ to 250′ for seasonal docking, a sail club and school, and a members-only harbor club.
The new marina will be the first to be built in New York Harbor in 20 years. Arthur Tay, chairman of the SUTL Group, is the visionary behind the ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina brand, whose expertise and experience earned ONE°15 Marina Club Singapore the title of Best Marina and Yacht Club in Asia in 2009 and again from 2012 to 2014. “Boating and the water have long been passions of mine, and I recognized an opportunity in Singapore to bring the water and that lifestyle to a wider audience,” said Tay. “As we looked to expand the brand into international destinations we identified the perfect opportunity in Brooklyn, with the vibrant, lush public spaces of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Manhattan skyline backdrop and open water. Boaters and water enthusiasts from around the corner and around the world will feel at home at ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina.”
The marina will bring a state-of-the-art wave attenuation from a 17-foot-wide Marinetek concrete breakwater to New York’s busy waterfront. The marina will use 40 percent translucent decking materials to support the New York Harbor’s goal to reestablish a habitat for prey fish. With onsite amenities, concierge and top-notch security measures, the marina will offer 102 slips/berths.
Amenities:
• 102 slips/berths
• Docking for boats 16′ to 250′ in length
• Water, marine grade power and wireless internet to every slip
• Vessel maintenance assistance
• Sanitary pump-out facilities
• Concierge
• 24-hour security and gated access
• Dock master office with restrooms and showers
• Community dock
• Kayak spaces, kayaking instructions and small protected beginner basin
• Sail Club
• Sailing School
Contact:
ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina
Pier 5 (end of Joralemon Street) Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn, NY 11201 One15brooklynmarina.com
Located on the Ortega River in Jacksonville, Florida, Lamb’s Yacht Center began in 1936 and, with the exception of the past 12 years, has been owned and operated by the Lamb family. The marina is now back with the Lambs who are proud to call it their own again. PeggySue Lamb Williams recently re-purchased the marina and is now hard at work along with her three daughters and staff to reawaken the marine center and operate the family-founded marina in the “good old-fashioned way,” she says it was always known for.
Lamb’s Yacht Center offers 242 wet slips accommodating 15-foot to 90-foot boats, transient docking for up to 120-foot, as well as a covered and uncovered storage facility. The marina also provides a full service department boasting a 100 metric ton lift to accommodate haul-out and bottom jobs for all makes and models. Their service department is comprised of skilled painters, experienced mechanical repairmen and repower experts, as well as talented carpenters who can perform repairs both large and small—they can also provide complete refit and refurbishing services including classic and antique boat repair.
Located within the “Jacksonville Marina Mile,” the marine center is among the largest concentration of recreational boating services in the region and is proud to recycle and make an effort to keep waterways clean. Less than five miles from downtown Jacksonville, boaters will find all the additional services for their traveling needs (groceries, restaurants, post office, shops, etc.) within historic Avondale district and its tree-lined streets.
Amenities
• 242 wet slips
• Transient docking for up to 120-foot
• Covered/uncovered storage facility
• 50 Amp/30 Amp/120 V power available
• Two 30 ton hoists/one 40 ton hoist/one 100 ton hoist
• Warranty service center for Yanmar, Cummins and Mercruiser
• Warranty service dealer for Mercury and Evinrude
• Carpentry/paint/fiberglass services
• Concierge service
• Wi-Fi
• Pump-out
• Showers
• Restrooms
• Laundry facility
Contact:
Lamb’s Yacht Center
3376 Lake Shore Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32210
(904) 384-5577 lambsyachtcenter.com
On World Oceans Day in June, 70 volunteers with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) attached 1,600 staghorn coral clippings with special glue onto existing coral in the Florida Keys. It was the organization’s most prolific output in a single day. The Plantapalooza aimed to raise awareness of the importance of restoring, preserving and conserving the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. Since its inception in 2000, CRF has planted 30,000 corals on upper and middle Keys reefs. coralrestoration.org
Ongoing spruce-up at Boynton Harbor Marina
With the demolition of an old dive shop building, Boynton Beach will create a green space and boardwalk for the public at its marina. “This will create more space for the public,” said Vivian Brooks, redevelopment agency executive director. “We want people to enjoy the area. Right now there is really nowhere to sit and no shade.” A 250-foot boardwalk and new sidewalks will be built by July 2016. Hibiscus plants and 17 coconut trees will also be planted. Boynton Beach’s redevelopment agency has spent nearly $20 million to refurbish Boynton Harbor Marina with a master building, new entryway features and boat slips since its 2005 purchase. catchboynton.com
Keeping tradition alive
Seminole maritime history comes to life twice a month at the Upper Room Art Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Traditional Seminole artist Pedro O. Zepeda uses a chain saw, his adze and other hand tools to carve an indigenous canoe out of cypress. The 200-year-old cypress log he shapes weighs more than a ton, is 19 feet long and was recovered from 2005 Hurricane Wilma. Working on the project since February, Zepeda says the 12.5-foot canoe should be completed this month. “For me, it was a way to maintain the canoe culture for us,” Zepeda says. “It’s always good to share your culture with other people; it lets them know we are still here and still practice our culture.” upperroomartgallery.com
Zepeda gets media coverage for his carving a symbolic Seminole Canoe. Photo: Don Parchment
Seminole Canoe Carvings by Zepeda. Photo: Robin Haines Merrill
Boynton Beach, Discover the Palm Beaches. Photo: The Palm Beaches CVB
Bridge replaces ferry
A pontoon swing bridge in South Carolina replaced the ferry crossing at Estherville Minim Creek Canal on the ICW (mile 411.5). The bridge closes to marine traffic only when a vehicle needs to cross with yellow flashing lights warning vessels to come to a stop. Wildlife refuge personnel and equipment at Cat Island’s Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center use the bridge only twice daily, if at all, says wildlife director Jamie Dozier. “[The bridge] swings open in about 20 seconds, and we can get everything across and back in 4 or 5 minutes.”
Florida bridge under repair
Work continues at Hillsboro Inlet Bridge (AIWW 1053.9) with completion expected in November. Vertical clearance is reduced by two feet. The north and south side channels are closed to navigation as turbidity barriers are in place and a small barge is behind the fender system. Mariners may request an opening by providing a four-hour advance notice to the bridge tender or by calling (954) 943-1847.
By Nancy E. Spraker, Southern Boating Magazine, September 2015
Island Tunes
Bluegrass music fans have the opportunity to hear their favorite tunes September 23-26 at the Bluegrass Island Festival on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The event will be held at Roanoke Island Festival Park, a 27-acre island across from downtown Manteo. Gates open at 11AM on Wednesday and 10AM Thursday through Saturday.
The music lineup includes more than 25 bands with headliners Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis on Friday evening and Cherryholmes Reunion on Saturday evening. Food vendors will serve barbeque, roasted corn, hamburgers, hotdogs, corndogs, and most anything fried. While you’re in Mateo, I recommend a visit to Stripers Bar & Grille, which offers a large variety of seafood treats—the shrimp quesadilla is my favorite.
Public docks are available for free daytime use on the Manteo waterfront next to the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. An excellent paid alternative with daily and overnight docking is Shallowbag Bay Marina, which can accommodate boats up to 65 feet.
This year’s challenge dares participants to visit 10 lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay area. The Choptank River Replica Light is one of the stops on this year’s Maryland Lighthouse Challenge. Photo: Christopher Knauss
Take the Lighthouse Challenge
Each September for the past 10 years, the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society organizes the Maryland Lighthouse Challenge. This year’s challenge on September 19th and 20th dares participants to visit 10 lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay area, some not normally open to the public.
Small keepsakes are given at each lighthouse, and there’s a special souvenir for anyone who manages to visit them all. Lighthouses on the list are Concord Point, Seven Foot Knoll, Lightship Chesapeake (which is a boat), Hooper Strait, Choptank River Replica, Drum Point, Cove Point, Piney Point, Point Lookout, and Fort Washington.
This year, all-day cruises are also available on September 17th, 18th and 21st through Sawyer Charters to visit some bonus lighthouses. Participants have the opportunity to view the following lighthouses from the water: Hooper Island, Point No Point, Smith Point, Solomons Lump, and Holland Island Bar. The price includes lunch with a stop at Smith Island for a seafood meal. cheslights.org
Finger-Licking Fun
A less publicized but arguably tastier destination is the annual Ribtoberfest at Town Point Park along the Norfolk, Virginia waterfront. This year’s fourth annual festival and feast on September 26th features mouth-watering BBQ and sides, frosty craft brews, live music, and other family fun. Top local chefs and restaurants will serve everything from ribs, brisket and pulled pork to collards and fried okra.
Mariners can dock along the promenade to enjoy the fun and listen to the music while relaxing on board. For reservations call the Festevents office Monday-Friday at (757) 441-2345 between 9AM and 5PM. If there is no space to dock there, Waterside Marina is close by and is an excellent place to tie up if you’re looking for temporary or overnight docking.
There’s cause for celebration for cruisers! The Florida legislature adjourned in April with no anchoring encumbrances in Florida waters. The anchoring restrictions of SB 1548 did not become law thanks to much effort from several municipalities, businesses, boating organizations, and cruisers. The Anchoring/Mooring Pilot Program continues and anchoring restrictions, if any, are not expected until 2017.
A full-time bridge tender now watches the New River Railroad Bridge on the busy New River in Fort Lauderdale as part of a six month test ending October 16th by the U.S. Coast Guard to address boaters’ concerns about All Aboard Florida’s plans to run more than 30 trains a day. The tender communicates with mariners over VHF channels 9 and 16 and telephone number (305) 889-5572. A countdown clock with flashing red and green lights posted at the bridge with horn soundings notify maritime traffic of train approach and bridge closure.
Sailfish Marina of Palm Beach Shores, Florida considers more than a dozen tiki barges used for weekend celebrations on the ICW to be hazardous. The barges are abandoned during the week and have caused more than $200,000 worth of marina damage when torn from their moorings. Hurricanes are the usual culprit although barges break free even in calmer conditions. County commissioners want to regulate and ensure proper securing of the barges for the safety of the marina and partygoers. Since barges aren’t motorized, mooring access similar to those afforded boats may not be given.
Uber for boats is coming to Florida. Coastalyfe, which originated in St. Petersburg in May, uses GPS technology to connect riders with drivers who pick passengers up in their personal boats. “As soon as you start the ride, there’s a $7 flat rate. Then, for every mile you travel it’s $2.97, and for every minute it’s 37 cents,” says CEO Cliff Nees. Drivers are vetted as with Uber. Boats need to be 18-20 feet, less than 20 years old and in good condition. Rides are not booked in advance but are on demand.
Coastal communities dependent on oyster, scallop and clam harvests in North Carolina and Florida are at economic risk from excessive carbon intake in mollusks. A nationwide study published on February in Nature Climate Change showed vulnerability in 15 states. Ocean acidification—the result of oceans absorbing increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and agricultural runoff—harms mollusks. The problem has already greatly affected the oyster industry in the Pacific Northwest. Although reducing carbon emissions is the ultimate solution, other remedies include reducing agricultural runoff, diversifying fishing fleets, developing aquaculture in untainted waters, creating early warning systems, and cultivating acidification-resistant species.
The welcoming party continues for mariners at Mariners’ Wharf Park in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, with the Downtown Waterfront Market on Saturdays 9AM-1PM through October. The market offers fresh, homegrown produce, baked goods, flowers, and crafts. Mariners’ Wharf provides free dockage with enhanced facilities and cruisers are still greeted with free wine-and-cheese dock parties. For details and to receive the special brochure for boaters Cruise the Carolina Loop visit discoverelizabethcity.com.
By Nancy E. Spraker, Southern Boating Magazine August 2015
No matter how you spell it, Maine’s Somes Sound may well be the highlight of your summer cruising schedule.
Somes Sound—the only fjord on the east coast of the U.S.—almost splits Maine’s Mount Desert Island in half, providing a unique, protected and enormously appealing cruising destination. Way up in Maine, close to the bustling summer resort of Bar Harbor, Somes Sound is a long way to go for most cruisers. But once you’re there you’re bound to agree that it’s well worth the trip not only for cruising in the sound itself—some of the most beautiful, unspoiled surroundings on the entire east coast—but also because of the extra benefits it offers. Somes Sound is next to Acadia National Park, with 55 miles of hiking, biking and even horse-carriage trails, and two quintessential Down East towns flank it—Southwest Harbor on the near side and Northeast Harbor on the far.
For summer cruisers exploring the Northeast, Somes Sound is an ideal final destination before turning around and heading back south, particularly in late summer and early fall when there’s generally less fog than in June and July. From the popular ports of Rockland and Camden, follow the east shore of Penobscot Bay and turn down Eggemoggin Reach, a classic Maine cruise in its own right. Then head over to Bass Harbor at the tip of Mount Desert Island. Follow the peninsula up about 7.5 miles and you’ll find a wide-open approach to Southwest Harbor.
The famous Somesville footbridge in the charming village by the same name is one of the most photographed bridges in Maine
Sargent Drive flanks the eastern shore of Somes Sound, often described as the only fjord on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Photo: Phil Savignano
Windjammer Margaret Todd. Photo: Maine Office of Tourism
Northeast Harbor is quiet, small and protected. Photo: Maine Office of Tourism
Bubble Pond is a placid body of water nestled between two rounded mountains. A carriage road on the western side provides spectacular views of the mountains. Photo: Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld.
Built of brick in 1858, the cliffside Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse marks the entrance to the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island. Photo: Jeff Dobbs
sticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor is one of the wonderful jewels of Mount Desert Island. Photo: Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Hike up Champlain Mountain, named after the famous French Explorer Samuel de Champlain, for spectacular scenery and exceptional wildlife views. Photo: Phil Savignano
Downtown Bar Harbor advertises the region’s biggest gastronomic attraction. Photo: Maine Office of Tourism.
Private dock for the Margaret Todd, a unique 151′ four-masted schooner designed by her owner Captain Steven Pagels. Photo: Maine Office of Tourism
Founded in 1926, the Abbe Museum exhibits inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations. Photo: Maine Office of Tourism
October sunrise over Bar Harbor, ME
In many ways, the Mount Desert Island area is a step back in time. For the first half of the last century it was a favorite summer vacation destination for wealthy families from New York and Philadelphia. Indeed, John D. Rockefeller had a summer “cottage” there and built the carriage trails in Acadia National Park from 1913 to 1940. And with its one main street lined with small boutiques and galleries, Southwest Harbor (year-round population of 1,764) hearkens back to a kinder, gentler era. But Southwest Harbor is also home to a working lobster fleet and is the birthplace of such iconic Down East brands as Jarvis Newman, Wilbur, Ellis, and Hinckley, with John Williams and Morris nearby.
Coming into Southwest Harbor today, you’ll first pass the Ellis yard on your left and then the large Hinckley yard as well; they both offer transient facilities plus any repairs you may need. But farther inside the harbor, Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina is the largest yard in the area with 150 slips and dock space for a 180-foot yacht. Dysart’s is a full-service yard and houses a West Marine chandlery, but it has diesel only at the fuel dock. You can walk to the center of town in a manner of minutes from Dysart’s, but first, fuel-up your belly at the marina—Breakfast at Grumpy’s restaurant is a local institution. (Try the Lobster and Crab Benedict.)
On the north side of the harbor you’ll find half a dozen town moorings and Beal’s Lobster Pier, a working lobster pier with a gas and diesel fuel dock, and a seafood restaurant with picnic tables at the end of the pier. Tie up at the small dock there if you’re eating at Beal’s; they will also deliver fresh seafood to your boat. For more formal dining, Red Sky is back toward the village. It offers fresh seafood but specializes in local organic produce. Don’t bother dressing up for Red Sky—this is Maine, after all, and you’re welcome to come straight from your boat.
At the far side of Southwest Harbor just around Clark’s Point leading to Somes Sound, you’ll find the Claremont Hotel, a six-acre waterfront resort that first opened in 1884. The Claremont offers gourmet dining in its Xanthus restaurant, with water views from every table. The Claremont’s Boathouse restaurant directly on the water is more casual.
And then there’s Somes Sound itself, formed about 14,000 years ago as the last glaciers retreated. Indeed, large boulders deposited by the melting ice sheet mark The Narrows, the entrance to the sound just above Southwest Harbor. About four miles long and often 150 feet deep, the sound is overlooked by Cadillac Mountain—the highest point on the Eastern seaboard at 1,530 feet. Apparently there is some dispute whether Somes Sound actually qualifies as a fjord, since it doesn’t have the extremely high side cliffs associated with Norwegian fjords. Consequently, it is now often called a fjard, meaning a drowned glacial bay. Either way, the place is beautiful and the vistas are unique. Cruising the sound, you’ll see few signs of human habitation since much of it is next to the national park—it feels as if you’re cruising in a wilderness, miles from civilization.
There are some signs of life, however. About halfway up on the left side, the John Williams Boat Company—which still makes elegant Down East style boats—has guest moorings in front of its yard. Their motto, which seems perfect for the setting, is simply “No corporate culture. No dealer incentives. No focus groups. Just boats.” And beautiful boats, at that.
When you’re through exploring Somes Sound, make a broad left turn and head into Northeast Harbor. (It’s only about two miles across from Southwest Harbor on a direct route). At this point you’re entering Maine as it was generations ago. Northeast Harbor is smaller, more peaceful and even more protected than Southwest Harbor, and the little village has fewer tourists. Entering the harbor, Clifton Dock is on the left, with a fuel dock (gas and diesel) and some moorings. Just a bit farther is Northeast Harbor Marina with 56 slips, 70 moorings, 30-, 50- and 100-amp service, and dock space for a 220-foot yacht.
Next to the marina, the Watermark Restaurant and Lounge at the Kimball Terrace Inn offers bistro-style food, local beer and a great view. For a spectacular harbor view, as well as a taste of turn-of-the-century Maine, try the Asticou Inn at the head of the harbor. The classic summer resort has been there since 1882. Peabody’s, the Asticou’s elegant restaurant, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Asticou Azalea Garden across the road from the inn and the Thuya Gardens just up the road are owned and maintained by the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve. They both have beautiful gardens and terraces, while the Thuya Gardens provide a panoramic view of the harbor. A public landing and dinghy dock at the head of the harbor leads to the gardens and miles of hiking trails.
The easiest way to get around all of Mount Desert Island, however, is to hop on one of the free, propane-powered Island Explorer Shuttle buses. They have stops just a short walk from the marinas in Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor, and go all around the island, including the national park and Bar Harbor. Make note of your favorites, as you’ll most likely be back next summer, and probably the summer after that.
— CRUISER RESOURCES — DOCKAGE
Ellis Boat Company 265 Seawall Rd., Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
(207) 244-9221 • ellisboat.com
Women looking to get in on the fishing opportunities in the Virginia Beach area can join the fun at this year’s Wine, Women and Fishing tournament August 15-16 at Southside Marina. Hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation, the fundraiser has raised more than $300,000 for breast cancer research at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. Women of all levels of fishing expertise are welcome.
Registration and a captain’s meeting will be held from 5:30PM to 7:30PM Saturday with the fishing on Sunday beginning at 8:30AM. Scales open at 5PM, while the dock bash begins with an awards ceremony, music and dinner from 7PM to 10PM.
The event includes a variety of wine seminars and bourbon tastings. You can also shop for artwork, jewelry and accessories from the Bling Lady. cbwc.org
Art on the waterfront
The 34th New World Festival of the Arts is set for August 12-13 on the waterfront in downtown Manteo on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The show will exhibit original works from 75 East Coast artists including more than a dozen new artists who will present watercolors, oil and acrylic, graphics, drawings, photography, jewelry, sculpture, and pottery. The show runs from 10AM to 5PM Wednesday, and 10AM to 4:30PM Thursday. darearts.org
Manteo offers plenty of transient dockage at its waterfront marina, and the walkable historic town flaunts restaurants, museum, historical attractions, and shops with nautical flair. Shallowbag Bay Marina provides a modern full-service marina with transient dockage for boats up to 65 feet.
CBPBA cruise
The Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association’s destination cruise to Lowe’s Wharf on the Eastern Shore of Maryland’s Bay Hundred peninsula is August 22-23.Lowe’s Wharf is located between St. Michaels and Tilghman Island and offers waterfront guest rooms, a restaurant, patio bar, ship’s store, marina, and activities such as charter fishing, sunset cruises, crabbing, kayaking, bicycling, bonfires, volleyball, cornhole toss, and billiards. Alternately, just relax on the private beach and watch the sunset.
Mooring balls and transient slips (4′ 5″ depth) are available. The marina offers gas and diesel, Wi-Fi, showers, and a pump-out station. cbpba.com
Music all week long
Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa on the western shore of the mid-Chesapeake offers live music daily this summer through September 24th—cover charge is from $5 to $59 depending on the band. Scheduled groups in August include Roger McDuffy, Memories of the King (an Elvis tribute), Great Train Robbery, and Sons of Pirates (a Jimmy Buffet tribute). Marina guests enjoy full privileges at the resort, which include showers and laundry facilities, use of the fitness center and sauna, a business center, spa, and a heated indoor pool. chesapeakebeachresortspa.com
By Christophy Knauss, Southern Boating, August 2015
Dock and dine your way through this picturesque New England haven.
It’s easy to pass by Portland if you’re cruising Down East on a rhumb line from the Cape Cod Canal to the popular Boothbay or Penobscot Bay areas. After all, the coastline curves west at Portland, so you might think it’s a bit out of the way. But think again, because Portland—once an industrial town with a hard-working commercial waterfront—has transformed itself into a vibrant city with a thriving art and restaurant scene and some of the best full-service marinas in the Northeast. And Casco Bay, with its handful of small islands, historic forts and iconic lighthouses—not to mention rocky ledges and finger-like peninsulas—offers some of the best cruising in a state already famous for its spectacular cruising grounds.
Portland is charming because it’s the gateway to the real Down East but still has a feel of a small town, even though it’s the largest city in the state with a population of 66,194. With cobblestoned streets rising up a small hill from the Old Port waterfront (the downtown section), almost everything in Portland is accessible and within walking distance, even in a pair of boat shoes. The I.M. Pei-designed Art Museum is easy to find; so are restaurants of almost every description. Indeed, with 230 restaurants in town, Portland has the highest proportion of restaurants per capita of any city in the U.S.—and they’re good. In 2009, Bon Appétit called Portland “America’s foodiest small town.” The harbor, meanwhile, is full of recreational boats, power and sail; old schooners carrying tourists out in the bay; fast ferries; commercial fishing boats; a fleet of working lobster boats—and tons of lobster pots. There are countless reasons why 3.6 million tourists visit Portland every year.
Musicians performing from the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Maine office of toursim photos
Charming shops and streets in Old Port. Maine office of toursim photos
Maine, Portland, Tourists enjoying a cruise in Casco Bay. Maine office of toursim photos
Back Cove’s lined up at DiMillo’s Marina for Lobsterpalooza hosted by DiMillo’s Yacht Sales in Portland, Maine. Maine office of toursim photos
Outdoor performance
at Portland Headlight at Cape Elizabeth. Maine office of toursim photos
Lobster roll at Two Lights Lobster Shack. Maine office of toursim photos
The Portland Museum of Art. Maine office of toursim photos
L.L. Bean’s iconic boot outside their flagship store in Freeport; charming shops and streets in Old Port. Maine office of toursim photos
The iconic Portland Headlight serves as a beacon for mariners. Maine office of toursim photos
But history has not always been kind to Portland. The first European to land there was Christopher Levett, an English sea captain, who arrived in 1623 with 10 men and a grant of 6,000 acres from King Charles I to start a settlement. He built a stone house for his men then sailed back to England, where he wrote about the wonder of the New World; his men were never heard from again. A subsequent trading village was destroyed by the Wampanoag Indians in 1676, but it was rebuilt and destroyed again by the French and Indians in 1690. During the Revolution, Portland was shelled by the British, and in 1866, a fire during Fourth of July celebrations burned down most of the city leaving 10,000 people homeless.
Today, Portland is easy to find. Coming from the south, pick up the sea buoy 12 miles southeast of Portland and 5 miles off Cape Elizabeth. Round Cape Elizabeth and turn north toward the Portland Head Light, 101 feet above the water. First lit in 1791 with 16 whale oil lamps, it’s the oldest continuous lighthouse in the U.S., now maintained by the Coast Guard. The Portland Head Light marks the south side of the entrance channel; across the way, the 77-foot-high Ram Island Ledge Light marks the north side. Go down the main channel—leave Cushing Island to starboard—1.8 miles to the black-and-white 54-foot-high Spring Point Lighthouse at the end of a long breakwater. Follow the channel in a wide left turn into the main harbor.
Before you enter the harbor, though, you have to make a choice. Tie up at the marinas on your left in South Portland to enjoy the peace and quiet with the Greenbelt Walkway that runs along the shoreline and a swimming beach, plus easy access to stores and restaurants? Or head right to Portland proper, the traditional Old Port marinas, with the trendy restaurants and art district?
If you choose Portland itself, it’s hard to miss DiMillo’s Marina, since it’s pretty much in the heart of Old Port. It’s also a large, first-rate, full-service marina with high-speed fuel pumps, 125 slips and room for yachts up to 250 feet. The marina itself is secure and gated and is in front of DiMillo’s floating restaurant, which was a car ferry in its previous life. The restaurant is big and touristy, but it’s a Portland institution and it’s fun.
About half a mile up the harbor, Portland Yacht Services is another large, welcoming marina with 250 slips. The bad news is that it does not have fuel; the good news is that it’s a short walk from Hamilton Marine, the largest marine supply store above Boston. About two miles up from Old Port, the Maine Yacht Center has 80 slips for boats up to 60 feet. It is a full-service marina with gas and diesel and an 80-ton Travelift.
If you opt for the quieter South Portland side of the harbor, Spring Point Marina has 275 slips and claims to be the largest full-service marina in Maine. It can hold yachts up to 200 feet and is within walking distance of the beach and grocery stores. Joe’s Boathouse there serves lunch and dinner.
Up the harbor a bit, Sunset Marina’s full-service yard with 150 slips accommodates yachts up to 250 feet and offers terrific views across the water of Portland and the skyline. Closer to the Casco Bay Bridge leading back to Portland, South Port Marine is well protected; its full-service yard has 170 slips for boats up to 150 feet.
No matter where you tie up, you’ll want to spend some time wandering around Old Port. For the art scene, walk up the hill from the waterfront to Congress Street and turn left. You’ll find more than two-dozen galleries, plus The Portland Museum of Art. The museum is a treasure with 17,000 works, including an impressive permanent Impressionist exhibit with works by Degas, Matisse, Renoir, and Picasso. If you get tired of the Impressionists, take in Maine favorites Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. If you want a first-hand view of the city, head for the Portland Observatory at the top of Munjoy Hill. Built as a signal tower in 1807, the 86-foot-high wooden tower today affords an unbeatable view of Old Port, the harbor and Casco Bay.
If you’re hungry you won’t go wrong at Street & Company on Wharf Street in Old Port for fresh seafood—if it’s crowded you can eat at the bar. For a different atmosphere try Grace, a new restaurant in a 150-year-old Gothic Revival Church with soaring stained glass windows—the menu is American, the experience is unique. Fore Street Restaurant is only a block up from the water; with its wood-burning oven and a menu filled with Maine-centric seafood, meat and game, it has been praised by Gourmet. For a total change of pace, head for Becky’s Diner on the Commercial Street waterfront. A true diner, Becky’s opens at 4AM every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, so working lobstermen can have an early breakfast, and stays open until 9PM. Try the homemade chowder or, needless-to-say, the Fisherman’s Platter.
If this is your first trip to Portland, go 20 minutes up the road to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, an iconic Maine institution. You don’t need to hurry as Bean’s is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
CRUISER RESOURCES DOCKAGE
DiMillo’s Marina
1 Long Wharf
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 773-7632 • dimillos.com/marina
Maine Yacht Center 100 Kensington St.
Portland, ME 04103
(207) 842-9000 • maineyacht.com
Explore the Hampton Virginia port whose rich history includes both the famous and the infamous.
Hampton Roads Harbor is where the James River and Chesapeake waters mingle, and the ICW gets underway on the mid-Atlantic coast. At harbor’s entrance, the massive stone Fort Monroe lies to starboard with its “mini-me” Fort Wool to port. Daymarkers guide mariners past enormous ships of the Norfolk Naval Station to port. After a short jog to the north to flashing red “2”, the dogleg channel of the Hampton River leads to the very boat-friendly port of Hampton, Virginia which offers much in the way of history, boating facilities, and attractions. Over 400 years old, it is the oldest, continuous English-speaking settlement in the United States.
Forts Monroe and Wool protected Hampton Roads for many years. The famous 1862 Ironclad Monitor and Merrimac naval battle took place just offshore of Fort Monroe’s Old Point Comfort. Pocahontas was baptized at St. Joseph’s Church. Lincoln instated his Emancipation Proclamation at Hampton University, America’s first African American University, which has a fabulous museum.
Pirate Passing
Blackbeard Point is best known for the infamous pirate whose head was placed on a spike for all to see. As morose as that sounds, Hampton celebrates this event the end of May during the Blackbeard Pirate Festival as 50,000 marauders invade the streets. Restauranteur Carlyle Bland fills the streets with more contemporary events throughout the summer including rolling with the bulls and Tomatito with whiffle bat-wielding roller derby queens, Human Foosball, 1000-foot water slides, drag races with drag queens, and some 20 block parties. The 6th Annual Freaky Kon-Tiki River Raft Race takes place July 25th, and the longest-running powerboat race, the Hampton Cup Regatta, roars into town on Mill Creek August 8-9 with free admission for spectators, while the 33rd Annual Hampton Bay Days festival is September 11-13, a celebration of Chesapeake Bay through entertainment and art.
Fort Monroe. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Hampton History Museum. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Hampton Regatta Trophy. Photo Courtesy Nancy E. Spraker
“Bay Days” on the downtown Hampton waterfront. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Fort Monroe. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Paradise Ocean Club @ Fort Monroe Chesapeake Bay. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Flag of state of Virginia
Antique carousel in Hampton, Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
The Hampton Blackbeard Pirate Festival. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Hampton VA 6- Virginia Air & Space Center, Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Virginia Air & Space Center. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Hampton Coliseum. Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Chamberlain Hotel at Fort Monroe. Photo courtesy of Nancy E. Spraker
Stained glass depiction of Pocahontas’ baptism, Photo Courtesy Hampton CVB
Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel. Photo Courtesy Nancy E. Spraker
Historic Haunts
Even if you have alternate cruising plans for those dates, local historic sites provide insight throughout the year into our country’s beginnings. The Hampton History Museum is always a good place to start. Fort Monroe’s Casemate Museum offers free tours within the cannon rooms of the fort highlighting artillery advancements from the War of 1812 through the Civil War. Edgar Allen Poe served at Fort Monroe—the largest stone fort built in the U.S.—and Andrew Jackson was imprisoned there. A fun, three-hour voyage on the tour boat Miss Hampton II takes passengers to the tiny “crossfire” Fort Wool in the harbor. The double-decked boat serves reasonably priced cheeseburgers and cocktails at its snack bar and sails from Hampton Public Piers from mid-April through October.
A walking tour of Fort Wool conveys its years as an adjunct to Fort Monroe throughout several wars. (Private boats may dock at Fort Wool from May 1st through September, 9 AM to 5 PM.) Miss Hampton II captures a great view of the local waterfront plus up-close observation of Norfolk Naval Base activities. On one such voyage, for example, tugs urged a submarine into the open harbor, a warship chugged out of its dock and a blue-light security breach occurred when a cruiser ventured too close to the action. Miss Hampton top-notch narrator named every aircraft carrier in port.
Returning to the Hampton Public Piers, a genuine moon rock waits just a block away at the Virginia Air & Space Center. As a visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base, it’s an intriguing place to learn about space exploration with real spacecraft and hands-on exhibits. A 1903 Wright Flyer biplane and warplanes from several wars hover above visitors as flight simulators immerse all in the adventure of flight. The Little Wings play area allows the younger crew to build a plane, create an airport and climb into a cockpit. Several volunteers add knowledgeable tidbits just for the asking. A restored carousel sits just outside the center’s door.
What to do
Downtown Hampton Public Piers provides complimentary bicycles to visiting transients. (Docking stern-to is highly recommended due to its half finger piers). An Enterprise car rental facility is a few steps away for provisioning and exploring Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, or the Mariners Museum in Newport News.
A funky courtesy car from Venture Restaurant is also available for shorter trips. The Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel has a fine restaurant and bar, a fitness facility available to visiting cruisers, and the place is chock full of nautical décor including models of America’s Cup sailboats and the massive silver cup of the Hampton Regatta. Hotel rooms offer splendid harbor views of both pleasure and work craft underway, the Hampton University campus, ospreys, herons, and other seabirds.
Downriver, Bluewater Yachting Center’s full-service marina offers a complimentary shuttle service to downtown. It has two boatyards with complete indoor facilities, laundry, showers, a swimming pool, and the Surfrider Restaurant—order the crab cake served with an enormous broccoli head.
Both the expanding Hampton Yacht Club and the Old Point Comfort Yacht Club offer reciprocity arrangements for visiting members of other bona fide yacht clubs. The Hampton Yacht Club is situated on the Hampton River between Bluewater Marina and the Hampton Public Piers. Old Point Comfort Yacht Club uses the Old Point Marina at Fort Monroe and has a clubhouse. Paradise Ocean Club is a very active beach club with a restaurant, Tiki Bar, live music, a pool, and private beachfront. It’s an easy walk away from it and the newly opened restaurant Deadrise located within the marina. Rental bikes are available.
Local Knowledge
The commodore of Old Point Comfort Yacht Club, Bob Killebrew, provides helpful local knowledge. “There are no particular hazards in the waters of Hampton. The ship channel is 65 feet or more and average depth within the Roads is around 20 feet.” He adds that there are some bars to be aware of, but channels are well-marked with day beacons. Currents can be tricky past Fort Monroe during the outgoing tide (2-3 knots) and between forts when the tide is coming in and the river is flowing out. Local sailors avoid coming directly into the Hampton Bay Channel and “creep along the shore past Fort Monroe, then skirt around the corner into the Roads.”
There is substantial commercial traffic in the area that needs wide berth; call them on VHF channel 13 if you’re uncertain how or when to pass. Killebrew highly recommends obtaining Guide to Cruising the Chesapeake Bay and says there are many marinas and full-service boatyards but advises calling for information and reservations ahead of time. His favorite anchorages in the area are the Hampton River in Hampton near the Hampton Yacht Club, Mill Creek off Fort Monroe, and just off the Old Point Comfort Marina and his yacht club.
“In a few years, we expect the Fort Monroe-Hampton area to be a major destination for sail and power boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Sailing and boating on the Southern Bay are very close to an open-ocean experience, with the added attraction of great marinas and support facilities, historic sites and other rich and varied attractions ashore.
Bluewater Yacht Sales’ summer cruise is July 16-19 to St. Michaels Marina in Maryland. Events begin Thursday with registration and a docktail party, while Friday is a chance to spend the day exploring the walkable historic town including the exhibits at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Sea trials aboard one of Bluewater’s fleet of new vessels will be held on Saturday. The company offers sport fishing and motor yachts from Viking, Sabre, Grand Banks, Back Cove, Regulator, Jupiter, and others. Saturday’s activities conclude with a Cornhole Challenge and an Eastern Shore Feast in the upper level at Town Dock Restaurant.
bluewateryachtsales.com
Strengthening Mussels
Maryland’s DNR is asking mariners to be on the lookout for zebra mussels and to take precautions to prevent their spread. Biologists have found a steep increase in the invasive species during their monitoring efforts in the upper Chesapeake Bay. For the last three years, they have inspected marker buoys and anchors brought aboard the department’s buoy-tending vessel, A.V. Sandusky. The latest inspections found 35 times more attached mussels and colonized anchors compared to the year prior.
According to the DNR, in other places where they have been established, the zebras have out-competed native freshwater mussels, altered aquatic ecosystems and contributed to the rise of harmful algal blooms. Suggested measures to prevent the spread of zebra mussels include draining river water from boat motors, bilges, live wells, bait buckets, and coolers before leaving upper Chesapeake Bay locations, and rinsing boats and equipment with high pressure or hot water between trips to different water bodies.
Off-road on the OBX
Cruisers to North Carolina’s upper Outer Banks can enjoy another type of off-road excitement this summer. Corolla Jeep Adventures offers guided tours of the barrier island’s off-road area or you can rent a soft-top Jeep and drive yourself on a 25+-mile adventure. Guides and GPS coordinates are available to lead you to where wild horses are usually spotted. ATV tours and kayak combination tours are also available to access private trails and to interact with the local ecology. corollajeepadvantures.com.com
Fisherman’s Wharf
A fine destination off the beaten path in the northern Outer Banks area is Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant located in the village of Wanchese on Roanoke Island. The restaurant has been owned and operated by the Daniels family for 38 years and overlooks working commercial docks. All the fresh local seafood served in the restaurant comes from Wanchese Fish Company, which was established in 1936 and run by Malcolm Daniels. Shrimp season usually lasts from mid-July through September making Friday and Saturday mornings and lunchtime a great time to visit. Appetizers include shrimp dip, soups and salads followed by entrees of fried or broiled seafood.
Dock at the Outer Banks Marina, a full-service, modern marina with new floating dock slips able to accommodate vessels up to 70 feet.
By Christopher Knauss , Southern Boating magazine, July 2015
GOING GATSBY
This Long Island, New York, stopover is a must for summertime cruisers exploring the Northeast.
If you’re cruising east of New York City this summer, think about a stopover at Port Washington on Long Island’s North Shore. With its large marinas and mooring fields, waterfront restaurants and marine services, “Port,” as locals know it, is one of the major boating destinations on the East Coast. It’s worth a visit whether just for an overnight if you’re heading farther east, say to Newport, or even up to Maine, or as a destination in its own right. And it’s easy to get to. In fact, Port Washington is only about four miles east of the Throgs Neck Bridge, marking the entrance to Long Island Sound. “We like to say we’re Exit One on the Sound,” says Steve Wachter, the general manager of Brewer Capri Marina, a massive full-service waterfront complex in Port Washington.
An affluent, commuter suburb, Port Washington has a lot going for it. For openers, it’s a pretty spot where stately waterfront homes with long, sloping greenswards grace the shoreline, particularly on the western—or Great Neck—shoreline. When I lived there many years ago, we used to enjoy sailing by one that had his-and-hers seaplanes out in front. If Gatsby comes to mind, there’s a reason. Indeed, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his classic while staying in Great Neck, which he called West Egg, looking across the bay to Sands Point—the most affluent section of Port Washington—where his Daisy was staying in East Egg. If you want to indulge your Gatsby-type impulses today, there’s Rodeo Drive-type shopping only 15 minutes away by car, while Manhattan itself is only 36 minutes away by train.
The Port Washington peninsula was settled in the 17th century by Dutch traders and English farmers who originally called it Cow Bay, a name that didn’t sit well with residents as the town morphed into one of the most desirable sections of Long Island’s Gold Coast. Cow Bay became Manhasset Bay long ago, the entrance of which is wide, well-marked and easy to find. After cruising under the Throgs Neck Bridge, stay in the ship channel but keep an eye out for commercial traffic; there are a lot of large tugs and barges. Leave City Island on your port side and Stepping Stones light (46-feet-high) to starboard; in fact, stay well north and west of the light. Then pass north of G29 off Hewlett Point (it marks the tip of Great Neck), make a wide turn south and you’ll be the middle of the channel for Manhasset Bay. After about a mile you’ll pass G1, the entrance to Manhasset Bay, with Plum Point on your port side; that’s the tip of Sands Point (Gatsby’s East Egg). The waterfront section of Port Washington will now stretch out on your left side; the right side is Great Neck, and is almost all residential. Downtown Port Washington is straight ahead, with an eight-foot channel carrying all the way up to the large Town Dock.
The Brewer Capri Marinas, East and West, come first, and they form one of the largest waterfront facilities on the Sound. The two adjoining Capri East and West marinas have a total of 350 slips and welcome transients up to 175 feet. For information, call them on Channel 9 or 71. These are first-class, full-service marinas with high-speed fuel pumps for gas and diesel, four Travelifts, pump-out facilities, showers and laundry, and mechanics for all types of repairs. For casual dining, Capri West has Butler’s Clam Shack and a snack bar by the pool; Capri East offers waterfront dining on the pier at Marino’s, one of the best restaurants in port. They also offer golf carts and limo and car rentals for guests.
Heading farther into the bay, as you approach Toms Point watch for seaplanes; their landing area is clearly marked on charts. On summer weekends they come in low and often. Just past Toms Point you’ll see Manhasset Bay Marina, another large full-service facility with 285 slips; it too, welcomes transients and can handle yachts up to 110 feet. Contact them on Channel 9. Manhasset Bay Marina has a 75-ton Travelift and offers all repair services; it has the only other gas and diesel fuel dock on the bay, plus showers, laundry, pump-out, a ship’s store, and 24-hour security. Overlooking the marina is LaMotta’s Waterfront Restaurant for lunch and dinner, with live music on Friday nights during the summer and free dockage if you’re dining there.
Across from Toms Point is downtown Port Washington, with the large town dock. The water taxi is based there; call it on Channel 9 or (516) 767-1691. It offers launch service throughout the bay; one way costs $5 or $8 roundtrip from 8AM to midnight in season. In addition to a fleet of launches, the water taxi has a 47-foot Crosby for sunset or lighthouse cruises. If you’re in Port on a Saturday morning, check out the Farmers’ Market at the Town Dock from 8AM to noon for fresh organic foods, baked goods, flowers, and whatever else turns up.
Just south of the Town Dock is Louie’s Oyster Bar and Grille, one of the best-known waterfront restaurants (seafood specialties, but everything else, too) on Long Island. Louie’s opened in 1905 on a barge accessible only by boat under the name “Kare Killer.” Louie’s also has its own dock and can hold boats up to 50 feet with free dockage while dining there. Plan at least one lunch or dinner there, either inside or on the deck. Call on Channel 68.
Inspiration Wharf is just south of Louie’s, with some transient slips and moorings. You can rent kayaks there at Atlantic outfitters, pick up some handmade ice cream at Douglas & James, or enjoy a fine Chinese lunch or dinner at Dynasty. The Manhasset Bay Shipyard and the Manhasset Bay and Port Washington Yacht Clubs are a bit farther south.
If you just want to relax on shore, take in a free summer concert at the John Philip Sousa (a Port native) bandstand in Sunset Park on the waterfront downtown. Or visit the Sands Point Preserve, a 209-acre county park with nature trails and views of the Sound. Not to be missed is Falaise, which Harry Guggenheim (the philanthropist and former publisher of Newsday) built in 1923 based on a 13th-century French manor house.
There are small shops all along Main Street in Port, but if you’re a serious shopper get a cab and head for the Americana Mall—“The Miracle Mile”—just 15 minutes away in Manhasset. Think high-end Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, among many others. Gatsby would feel right at home. CRUISER RESOURCES
Cruise one of America’s Best Small Towns and feel your blood pressure fall.
A quintessential New England small town on the banks of the tree-lined Connecticut River, Essex is a mix of white-picket-fence charm and colonial history, all with a heavy nautical overlay. Six miles up the river from Long Island Sound, Essex offers some protected and picturesque coves, an inviting Main Street, and a boating-centric culture that makes visiting cruisers feel more than welcome. Indeed, Essex today has more transient moorings for boats than it does parking spaces for cars. And if Essex itself isn’t enough of an attraction—even though it’s on almost everybody’s list of Best American Small Towns—then head up the river another mile and drop the hook in Hamburg Cove, one of the most protected and alluring gunkholes on the East Coast, if not the entire U.S.
Like many other great cruising destinations in the Northeast, Essex is easy to get to. On Long Island Sound, about six miles east of Duck Island Roads off Westbrook you’ll see the Saybrook Breakwater Light. It’s 58 feet high and on the end of a 1,000-foot-long breakwater. The wide channel between it and the matching breakwater to the east leads north up the Connecticut River to Essex, and then another 40 miles or so to Hartford, the state capital.
After the breakwater you’ll pass two large, full-service marinas off to port—Saybrook Point Marina and Harbor One Marina—and in two miles you’ll reach the Amtrak train tracks on the Old Lyme Drawbridge, with a vertical clearance of 19 feet. Contact the tender on Channel 13. Just north of the drawbridge is the I-95 car bridge, but it has an 81-foot vertical clearance.
This part of the river is rich in history. The Algonquin Indians fished and farmed here until 1590, when the more warlike Pequots from the north drove them out. The first
European recorded to have landed here was Adriaen Block in 1614 after he had explored Block Island farther east. Over the years, the small village of Essex grew and prospered because of its protected location with access to both Long Island Sound and to the increasingly productive Connecticut heartland. Essex also became a major shipbuilding center; by the time the Revolution ended Essex had launched some 600 vessels for the patriots.
But it was the War of 1812 that put Essex in the history books, largely as a result of one of the British Navy’s most successful raids of all time. During the war, Essex shipbuilders were busy producing privateers that attacked British ships in the Caribbean and western Atlantic. The British sent some warships to attack the town, but they couldn’t get past the sandbar off Old Saybrook. So on the night of April 7, 1814, 137 British marines rowed the 6 miles up the river on 6 well-armed boats, arriving off Essex at 3AM. The British captain in charge told the villagers that if they did not fire on his men he would not harm them, but he did intend to destroy all the privateers. Within a few hours, the British had burned 27 ships before rowing back down the river. For the past 46 years, Essex has honored this event with an annual Burning of the Ships Parade, complete with period uniforms and a fife and drum corps.
Today, Essex (population 6,600) is a bastion of peace and tranquility. As you approach up the river, you’ll first pass the Essex Yacht Club and the Brewer Dauntless Marina on your port side, just north of marker R-26 in the middle of the Essex mooring field. Brewer has two first-class, full-service marinas in Essex. The first—Brewer Dauntless Marina—has 42 slips, a 150-foot fixed dock and 55 moorings with launch service. On your boat you’ll next pass the large Essex Island Marina—also a full-service facility—with 125 slips, a swimming pool and grills in a picnic area. Marley’s is a seasonal casual restaurant with carryout, plus breakfast and lunch all week and dinner on weekends. I’ve stayed at Essex Island Marina many times over the years, and when my children were younger they particularly enjoyed the 30-second ferry ride over the 20-yard passage to the mainland. Still heading north, the final marina is Brewer’s second facility in Essex—the Brewer Dauntless Shipyard—with 108 slips for boats from 20 to 100 feet, plus a swimming pool and all the usual first-class amenities. The Shipyard, as the name implies, is a major repair and maintenance operation.
Main Street is less than a five-minute walk from any of the marinas. You can’t go to Essex without at least stopping at the iconic Griswold Inn, which has been there since 1776. “The Gris” not only has a great taproom—rated as one of the best bars in America by Esquire—and restaurant, but it also has a major collection of marine art, with prints by Currier & Ives and Endicott & Co., and illustrations by Norman Rockwell.
For more casual dining, head up Main Street to the Black Seal Seafood Grille, one of my favorites, with a great bar (probably never mentioned by Esquire) and order a Dark and Stormy, a house specialty. The Black Seal also has memorable burgers, chili, and fish & chips, surrounded by fun nautical décor. If you want to pick up some delicious sandwiches or box lunches for the boat, go back down Main Street to Olive Oyl’s Carry Out Cuisine, a perfect spot for fast provisioning. In a white house almost next door, the Essex Coffee and Tea Company is the Essex version of a coffeehouse, with monthly displays by local artists. And if you want a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner with a waterfront view head back to Abbey’s Place just behind the Brewer Dauntless Shipyard.
When you’re through eating, walk down to the foot of Main Street to the Connecticut River Museum. You’ll find one of the best views of the river, great exhibits on shipbuilding and local geology, plus a full-size replica of the Turtle, the first American submarine, built by David Bushnell of nearby Westbrook in 1776.
For evening entertainment check out the Ivoryton Playhouse, a ten-minute cab ride away. Katharine Hepburn started there in 1931; it has also starred Eva Gabor and Marlon Brando. If you have more time, try the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, which starts at the 1892 Essex train station and heads along the shoreline to Deep River Landing, where you climb aboard the Becky Thatcher, a three-deck Mississippi River-style riverboat for a ride farther up the river.
Before you leave the Essex area, cruise just a mile upriver to Hamburg Cove, with a narrow entrance east of Brockway Island. Drop the hook and feel your blood pressure fall; this is one of the prettiest and best-protected boating spots around. If you want to explore, you can follow the green markers to the end of the cove and find Reynolds Garage & Marine, a small freshwater marina. Mind the channel. I’ve bounced off the bottom there in my Grand Banks 36 several times, but I wouldn’t miss Hamburg Cove for the world.
The Maritime Museum located in Deltaville, Virginia, on Mill Creek just off the Chesapeake Bay will host its Groovin’ in the Park Concerts on the fourth Saturday of each month from 5PM to 8PM through September. Groovin’ is the museum’s casual outdoor music series held on the stage at its waterfront park. Bring your own chair, cooler and picnic to Holly Point Park, and in the case of inclement weather, head inside to the new 300-plus-seat pavilion.
To get there by boat, upon entering Jackson Creek at the entrance of the Piankatank River, follow the Mill Creek entrance to the right just after passing green Day Marker #5. Holly Point Park offers walking paths, a kayak landing, waterfront pier, and picnic areas. The park is dog friendly, but pets should be on a leash.
Music Fest in Annapolis Eastport a-Rockin’ will return to the Annapolis Maritime Museum on Back Creek, June 20th from 11AM to 8PM. Three stages will host more than 25 bands featuring up-and-coming local bands with a wide range of styles including rock, folk, roots, blues, jazz, bluegrass, and funk. Attendees will also enjoy mouth-watering favorites such as local seafood, BBQ, gyros, shaved ice, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, smoothies, and coffee drinks. A kids’ area will offer moon bounces, face painters, tattoo artists, and other family-friendly activities.
Bryan at the Beach Due to overwhelming demand, country music fans have two opportunities this year to see Luke Bryan perform at the Farm Bureau Live amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He has performances scheduled for June 24th and 25th. The amphitheater is a short distance from transient docking options in the beach town’s inlets.
Sailing on the Elizabeth The annual Cock Island Race sponsored by the Portsmouth Boat Club offers sailors a fun racing activity—though not a CBYRA-sanctioned event—this month near the mouth of the Chesapeake. This year’s 28th annual race and pre- and post-race parties are scheduled for June 19-20 with registration due by June 17th. There will be “hardcore” monohull racing in Classes A, B, and C as well as PHRF Non-Spinnaker (single headsail) and a “softcore” class for non-rated boats. Race organizers have added a multi-hull class this year. The start/finish line is on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, just off the Portsmouth Seawall near Tidewater Yacht Marina. For more information and an entry form go to portsmouthboatclub.org.
Narrows Fireworks Return Fireworks return to the Kent Narrows this year for one of many Fourth of July celebrations along Chesapeake Bay waterways. County commissioners voted to reinstate the fireworks after they were cancelled in 2014 due to budget constraints. The Narrows is a boating mecca during the summer months with many dockside eateries in the slice of water that connects the lower Chester River with Eastern Bay. Festivities usually begin around 6PM on the waterfront grounds of Chesapeake Exploration Center, located on the northwest side of Kent Narrows off Piney Narrows Road.
Several South Carolina marinas and municipalities recently received sizable Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG), including the Charleston City Marina, HarbourTown Yacht Basin in Hilton Head, Bohicket Marina, the City of Beaufort, and Port Royal Landing Marina. The Charleston City Marina will upgrade its electrical facilities and add fuel hoses to transient slips with $34,698. HarbourTown Yacht Basin will upgrade its water infrastructure with $29,232. Bohicket Marina on Johns Island will use $833,120 to accommodate larger vessels with added dockage and high-speed in-slip fueling. It will also upgrade amenities and add a welcome center for transients. With $168,000, the City of Beaufort will build a floating transient day dock with ADA-compliant gangways. Port Royal Landing Marina will upgrade and widen its floating concrete pontoon docks, replace and update fuel dispensers, add ADA-compliant transient dock gangways, and provide in-slip pump-outs with $324,109. The BIG Program is funded through the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund. The “user-pay” system uses excise and import duties charged on fishing paraphernalia, motorboat fuel and recreational boats. It provides for the infrastructure for transient, non-trailerable recreational boats 26 feet and longer.
South Carolina also recently won $2.4 million from the federal government for dredging its Intracoastal Waterways. The ICW in other states will get help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well. The Florida ICW from Jacksonville to Miami received $600,000.
North Carolina The North Carolina State Ports Authority put Southport Marina on the market and plans to sell 11 more properties in order to concentrate on deep-water port operations in Wilmington and Morehead City. Southport Marina is a 42-acre property with a 15-acre boat basin, a marine services building, outside storage racks, a dry-rack storage building, wet slips, and extensive related amenities. Improvements and substantial local tax revenues are expected with privatization of Southport Marina.
Georgia New landmarks may soon guide mariners to Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia. Up to four 10kW turbines and one meteorological tower may appear at the coastal site of the University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography if Georgia Power’s project meets the university system’s approval. Each turbine can power a typical home. After July, turbines may collect data for one year and remain for two years, however, their noise and effect on birds and bats concern islanders.
Florida The Coast Guard reminds cruisers to not climb onto, tie off of, or anchor onto rickety historical reef lights in the Florida Keys. New safer structures with more reliable lighting equipment are currently replacing the old reef lights without their removal.
While in Florida, keep your eyes out for the largest solar-powered concrete boat Archimedes, a 50′ 20-ton displacement converted sailboat with a diesel engine that uses the sun as fuel. Captain Carter Quillen and First Mate Diane Eggers have racked up thousands of miles along Florida’s ICW in their totally sustainable boat. shipofimagination.com.com
Maine Yacht Center’s (MYC) secure facility is conveniently situated on a peninsula near downtown Portland that offers boat storage safe from any troubling summer winds or ocean swells. In the winter, boats can be kept inside the 60,000-square-foot heated space to ensure vessels’ safekeeping.
Additionally, a full-service crew of certified technicians is always on-hand at MYC. Certified by the American Boat and Yacht Council as well as the National Marine Electronics Association, the craftsmen regularly perform all services from seasonal maintenance to emergency repairs and refits of any size.
The marina at MYC is able to accommodate boats up to 150 feet with 80 slips and 400-feet of “along-side” tie-up dock space. Shore power is standard for indoor storage spaces and 100-amp single or 3-phase shore power is available for outdoor docking. Along with power supply, each slip has a locking dock box, water, Wi-Fi, and cable TV.
When you’re not on your boat, relax in the tastefully decorated lounge or take advantage of the many amenities such as updated bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities and kitchen. Before you leave make sure to utilize MYC’s ValvTect marine gas and diesel service, or stop by the onsite Watermark Yacht Sales office. No matter how you travel to MYC, there is ample parking for your car and your boat to fully ensure a great visit to Portland, Maine.
Maine Yacht Center.
Features:
• 60,000 sq. ft. indoor heated storage
• 30,000 sq. ft. outdoor storage
• 80 slips
• 400′ “along-side” tie-up
• Floating concrete breakwater
• 30-amp, 50-amp, & 100-amp single and 3-phase power
• Fenced-in lot
• 80-ton Travellift
• 80+ feet, 23-foot beam
• 16′ maximum draft
Services & Amenities:
• Locking dock boxes
• Free pump out
• Wi-Fi included
• Cable TV
• Crew lounge with new showers, heads, laundry and kitchen
• Inside car parking
• Free pump out
• Mechanical and electrical systems
• Electronics
• Paint
• Varnish
• Plumbing
• Refrigeration
• Carpentry
• Fiberglass repair and construction
• Advanced composite repair and construction
Contact:
Maine Yacht Center
100 Kensington Street
Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 842-9000 maineyacht.com
By Ana-Christine Cook, Southern Exposure June 2015
