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.
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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