What SUP in the Chesapeake?

Indoor boat shows and educational courses are great activities in the winter for those of us looking forward to warmer temperatures on the Mid-Atlantic coast.

You don’t have to be in the market for a boat to enjoy a boat show since show producers typically provide entertainment, educational seminars, and a multitude of displays with maritime information, products and services to peruse.

Every year, I take in the Baltimore Boat Show, and while the food’s not all that great in the convention center, the atmosphere inside is optimistic with shiny new boats, free giveaways, contests, and activities such as remote-controlled docking and virtual fishing. Kids build a toy boat and exercise their balance in the SUP zone along with parents. Mechanically minded folks learn to unclog a carburetor at Fred’s Shed. Across the street, at the Pratt Street Ale House, there’s plenty of good food and drink to be had. This year’s show in Baltimore runs January 26-29 with more than 300 boats from luxury cruisers to kayaks under one roof.

Other regional shows include the Bass and Saltwater Fishing Expo at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina, January 13-15. Over 100 local, regional and national companies will showcase tackle, rods and reels, apparel, maps, charters, sunglasses, boats, motors, electronics, knives, and so on. And there’s the Richmond Fishing Expo at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia, January 20-22. ncboatshows.com; baltimoreboatshow.com

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offerings

On January 28, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law an act to create the United States Coast Guard, a combination of the nation’s Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service. Today, the U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and one of its many missions is to educate the public on safe boat handling. How does it do that? The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary exists to support all U.S.C.G. missions except roles that require direct law enforcement or military engagement. As of 2015, there were approximately 32,000 members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Every year auxiliary members help save some 500 lives, assist 15,000 distressed boaters, conduct at least 150,000 safety examinations of recreational vessels, and provide cruiser safety instruction to more than 500,000 students. In total, the auxiliary and its volunteer efforts save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

If you’d like to gain some nautical know-how from experienced auxiliary members, find a course nearby by simply entering your zip code into the National Public Education Calendar Database, which holds and displays all the public education courses taught by auxiliary flotillas nationwide. Topics include GPS for Mariners, Weather and Boating, Weekend Navigator, Lines and Knots, and many more. Upon entering my zip code, for example, I found Sailing Skills and Seamanship, a class offered by Lynn Disque on Wednesday evenings from 6-9PM starting on January 25^th and running until April 12^th at the U.S.C.G. Station-Annapolis. The cost is $70, but many insurance companies offer discounts on boat insurance to anyone who successfully completes the course and can present a course-completion certificate. cgaux.org/boatinged/class_finder/index.php

By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating Magazine January 2017

Cherry blossom time along the Potomac

Predicting the exact dates the cherry trees will blossom in Washington is a challenge for even professional prognosticators, but an early bloom seems likely this year. The last time we saw an El Niño with this much influence on temperatures was in 1997 and 1998 when the blooms peaked the last week of March. According to the National Park Service, on average the peak occurs on April 4^th. A few things are certain: many, many pink blossoms will appear sometime, thousands of visitors will converge on the Tidal Basin to take in the magnificent sights, and the best way to see the show will be by boat.

In addition to the flowering showcase, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival features giant balloons, an energy-packed parade, music, a fashion show, sake tasting, kite flying, and much more.

The festival runs March 20^th to April 17^th this year, and if you’re lucky enough to stay for a while, bring layers of clothing, pants, and shorts as there’s no telling what to expect weather-wise.

As for docking preferences, the channel hosts three marinas: Gangplank Marina (202-554-5000, gangplank.com), Capital Yacht Club (202-488-8110, capitalyachtclub.com), and Washington Marina (202-554-0222, washingtonmarina.com). Call ahead or fill out their online reservation forms. While they don’t have fuel, these marinas all offer fine services. Another option is to anchor just off East Potomac Park.

Boats, gear, and experts

Before the cherry trees bloom, boats of all shapes and sizes appear in the Dulles Expo Center for the annual National Capital Boat Show, in Chantilly, Virginia. Dealers throughout Virginia and Maryland display their runabouts, saltwater fishing boats, ski boats, pontoons, deck boats, jet boats, jon boats, and PWCs during the show, which runs from March 11-13. Exhibits include marinas, boatlifts, floating docks, outboard and inboard motors, marine electronics, and more. Some experts will be there to answer questions and provide information on maintenance, repair, financing, insurance, and safety for the upcoming season on the Mid-Atlantic.

Market tested

A good place to pick up some bargains this month is the Boating & Fishing Flea Market hosted by the Poquoson Kiwanis Club in Virginia with help from the Bull Island Anglers club. This year’s market is Saturday, March 12^th from 8AM to 1PM, rain or shine. New and used boats, boating and fishing gear, nautical arts and crafts, and refreshments will be offered both inside and outside at the Poquoson High School. If you’re looking to find a fishing partner, the anglers club meets the fourth Monday each month at 7PM at Trinity United Methodist Church.

March fishing

Croaker and flounder typically begin biting this time of the year in Virginia’s salty waters. Croaker like to feast on peeler crab baits, bloodworms, squid, and shrimp and can be found in tributary rivers of the Chesapeake as well as the coastal ocean waters and inlets. Flounder will go after live bait (minnows and small fish), fresh strip baits (bluefish, flounder, shark belly, squid), and minnow/strip combinations as well as artificials such as bucktails and paddletail lures with spinners. Both species can be caught by drift fishing with natural baits fished on the bottom or by slow trolling baits on the bottom.

By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating Magazine March 2016

“Tie One On” at Prospect Bay

Anglers interested in learning successful techniques and materials used in fly fishing have a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s best fly anglers and tiers at this year’s Lefty Kreh TieFest at the Prospect Bay Country Club in Grasonville, Maryland. Even if you’re not into fly fishing, you can see the patterns that work effectively for landing fish such as striped bass, perch and trout. The Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland sponsors the event. Among other accomplishments, the nonprofit was instrumental in bringing back the yellow perch population in Chesapeake tributaries. The event is March 7th and activities run from 10AM to 9PM. ccamd.org

Norfolk resident sets world record in a dinghy

A personal achievement became a family achievement for 51-year-old Norfolk, Virginia, resident Robert Suhay when he set the world record for the longest single-handed sail in a dinghy by a male. This past November, Guinness World Records confirmed he had sailed 283.5 nautical miles (326.24 miles) in a journey that ended on July 2nd. In a story published in the Christian Science Monitor, his wife Lisa wrote “While he didn’t set out to do this, this voyage emerged as a father’s route back to a meaningful relationship with his sons—Zoltan, 20, Ian, 19, Avery, 15, and Quin, age 10. And that’s the real feat my husband accomplished.”

Robert began sailing at 5:08AM on Sunday, June 28th in a 14’15” Laser. Eighty-six hours later and far up the Patuxent River, he accepted a tow to Calvert Marina unsure if he had accomplished his goal. Suhay sailed without a chase boat and rough conditions created by Hurricane Arthur forced him to zig-zag across the Chesapeake Bay in order to outrun the storm. Effects of the hurricane knocked out his communications early in the journey and later prompted the U.S.C.G. Mid-Atlantic Division to eventually stop his record attempt short of home. But data from a GPS in his life jacket pocket proved that he had sailed the record distance. A complete and, at times, gripping personal account of his journey is available at robertsuhay.com.

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Gulf Stream Fishing

Captain Ernie Foster will talk about the origins of Gulf Stream sport fishing off the North Carolina Coast during a presentation at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras April 7th. Foster made his first trip to the Gulf Stream in 1951, and his father, the late Captain Ernal Foster, had the first charter boat in North Carolina built specifically for deep-sea fishing. The free presentation will include vintage photographs and vintage fishing tackle along with historically accurate information from a true waterman. For more details, call the museum at (252) 986-2995 or visit ncmaritimemuseums.com.

Back Bay Project

A developer is moving forward with a proposed marina project near Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach. Doug Wilkins applied for the permit for the marina (64 members-only slips) and a boat ramp, which would be located off Sandpiper Road in Sandbridge, near the Baja Restaurant. However, the project faces challenges as biologists and supporters of the refuge believe the marina will be detrimental to the wildlife and vegetation that flourish in the area. The Army Corps of Engineers is currently working on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.

By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating, March 2015