Newby "wannabe/still shopping" cruiser

M

mpk19

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Joined
Aug 14, 2010
RO Number
32249
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10
Greetings All! My wife and I, Admiral from what I've read so far, are looking to move into an express cruiser (27-30') from a small fish and ski. We just came back from a week in Cape Charles and I spent many hours getting tossed about in my 18 footer, but loved every minute of it!

We live in NJ and hope to rent a slip north of Philly. We would love to explore the C&D canal and Chesapeake area. A short overnight here and there, branching out as we gain more experience.

I have so many questions and as I get older, I learn that my expectations do not always match reality. I feel pretty good about the boat size and type I would be comfortable with but have many questions about daytrip ideas, overnighters and length of cruises.

I would love to plan a cruise from Tullytown area to Baltimore, Annapolis and other areas of the Chesapeake. Google earth shows the distance, but what are the realities time wise? With calm weather and the right currents what can I expect?

I am spending this fall and winter searching for the right boat, taking some classes (Basic Skills and Seamanship this September, basic navigation and charting later) and visiting marinas. We hope to begin our adventures next spring.

I would love to hear from others who travel these waters. Stories, experiences, encouragement or warnings would be great!
 
Well from Tullytown (Garbage Mountain) I'd do it this way (naturally, all depends on boat speed and overnight preferences) Leave Tullytown and cruise south, into the C&D and get a slip for the night at the Chesapeake Inn in Chesapeake City. Dinner either at the Inn, or if you want crabs and something more casual, wander over to The Tap Room. Next, make the trip to the Baltimore Inner harbor. Two nights is a slip at one of the Inner Harbor marinas is enough to see the sights there, visit the National Aquarium, lunch at the Hard Rock and enjoy at least one dinner at a good restaurant in Little Italy. Leave Baltimore and cruise to Annapolis. Depending on what you want to do there your can plan one overnight or two. Too many choices to list in Annapolis but do get an opportunity to sip on at least one Pain Killer at Pussers'... its a right of passage. If you don't plan on operating any motorized equipment for a while you can order a Level 4... otherwise stick to a Level 2. Now, leaving Annapolis head north to Rock Hall for a night. See the town and do dinner at Watreman's (crabs again???). From Rock Hall it's a full day run back to Tullytown.

Enjoy!
 
Mike,
If you are planning overnight trips I would lean toward the 30' boat. You will wish you had once you start bringing all your gear and friends. I would get the largest boat you can afford, you will not be sorry! I would also make sure it is a twin engine boat.

The Chesapeake offers a tremendous amount of opportunity to cruise. It is endless and has enough choices to keep you going for a long time. Depending on where you live you may want to bring your boat a little farther south. You will save the cost difference in fuel and time on the water. I would try from any of the northern rivers to the C&D canal. places like the Bohemia, Sassafrass, North East Md. etc. They are all great boating areas and all your destinations you talk about are within an hr. or 2 of those locations. that way you can do short weekend runs or even day trips.

As far as experiences, We have endless memories of great days on the bay. We have traveled the entire bay and never get tired of it. This year we went to the Rappahanak which is just south of the Potomac, then up the James River to Kingsmill resort, then to Crisfield and also the Hyatt in Cambridge. We had several boats from our yacht club so it was a great time for everyone involved.

The only thing you need to watch is the winds! a strong Northerly or Southerly wind can creat good size chops on the bay. We have been in 6'plus seas so it can get very uncomfortable. The good news is that there are many rivers and estuaries that you can cruise even in strong winds. They are usually tucked away so you can find calm waters to cruise in. Or just stay at your marina, there are many resort type facilities that can keep you busy even during bad weather.

Let me know if you have other questions! This site has many experienced boaters that can chime in if you have questions about a particular marina or port..
 
As Van says, the cruising choices on the Chesapeake Bay are only limited by your time, money, imagination and the weather. Many Delaware River boaters have relocated their boats to marinas on the Upper Chesapeake after one cruise there. Hey,after crusing the Chesapeake for years we're in the process of moving our entire lives to the Eastern Shore.
 
Thanks, Van for all the information. Eventually I plan on making it farther south for a homeport, but right now I have to stay closer to home. I have one of those "gifted youth athletes" who spends spring and summer playing baseball. We are at the age where we will be balancing boating time with sports time. If next years schedule is anything like this years, it will be mostly single overnighters with one or two extended trips thrown in. We need to be close enough to get their for time on the water.

My wife and I would eventually love to end up with a boat your size, but right now we just can't equalize the cost with the amount of time we would be able to spend aboard. (My wife keeps making sense which is driving me crazy!) My answer to that was to downsize to something that may be a little more affordable and gain some experience on the water. Will we regret not going bigger, probably from what I've read, but will we kick ourselves for spending so much and not using it?

Their are so many questions! These forums are great and I am reading, reading, reading to try and learn as much as possible. I love the water, but I realize an 18' fish/ski is a big difference from a cruiser. I plan to take advantage of all the courses offered this fall/winter and be as informed as possible. Thanks again!
 
Mike,

Our first trip to the Eastern Shore was great! Cape Charles is a hidden gem. We spent some time alot of time on the water and experienced some rough chop. I loved it, but needless to say my wife was a little worried. W

We docked at the Bay Creek Marina for dinner at the Aqua Restaurant. The best feeling in the world for me is slowly cruising in to dock for dinner, I absolutely love it! Other than getting my credit card skimmed at the restaurant we had a great week.

I can easily see myself making a life on the water somewhere along the Eastern Shore.
 
Mike,
I also boat in the Delaware river (Yo, Mikee - Garbage Mt? It's Mt. Trashmore). We are at Neshaminy State Park. I agree with the destinations above although I would include Failee Creek on a weekend. As far as time, all mentioned in Mikee's post are very doable in a long weekend (not in the same weekend). To give you an idea we cruise at about 28 mph and it takes 2 1/2 hours to get to Chesapeake City. We typically stay the night then go to Fairlee Creek which is about another hour. Tack on another 1.5 to 2 hours and we are in Annapolis. We have done the Thursday to Monday gig a few times. Loads of places to just put the hook out and enjoy a night under the moon (maybe not the kids though).
Annapolis and Baltimore are fine anytime of the week but some of the "off the beaten track" stops are dead during the week Fairlee Creek being one of them. You could make a career out of the Chesapeake. It's a great place to boat.
 
Thanks, Maxumma. I'm excited about getting started, but trying not to let my excitement cloud my judgement on a new boat!
 
You may want to consider a 24-26 foot single engine cruiser or cuddy cabin, which you can trailer. If you don't have a ton of time, but are interested in cruising some different waters, trailer boating can't be beat. Leave your house first thing in the morning, trailer down to the elk,bohemia, or sassafras. Spend the day on the bay and boat is back in your driveway at 9:00pm - leaving the other half of the weekend free, as opposed to making a 2-3 day trip everytime you want to head somewhere.
 
Mike,

You've gotten good advice already. All I can add is that i have a 25' cuddy cruiser and I keep it on the Delaware. I've made the trip on the water down to Chesapeake City many times. I also have a trailer - I take severel trips a season down to the Chesapeake...I usually will use a ramp near Havre de Grace and take it from there down to Fairlee Creek, Baltimore, and other destinations. Let me know if I can help.
 
Thanks, alk and Bobh. I am taking all this into consideration. I was originally going to trailer all the time, but for some reason trailering the boat makes my wife very uncomfortable. She doesn't like it when we take the 18 on long trips now. She was the one that suggested keeping it at a marina as a home base and driving there.

Alot of things to work out. Now that I am actively looking, I am finding some limitations in the smaller cruisers due to my height. I am over 6'. I absolutely loved a Monterey 250, but it was way to small inside for my height, where the Sea Ray 270 was very comfortable for me. Tomorrow I am going to look at an 04 Chaparral 290 Signature. I am excited to see what that is like inside and out. I've read some good things about the boat and some bad about the gel coat cracking.

There are so many options and configurations and boats on the market to look at! I am trying to stay in the right frame of mind. It will happen when it is meant to happen. I compare it to the home we live in now. We looked at hundreds of homes, but knew the first time we stepped foot inside this one that it was right for us. I am hoping the same will come along with the cruiser.

Until then, thanks for all the feed back and please keep it coming. I learn a little with each post!
 
Atlantic City Boat show is the weekend after Labor Day, Annapolis show in October. You may want to hit one or both of them, great chance to see onboard hundreds of boats.
 
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