Plans for summer cruising!

We will be in Crisfield with 13 boats. I am sure we will make our own party. This group likes to have fun. Most of our 2 week trip is going to be very busy so I am looking forward to laying by the pool and relaxing for a couple of daysbefore heading back.

From what I understand Sommers cove just had quite a bit of work done.
 
You'll be fine with a group. The pool exists, that's for sure. There's just not much to do in the town other than eat at a handful of restaurants and get some ice cream at the little shop with the artwork for sale.
 
Thanks for the replys and correction, yes, Chesapeake City. That would be my first stop.

That is some good info about the Cape May Canal. I have never been down to the northern Chesapeake or the rivers but I keep hearing good things and I might make the changer from Jersey Shore to the Bay. Seems to be so much more conducive to cruising.

Any recomendations of a marina to call home? I would be driving from Phila suburbs. I get e-mails and mail from a placed called SkipJack cove marina in Georgetown all the time. Looks nice. any comments, good or bad.

Alk, yes those are my same stops, Corsons Inlet or Townsends Inlet beach. Ocassionaly making the trip up to the cove behind the parkway and Somers Point going towards Tuckahoe river. Good party spot.

Scott, no date yet for the trip. Where in Avalon are you docked?
 
cassy..
We were longtime slipholders at Skipjack Cove until we decided to build a house down that way. Several others here are still active slipholders and I'm certain they will give you their $0.02 as well as those at other marinas on the Upper Bay. My comments pertain only to SJC.

IMO, SJC is one of the cleanest and nicest properties on the Upper Bay and the Sassafras River is the prettiest tributary you will cruise on. SJC is clean, well kept and has all the amenities short of a beach. The large pool, high on a hill with an incredible view of the Sassy negates any thoughts of missing a beach. The main bathrooms have multiple "private" bathrooms with toilet, sink and shower which are clean and air conditioned. The management does (for the most part) monitor the grounds and the slipholders well. The restaurant, Signals, while lacking some ambiance (sp?) does offer a diverse menu and the crab cakes made by the manager, Steve, were recently listed as one of the Best of the Bay by readers' voting in Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Finally, the Sassy has several great anchorages within easy reach of the marina including the infamous "$1.98 Beach", so named because you can get there on just a $1.98 worth of gas (maybe $3.98 in today's price). Also, Lloyd's Creek, Back Crrek (behind Knight's Island)and Ordinary Point offer safe anchorages with clean, nettle free water. A bit further away and south, around the point at Betterton, is Still Pond Creek... but don't tell anyone... our secret! ;)

Ok, that was the good stuff. Now the less than stellar things, again, IMHO. While the fuel dock is easily accessable at SJC, the price of fuel there is rarely a bargain. They used to offer a 5% discount to slipholders... no more. They charge for pumpouts at the fuel dock.. was $5.00 but someone else will need to confirm if that's still the cost. Pumpouts at your slip are only accomplished during the week by the dock staff with a portable pumpout machine, must be scheduled in advance and they ain't cheap! $25 seems to stick in my mind. I was never a fan of the service department at SJC due to the attitude, apparent lack of a really great mechanic and cost... the first time I used their service department was the last time. Fortunately, Duffy's Creek Marina is next door and, IMO, has a very good and affordable service department. Finally, while the management of SJC can be applauded for keeping the place in top shape, that same attitude does limit the slipholders' freedom somewhat. For an example, if you want to have a dock box you must rent it from SJC. This keeps the docks clean and looking uniform so I never had a problem with it but that does bother others. If your slip area gets sloppy you'll hear from management. That's just an example but, IMO, these things help everyone enjoy the place.

Well, I've used enough bandwidth on this and other will chime in with more info on all the Upper Bay choices, so, standby. I'll just close by saying that you need to take a roadtrip for a weekend and visit places like Georgetown, Rock Hall and Kent Island. You'll see not only a wide variety of marina choices but, also, why so many of us have found our way to the Chesapeake Bay and never regretted not looking back.

Enjoy!
 
I agree with Mike that SJKM is one of the nicest on the Bay! He would know more about the services, I have not experienced them. My only concern about the Sassafrass is its location. It does have several nice anchorages but to leave the river you are 8 miles to the Bay. If you like to travel then it is a pretty good haul to most any port. The best thing about the Chesapeake is its diverse cruising towns. From Balt, Annapolis, Rock Hall, St. Michaels and many more. If you like visiting those areas then you will be using allot of fuel. I prefer the Rock Hall area and south. You are near most of the great cruising destinations and have great ammenities in most of the marinas

It is a personal choice as to where you want to be but I would check out all of them!
My .02
 
I'm with Van. We're across the bay from Rock Hall, (I always think it's funny to walk around a Rock Hall marina - Haven Harbour is probably my favorite - and see nothing but PA and NJ plates in the parking lot...very few MD boaters on that side), and that part of the Chesapeake is a great location. For most power boats it's about an hour to Baltimore or Annapolis and less than that for a great number of anchorages. And as Van said, check all the options out while you're here.
 
As long as your boat is in the 35+ range, Skipjack is one to consider. Reason I say that is that they charge by slip size, and their smallest slip is listed at 33 feet. If you're in a 26 footer, you pay about 50% more per foot than someone in a 65 footer. And I rarely see anyone comment positively about their service department, or their service in general.

Coming from the Phila suburbs, the Sassafras can't be beat; but you should also look at the Bohemia, and Fairlee Creek. Probably the only thing I don't like about the Sassafras is that I often find myself wishing the marina's weren't so far 'up river' - although there is a benefit of that, as you can spend the whole day on a calm river on those windy days when the bay is a choppy mess.

You will be able to find places closer to your home, such as Chesapeake City, Elkton, Locust Point. While there are plenty of very nice facilities up there - I've always avoided that area. It seems even on the calmest of days, the water from the mouth of the canal down past Turkey Point is always brutally rough due to the boat traffic - and you are to far north to make short day trips to Baltimore, Kent Narrows, Hart Miller Island, and all of the other places we usually go. If I ever moved from the Sassafras, I would consider going south, as I'd like to spend some time on the Chester river - but North doesn't interest me as much. Fairlee Creek also is one we are considering - great looking place, close to Baltimore, Kent, even Annapolis.
 
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