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jhspear



Joined: 10 Sep 2013
Posts: 15
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Obsession
Photos: Obsession
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:10 pm    Post subject: Northern Chesapeake Bay Reply with quote

My wife and I met many years ago near Havre de Grace which is where the Susquehanna empties into the Chesapeake. We are thinking of trailering our C-22 out there next September for a couple of weeks. Anyone have any experience to share or suggestions regarding cruising that area? The distances to Baltimore and Annapolis are not great, nor is the Eastern Shore. The downside, of course, is that it is the beginning of hurricane season.
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"You are on the C-Brat website again? This is an obsession!" And thus the boat had a name.
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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3358
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haven't been to Harve de Grace yet, but we do launch out of Sandy Point St. Park (just north of Annapolis) a number of times per year.

We've been to St. Michaels, Chestertown, Cambridge, Tilghman Island, Rockhall, Baltimore Inner Harbor and a few other places.

ActiveCaptain is your friend.

PM me if you have any questions.
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ken35216



Joined: 12 Mar 2013
Posts: 569
City/Region: Destin, Florida
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2017
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lady Onyx
Photos: ken35216
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ssobol wrote:
few other places.

ActiveCaptain is your friend.

.


Even though they just got bought our by GARMIN I'm still going to add to it as it benefits us all when I do. I'm using it right now and appreciate everyone that adds to it.

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2007 25 Cruiser 150 Suzuki (2013-2016)

2017 25 Cruiser 200 Yamaha (2017-present)
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Pat Anderson



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 8551
City/Region: Birch Bay, WA
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Daydream
Photos: Daydream and Crabby Lou
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ken35216 wrote:


Even though Active Captain just got bought out by GARMIN I'm still going to add to it as it benefits us all when I do. I'm using it right now and appreciate everyone that adds to it.


Garmin Blue Chart Mobile, which has Active Captain support, has been orphaned, so unless you own a Garmin chart plotter compatible with the new Garmin Active Captain app, you are out of luck. I am now using Aqua Map for the iPad, which uses NOAA charts, has Active Captain support, and is under active development to improve it. At $20 with free lifetime chart downloads, it is a great buy, and I think it is the one to watch, as there seems to be a commitment to continual improvement of its capabilities.

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DAYDREAM - CD25 Cruiser
CRABBY LOU - CD16 Angler (sold 2020)
Pat & Patty Anderson, C-Brat #62!
http://daydreamsloop.blogspot.com

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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20778
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually this the height of the hurricane season ( July thru November ). But forecasting is good enough & the chance of a storm there is very low. I have only sailed thru this area, but should be fun to explore. The water should be warm and pleasant weather! Watch for thunder storms. Have fun!
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Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
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Home port: Pensacola FL
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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3358
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use MxMariner for android on a tablet and a phone. You can download NOAA charts and the ActiveCaptain db and operate it offline.
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designbug



Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Posts: 61
City/Region: Annapolis
State or Province: MD
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Bella II
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

September is a great time to explore the Chesapeake, especially after Labor Day when there is less boating traffic. I've been boating out of Annapolis for the past ten years and hurricanes/tropical storms are few and far between.
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dotnmarty



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 4196
City/Region: Sammamish
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1993
C-Dory Model: 16 Angler
Vessel Name: LIZZIE II
Photos: Lizzie
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

after visiting Baltimore, Annapolis and the Easter Shore spots, take the C&D canal to the Delaware river and visit the wonders of Philadelphia. So easy to do and so much to see.
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"...we're all in the same boat..."
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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3358
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dotnmarty wrote:
... to the Delaware river and visit the wonders of Philadelphia. So easy to do and so much to see.


How far up the Delaware river can one go in a C-Dory sized boat? Looks like there is a lot to see above Philly.
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dotnmarty



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 4196
City/Region: Sammamish
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1993
C-Dory Model: 16 Angler
Vessel Name: LIZZIE II
Photos: Lizzie
PostPosted: Mon Dec 18, 2017 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can go up to just south of Trenton, NJ.
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Rcbeach



Joined: 30 Oct 2012
Posts: 59
City/Region: Ocean Pines
State or Province: MD
C-Dory Year: 2014
C-Dory Model: R-25 Tug
Vessel Name: DreamChaser
PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sandy Point State Park is a great place to put in. It only cost a couple dollars to get in and they don’t charge for storage of your rig. It is centrally located for many interesting places to visit: Annapolis, Baltimore, Rock Hall, Chesterton, St. Michaels, Oxford, etc. Also if you like to anchor out there are many protected creeks and coves in the area.

September is still a good month to visit. The cold fronts that are absent mostly in the summer months begin in September which can Kickup the wind and make it uncomfortable on the Bay. Just keep an eye on the weather and if a front is forecast position yourself on one of the many rivers and continue boating. As far as hurricanes are concerned the season starts in June. Mid September is peak and we have had our share of tropical systems on the Bay over the last decade. The good news is that forecasting will provide you with plenty of warning to get your boat on the trailer and get out of the way.

Have a great time next year.
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robhwa



Joined: 04 Dec 2013
Posts: 272
City/Region: Anderson Island
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Marcia C
Photos: Problemadela
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:01 pm    Post subject: Northern Chesapeake Bay Reply with quote

I was born in Havre de Grace and grew up in Harford County. Some of my earliest memories are of catching "rock" (Striped Bass), crabs and body booting for geese and ducks in the Bay and on the Susquehanna flats. September is prime time for crabs, as they have migrated to the upper Bay by then. The water is still warm. Hurricanes are rare here but they can occur. Frankly, as far as I am concerned September is probably the nicest time to be there, smaller crowds, restaurants and marinas open but not crowded, etc.

All of the suggestions are good, and there are many places you can stay on the hook for free. Beware of Aberdeen Proving Ground in the north Bay, as there are restrictions. If you want to stay in north Bay, Rock Hall and Eastern Neck are great. You can buy a net and use a string and chicken neck to catch enough crabs to enjoy them. Bush River is excellent for crabs, as is the Elk River and Chester. Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge offers a lot of shallow water where you can wade and scoop crabs up, and lots of tidal areas with grass where you can find softshell crabs. A softshell sandwich is quite a treat.

If you moor near Eastern Neck, look for a very large squirrel, about twice as big as a regular one. This is a "Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel".

Further south you have lots of interesting places. For nature and birds Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is unbelievable with the concentration of birds in September, though I have paddled mostly in a kayak as it is thick with vegetation as well. You might check with the park people about a C-Dory. You could certainly head up the Nanticoke River at least as far as Vienna and see much the same.

Going through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is fun, but watch for large boats as it is relatively narrow and busy. Shaeffer's Canal House near the entrance just up from the Elk River is a popular place and you can actually get seats in September, mooring your boat just outside. My guess is that you can go way up Delaware Bay, but you should visit Lewes Delaware, and Cape Henlopen Park if you like fishing and nature. Take a "head boat" at Lewes, Delaware, and eat at the restaurant near the marina. You can moor you boat at the city dock.

You can get into Rehobeth Bay by the Waterway. Again, phenomenal birds in September as many are migrating through. Cape May in New Jersey should have millions of migrating birds by then that crossing from Cape May to Cape Henlopen on their way further south. Millions of Canada and Snow Geese will fill the water and the air.

And you can catch a few crabs with a string tied to a chicken neck and a small net just about anywhere. I traded the Chesapeake for Puget Sound 30 years ago, also trading blue crabs for Dungeness crabs, but I expect "Problemadela" will make it out there in the near future.

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Anderson Island, WA
2003 22 Cruiser "Mar-C"
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