Hello everybody

[GlenDC]

I live in the Montgomery county and I am buying my first trailable sailboat. I plan to keep it somewhere on Chesapeake bay (who needs Potomac if the bay is about 40 min to drive) and since commute to the bay roughly is the same for me (except nasty Saturday mornings in the summer on the Route 50 east) I can choose either Baltimore or Annapolis / Bay Bridge or may be little bit south or Kent Island. I do not plan any racing -- just relaxing sailing trips with occasional overnights, fishing and crabbing, and restaurants. Just go with the wind and drop anchor if it's getting dark. My question is which part of the Bay would you recommend - north, Bay Bridge, south? Priorities being: crabbing, fishing, overnight-friendly marina with a shop that sells beer, restaurants...

[T37Chef]

Glen,

Welcome to Sailnet and congrats on the boat. I live in Rockville, so we're neighbors as well.

Is this your first boat? What do you already know about the Chesapeake?

I'd recommend you purchase the "Guide to Cruising the Chesapeake Bay" 2007 EDITION-GUIDE TO CRUISING CHESAPEAKE BAY $35.96 BY CHESAPEAKE BAY MAGAZINE'S - (800) 596-7245 .

You really cant go wrong anywhere on the bay. But the Northern bay may be a good start. Its easy to duck into a creek if the weather kicks up something nasty or you need to refill ice for the beer at anchor.
Watch out for ship traffic and there seems to be a insane amount of crab pots out there this year (and it seems they're just dropping them in no order at all but that another topic) There is so much to offer and the vast differences between places like Baltimore Inner Harbor, St Michaels/Oxford, Swan Creek, and the Sassafras, etc. you will have lots o fun.

Are you planning to keep the boat on the trailer? or a marina?

[GlenDC]

I plan to keep my board at a fenced yard on her trailer very close to Gunpowder State park. There is a marina in the park (do not remember its name). I bought old 21' pocket cruiser (Clipper Marina with swing keel) to learn how to sail before buying something bigger and newer. Most probably it will be Macgregor 26M with 50hp. Yes, I know that it's a powerboat with sails rather than a sailboat with OB but I have two sons who do not care about sailing but want a powerboat.

I am new to sailing sailboats although I have been actively windsurfing for a couple years. I took classes at Washington Sailing Marina and have been a member of Sailing Club of Washington for a year. I did not renew my membership in the club for few reasons -- 1. you can not go under the bridge without a motor so the sailing area is restricted between two bridges, 2. as I said Chesapeake is just 20 min farther than Potomac 3. I want to escape from the city not stay in the city. 4. it will take a couple years to get keel boat skipper license in SCOW but I want to sail now. So I decided to buy my own boat.

Thanks for the link I definitely buy the book.

[T37Chef]

Originally Posted by GlenDC

I plan to keep my board at a fenced yard on her trailer very close to Gunpowder State park. There is a marina in the park (do not remember its name).

Dundee Creek...becareful the depth back there can be 2'. I have hit bottom on a bow rider before...beautiful though.