Considering a move to Maryland

[bruceyp]

My wife and I are considering moving to Maryland, as my job is moving to Aberdeen. One of the positives of course would be sailing our CC 29 on the Chesapeake. We are unfamiliar with any of the areas though, and would appreciate some input. Where are your favorite sailing places, clubs, rivers, etc, in the northern Chesapeake? Is the Bush River the place to be? The Gunpowder? Up near North East? Is Water depth a problem for a 4 foot draft? What is the water quality like? Do you need to worry about that? I don't fish that much but do you have to worry about eating what you catch?
What are your favorite things? What are your concerns?
Thanks for anything that you can share.
Bruce

[CaptainForce]

Bruce, We think the nicest place close to Aberdeen Prooving Grounds for keeping the boat and sailing would be Havre de Grace. I's a nice little town with active sailors and an excellent city marina as well as Tidewater Marina. Both of these offer good storm protection. Depths are great for fout feet in the local daysailing area and then there's an easy channel to get out to more of the open bay. Check the charts, 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by CaptainForce

Bruce, We think the nicest place close to Aberdeen Prooving Grounds for keeping the boat and sailing would be Havre de Grace. I's a nice little town with active sailors and an excellent city marina as well as Tidewater Marina. Both of these offer good storm protection. Depths are great for fout feet in the local daysailing area and then there's an easy channel to get out to more of the open bay. Check the charts, 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

H'dG is a cool town but if you're free to choose where you live, I'd pick somplace south of Aberdeen/HdG and keep the boat further down the bay. Hving a boat in HdG to me would be like having a boat on a lake. There is a nice area to day sail, but its a looooong skinny channel to what most of us know as the Chesapeake.

Once you've enjoyed the near limitless possiblities of the wider Chessy, the area around HdG would seem pretty confining.

[CaptainForce]

Originally Posted by midlifesailor

............... but its a looooong skinny channel to what most of us know as the Chesapeake.
Once you've enjoyed the near limitless possiblities of the wider Chessy, the area around HdG would seem pretty confining.

Midlifesailor is correct, but to be clear, the long skinny channel is five miles to the open deeper bay and none of it is "skinny" for a vessel with a 4' draft. This isolation from the rest of the bay also means that you are in low salinity water and without the troublesome jellyfish. As said, check the charts and match your location with your needs. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[SVAuspicious]

With 4' draft you should be fine pretty far North.

I suggest that William Shellenberger's "Cruising the Chesapeake, A Gunkholer's Guide" would be a good investment. You can find the sort of places that suit your style of sailing. Unfortunately my loaner copy is out or I'd mail it too you.

[bruceyp]

Thanks for the info. And others please chime in. But I guess I will show my lack of knowledge by asking" what does "aythya crew" mean?
Bruce

[T37Chef]

Um, lots of choices. If it were me, I might consider Middle River, there are lots of marinas there so it keeps the slip cost competitive and plenty of water depth. The lower salinity keeps out the jellyfish if you enjoy taking a dip once and while (Hart & Miller is a nice place to clean the bottom of your boat BTW)

On the down side; There are a lot of power boats on the river and on the weekends its gets pretty choppy, also you will find a considerable amount of crab pots at the mouth and near Hart & Millers Islands.

My Aunt and Uncle lived in Aberdeen and kept their Bristol 35.5 at Maryland Marina off Middle River and loved it there. Not much on the Bush or Gunpowder for sailboats, and its not unusual for Aberdeen Proving Grounds to close off the rivers (Bush and/or Gunpowder) when they are testing.

[CaptainForce]

Originally Posted by bruceyp

Thanks for the info. And others please chime in. But I guess I will show my lack of knowledge by asking" what does "aythya crew" mean?
Bruce

'No knowledge missing here! Aythya is the name of our ketch and we are the crew. Just a simple closing. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[chef2sail]

We live in the Whitemarsh/ Parkville area about 15 minutes from Aberdeen and keep our boat in Rock Creek on the Patapsco about 35 minutes away.

This a central location which you can take a days sail and get to anywhere in the northern Chesapeake ( Middle River, Sassafras River, Bohemia River, Still Pond, Worton Creek), anywhere on the Chester River (Langford Creek, Cackaway, Greys Inn Creek, Corsica Rivers) St Micheals, anywhere south (Annapolis, Severn River Magothy River, Whitehall Bay, South, West and Rhode Rivers. This means these are great weekend anchorages.

There are also days you cannot sail the Bay as it is to windy..rough, but you can cruise the Patapsco up to Inner harbor. Rock Creek means you can put your sails up 5 minutes from the dock and are never really worried about "skinny water". We are virtually on the corner of the Bay and the River so there is no extra time getting out to the Bay.

My next choice would be Middle River

[CaptainForce]

We also like Rock Creek. This is a favorite spot for us!