under Under $5k a year possible on Chesapeake Bay?

[travlineasy]

While the middle bay (Point Lookout, Smith Point, Reedville, Tangier Sound) areas of the bay provide some fantastic sailing opportunities, they also hold the world's largest concentration of marsh flies, small, biting, black flies that will inflict lots of pain and draw blood with every bite.

Gary

[Sabreman]

We use Skintastic to keep away the pests. Unfortunately, it doesn't keep away powerboaters

Once we were in Tangier and my wife walked the dog through the marshes. I saw her running down the dock yelling and swatting.. the flies had followed her and the dog back to the boat. I thanked her for bringing all the flies home....it took the rest of the day to get rid of them.

[travlineasy]

I was told Avon Skin So Soft would work well on the flies--it didn't! The flies used it for basting sauce. Also tried several Deet repellents. They worked until you began to perspire, then the flies got even. I haven't tried Skintastic yet. Is it available locally?

Gary

[Sabreman]

Correction.

We use Cutter Skinsations; I just checked a bottle. We get it at the supermarket (Giant or Bloom in VA). Works well. What works best is any weather under 50 degrees.

[travlineasy]

Thanks. I have to go to Giant tomorrow--I'll pick some up. As for weather under 50 degrees--NAH! Any temperature lower than my age is the dead of winter.

Cheers,

Gary

[walterzoy]

I like having a few live-aboards at the marina where I keep my boat. If I forget to close a hatch or the wind comes up, I do not have to drive down to Baltimore from my home in York PA. I call one of the liveaboards and chances are they have already taken care of my concern!

I keep my boat at Old Bay Marina where the Chesapeake and the Patapsco meet, about an hour drive from York. The marina owner allows a small number of liveaboards and gives them a break on the slip rent and liveaboard fees by only charging them a flat-rate $2,400.00 per year.

The marina owner does a background check on future liveaboards to make sure that only respectable folks are living full time on their boats - he says that he does not want to turn the marina into a floating Gypsy camp!

Liveaboards have gotten a bad name because of a small precentage of bad apples. All of the liveaboards that I have met are very interesting, educated, and helpful folks.

If I were not so old, I would consider living on my boat - no more grass to cut, no more property taxes, and lot less stress and a fun lifestyle!

Walter - Catalina 30 docked @ Old Bay Marina - Baltimore