Gulf Coast Report

Even the Oil Patch Faces Rising Fuel Prices

I cannot accurately say what effect rising fuel prices have had on everyone’s summer boating so far. Indicators have been that the driving public in America has complained about pump prices for fuel, but it’s done little to curb their consumption. For boat owners who need to fill a 200 gallon tank–or one much larger–$4.00/gallon gasoline or $3.00+/gallon diesel (higher in some areas, I know, but I am nearer the oil patch) can be a much more daunting situation. It is painful to hear about some of the boating public forgoing a bit of the freedom their vessels allow by staying closer to home port–sailors and single engine trawler owners except-ed–but a fact of life. ...

MidAtlantic Report

Classic Sailing in
a Classic Setting

The second annual Savannah-Beaufort-Charleston (SBC) Classic Boat Rally ran May 3-10 this year. SBC sails through some of the most beautiful and historic towns on the southeast Atlantic coast. The rally is an organized sailing adventure up the Intracoastal Waterway from Savannah, Georgia, to Beaufort and Charleston, South Carolina, and beyond for boats of classic design ranging in length from 15 to 24 feet. ...

Schaefer’s Has
New Owners

Cruisers through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal found a favorite historical docking destination out of business last year. Schaefer’s Canal House restaurant, banquet hall and marina had been part of the Chesapeake City and canal landscape for decades. ...

Funding Artificial Reefs

Experienced anglers know fishing over structure and a quality habitat can mean the difference between a good day catching fish and merely dropping a line. Marine communities such as oyster reefs and seagrass beds are critical to supporting diverse fish species. Once abundant in the Chesapeake and along Maryland’s Atlantic coast, these fish magnets are mere shadows of once robust environments. ...

Move-Over for Law Enforcement

A new “move-over” law for waterways is now in effect for North Carolina’s cruisers. Those approaching within 100 feet of a law enforcement vessel with flashing blue lights must slow to a no-wake speed and use extra caution when passing. In narrow channels, that distance drops to within 50 feet of a vessel displaying a flashing blue light. ...

Living American History

The replica of Capt. John Smith’s discovery barge along with 12 explorers rowed away from Jamestown, Virginia, on Saturday, May 12. The small boat began retracing Smith’s exploratory journey of the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. The shallop crew’s 121-day voyage will cover 1,500 miles and mark the opening of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, the country’s first national historic water trail. The boat is stopping at more than 20 spots in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., before returning to Jamestown on September 8. ...

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