www.iFourWinns.com

Well, finally my luck has changed.

Since being laid off in January from the wonderful auto industry, I have landed a new gig designing (like drawing pictures designing, not engineering) Dewalt power tools in Baltimore.

Question being, what is boating like in the area? Does anyone live in the Baltimore area and can provide me some info? I know a majority of the water is brackish and sadly I have a little boat (see my signature). I know its going to be completely different from Michigan boating, my question is how much!

None the less I am truly ecstatic about starting our lives again in a new place in life's big adventure.


Anything could be of help!


Thanks!

-Rob

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Rob

Present: 1999 Formula 280SS
Past: 1989 180 Horizon

http://www.robcamerondesign.com

Can't say I have been boating there strangely enough, but one thing remains true with nice weather + and expanse of water = fun

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Check out this short primer on Baltimore Boating from the spring Marinalife Magazine (the link is to a PDF file). It's mostly where to dock & dine but it's a start. Congrats and good luck

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

Congrats on the job and good luck with the boat

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Regards
Beyond the Blue

"If we improve with age I'm now excellent"


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

Can't say I can offer advice about boating in Baltimore, but good luck with the move! Life is definitely an adventure.

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-Eddie/2007 H200/5.0 Merc 220hp/2004 GMC Yukon

I'm a Makita man, but love the DeWalts. Congratulations!

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Welcome to the Baltimore area. You will find boating in Baltimore is great with lots of places to go. And if you decide to venture down the Patapsco river to the bay, your possibilities are endless. But for starters, during the boating season check out Hart-Miller Island. It is located to port as you exit the Patapsco river. It can get crowded during the summer weekends but so much fun. The water is about 3 feet deep for hundreds of yards and the bottom is sandy. Good holding and great hospitality from other boaters. Department of Natural Resources maintains a small beach area complete with a tower for viewing the area. The only real downside to the bay is picking up the occasional @$#% crab pot. Keep your eyes peeled when in those areas. I hope you enjoy the Baltimore area and have a great season boating next year!!! See you on the water!

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2007 Four Winns 318 Vista "Sas Sea Lady"
Previous
2002 Four Winns 268 Vista "Girls Knot Buoys"
1999 Sea Pro 235 WA "Bait Me"

thanks everyone!

I havent had time to check this post in a few days (damn rental search). I am excited about the move, and the new gig. It looks like Ill be shipping the boat out after our family vacation 4th of July.


Can anyone provide any info on what I need to do to prep the boat for salt water?


Thanks!

Rob

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Rob

Present: 1999 Formula 280SS
Past: 1989 180 Horizon

http://www.robcamerondesign.com

I use mine almost exclusively in salt water. For salt water, you need to change your anodes to Zinc and make sure you flush your engine out after each use with something like Salt Away (what I use but there are alternatives products).

Also make sure you hose down the boat and trailer to remove any salt - once again I use Salt Away when I hose down the hull and trailer, paying particular attention to the brakes and springs. If you have just a painted trailer you will have to be far more vigilant when rinsing it off so it doesn't rust out - flush inside the rails with fresh water. Mine is galvanized so no big deal.

That's about it...

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Rob, consider yourself lucky on many fronts! Congrats on the job and also welcome to the largest estuary in the US. "Welcome to Ballmore, hon." The locals append a "hon" after most sentences and it's not Balt-i-More... it's "Ball-more".

You will LOVE the Chesapeake Bay. It is a lot different than lake boating and because the Bay is an estuary the depths can be challenging and you need to be cognizant of the tides.

I grew up on the Bay and boated there for 20 years and recently moved to Charlotte where I'm a Lake boater now. I recently returned up there and realized even going across the enormous Bay I still only had depths of 15 feet with exceptions as I crossed the channel where it got up to 26 feet briefly. I have depths in my Lake up to 100'+.

So back to the Bay.... cross it. Go to the Eastern Shore. Fairlee Creek is awesome. Kent Narrows. St Michaels. Rock Hall. Wortons Creek. Hart-Miller island is fun, too (as someone previously mentioned) but it gets a little too nutty there for me and I really prefer Fairlee as there is a great bar there called Jellyfish Joels (http://mearsgreatoaklanding.com/jellyfish-joels/). It's a blast to raft up inside the sheltered creek and relax and listen to the band playing at 'Joels.

Learn the Bay and spend the winter doing some research. There is so much to do up there I just wished the season was longer. Good luck and congrats again.

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Vic
"Byte Me"
1989 Vista 245
Lake Norman, NC

When we used to live in the DC area (worked in western metro DC area & lived in Harpers Ferry, WV), we enjoyed going to the Baltimore harbor area (but no boat then). You have the Chesapeake Bay and a whole lot of boating area. Tons of area to explore, by water

We have been researching doing a trip from Cape May, NJ, up the Delaware bay, through the Delaware & Chesapeake canal and then down the Chesapeak bay ... then either back to Cape May via open ocean (depending on conditions) or back the way we came.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Congratualtions Rob !!!

Make that trip across country an adventure and stop and see some of us guys as you tow the boat to it's new playground!

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive