paddle for the bay

Paddle for the Bay is an annual outrigger and kayak racing event that benefits the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. registration starts at 6:00 saturday morning; races run til noon.

tiffany yachts

took a paddle on the great wicomico today...such a beautiful body of water with unbelievable boathouses (although, completely polluted with pcb's: do not eat the fish out of this river!} stumbled upon an amazing farm with a great piece of land, gorgeous house with awesome boathouse and three unbelievable tiffany boats: two skiffs, and one deadrise. tiffany yachts was probably 4 miles down the river from this place: wish i had my iPhone out of the hatch to snap some photos! above is a 16' tiffany skiff for sale via yachtworld.com that really isnt any where near as nice as the two i saw, but sort of represents the design aesthetic of tiffany yachts. tiffany no longer offers the skiff anymore, but i am sure they would do it custom. this is american craftsmanship at its best!

waterspout on the chesapeake bay

here is a video posted today by grocker053 of a waterspot on the bay! whoa: i'd be heading in the other direction, fast!

DC Bans Use of Coal-Tar Pavement Products Containing Toxic PAHs

i just read this on chesapeake bay news, posted 9 hours ago and decided the entire article was worth reprinting: it is that important, because everybody does it. please reconsider the alternatives.

july 2009 -- Washington, D.C., has banned the use and sale of coal-tar pavement products to curb the flow of a toxic chemical contaminant calledpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

Coal-tar pavement sealers, which are commonly used to seal asphalt driveways and parking lots, are a major source of PAHs. The dust from parking lots sealed with coal tar has more than three times the concentration of PAHs as undiluted used motor oil, which is considered a leading source of PAHs. Other sources include auto exhaust, tire particles and broken-up asphalt.

A recent scientific study by the U.S. Geological Survey showed that PAH concentrations in dust from parking lots sealed with coal-tar products are about 80 times higher than in dust from unsealed parking lots. In D.C., rain washes these toxic PAHs from coal-tar sealant off paved surfaces and into the streams and creeks that flow to the Anacostia River, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Research suggests that total PAH loads washed off parking lots could be reduced by as much as 90 percent if parking lots were left unsealed.

PAHs have been shown to cause cancerous tumors in animals, even in single doses. Non-cancerous health effects can include immune system suppression and red blood cell damage. In fish and invertebrates, adverse health effects have included cataracts, fin erosion, liver and reproductive abnormalities, and even death.

In the Anacostia River, scientists have discovered high rates of PAH-related lesions and tumors on bottom-dwelling fish. In one Fish and Wildlife Service study, 50 to 60 percent of tumors. Tests suggested that PAH exposure was likely responsible for the tumors.

“It’s rare that we have a chance to knock out this kind of pollution in one fell swoop,” said George S. Hawkins, director of the D.C. Department of the Environment. “Now that we’ve discovered what’s in coal tar and what it does, we have a rare opportunity to protect our waterways relatively easily.”

The coal-tar pavement product ban took effect on July 1. Learn more about the ban at the District of Columbia’s website.

rock, fish

fished at the channel marker above smith point...it was windy and rough saturday; better sunday. i caught three fish: two stripers and one blue. this striper was only 16" so back to the bay he went!

the yorktown watermen's museum heritage festival

check out the annual festival honoring watermen of the chesapeake bay and the sea services, july 12th in yorktown, virginia. photo from wpnsta yorktown's photostream on flickr.

intersex fish in the potomac river?

i am a huge fan of stephen colbert...part of the colbert nation, if you will. i was completely disgusted with the so-called environmental protection agency (again) after watching the interview with new york times columnist nicholas kristof. apparently usgs scientists found prolific occurances of intersex bass, 82% of small mouth and 23% of large mouth, in the shenandoah and potomac rivers. that is repulsive. does the epa actually do anything? does anybody else think this is unacceptable? i think i will continue to catch-and-release.

pirates on the potomac!

we saw it from a distance and had no idea what the hell we were looking at...as we got closer, we could make out the details of a pirate ship! they seemed friendly, though.

blues are back in the chesapeake bay

left early heading toward point lookout before the rain set in on sunday: caught a nice blue and a spot for live lining rock...let both of them go.

irish lady

photos from our fishing trip leaving rehobeth beach through the delaware inlet a few weeks ago.