chesapeake bay

the chesapeake bay received a D+ in environmental quality from the university of maryland's center for environmental science. sad news...there are so many simple things that each one of us can do to help this national treasure during these difficult times.

lewisetta marina

look at the stripers they have been catching this winter out of lewisetta marina!

how to catch a rockfish

apparently it is as easy as dropping my line...this week! after a long, hot summer, the fall striper action has been sweet. now these arent trophy fish, more eating fish. i cut out the filets and the wife grilled them with olive oil and salt and pepper: delicious!
(that's a blue above, which were also running heavy.)

it's your birthday...

it is claud w. somers' birthday so we need to party. come visit me and claud (no, really: don't) in the northern neck and celebrate this infamous skipjack (in the water) at the reedville fisherman's museum...

it really is something to see!

ghost crab

the chesapeake bay's ghost crab pot retrieval program has netted over 28,000 abandoned or 'ghost' crab pots from virginia waters over the past three seasons and the crabs are the beneficiaries...and me.

freezin for a reason

you have til 7 tonight to register for the big polar plunge in virginia beach. why would anyone do this? to support the special olympics, of course. 

the grand illumination

norfolk will host the grand illumination of the tidewater to kick off the holiday (read: shopping) season. be there tonight @ 7 for the festivities.

oyster roasting

saturday 2-5 is the reedville oyster roast at the reedsville fisherman's museum...its all you can eat with music, dancing and such: you better get there early! if you cant make it, you can have your own oyster roast at your leisure.

whale in the bay

a humpback whale was spotted off of windmill point this past week...wow: its getting to be like an aquarium out there!

skipjack tale

i have seen the chesapeake bay skipjack claud w. somers many times at the reedville fisherman's museum...most recently two weeks ago at the antique and classic boat show held there: the plaque on the 99 year old virginia-made work boat explains the sign painter accidently left the 'e' off of 'claude' when painting the skipjack's name...that is about all it said in addition to a little info on the builders...then today i ran across this article about a storm story that took the captain and his oyster crew of five's lives in a spring squall back in 1977.

yikes: it might have ghosts!

antique & classic boat show

this weekend was the reedville antique & classic boat show..there were some sweet rides there. 

this turquoise one was my favorite...love the wings...

the annual event and parade is held at and around the reedville fisherman's museum.

they have some beautiful chesapeake bay wooden workboats there...

 

the skip jack claude w. somers is listed in the national register of historic places.

we missed the parade.

chesapeake bay weekend events calendar

we have had stellar weather for many days...now the weekend begins...

september 10-12 

•though classic hatteras yacht owners will meet up in cambridge this weekend to show off their beautiful boats,  everyone is invited to celebrate the hatteras  style by attending  the yacht open house saturday at the cambridge yacht club.

•mathews market days    

mathews county's fall festival will feature an art show, crafts demonstrations, live entertainment with outdoor dancing, children's activities and more. 

•maryland seafood festival    

sandy point state park hosts the annual seafood festival again. besides seafood, there will  be arts and crafts vendors, wine tastings, beer tastings, a crabcake eating contest, a crab-picking contest as well as a crab soup cook-off: delicious! Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 

•hampton bay days    

celebrate the chesapeake bay at hampton bay days with an indoor juried art show, arts and crafts vendors, two carnivals, live music and fireworks. educate yourself at the exhibits and display workboats and research vessels, sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; sun. noon-6 p.m.


•its a star spangled banner weekend!

commemorate the writing of our national anthem in baltimore at fort mchenry, where visiting ships, military re-enactments, concerts and a symbolic naval bombardment complete with fireworks will round out the weekend. Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., concert 6 p.m., fireworks at dusk. sun. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 

•september 12 

watermen's rodeo
taylors island works it out with a  workboat docking contest hosted by the local volunteer fire departments. there will also be an after party with live entertainment, food and games. 

chesapeake bay weekend events

•Cambridge Classic Hydroplane Regatta   

the 100th annual high-speed hydroplane regatta series is the american powerboat association's world championships for inboard hydroplanes and jersey skiffs,  11 a.m.-5 p.m, saturday and sunday

•Cruise for Kids   

easter seals combines boaters with special needs kids for a day on the water at harborview marina  in baltimore, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m

•groovin in the park

groove in the park at groovin in the park at holly point nature park in deltaville with music on the waterfront from 6-8 p.m. 

•Bumper BASH

hook up at the bumper bash on dobbins island on the magothy river, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 

•Kilmarnock Farmer's Market   

local growers will sell their produce and goods on main street in kilmarnock, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 

•Mari*Fest    

this annual festival at the havre de grace maritime museum has maritime activities for the whole family, including a crab and bull roast and the upper bay soup challenge, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

how to catch a stingray

i dont know how to catch a stingray...i think it just happens. my neighbor with the mohawk caught one yesterday. that is not his above, but one that was caught near us, also yesterday.

jamestown day

today is jamestown day, the 403rd anniversary of the first permanent english colony in america, jamestowne. there is a lot going on at the celebration-family type fun-but i am going to see the replica sailing ships that brought the settlers ashore. the 2006 version of the godspeed is shown above-not in the james river, btw-, and the susan constant is shown below, moored in the james river.

the winter watermen are at it again

the winter watermen in maryland are busy in this off-season collecting abandoned "ghost" crab pots from the bottom of the chesapeake bay. last year's program in virginia was a great success.

water tower or light house?

well, yeah: it is a water tower...posing as a light house here in cape charles, virginia.

chincoteague, virginia

fishing boat done for day at chincoteague.

how to winterize your boat

i dont know how to winterize my boat...well, i do. but i dont feel like doing it: its been bitter cold. so i dropped it off at jett's marine where they work indoors. i drove by last saturday: it was still in the yard, but had moved closer to the garage doors.

war ships

the naval war ships from oceania naval base cruised past us as they headed out to sea.