Category Archives: Boating

Annapolis to St. Michaels

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In September of 2009, we spent the weekend in Annapolis, MD. Saturday morning we took a 90-minute ferry ride from Annaplolis harbor to the small town of St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore. It was a beautiful day for boat watching from the ferry. We spent a few hours in St. Michaels, ate at the Town Dock Restaurant, walked and browsed the shops in town, then took the ferry back to Annapolis where we had dinner on the porch at Middleton Tavern, which a colleague and native of Annapolis had recommended.

There was no shortage of sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay that day, from small ones to large ones and everything in between.

Sailboat in the bay at Annapolis

Sailboat in the bay at Annapolis

Sailboat in St. Michaels

Sailboat in St. Michaels

There were engine-powered vessels of all sizes and kinds, too.

Trawler in the bay at Annapolis

Trawler in the bay at Annapolis

This Bayliner Sedan Bridge looks like it’s been mounted with a sailing mast, but really that’s just the mast on a sailboat that’s hidden behind the vessel in the foreground.

Bayliner Sedan Bridge in St. Michaels

Bayliner Sedan Bridge in St. Michaels

When we arrived at St. Michaels, a bagpiper was waiting on the lawn in front of the lighthouse. He was there to help a ferry guest celebrate her birthday.

Bagpiper at St. Michaels Lighthouse

Bagpiper at St. Michaels Lighthouse

Boston Whaler 16SL

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Our first powered boat was a 1991 Boston Whaler 16SL dual console design with open bow. It had a 1999 Evinrude 90 hp 2-cycle outboard engine.

Boston Whaler 16SL getting prepped for launch

Boston Whaler 16SL getting prepped for launch

It had a few family friendly features, including lots of seating and bow safety rail. It handled well on calmer lakes, but as any 16′ boat will, it got a lot trickier in bigger water like the Chesapeake Bay. Some of the nicer features included a bimini top, glove box, CD/Radio/Mp3 player, and swim platform with ladder.

Here’s a picture of us bouncing along a deserted Blue Marsh lake in 2010. Dad is driving, while Mom and Tara hold onto the kids.

Boston Whaler 16 SL on Blue Marsh Lake

Boston Whaler 16 SL on Blue Marsh Lake

As we started talking about spending more time on the Chesapeake, it became clear that we needed a bigger boat and, more importantly, a newer and more reliable one that would enable us to spend worry free hours on the Bay as a family. We decided on a 2011 Tidewater 196cc, a center console design with lots of room for the kids to move around.