Cutwater Boats Announces New Dealars

The Cutwater 26

New dealer in Grasonville
     Kent, WA -- Cutwater Boats launched their Cutwater 26 and Cutwater 28 models in January. The boats generated double digit sales within the first boat shows of the year and now have the first dealers in North America on board including one on the Chesapeake Bay in Grasonville.
     “Given that Cutwater Boats are trailerable, diesel-powered and have semi-planing hulls, locations that have access to coastal and inland cruising ports are ideal for owners of these boats," said Mark Mansfield, National Sales Manager for Cutwater. "We are interested in dealers who have demonstrated strong sales success with their existing lines and who have long-lasting relationships with their customers.”
     The company's Chesapeake Bay dealer is located at 106 Wells Cove Road in Grasonville.
     The new dealer network means Cutwater Boats will be exhibited at more boat shows around North America giving the models significant exposure to boaters early in the season. A current list of boat shows where the new Cutwaters can be seen is available on the website at http://www.cutwaterboats.com/.

'Power in the Park' Coming to Portsmouth April 16-17

     Portsmouth, VA -- “Power in the Park” will open the American Power Boat Association Region 4 racing season this year. The event, April 16-17, at Portsmouth City Park in Portsmouth, VA, will feature both inboard and outboard hydroplane racing.

     Portsmouth offers one of the fastest race courses in the U.S. Several world records have been set on this well protected race site situated in a park setting. Come by boat or car and enjoy a day at the races.

     Admission and parking are free to the public. Competitors will travel from all over the country to have a chance at setting the next world record. Bring your radio and tune in to the voice of Inboard Power Boat Racing on FM 107.3 for live broadcasting of the race.

     Races are scheduled to run from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

     Find out more at powerinthepark.com.

NOAA Updated Charts Available for Free

Charts available free online and through “print-on-demand” service     Spring is around the corner and nearly 13 million registered boaters in the U.S. are priming to hit the water. As part of their preparations, boaters need to make sure that they have the latest NOAA nautical charts on hand to avoid groundings or accidents while navigating along the coast. With modern technological advancements, obtaining the latest chart is easier — and more important — than ever.
     “Sailing the oceans and Great Lakes doesn’t have to be a voyage into the vast unknown of ages past,” explained Capt. John Lowell, director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “Obtaining the latest charts that provide increasingly precise depths and up-to-date navigational features can be as easy as clicking a link on a website.”
     Because storms alter seafloors, and water depths constantly change due to shifting shoals and submerged hazards, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is charged with maintaining the nation’s suite of over 1,000 nautical charts, covering about 3.5 million square nautical miles of ocean coasts and the Great Lakes.
     NOAA updates its charts weekly using hydrographic survey data that is collected by the agency, along with the most current U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Notice to Mariners, and other critical safety information reported by commercial mariners or other sources. Recreational boaters may also submit information or chart discrepancies through the Office of Coast Survey’s website: http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/.

Construction Complete at Swan Harbor Farms Dredge Site

  Havre de Grace, MD -- Construction has been completed on the Swan Harbor Farms Dredge Material Placement (DMP) site. The project is a joint effort between the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Waterway Improvement Program.
  “This project both meets a practical function for the boating public and adds recreation for the community,” said DNR Director of Boating Services Bob Gaudette.
  The Swan Harbor DMP will provide a disposal site for several dredging cycles for the Havre de Grace Marina basin and channel, which is home to 272 boat slips and a popular boat ramp that provides access to the upper Chesapeake Bay. The site also features a fenced ADA-accessible walking trail, a wet pond for bird habitat and an observation platform.
  “We are excited about the practical and recreational aspects of this DMP site,” said Paul Magness, chief of capital planning development for the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation. “It will bring more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of Swan Harbor Farms, learn about and see in action ways to make our Chesapeake Bay cleaner and provide a practical storage location for dredge material from Havre de Grace Yacht Basin for years to come.
  The site is constructed to hold 100,000 cubic yards of dredged material from the Havre de Grace Yacht Basin and is designed to maximize the water quality settling time during dredging projects. The DMP site has a feature that cleans water as it flows over small waterfalls and into ponds below (see photo). Through creative engineering and landscaping, the project meets the requirements of both the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission and the Harford County Critical Area Program.
  Project funding was provided through a DNR Waterway Improvement Fund grant of $775,922. Revenue for the fund comes from the one-time 5 percent excise tax that is paid when a boat is purchased and titled in the State of Maryland.

Cruising the Chesapeake Seminar in Annapolis

Janie Meneely at the Baltimore Boat Show.

 Annapolis, MD -- Annapolis Maritime Museum, along with West Marine, Weems & Plath, Annapolis School of Seamanship and Chesapeake Bay Magazine, presents an innovative one-day learning program for boaters interested in cruising the Chesapeake Bay.
  The Chesapeake Bay offers a vast array of spectacular cruising opportunities for recreational boaters, but for many boat owners new to the Bay (or new to boating), deciding where to go and figuring out how to get there can be a daunting prospect. With these novice Bay boaters in mind, the Annapolis Maritime Museum will be hosting a "cruising readiness" seminar on Sunday, April 3, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., at the museum campus in Eastport.
  Entitled "Cruising Chesapeake Bay: Tips and Hands-On Training for Bay Cruisers" the all-day event will give boaters the low down on how, when and where to cruise the Bay this season, whether you're traveling with kids in a small cuddy cruiser or heading out as a couple aboard a more commodious trawler or sailboat.
  Led by experts Captain Robin Allison of West Marine, Peter and Cathie Trogdon of Weems & Plath, Captain John Martino of Annapolis School of Seamanship and Janie Meneely of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, the seminars will focus on making sure your boat is cruising ready, reviewing navigation and seamanship as it relates to Bay-wide situations, and providing a virtual tour of the Chesapeake, including not-to-miss calendar events. In addition, special small-group hands-on training segments will review basic chart reading, dead reckoning, rules of the road, provisioning and safety equipment.
  Attendance fee is $60/person, which includes four seminars, product demonstrations, several hands-on sessions, lunch and a wine-and-cheese wrap up, plus door prizes and take-aways. Proceeds benefit the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
  To register, contact the Annapolis Maritime Museum at 410-295-0104 or http://www.amaritime.org/.

Knot-Tying Class in Annapolis

 Annapolis, MD -- Chesapeake Region Assessible Boating has scheduled a knot-tying workshop for sailors, skippers, volunteers and friends for four upcoming Saturdays. Participants will learn the basic knots that every capable sailor uses for safety, ease and quickness. Increase your skills and use the right knot for the need. You’ll have fun and leave knowing how and what to knot … and what not!
  Allen Faurot, who teaches knot-tying at the Naval Academy, will lead the class with Don Backe’s assistance.
  Faurot moved to Annapolis from NYC in 1994 and has, since then, volunteered as a Sailing Coach at the Naval Academy. He retired after a fourteen year career with the Ford Foundation as a money manager, and, before that, practicing law for twelve years in the Big Apple.
  Faurot has served CRAB as a coach in the CRAB Cup and the Boatyard Bar & Grill Regatta to Benefit CRAB for many years. He owned and raced his Tartan 30 and C&C 35 Mk III, mostly in Long Island Sound. He has cruised the East Coast extensively as well as four of the Great Lakes. Faurot competed in the Chicago Mackinaw and the Huron Mackinaw races with Midshipmen as crew. With his Navy crew, he sailed a donated C&C 49 from the Great Lakes to the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
  The same knot-tying workshop will be offered on four Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  The workshop will be limited to 6 persons each session. The classes will last approximately 1 1/2 hours and will be held in the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Assoc. (CBYRA) office, 612 Third Street, Annapolis, MD 21403, Suite A, 4th floor (just above the CRAB office).
  The workshop’s tuition is $15, including the cost of class materials. Reserve your space by sending your check, made out to CRAB, to: Don Backe, Executive Director, CRAB, P.O. Box 6564, Annapolis MD 21401-0564. Note on the check the date of the knot-tying workshop you will attend. Include your phone number, postal address and email address.
  Sign up early as space is limited. Contact Backe with any questions: 410-693-1878, cell; or 410-626-0273, office; donbacke@aol.com.

Chesapeake Ranger Tugs to Host Open House



A Ranger Tug 27-footer under way.

   Annapolis, MD -- Chesapeake Ranger Tugs will host their spring open house April 2-3 at the Bert Jabin Yacht Yard located at 7310 Edgewood Road, Annapolis. The Open House will feature all Ranger Tugs models—the R21, R25, R27 and R29—all of which embody the Ranger Tugs core value of being efficient diesel cruising vessels. Chesapeake Ranger Tugs is the dealer for the popular trailerable vessels and has a special Chesapeake Edition of the R29 and R27 outfitted with the Bay cruiser in mind.
  Attendees are invited to spend time aboard each boat comparing features, exploring the engine room and asking questions of sales representatives. Boaters are also invited to participate in scheduled sea trials throughout the day to see first hand the features of the Ranger Tugs line that make them ideal for enjoying the scenes of the Chesapeake Bay, and beyond. Ranger Tugs owners have done the Great Loop, the ICW, the Canadian canals, Lake Champlain, New England and even the inside passage to Alaska.
  Closer to home, they are great for fishing or relaxing at anchor. All models can be fitted out with popular features that include a generator, air conditioning, Garmin touch-screen chart plotter, radar, and sonar, Garmin autopilot, as well as many other options. Learn more about the trailerable Ranger Tugs at http://www.chesranger.com./
  The Chesapeake Ranger Tugs’ Open House will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event is free and open to the public and the media. Anyone interested in the ease and comfort of trailerable cruising vessels will appreciate the chance to go aboard Ranger Tugs ranging from 21 to 29 feet with knowledgeable and qualified sales representatives from Chesapeake Ranger Tugs. For a sea trial, pre-registration is required; please email the time and date that works best for you to chuck@chesranger.com.
  The Spring Open House is an opportunity for both the local community as well as the larger boating audience to spend quality time on board boats equally capable of local gunkholing and costal cruising.
  Ranger Tugs are built in Kent, Washington; the company was founded in 1958 based on a philosophy of quality and "doing things right." The company continuously incorporates the ideas and experiences of customers into the structure, design, and quality of Ranger Tugs. http://www.rangertugs.com/