Bay Bridge Boat Show This Weekend Offers One-Stop Comparison Shopping

     Stevensville, MD -- Spring weather means it’s time to start gearing up for a summer season on the Chesapeake, and what better place to start the process than the Bay Bridge Boat Show, located at the Bay Bridge Marina on Kent Island and running from April 28 through May 1.
     With four days to wander through more than 150 land-based exhibits and check out over 200 new and brokerage boats in the water and displayed on the marina grounds, the Bay Bridge Boat Show offers a one-stop shopping opportunity for all your boating needs. It's a great place to comparison shop and figure out what boat best suits your needs and interests.
     Two huge tents offer the latest in gear, gadgets and services, plus experts ready to answer your questions about their products. Docks lined with dramatic state-of-the-art vessels as well as time-tested used boats make comparison shopping easy. Add a host of land-based and shoreside activities that will engage the whole family and you’ve got a good idea of what the show has to offer.
     Boat dealers are reporting an uptick in boat sales, but boat pricing is still competitive. The dealers are ready to deal and financial services are eager to make loans to qualified buyers. Climb aboard the vessels on display and see for yourself what all the hype is about.
     For tickets and more information about all the show's new attractions, visit usboat.com.

Lapidum Boating Facility Ready for Use on the Susquehanna

     Havre de Grace, MD -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has finished renovations of the Lapidum Boating Facility in Susquehanna State Park. The project was a partnership effort between DNR, the Department of General Services and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
      “The Lapidum Boating Facility is an integral part of the statewide recreational and local boating community,” said Robert Gaudette, Director of the DNR’s Boating Services Unit. “The inter-departmental teamwork that helped complete this project shows DNR’s dedication to safe, high-quality boating access for everyone.”
     The facility provides direct access to the Susquehanna River downstream of the Conowingo Dam, an area renowned for fishing, boating, hunting and general recreation for the public. The renovations included replacing the deteriorated boarding pier with a state-of-the-art floating dock, improving both the safety and ease of use of the facility at the varying water levels experienced at Lapidum. The stone breakwater was also renovated to provide essential protection from storms and wave action and the parking area was expanded to accommodate more users due to high demand. The new and improved facility is also ADA compliant.
     The total cost of the construction phase was $435,000, with funds coming from both state and federal sources. State funding was provided through a DNR Waterway Improvement Fund grant of $135,000. Revenue for the fund comes from the one-time 5 percent excise tax paid when a boat is purchased and titled in the State of Maryland. The Waterway Improvement Fund was created in 1966 to support the development, use, and enjoyment of all waters in Maryland for the benefit of the general boating public.
     The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided $300,000 through the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program which is a user pay, user benefit grant program funded by federal excise tax on fishing equipment and fuel tax from motor boats. Benefits from the taxes collected are passed on to the boaters and anglers through the funding of public recreational motor boat improvements such as those at Lapidum.

Richards Named Brokerage Director for Hinckley in Annapolis

Jennifer Richards has taken the helm as Brokerage Director for Hinckley in Annapolis.

     Annapolis, MD -- The Hinckley Company, an iconic brand in American boatbuilding, today announced that Jennifer Richards, Certified Professional Yacht Broker, will take the helm as Brokerage Director in their Annapolis, Maryland office.
     Hinckley chief executive officer James P. McManus said: “As the Annapolis office Brokerage Director, Jennifer displays a very strong ability to understand her customers’ wishes and help them fulfill their boating dreams. We’re excited to have Jennifer aboard as she is committed to building the Hinckley business and shares a passion for the Hinckley brand.”
     Richards is a licensed captain, a Certified Professional Yacht Broker as well as very active in the local boating community.
     Hinckley, a privately held company founded in 1928, is renowned for its premium sailboats and power boats. The company builds its boats in Trenton and Southwest Harbor, Maine, and operates eight service yards along the U.S. East Coast. Hinckley has approximately 1,500 boat owners and 5,000 service customers worldwide.

Hunt Yachts Opens Chesapeake Bay Office

From left, Peter VanLancker, Bob Price and Todd Taylor stand in front of Hunt Yachts' new Chesapeake office.

     Portsmouth, Rhode Island -- Hunt Yachts has announced the opening of a sales office in Annapolis, Maryland. Located across Severn Creek from the Annapolis Yacht Club, Hunt Yachts Chesapeake will support the burgeoning number of Hunt Yacht owners in this region and serve the market’s growing interest in this iconic brand, renowned for its deep-V powerboats and motoryachts.
     Heading the new Annapolis office are Todd Taylor, one the region’s most experienced yacht brokers and dealers who has been associated with Hunt since 2003, and Bob Price, a successful businessman and experienced Hunt owner. Taylor brings nearly 20 years’ experience in yacht sales and brokerage including responsibility for many of Hunt Yachts’ sales in the Mid-Atlantic states. He is a long-standing member of the Yacht Brokerage Association of America (YBAA) and has served two terms on their Board of Directors.
     Todd was among the first yacht brokers to earn that organization’s "Certified Yacht Broker" designation. Todd has been around boats his entire life, had enough sea time to earn his first USCG Masters License at age 18, and held a 100-ton Masters License for many years while working as a professional captain and crew.
     "From the first time I handled a Hunt-designed boat, I’ve appreciated the design elements and unmatched sea-handling capability of Hunt Yachts," Todd added. "That’s what brought me to Hunt and what I enjoy demonstrating to customers. I also appreciate working with a company whose attitude toward excellence covers not just design but construction and standing behind what they build."
     Price, an experienced Hunt owner, is a practicing attorney and lifelong resident of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Bob has been an informal member of the Hunt team on the boatshow circuit for the past several years. After years of sailing and racing one-designs, he moved to power but remains active in the sailing community: he is past Commodore of both Tred Avon and Corsica River Yacht Clubs as well as Rear Commodore of Cruising Club of America, Chesapeake Station.
     Bob commented, "First as an admirer and then as a customer, I learned what a great boat Hunt Yachts can build and what a pleasure it is to work with them. This new ‘position’ gives me the opportunity to spread that word and to be a link between Hunt customers and the design and production teams."
     Peter Van Lancker, President of Hunt Yachts, said, "Although we’ve been transitioning to a agent network with recent appointments in several key markets, we felt that a company-direct communication was more appropriate in The Chesapeake. Our many owners here have always had a personal relationship with us at the factory and we chose not to disrupt that 'family' feeling. I am especially pleased to bring Todd into our company and to have Bob Price on our team. Todd needs no introduction among Hunt owners up and down The Bay. And Bob has become a close personal friend as we worked together on building his boat. Both thoroughly understand what Hunt is all about."
     Hunt Yachts Chesapeake is located at 222 Severn Avenue (next to the Charthouse Restaurant) and can be reached at 443-949-8540.
     Hunt Yachts offers models from 25 to 68 feet, in Surfhunter, Harrier, Coupe, Inflatable and Express Cruiser lines, all from designs by C. Raymond Hunt Associates. Hunt Design is acknowledged as the innovator of the deep-V hull form, and their work includes custom motoryachts, patrol vessels, military craft as well as production powerboats and motoryachts under other brands. Hunt Yachts are built in Portsmouth, Rhode Island as well as in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
     For additional information, go online to www.huntyachts.com where details, specifications, photos and videos of their yachts can be accessed.