Antique and Classic Boat Society - Chesapeake Bay Chapter

Summer Boating
By Howard P. Johnson Jr.

In the late forties, boating was extremely nice, there were few other boats, everyone was friendly and Maryland waterways were fresh and teaming with life.

The Patuxent River offers excellent old time boating opportunities like this, today.

An occasional ACBS member is Robert Parks of Broomes Island, in Calvert County, just South of Prince Fredrick. If you go down Rt. 2 in Annapolis, south to the end you come out on Rt. 4. Follow this below Prince Fredrick and you come to Broomes Island Rd. It goes out onto a long scenic point with an island at the end. Few people go there. Close to the end of the road is a store on the right, Len's. You can put in and get food, fuel and beer there. On a hot summer day, there are beautiful open waters and unlimited scenery, good fishing, open beaches, good swimming spots and restaurants. The area offers old-time boating adventure, at it's best.

Solomons, Md. also offers similar great boating opportunities; it is a long way to go but it is well worth the extra drive. A tour of the harbor last summer included a close-up look at the Pride of Baltimore and admiring glances from the crew. Nearby, Mill Creek offers a labyrinth of scenic coves to explore.

The above mentioned Mr. Parks has taken other Chesapeake Bay Chapter members out to explore the lower Patuxent delights. Straight across is a wide sandy beach with tiny shells and sharks teeth, in the sand. The water is clear with baby crabs and fish. Along the way you see fishermen bringing in their catch. Distances separate houses. Thunder boats are mostly a long way off. Nearby Battle Creek, was named in the Revolutionary War. The sandbars dropped off so fast you would be over your head in 4 feet and still see bottom. Ducks and birds of all kinds are right around. You could put the nose of the boat right up on the beach in many places and the stem was in deep water. The swimming was great most all last summer. The nettles were never very bad. Mr. Parks likes water skiing and pulls his lovely friend Judy, on sweeping turns at the heads of the coves. Hungry boaters can tie up at Sand gates, a country restaurant with great crabs, right on the water, on the other side, in St. Mary's County. After an idyllic summer day on the water, the sunset offers lingering golden treasured moments, making everyone want to come back again next week.

Spring 2005 Stuffing Box Issue

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