Sailing in Virginia or Maybe Maryland...

[c130king]

Fellow Mac Owners,

Moving to Virginia in a couple of months after three years in London. Debating the merits of finding a marina on the Potomac (Ft. Belvoir is high on that list) or further East in Maryland on the Chesapeake (Mayo area). Probably have a 25-30 minute drive to Belvoir and a 75 minute drive to Mayo.

Would appreciate any comments/thoughts from those of you that sail in those area on the pro/cons of one over the other.

Keeping the boat at the house on the trailer has not been ruled out...just depends on what house I can find to rent and whether there are any HOA rules.

Also, does anyone have any info on requirements to register boats in Virginia? Mine is currently registered in Florida. I am military. We have discussed this before but thought I would open this up as a topic again.

Thanks.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[dutchwinter]

Hey there,
Well after having orders deleted twice, it looks like we will be going to the DC area as well. we have been looking at active captain for marinas. as far as your registration goes, when I called the the office in charge of that in one county, they said we had a military exemption, just like with cars. then when i called a different county, they said i needed to pay use tax and change registration. When in a situation like that, I pick the cheaper option. finding out if something is strictly enforced if you are wrong may be the deciding factor. it is with us. I have the boat registered in minnesota, but have been in the puget sound for about a year. So far no one has messed with us, and the police have a boat docked right next to us. I expect it will be the same in VA.

[c130king]

I know that rule applies to car registrations for military members. Just not sure about boat registrations. This topic was covered a few months back and this issue was raised...will have to go search for that discussion as I can't remember what was discussed.

Obviously tax implications are important. That is what I hope to avoid if possible.

Jim

[ROAD Soldier]

Well C130king welcome back to the States and from the sounds of it you will not be by me down in the lower Chesapeake I guess you are going to get stationed in the head shed in DC or somewhere near there. However since I am in Virginia and in the Active Military with a 26X and my Daughter is in the pretend to be active Military (otherwise known as the Airforce) who is stationed at Andrews AFB I can tell you some good news, bad news, and haven’t got a clue news.
First the good news Virginia has a tax on everything that you don’t have to pay being in the Military. There is a reason people relate to Virginia as the Communist Wealth of the United States. They tax the boat, motor, and trailer all separately but once again you don’t pay it. Out of the places you mentioned I can tell you Mayo is where I bought my 26X and it did not look crowded and the security looked more like the security where I am at with the Bubba Plan (Drunk Redneck with a Shotgun) protecting your boat. If you can live by Patuxent NAS their marina had a lot of first class slips at dirt cheap prices.
Now for the bad news I sincerely hope you are going to work and live in Virginia because the other side of the Potomac is a mess. You can pretty much calculate all times for distances over on the Maryland side at 30MPH or slower no matter what the posted speed limit is. So the closer you live to your boat the better, that’s if you want to have a relaxing experience. If I lived up there I diffidently would pay a $100 more a month for a slip that was within 10 miles from my house opposed to one that was 25-30 miles. Other bad news that I hope has changed since the economy has gone sour is that about 3 years ago I was possible going to be stationed up there and was looking around for slips and found there was a waiting list for most of them especially around DC and Annapolis areas. Also all those areas up there freeze over in the winter. Down at the lower Chesapeake Bay area it is rare for it to freeze over but it did last February which is rare. This year was an unusually cold winter.
For the haven’t got a clue news I have no idea if how much the slips are on the Potomac on either side. I have no idea about taxes in Maryland or District of Columbia. I do know that the traffic tests my court ordered anger control management classes to the limit. Most of the sailors I have met up there have been into looking like they are sailors instead of actually sailing. The fishing is not anywhere as good as it is down here. Where I live I only pay $150 a month for a slip that includes electricity and water. Is it not too late to get your orders changed?

[c130king]

ROAD,

Thanks for the info. Wish I was going to Norfolk and the lower Chesapeake...that was my first choice...but am stuck with the whims of the USAF. I will be working at the HQ USAF in D.C. and we have pretty much decided on a house in Manassas. Quantico and Belovoir are around 20 miles away but just looking at charts/maps the sailing looks a little limited. Mayo was recommended and the sailing looks to be very good on the Chesapeake...bigger area...more places to explore...etc...

I will be flying back to the U.S. on 4 June for a week of "house hunting" but since we are pretty much decided on which house we have I will be able to spend more time "marina hunting" so I will check out the base marinas at Quantico and Belvoir which would be fairly convenient and probably cheaper. But I will also go check out some Maryland marinas. Yes they are a longer drive but that doesn't really faze me. The first 8 months I owned my boat...before I moved to London...for most of that period the boat was in Jacksonville, FL and I lived in Valdosta, GA which is about 140 miles. And I made this trip just about every weekend. So 70 miles to Mayo is not a true show stopper.

But if I do decide on Maryland what do I do about registration? I am a Florida resident and live in Virginia. Can I register in Virginia but leave the boat in Maryland?

And my plan is for "Mast Up Dry Storage"...not in the water. The house has a nice sized driveway but the HOA has limits on boats and my situation does not fit within those limits. But I can have it there for short periods of time to do some mods/cleaning/etc... Looking forward to that.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[Sea Dreamer]

Hi, Jim! It'll be nice having another Mac in the DC Area. Uncle Jim & I live in Ashburn (out by Dulles Airport) and our boat is on the hard - mast up - at Casa Rio Marina in Mayo, MD. It takes us about 1.5 hrs - give or take a little - to drive out there but it is so worth it! We take the Capital Beltway to Central Ave (MD rte 214) and follow that to Carrs Wharf Rd. About a mile or so turn left onto Cadle Creek and the marina's a 1/4 mi on your left. Our storage arrangement is actually with GBS, Inc the used boat dealer (sells alot of Macs) located at the marina - and is a few dollars cheaper than the actual marina charges. We get free launching at the marina ramp, and the best part is that Greg, the owner of GBS, is always willing to lend a hand with problems. He's a really great guy and we're lucky to have him as a resource. Oh, and absolutely no objections by the marina or Greg to working on your boat - they just ask that you clean up after yourself. We've been there for 2.5 years, and considered other marinas but just haven't found a reason to move. From the time we launch the boat, it's a quick 5 min trip down Cadle Creek to the Rhode River, and another 5 - 10 to the West River and into the Chesapeake. There are all kinds of little 'hidey holes' on the Rhode & West Rivers great for anchoring and hanging out. We just love it out there.

Casa Rio is a no-frills marina. What I mean is there aren't any fancy amenities. There is a little ship's store with cleaning, and basic fixing supplies as well as a few snacks (crackers, candy bars, etc), and a couple of soda machines outside along with an ice machine. The restroom facilities are plain - separate Mens/Ladies rooms, but they are only single seaters. However both do have a shower stall and they are usually pretty clean. There's no swimming pool, or picnic facilities, but if you're like us and you go to the marina strictly to either work on your boat or (gasp!) take it out for a sail, then those frills don't matter much anyway. The property is completely fenced in, and we've always felt very safe and comfortable there. On the safety factor - we forgot to lock the hatch one time last year. It was almost a month before we got back out there and nothing was missing or even disturbed. I seriously recommend that you give Greg at GBS a call.

[ROAD Soldier]

I would imagine you need to register your boat in whatever state it is going to sit in. What I do know about Virginian law is that people passing through on the Intercoastal Waterway have only 30 days to move through Virginia or will have to register their boat here. Most other states along the Waterway give 60 to 90 days grace period. They are checking marinas and keeping track of out of state registries. In Virginia this state is debt and I swear it is going to get a surplus by means of marine violation tickets.
The marine lawmen in Virginia are relentless. They love to give safety inspections and give tickets out for everything; do not expect to get off with a warning here. Some places they have people looking at you through telescopes calling to the nearest law boat giving them information on who is drinking, suspect a person under 13 not wearing a life vest you name it. While on the subject you can drink because there is no open bottle law on the water however the legal blood alcohol level is the same for driving a car which Blood Alcohol Content of .08.
One cool thing about Virginia is you can get a saltwater fishing license for your boat that is good for anyone fishing from your boat for $38.00 very handy for when you have company. It is also good for the captain only out of the boat fishing somewhere else. The boat saltwater fishing license is good in Maryland Chesapeake bay waters to. What the boat and fishing license laws are in Maryland and DC I have no idea.
Now the issue you brought up about being able to sail from Ft. Belvoir and areas around there on the Potomac River, don’t worry about it. I think this where you are suffering from Google Map Ides. Yes the Potomac looks small compared to the Chesapeake but let’s put it into proper perspective. I grew up in Minnesota and frequent Lake Pepin which is part of the Mississippi River a lot which is in SE Minnesota. Lake Pepin is 40 miles long and 2-6 miles across which is bigger than most of the Lakes people on this website talk about having their MAC on. Now take a look on Google Map and get it where you can see Lake Pepin and the Potomac at the same time. Now I ask you which one you can actually really see. Get my point. Don’t worry about having room to sail; not an issue. Besides you will probably have a lot more days you will be able to sail on the Potomac because it will not get a rough as the Chesapeake Bay. While I am pinned in with 5-6ft waves you might only have 2-3ft ones max . 5-6ft waves on the Chesapeake are worse than having 18ft roller like you saw on the factor Mac Site Video in San Diego. 5-6ft waves in the brackish shallow water of the Chesapeake hit you more time per minute then ocean ones and are breaking at that height.
Now sense I see someone here talking up Mayo then try this before you commit to a slip, parking space, or Military Base storage leave your boat on the trailer and try the different places then make your decision. I know one thing I am spoiled down here I live 2 miles from my slip and after having that I could never live 1.5 hours from my boat no way.

[c130king]

Back in the U.S. Found a house in Manassas, VA. It will work out nice for us. But that was yesterday's chore. The important chore was for today...finding a marina. I checked out Ft. Belvoir and Quantico on the Potomac in Virginia and drove out to Mayo to visit Casa Rio Marina.

Ft. Belvoir seems pretty good. They have mast up storage and have some openings. I saw one blue on a trailer and two white 's in slips. But one of them had it's mast down. Very convenient to the house...maybe 30 minute drive. Their piers are floating and seemed pretty nice.

Quantico was a nice marina. But they don't have mast up storage. Just slips with nice floating piers and mast down storage. And the boat ramp is about a mile away. But they have nicer sailing grounds I think than Ft. Belvoir.

Casa Rio in Mayo was also nice. They have a large storage yard with lots of boats on trailers and big boats up on stands. The piers are fixed. I counted 16 Macs with a couple 's and the majority were 's. All white...apparently you need speed to sail out of that marina ...sorry...couldn't resist. Nice folks in the office. They told me that if I use mast up storage there is a good chance that once they pull most of the bigger boats out of the water in November I may be blocked and unable to move my boat until April time frame.

I think for now, or at least for 2010 I will use Ft. Belvoir. The proximity to my house is the deciding factor here as I have lots of plans for mods/upgrades/repairs/cleaning etc... When you live 3500+ miles from your boat for three years (except for three short return visits) you have a lot of time to read this forum and come up with lots of plans. And they have space available. And the price is reasonable at $72 per month for a year long contract.

But maybe in 2011, once I have the boat more fixed up, I may move it over to Casa Rio for better sailing/cruising opportunities.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread and for those that PM'd me with info. And I welcome any other comments that you might have.

Return to London on Wednesday. Fly back to the U.S. for good on 13 July. Fly down to Jacksonville to pick up my boat and trailer it up to Ft. Belvoir on the weekend of 24-25 July.

Hope to see some of you out on the Potomac later this Summer and this Fall.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[c130king]

Have officially left the UK and am back in the USA. Living in a hotel for a few weeks (including some vacation time in Camas, WA in a couple of days) but we have a house in Manassas that we will move into on 3 August.

Next weekend I fly down to Jacksonville and pick up König and trailer him up to Fort Belvoir Marina for mast up storage. Can't wait to start cleaning him up, fixing up the few things that need fixed up and getting out on the water. Potomac River for now but maybe the Chesapeake in 2011...unless I get talked into a trailer trip this fall.

If any of my Jax friends are interested in meeting up for dinner on Friday 24 July let me know.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[NiceAft]

Welcom home Jim!


Now let's talk about addressing your boat as "HIM"

I know you're in the Air Force (I don't know what pronoun you guys use to refer to your planes), and that her name means "KING", but even given all of that, a boat is a "HER" or a "SHE". Geez Louise Get it straight man

Again, welcome home.


Ray

[Rick Westlake]

Let me add some fat to the fire, Ray, Jim -

In English, we refer to a boat as "she" and I've heard all sorts of justifications - some of them ranging along the same lines as the Air Force wife referring to her hubby's aircraft as "his aluminum mistress"; or did that go out with the Army Air Force, Jim?

But in French, Spanish, and Portuguese - probably in other languages that don't use the neuter form corresponding to "it" - "boat" is a masculine noun, i.e. le bateau (French), el barco (Spanish), o barco (Portuguese). And I think there are places where English is spoken, in which a boat or ship may be referred to as "he" - but that may be a special case; Daniel V. Gallery (RADM, USN), in one of his books, said the captain of a vessel will refer to another vessel as "he" - but is actually referring to the other captain.

Welcom home Jim!


Now let's talk about addressing your boat as "HIM"

I know you're in the Air Force (I don't know what pronoun you guys use to refer to your planes), and that her name means "KING", but even given all of that, a boat is a "HER" or a "SHE". Geez Louise Get it straight man

Again, welcome home.


Ray

[ROAD Soldier]

Locomotives have male names.
Ships have female names except military ones.
Airplanes can have male or female names.
Hurricanes used to have only female names, until the Feminists took over politics.
So until Feminists have a movement against ships, that I am sure is in the works, it would be traditional to give your boat a female name. However, Feminists or not, I own my boat and will call it whatever I want. Granted when things are not going right you don't want to hear what I call it, but that is my non traditionalist thing.

[Rick Westlake]

"Bossa Nova" is Brazilian jazz, and as such the name has no gender.

"Beija-Flor," my previous boat's name, is Brazilian Portuguese for "hummingbird". Literally it means "kiss-flower". It's also used as a descriptive for a guy OR gal who "plays the field".

If I get an ocean-cruiser for my next boat, I might name it after the original author of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's "navigator's bible" - Nathaniel Bowditch. Or I might recycle "Beija-Flor".

[c130king]

Ray, ROAD, Rick,

My thinking is that König is NOT a "she".

1. König does not complain that it is too hot or too cold when I take him out.
2. König does not nag me about the way I sail.
3. König does not start to whine when I stay out and make him "work" for many hours.
4. König does not give me a hard time when I have to leave him by himself for several days, weeks, months...or unfortunately in my case...years.

Thus König is obviously a "he" and not a "she"...

If others want to refer to their boat as a "she" to stick with naval/maritime tradition then more power to them.



Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[Catigale]