Located north of Wilmington and just south of the New River Inlet on North Carolina’s scalloped southern coast, Topsail Island remains a well-kept secret among locals. You can’t blame them. This kind of laid-back charm is hard to come by, with many nearby beaches awash in tourists and traffic. Part of the reason Topsail has Read More
My family and I completed the Great Loop in October 2017. After returning to our land home, we all missed the water terribly, as well as the life it afforded us. So, we knew we had big decisions to make. After my husband Ben reinvented his career to focus on marine electronics, we moved back Read More
When you’re at the Bay and see a man in the water pointing a camera at a net full of fish or capturing the moon rise above a rusty historic lighthouse, it’s most likely to be Jay Fleming. His resolute determination to chronicle life on the Chesapeake Bay has yielded an unrivaled collection of heartwarming Read More
Modern marine engines have come a long way from the sputtering, oil-dripping beasts of earlier times. Electrical systems with smart chargers, inverters and advanced sealed batteries are light years ahead of the leaky blocks of energy that used to start our engines and power our coffee makers. But despite this improvement, items still wear, and Read More
Ready to go beyond the places in Maryland that grab the tourists, the headlines, the buzz? Spend a weekend in the quiet southwest corner of the state and explore the earliest beginnings of Maryland from the first colony on St. Clement’s Island to the site of its first capital, St. Mary’s City. Along with fascinating Read More
These days, children spend much of their time with eyes glued to a screen or heads buried in electronic devices rather than enjoying childhood through real-life adventures. Even before the pandemic, this 21st century way of life presented uncertainties for a future where society lacks environmental education and appreciation. Luckily for families who live on the water, Read More
With your toes in the sand and a cool cocktail in your hand, you might feel like you’re lounging on a Caribbean island. But those swaying palm trees above your head are planted along the Chesapeake Bay, creating a getaway groove without the hassle of passports or long international flights. The sunny shores of Maryland and Read More
Existence on the Chesapeake Bay has always centered around the life-sustaining properties of its waters. Since the time of Native American tribes about 10 millennium ago, inhabitants have depended on the Bay for food, transportation, defense, recreation and a fresh start. Pieces of Bay heritage are lovingly collected and detailed in small, regional museums scattered along Read More
Back in the 1960s, friends of Sam Weaver saw a bright red cooler floating down the stream during a storm outside their house in Towson, MD, on the north side of Baltimore County. A few months later when they were hanging out on their boat at his father’s marina in Essex, nearly 15 miles east, they Read More
Boothbay Harbor is a classic seaside Maine town, a must-visit for boaters and landlubbers alike. Bar Harbor and Acadia receive much of the Maine accolades, while Camden and Kennebunkport swell with well-to-do summer crowds. Oft overlooked Boothbay is a “wicked cool” coastal harbor (that’s Maine-speak), a bit more humble, with its compact cluster of local Read More