Our Ocean City, MD trip

[ezmobee]

If any of you doing restorations need some inspiration here it is. We have been going to Ocean City, MD every summer since I was born. For many years when I was growing up we had a close family friend who had a large pontoon boat on the bay in a slip. We went out on that boat often, crabbing, clamming, and just cruising. As the years went by our friend and his wife got older and eventually sold their place at the shore (and sadly our friend has since died). We've had a lot of great annual weeks at the shore since then but something has always been missing. I've had my boat for 5 years now and have always wanted to take it down with us. Last year my wife and I rented our own place for the first time. I found a place on the bay side with a boat slip. It didn't cost us really anything extra for the slip so we figured if we ended up taking the boat great, and if not, no big deal, at least we can check things out for the following year. Well we didn't take the boat last year. And it turned out that's just as well because our son was only 1 at the time and he was pretty much a nightmare the whole week. Our slip was gorgeous though so I was committed to making it happen this year. Well let me tell you, I may have a 20 year old truck, a 36 year old outboard, and a 43 year old boat but we had a blast and everything ran great. So for those of you with old boats on the fence about taking them somewhere, DO IT! I took a lot of precautions. I had a 4HP kicker stored under my bow, an electric trolling motor, a spare prop, tools, etc. I wasn't about to rely on the kindness of strangers in unfamiliar waters. I had the bearings on my trailer serviced, a spare tire, and I verified at home that my truck's jack would be able to successfully raise the trailer if needed.

Here's the view of the canal we were on from our balcony:

Here's the view in the other direction. The main bay is on the other side of those buildings:

My old boat in it's nice deep slip:

View of OC from out on the bay:

Out on the bay:

My wife and I cruising:

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Coming back into the canal. That Grady White on the right has twin Yammie 350's and a bow thruster:

I took this picture for Rickairmedic. As you can see, your color scheme is going to look fantastic! I love this boat:

Check out this Donzi. It sticks out in the channel like 10' more than any other boat. I have no idea how he manuvers that thing in and out:

Coming up our canal:

Back at the dock:

One night my buddy and I decided to take the boat out around midnight. We figured the canal was pretty well lit and there wasn't much out in the bay we could hit so we thought what the heck. Well all my attempted pictures of OC at night came out shakey but you can tell from this pic how friggin' dark it was out on the bay. We didn't go far and came back in.

 

[Tahoe 55]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Nice pics!
Glad you all had a great time. I'd love to do that one day.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing them.
I have taken my old boat on three vacations. I always feel a little sad to pull the boat out of the water on the last day.

 

[bigb2008]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I'm headed down to OC this Thursday night, coming back Monday night.. Probably not going to be out on the water though. Last time we went down there I actually rented a split console for the day.

Had a great time, then came home and decided I wanted a boat. Long story short, OC, MD is why I now have my own.

Looks like you had a great time down there, looking forward to it myself.

Me and the pooch coming back from White Horse Park :
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2O3HDdm6svzUyyR-fNhnuw?feat=directlink

Assateague on the left :
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RuR7FUwOlK1vu1lhqAlPKw?feat=directlink

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

EZ good to see you had a great time . Thanks for the picture of the Starcraft in my colors . . That Donzi is huge but I bet its REALLY fun out on the open water those boats are known for being BAD out on the water although you wont find many Donzi owners here I dont think . They are also known for not being cheap LOL.


Rick

 

[Blue Crabber]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Looks like you had a great time! Glad everything went well with the boat! I would love to boat down there some time, maybe someday.

So where did you end up staying at?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

So where did you end up staying at?

Hidden Harbour on 123th. Lots of units in that complex available to rent from Coldwell Banker www.cbvacations.com

 

[towdog]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I have never been there, but from what I've heard about traffic just getting there, you are one brave man. I'd have nightmares about breaking down in the middle of the bridge.

You sounds like me with my often problematic boat. After experience just about every kind of problem and breakdown, I now bring all sorts of stuff to prepare for any situation. Two batteries, two spares, a full tool box, a portable battery pack, fixed and handheld vhf, extra belts, etc. If I could install a kicker, I'd bring a kicker too. One of these days I'll have a newer boat that I can depend on so I won't have to cart all of this stuff with.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I hear ya towdog. I think just the fact that I have the 4HP under the bow is what keeps the 85HP running

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Thanks for the pics and sharing your trip EZmobee, I doubt we will ever tow a boat across country, but renting one there looks like fun.

Did you fish at all or just cruise?

considering it is THE OCEAN, were there any waves that were particularly "bigger" than a stormy lake? or was it reasonable out there?. Didnt look to bad from the pics......

we are contemplating taking our 23' Sleekcraft out on the Pacific one day, might be fun, do some fishin and such........from trips to the beach in SoCal it looked like one could get in trouble easy out on the ocean....

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

We were just in the back bays behind OC. Definitely not the ocean in a 16'. It's pretty well protected where we were boating. We tried to do some crabbing one day and I also had a line in the water but it was stinking hot so we didn't keep at it long. Just cruising mostly....

 

[gator919]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Like you I grew up going to Ocean City each year, fishing for flounder, crabbing and clamming in assawoman bay. It is also the reason that I have a boat today. Love that place!

 

[Plasma George]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Man it's beautiful at the Beach !

So you left it in the water ?...and didn't need to do any flushing ? until you took her out of the water ?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I left it in the water in a slip. I hosed everything off and ran the motor on muffs for a while when I got home.

 

[skargo]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

Awesome thread. I too have been going to OC for 42 years, and actually lived there for 3 years in the late 80's.

You definitely don't want to go out in the Ocean in a small boat, the inlet is nasty! I've been out in a 21' but we had to go almost a mile out to just turn around, the seas were big that day!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I don't even consider going anywhere but the back bays.

 

[skargo]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I don't even consider going anywhere but the back bays.

Bayside is calm, but can be tricky, that's for sure. I remember it shoaling all over the place way back when.
I can't wait to take our boat down sometime.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

On our last day it was pretty windy and I had to drive the boat from our slip down to the boat ramp. It was quite the harrowing experience. Looking forward to having a little more substantial boat this year

 

[puddleboater]

Re: Our Ocean City, MD trip

I don't even consider going anywhere but the back bays.

Great pics!

Reminds me of when I was a teenager and taking trips to OC in the mid to late 1980s. The boardwalk, the rides, the bikini clad wildlife!

If the conditions are right (water is flat and no wind), even your small boat can go out in the big pond.

Cheers!