Lee's Marina in Charlestown... HDG area?

[rauch0812]

Ok, pretty new to boating (just bought our first boat), been out a few time this year though and we're hooked. We just found out we can't have our boat where it's parked and have to find somewhere to store it on it's trailer, so... we live in Elkton and so far we've only been on the Elk River, Bohemia, & Sassafras. I've been calling marinas and this really comes down to price. Lee's Marina on Water Street in Charlestown is the cheapest to store the boat. But since we've never been over that way I'm trying to determine if the location is reasonable. We were planning on tubing around the rivers off the Elk, so now I'm trying to figure out if we could do the same around the Charlestown area. I've been reading through posts for a week now so I've read enough about the "flats" to make me scared of the area. Lee's marina says there is a boat ramp a few blocks away, so here are my questions...

1 - Does anybody know if this ramp they would be referring to is decent? Parking for the trailer available? Are there depth issues in that area?

2 - It seems like the tubing area there would be toward the I95 bridge, can we shoot straight over there running north of the flats (around carpenters point and past furnace bay) or would we have to shoot all the way down along turkey point and back up the main channel that runs past sand island? - everyword of that is from staring at nautical charts I don't know how to read and reading the forum so I hope that made sense, and I'm hoping I've been able to figure out the "flats" and "sand island" just from what people talking about them in the forum...

Thanks,
Desera

'98 Larson 206 Lxi

 

[arks]

Re: Lee's Marina in Charlestown... HDG area?

First, I'll assume you've looked thru the thread "Boating the Upper Chesapeake": http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=189770
LOTS of good local info there.

Lee's Marina on Water Street in Charlestown is the cheapest to store the boat. But since we've never been over that way I'm trying to determine if the location is reasonable. We were planning on tubing around the rivers off the Elk, so now I'm trying to figure out if we could do the same around the Charlestown area.

Absolutely. The Northeast River (below the no wake zone) is fine and Cara Cove is a popular spot.

I've been reading through posts for a week now so I've read enough about the "flats" to make me scared of the area. Lee's marina says there is a boat ramp a few blocks away...

Don't worry, there's plenty of navigatable water around here. Learn to read the chart and have a good depthfinder. It's not bad at all and even if you go aground, the bottom is mud or sand (with the notable exception of the Susquehanna above Garrett Island).

- Does anybody know if this ramp they would be referring to is decent? Parking for the trailer available? Are there depth issues in that area?

Yes- the (free) public ramp across from the Wellwood. Easy trailer parking at the Wellwood, but they charge $. Depths are OK at the ramp but it stays pretty shallow (2-3') for quite a ways out. I used to launch a 23 footer there.

- It seems like the tubing area there would be toward the I95 bridge, can we shoot straight over there running north of the flats (around carpenters point and past furnace bay) or would we have to shoot all the way down along turkey point and back up the main channel that runs past sand island?

Tubing is nice on the river near I-95 but you've gotta know where to go- there's definitely some skinny water over there with a HARD bottom. Until you're comfortable reading a chart I'd recommend you go elsewhere.
YES, your 20 footer can make it 'across the top' (between Carpenters Point and Perryville) but the route is not marked, so it's best to follow another boat the first few times. Don't do that route near low tide.

Isn't Lee's now called Northeast River Marina? I'm sure they have their own ramp.

 

[rauch0812]

Re: Lee's Marina in Charlestown... HDG area?

First of all - THANK YOU! - for the lengthy reponse! Soo much info!

I'll call them back today about the ramp, I was pretty sure she said no. I did get a fancy chartplotter installed in the boat to help compensate while we get more experienced with the chart... hoping that helps us. Can you tube around Cara's Cove?

I guess what I'm hearing is we may be stuck up in the corner if we store our boat there. I'm not comfortable yet with having to "stay on plane to get across" and not being to get back to the ramp if the we stay out too long and the tide goes out or going where there's hard bottom (we already found the bottom of the sassafras - luckily that was mud!). With all of that in mind (I'm sure I'll get over it after more experience) will we be trapped up in the little cove around Charlestown?

My debate is the $300 difference between storing my boat at Lee's Marina and storing down on the Bohemia. Not to mention Lee's/Northeast River Marina is closer to our home... but is it really closer to better boating?

Thanks for all your advice!
Desera

 

[rauch0812]

Triton Marina or Locust Point in Elkton

Triton Marina or Locust Point in Elkton

Changed... my mind...

 

[rauch0812]

We decided on Locust Point... where can we tube...

We decided on Locust Point... where can we tube...

Ok, we've settled on Locust Point Marina (north most marina up the Elk River)... and I've been looking at nautical charts... how far will we have to go to take the kids tubing? Does anyone else tube up in this area?