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Sealing MarineSealing Marine on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is a dealer for Sailfish center consoles, plus the new line of Triumph Boats and Yamaha outboards. Owner Ed Sealing is impressed with the Triumphs, both for their radical new roto-molding construction process as well as the Roplene material they’re constructed with. "Besides the buoyancy built into the boat with the foam floatation," Ed explains, "the Roplene material is buoyant itself. And it’s more flexible than fiberglass, so it has some give in rough water, providing a softer ride. Then there’s tons of storage."
Salthouse 60
Luxurious new offshore sportfish from New Zealand.
They do things differently way over there on the other side of the world – and we on this side should be mightily impressed. The new Salthouse 60 semi-custom sportfisherman is new to the New World, but Salthouse Marine Group was founded by Bob Salthouse in Auckland 46 years ago, and they’ve been designing and building some of New Zealand’s most distinctive and prestigious yachts ever since.
Salthouse recently established a beachhead in the U.S., with a new office in Annapolis. The first impression of the new Salthouse 60 is the striking profile – low, sleek, fully enclosed flybridge, big, open cockpit with double wide transom doors that slide into pockets, completely out of the way, and an enclosed day head in the corner – this is one serious sportfisherman.
Like any good semi-custom boat, the interior is available with layout options and the owners can make any reasonable requests for special modifications. The one I toured had the galley aft, just as you entered from the cockpit. What a radical concept! But it works. There’s a nice saloon forward of that, with a beautiful inlaid burled rosewood table, then three cabins and two heads below.
Powered by twin 600 HP Cat diesels, the Salthouse has a reported cruising speed of 20 – 24 knots and a top speed of 28 knots, with a cruising range of about 400 nautical miles.
Boater’s World
"Boater’s World has some 35 stores from Virginia Beach up through Portland, Maine," explains the chains’ marketing director Jay Jolly. "We specialize in water sports and fishing accessories and equipment – mainly for saltwater or brackish water fishing, striped bass, blue fish, all the way up to tuna, dolphin, white marlin and other offshore fish."
While each store carries pretty much the same stock of electronics, tackle, fishing gear and clothing, each manager has the leeway to provide products that meet the local fisherman’s specific needs, Jay says.
They not only train the staff, they also train the customers. "We do seminars in every store," Jay says. "We try to do two per store per month, each one specific to the interests and needs in the local market. It could be on electronics, fishing, a talk by a local fishing guide – each individual manager sets his own topics." So if there’s anything you’d like to learn more about, your local Boater’s World manager would be happy to arrange a seminar on that topic.
There’s also a website, www.boatersworld.com, where the prices are the same as you find in the stores. And there’s a 350-page catalog published every year.
Mid Shore Electronics
Frank Daringer and his partner, Marty Jester, will not only install marine electronics on your boat, they’ll help you select the right equipment and then spend time training you to use it properly, especially fishfinders. "We teach people what small bait fish look like, what predator fish look like, how to distinguish different bottom types, how to see the contours on the bottom, where fish like to hang in the tide and wait for their prey, even finding wrecks with fishfinders. We can do all that. We take them for a sea trial to cut the learning curve down to a few hours, rather than a few months scratching through the manual on their own."
Though he’ll spend time helping you choose exactly the right fishfinder and transducer for your boat and the way you fish, generally, he says, "I like Furuno for the Bay. A good bay bottom machine would be the 600L, an LCD color fishfinder appropriately sized for the Chesapeake. It’s got nice filtering and a lot of other easy-to-use features. Si-Tex has the 106L, which is good, too."
South Jersey Marina
Mid-Atlantic 500,000 Tournament at South Jersey Marina.
If you like big game fishing, then the Mid-Atlantic 500,000, coming up in August, is just about the biggest game around. Hosted by South Jersey Marina in Cape May, tournament organizer Bob Glover describes it as "the richest marlin and tuna tournament in the world, boat for boat. This will be the 11th year, and the purse has always exceeded $1 million. Last year, it came to $1,375,000. The tournament benefits the International Game Fish Association, the Recreational Fishing Alliance and the National Coalition for Marine Conservation, so we get boats from Texas to Maine, and we get anglers from as far away as Australia come fish the event."
The tournament is actually headquartered at the Canyon Club Resort Marina, "but we use a lot of facilities around the harbor," Bob explains. "With so many boats coming, we have to utilize every bit of space in Cape May."
For schedules and entry information, check out the website at www.ma500.com.
Florida Marina & Boat Sales
Al Anderson and his brother Charles, grew up in the Brooklyn Park neighborhood of Baltimore and moved down to Pasadena. "Our first boat was a Revel Craft 19-foot dayboat," Al recalls. "That’s where we started fishing, cruising and water skiing." Then they moved to Pasadena, where they started Florida Marina and Boat Sales in 1986.
"We’ve been doing nothing but rock fishing lately," he reports. "We troll right off the channel in the middle of the Bay, and then there are a couple of holes off of Fort Smallwood State Park at the mouth of the Patapsco River. We’ll also run up along the southern side of Poole's Island, where there are a couple of place we hit. You can usually catch a good number of fish off of Swan Point just north of Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore. Early in the spring season, you troll. We usually use a buck tail, or some umbrella rigs with four small spoons wiggling around on them, looking like a school of fish."
Al and Charles carry Wellcraft boats, including their Coastal fishing boats from 16 to 33 feet long, plus the entire line of SeaFox fish boats, from 17 to 25 feet. "We’ve been busy every day this year," he says. "We’ve talked to people at the boat shows, and we get that feeling that they’re thinking they should be spending more time together as a family, and boating’s a great way to do that."
Al has a boat to suit every budget. "For a family guy that wants to take his family with him and enjoy some fishing, the biggest bang is probably a 230 Sea Fox," he advises. "We've got a package including the boat, a Mercury outboard or MerCruiser I/O and trailer, for about $26,000." Sea Fox makes both a center-console and a walk-around version of this popular 23-footer. The walk-around has a cuddy cabin that boasts a galley station complete with sink and stove.
Florida Marina also sells Johnson, Evinrude and Yamaha outboards.
Norview Marina
"Norview Marina," according to general manager, Randy Stephens, "has it all - location, location, location."
As Deltaville, Virginia’s largest full service marina on Broad Creek, you will find that this clean and modern marina offers quick access to the middle Bay’s best fishing area. And yes, those are tuna on the back of the truck in Norview Marina’s ad. These hardy fishermen zipped down the Bay into the Ocean to catch their limit.
"We have a ramp, dry storage, wet slips, and all the support that you would expect from a full service marina. And don’t forget that Norview Marina is the home of the CCA Rockfish Tournament, held on the first Saturday of December."
So, you don’t have a boat? Randy and his staff will sell you a new Jones Brothers center console complete with trailer and Yamaha motor, designed to fit your personal fishing needs.
"Whether you’re into cruising, water sports, bottom fishing, or trolling for game fish, you can’t beat our location and our facility."
Garrett’s Marina
Rick Garrett of Garrett’s Marina and Harborside Storage and Louis Muse of Garrett’s Marina’s Key West Boat Sales say, "Bring your family and we’ll supply the rest."
So, if you’re looking for clean, generally smooth and nettle-free waters, come to Garrett’s Marina.
Garrett’s Marina is located on the scenic Rappahannock River, five miles south of Tappahannock, off of Route 17 at Bowlers Wharf, Virginia, on the south side of the river. Complete with beach, casual restaurant and snack bar, Garrett’s Marina has all the fun-on-the-water supplies necessary including the opportunity to purchase a new Key West Boat with a Yamaha motor.
"We have customer references that will tell you that we have the perfect location and sell the perfect family boat."
Easy driving distance from Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C., come and see what a slice of real southern hospitality is all about.
Harrison’s Chesapeake House
The legendary Captain Buddy Harrison runs Chesapeake’s largest privately-owned fishing fleet from his place over on Tilghman Island on the Eastern Shore. Join Harrison’s large fishing fleet for a day of fishing. Packages include a night’s stay at the homey and hospitable Harrison’s Chesapeake House, where you’ll wake up to a hearty fisherman’s breakfast. Then board your boat at 7 a.m. for a day in the salt and sun, fishing for stripers, blue fish, rockfish, Spanish mackerel, black drum, croaker, Norfolk spot and sea trout. At day’s end, relax and enjoy a family style seafood dinner at Harrison’s Chesapeake House Restaurant. Everything is furnished for your fishing adventure – rooms, meals, and tackle. Buddy Harrison, Buddy Jr., and all the Captains are local Tilghman Islanders. They’ve grown up on the Bay and know every square foot of water within fifty miles of the Island. You can feel equally confident in the boats themselves. They’re all rugged, bay-built work boats with up to date electronic fishfinders and radio gear, the same kind of boats that commercially fish the Bay all year long. "If you like chrome and glass high-rise hotels, hot tubs and sushi bars, we’re not the place for you," Buddy says. "On the other hand, if your taste tilts toward waterfront decks with picnic tables that groan under the weight of huge platters of hot steamed crabs and sweating pitchers of icy beer and brewed tea, we're for you."
Pier 47 Marina
Pier 47, located on the Intracoastal Waterway near Wildwood, New Jersey, established in 1983, is now one of the oldest full-line Yamaha outboard dealers in South Jersey. They also sell personal watercraft, jet boats, portable generators, Sea Pro boats, Carolina Skiffs, and Logic Boats. They carry a full line of OEM parts for Yamaha, Mercury and Force Outboards, plus stern drive parts for Yamaha, MerCrusier and Volvo-Penta.
Sea Pro builds walk-arounds from 21 to 23 feet long, center consoles 17 to 25 feet long, dual consoles 17 to 19 feet long, and bowriders for fishing and waterskiing, 17.5 and 19.5 feet long.
Cutter Marine
Gary Rosenberger knows his boats. And over the years, he’s selected a truly splendid array of fishing boats that he sells from his Cutter Marine operation on the Middle River just north of Baltimore, including World Cat, Orca, Osprey, Sea Dory, Carolina Skiff, and Triumph.
But of all of these lines, the most popular one seems to be the Orca. "People bang on my door for Orcas," Gary says. "Every boat show we go to, people say they want to see the Orca. It’s one sweet piece, beautifully done, with great detail work. The fit and finish is wonderful, and it rides nicely. I’ve sold many of these to older couples who want to fish and cruise."
Rhode River Marina
Located in Edgewater, Maryland, just south of Annapolis, Rhode River Marina offers wet slips, slips with boat lifts and dry rack "boatel" storage. You can "do-it-yourself" there or take advantage of Rhode River’s full list of repair services, including their 25-ton Travel Lift, two fork lifts, ship’s store and parts department, winter storage, and trailer storage. They’ve got gas and diesel fuel, a snack bar and a pump-out station. Transient boaters are welcome to share the amenities, including plenty of parking in a lighted parking area, and a picnic/grill area. Throughout the boating season, from spring service to winter storage in the fall, from general maintenance to major repairs, Rhode River’s certified technicians will make sure your boat is ready when you are. For more information, visit the website at www.rhoderiver.com.
Salt Ponds Marina Resort
Owner Jody Schulz says, "Salt Ponds Marina Resort offers an unparalleled and quick access to the lower Bay and the Bay Bridge Tunnel area.Whether you are a transient or looking for the perfect seasonal or year-round location, Salt Ponds Marina Resort is unbeatable."
Salt Ponds Marina Resort is a resort community, perfect for long and short-term docking. There are 255 floating slips with transient slips reserved for visiting yachtsmen. Vessels to 85 feet can be accommodated. There is a waterfront restaurant, banquet facilities, condominium complex, ship’s store, recreational facilities, yachts sales and repair service. There are four shower and head facilities and a laundry. For your enjoyment, there are two pools, a sandy beach and tennis courts. For repair, Hampton Marine Services, marine repair and maintenance specialists, maintain offices on the property.
The marina has floating docks with full-length fingerpiers and rubber rubrails. Set your fenders low. This is a perfect destination for your power squadron, boat group, or rendezvous.
Bigfishtackle.com
Sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, www.bigfishtackle.com is a comprehensive website designed with the angler in mind. The Big Fish "Superstore" has discounts on freshwater, saltwater and fly fishing tackle, rods, reels and other gear, marine electronics, apparel, and even fishing trips. Product reviews and special clearance offers make this an intriguing hit. There are also message boards on a wide variety of specific topics, from fishing boats to fishing jokes ("please keep these PG," they advise). There are 414 views on the topic of "bass flies" alone. "During the day," shares one correspondent, "I have been using a foam grasshopper replica tied with yellow/green foam with crystal flash. When the wind blows a small chop on the water, the bass love this pattern..." Bigfishtackle.com has great tips, and great prices on great gear, and daily fishing cartoons, to boot.
Chesapeake Whalertowne
Bart Hiltabidle, who manages the Annapolis branch of Chesapeake Whalertowne, says there’s been a lot of excitement lately about Boston Whaler’s sporty new Dauntless 18 center console. It’s got the speed to get you out to the best spots fast for fish or for fun. There’s plenty of room and convenient storage, plus a wide range of features, especially Whaler’s exclusive "Accutrack" hull system with a deep-V entry that slices through chop smoothly for an exceptionally comfortable ride. Reverse chines and a forward spray rail deflect spray to run dry. Running strakes keep the boat tracking straight and true, with precise cornering, and provide enhanced lift to get up on plane quickly while improving fuel economy.
Unusually roomy for an 18-1/2-footer, it features tons of storage space – in the bow anchor locker, in the console, under the pilot seat and under the stern deck. There’s plenty of room for your fishing gear, with a rod/ski rack, plus console and stern deck rod holders and portside stern livewell among the lengthy list of standard features.
The optional fishing package includes a 54-quart cooler seat with cushion and backrest, two pedestal fishing seats, trolling motor panel that replaces the standard bow rail and anchor roller, removable bow light, tackle drawers, aft side rails, and a battery box.
Chesapeake Whalertowne, with offices in Baltimore and Annapolis, also deals in Mercury and Yamaha outboards and MerCruiser engines and parts. Unfortunately, like most people in the business, Bart spends most of his time getting his customers out on the water in their new boats, so he has little time to get out himself. "The only fishing I’ve been doing lately is in the evenings with my Dad," he says. "The two of us go out to the Bay Bridge or down to Thomas Point and talk. It doesn’t even matter if we have a hook on the line – it’s a great time to spend together."
Lippincott Marine
"We are new dealers for Luhrs and MainshipTrawlers and we also represent fine brokerage boats from 25' to 60'," says Ed Carroll, Lippincott’s sales manager. "Our 200-slip full service marina is located right on Kent Narrows. We’ve been here for 31 years, and for the second year in the row, we’ve won Luhrs’ top service award, the best-rated dealership in the world. That’s pretty tough for a high-volume dealer like us. That means we’ve got our act together."
The most popular Luhrs fishing boats they sell, Ed says, are the 34 and 36 convertibles. And that makes sense. When you head offshore, you want a comfortable, dry ride. When you get there, you want all the fishing features you need, and once you're back at the dock, you want comfort and amenities.
Many convertibles compromise the salon to accommodate the staterooms, but the Luhrs designers were creative in the layout allowing maximum use of the wide beam to retain an entertainment sized salon and two private staterooms.
"A lot of our owners fish these boats out on the Cheapeake Bay early in the season, then run them over to Ocean City so they can run out to the canyons over the summer, then run them back to the Bay for the fall," Ed explains. "They’re great for the inland waters, but they’re bred for offshore fishing."
Shamrock Marine
Peg O’Brien and her husband Frank have owned Pinehurst Landing Marina, off Bodkin Creek in Pasadena, since 1993. "We’re a full-service marina. We sell Glacier Bay power catamarans, and McKee Craft and Maritime Skiffs. We're also a Suzuki outboard dealer."
One of their most popular sellers is the
Maritime Skiff 1890, an 18-footer that’s easily trailered, provides shallow draft of a mere 9 inches and is extremely fuel efficient with a hull weight of only 1140 pounds.
"The perfect match for that boat is the 70 HP Suzuki 4-stroke outboard," Peg advises. "The nice thing about the skiffs is that the customer can pick and choose among different consoles, seating packages and other choices. We start off as a bare hull and build it pretty much as they'd like to have it."
There’s also Maritime Skiff’s 20-foot Pioneer, a center cabin model with a lockable cabin door and 4'8" headroom.
"Before we got in this business, we used to do a lot of fishing," Peg laments. "Now we get to listen to our customers’ stories and see their pictures!"
Riverside Marine
Riverside’s four locations, in Baltimore, Whitemarsh, Salisbury and Annapolis, feature Bayliner, Trophy, Used Boat, Mercury Outboards, MerCruiser Stern drives, Load Rite Trailers,Ventures Trailers, large parts and accessory departments, service departments and hoist and fork lift services.
This is where you can see the affordable 2002 model line-up of Trophy Marine, all engineered for durability and reliability and recognized by fisherman for their practical design. This year’s Trophy line-up offers versatile platforms designed for efficient manufacturing as well as more simplified options packages and choices. This superior design and layout also allows for after-market customization for those who want to add specific features. Along with top selling models from 2001, Trophy’s 2002 line-up includes four re-engineered models – the 1903, 2002, 2103 and 2352.
Jenkins Marine
Charles Anderson has owned this 60-year-old company for the past 13 years. Based in Glen Burnie, between Annapolis and Baltimore, they specialize in Maxum sport boats and Sea Pro fishing boats. "The most popular Sea Pro is the 180 Center Console," Charles reports. "It’s low-maintenance, has no wood in the construction to rot over time, and runs great with a 90 HP Yamaha or Mercury outboard. Even with the motor, it weighs under 2,000 pounds, so it’s easy to trailer, and the package price for boat, motor and trailer comes in at just under $15,000."
