# Any hope of bareboat chartering in MD/VA/NC area this summer?



## PNesbett

I'm looking to bareboat a 28-34' sloop for this summer on the Chesapeake or a little south (Abemarle or Pamlico)--preferably an older (pre-1990) classic plastic. Any ideas? Here's what I know...



> Hartge in Galesville, MD, where I used to go, is no longer chartering (they are selling their boats).
> Oxford Yacht Agency has a Cal-29 but isn't planning on charteringthis summer b/c of COVID.
> C&C in Kent Narrows used to have a beautiful Bristol that I chartered a few times--but it is no longer in their fleet, which is now all powerboats.
> Boat Bumz (East Carolina Sailing School) has a Catalina 34 but it looks like they aren't active anymore. (Haven't posted on Facebook since June and their emails bounce-back.)
> Haven in Rock Hall doesn't have anything under '35.


Am I outa luck? Please tell me there is hope...somewhere...or I am going to buy a cheap boat or give up altogether on sailing and move to the desert.


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## docon48

Check out Bow to Stern Boating in Oriental, NC. Here's their website:






Bow To Stern Boating







www.bowtosternboating.com





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 4arch

Look up Shady Lady on Boatsetter. A great old Lippincott 30 that used to be mine. No longer have any affiliation, I just know the owner rents it out through that platform and it has good reviews.


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## PNesbett

4arch said:


> Look up Shady Lady on Boatsetter. A great old Lippincott 30 that used to be mine. No longer have any affiliation, I just know the owner rents it out through that platform and it has good reviews.


Thank you!


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## PNesbett

docon48 said:


> Check out Bow to Stern Boating in Oriental, NC. Here's their website:
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> Bow To Stern Boating
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> www.bowtosternboating.com
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks...just what I'm looking for!


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## Barquito

Are you looking for a boat for the whole summer, or just a few days?


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## PNesbett

Barquito said:


> Are you looking for a boat for the whole summer, or just a few days?


At a bare minimum (a few days), but perhaps the summer. I'd like to get out as much as possible. Do you know of a boat that someone would be open to a summer-long arrangement? I can give you my email but I'm not sure if that is against the rules here...


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## captain44

I've been involved with the charter and sail tour business in Annapolis since 1979. I don't understand why your request is seemingly so difficult. I do captained only tours on my 1980 Morgan 38 but it is very well maintained. The smaller outfits that have a variety of boats--and mostly older ones--have a wide range of "standards" if you can call them that and I would be very wary-or at least visit the boat first. Perhaps your parameters are too narrow or your expectations unrealistic. Going upscale might help. Generally speaking, the charter boat fleets do provide mainly late model boats, often because they are selling them into a charter situation in association with dealers. Have you tried Click N Boat? Get My Boat? Boatsetter? Craigs List? Try the many, many facebook pages about sailing the Bay or ICW and you might get some ideas, although they have some commercial restrictions, but you might get some leads. Just post a notice on those forums that you are looking.


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## PNesbett

captain44 said:


> I've been involved with the charter and sail tour business in Annapolis since 1979. I don't understand why your request is seemingly so difficult. I do captained only tours on my 1980 Morgan 38 but it is very well maintained. The smaller outfits that have a variety of boats--and mostly older ones--have a wide range of "standards" if you can call them that and I would be very wary-or at least visit the boat first. Perhaps your parameters are too narrow or your expectations unrealistic. Going upscale might help. Generally speaking, the charter boat fleets do provide mainly late model boats, often because they are selling them into a charter situation in association with dealers. Have you tried Click N Boat? Get My Boat? Boatsetter? Craigs List? Try the many, many facebook pages about sailing the Bay or ICW and you might get some ideas, although they have some commercial restrictions, but you might get some leads. Just post a notice on those forums that you are looking.


Thanks captain44! I'll check the ones on your list I don't know about it. The reason I don't want to go bigger is that even a 34' feels excessive to me. There is only ever just the two of us, my wife and I (oh, and once our cat).


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## captain44

PNesbett said:


> Thanks captain44! I'll check the ones on your list I don't know about it. The reason I don't want to go bigger is that even a 34' feels excessive to me. There is only ever just the two of us, my wife and I (oh, and once our cat).


Let us know what you find...other companies mentioned above had some nice and some embarrassing boats...there is another outfit with a fleet of older boats and I don't want to mention them. You may look at a boating or timeshare "club"...but I dont know much about them.


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## midwesterner

docon48 said:


> Check out Bow to Stern Boating in Oriental, NC. Here's their website:
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> Bow To Stern Boating
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> www.bowtosternboating.com
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes, I have chartered from them twice, for week-long charters. Once an Endeavor 32, and once a Catalina 34.


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## PNesbett

midwesterner said:


> Yes, I have chartered from them twice, for week-long charters. Once an Endeavor 32, and once a Catalina 34.


Thanks. I'm looking at the Endeavor 32. It's ok? I don't mind a used boat...but I don't want a boat that smells or has lots of stains on the cushions, etc. Did you head over to Ocracoke, and if you did, did you slow-poke it and drop anchor in West Bay, adjacent to Cedar Island? I haven't sailed Pamlico but am considering a more leisurely sail rather than pushing it for what I imagine could be 10 hours to go strait from Oriental to Silver Lake.


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## midwesterner

PNesbett said:


> Thanks. I'm looking at the Endeavor 32. It's ok? I don't mind a used boat...but I don't want a boat that smells or has lots of stains on the cushions, etc.


You're just talking about chartering a boat, for now, right? The Endeavor they had at Bow to Stern Boating was older. It was not one of their newer fancier boats, but it was also one of their less expensive boats to charter. It sailed very well, and we enjoyed it quite a bit.

I chartered over the past four years, until this last summer when I finally purchased my boat. My only option was to buy a used boat. I shopped and found one (1980 Bristol 35.5) that was within my limited price range, that had been maintained well. Some of the things that brought the price down, was that it had barebones electronics. I prefer that, because now I will gradually upgrade the electronics with more state-of-the-art equipment, with the features that I prefer. The boat has an older VHF radio, and a lower-end Garmin chartplotter, that both work fine, and will serve my needs fine this season, until I get familiar with my boat, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.


PNesbett said:


> Did you head over to Ocracoke, and if you did, did you slow-poke it and drop anchor in West Bay, adjacent to Cedar Island? I haven't sailed Pamlico but am considering a more leisurely sail rather than pushing it for what I imagine could be 10 hours to go strait from Oriental to Silver Lake.


The people at Bow to Stern Boating strongly discouraged us from trying to sail to Ocracoke. They pointed out that the wind almost always comes down the sound directly from Ocracoke, making it a very challenging sail to get there.

We sailed up to New Bern, and another day over the Eastern side of the sound to anchor in South River, and tour a Civil War cemetery.

For a beautiful outer Bank experience, they recommend a trip out to Beaufort down a section of the ICW, out to Cape Lookout. We didn't end up making that trip.


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## PNesbett

midwesterner said:


> You're just talking about chartering a boat, for now, right? The Endeavor they had at Bow to Stern Boating was older. It was not one of their newer fancier boats, but it was also one of their less expensive boats to charter. It sailed very well, and we enjoyed it quite a bit.
> 
> I chartered over the past four years, until this last summer when I finally purchased my boat. My only option was to buy a used boat. I shopped and found one (1980 Bristol 35.5) that was within my limited price range, that had been maintained well. Some of the things that brought the price down, was that it had barebones electronics. I prefer that, because now I will gradually upgrade the electronics with more state-of-the-art equipment, with the features that I prefer. The boat has an older VHF radio, and a lower-end Garmin chartplotter, that both work fine, and will serve my needs fine this season, until I get familiar with my boat, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
> 
> The people at Bow to Stern Boating strongly discouraged us from trying to sail to Ocracoke. They pointed out that the wind almost always comes down the sound directly from Ocracoke, making it a very challenging sail to get there.
> 
> We sailed up to New Bern, and another day over the Eastern side of the sound to anchor in South River, and tour a Civil War cemetery.
> 
> For a beautiful outer Bank experience, they recommend a trip out to Beaufort down a section of the ICW, out to Cape Lookout. We didn't end up making that trip.


Thank you Midwesterner. That helps. I'm almost at the point of choosing to buy a boat as well...


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## sailingbrad

PNesbett said:


> I'm looking to bareboat a 28-34' sloop for this summer on the Chesapeake or a little south (Abemarle or Pamlico)--preferably an older (pre-1990) classic plastic. Any ideas? Here's what I know...
> 
> Am I outa luck? Please tell me there is hope...somewhere...or I am going to buy a cheap boat or give up altogether on sailing and move to the desert.


check out Sail Solomon's in Solomon MD - great charter/club program with excellent boats!!


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