Moving to Maryland

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:43 am

Ok need some input from the East Coast group on the forums. My job is asking me to possibly move to Maryland (baltimore area) for work. My boat is currently in lake Erie and its a bit too far to drive for the weekend. So here goes the questions.

Being a fresh water boat, and direct cooled, there are some things i need to look at.

1. Are there any fresh water ports in the area or is it all bracish/salt?

2. Any ideas on costs for conversion? Thing is the tricabin has two seacocks for each V-Drive too so I would need to figure that out if I needed to convert.

3. What is the average cost of slips? Any places your aware of have Decks/Docks, meaning you dock directly at the shore with a deck at you boat verus a floating city.

Thanks for the help!

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:01 am

Well, the Chessie covers almost 5,000 sq. miles along with it's tributaries. Most of it somewhat brackish.

The Potomac river is mostly brackish and tidal as well, up to Little Falls. That's a lot of water to choose from to boat in. You didn't say where you're moving to in Maryland. Dependant on where you'll be located, is a cost factor in a slip.

There are fresh lakes a few hours south, Lake Anna and Smith Mountain Lake, a bit further, both in Virginia.

Regardless, any body of water surrounding Maryland is suitable for boating.
Well, maybe not all...there is the Anacostia River.

Mike Kulp · Post by **Mike Kulp** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:36 pm

If you are around Baltimore ther will be hundreds of marinas to choose from. If you are looking for completely fresh water you can go all the way north on the bay to Port Deposit, Perryville or Havre de Grace which is on the Susquehanna River all very nice little towns, I am on Frog Mortar Creek off Middle River about 12 miles north of Baltimore the water here would be considered brackish ( Very low salt ), there is about 30 marinas within 15 minutes of me, plug in zip code 21220 into google earth and take a look. As for as converting to fresh water cooled I would guess that will get expensive $1500 to $3000 per motor, I do not know if it would be cost effective as there is boats from the 70's with origninal motors in them that I know of. As for as cost seasonal slips ( May 1 to October 31 ) can run from $1000 to $4000 depending on what you want, fixed piers, floaters, backed up to bulk heads, you will have plenty of choices. When you go north towards the Susquehanna they tend to get more expensive because of the Pennsylvania Navy will pay the price to be closer to home.

rbcool · Post by **rbcool** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 5:29 pm

A little more info..
How long here? Permanent?
How do you use your boat? Fishing, Docksitter, long cruises?

Are you mechanicaly inclined? You could install the systems, they're bolt-on.
2 seacocks for a V-drive?

The dock on the shore? Your pic looks like waterfront property, and that is Huge $$$
The farther north on the bay, the more expensive.

IMHO get her converted and you can go anywhere!! The Chesapeake is a wonderous, Historical place that you could spend many years exploring.

Ron

jaahmez@hotmail.com · Post by **jaahmez@hotmail.com** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:59 pm

The majority of marinas on the bay are docks/bulkheads. Very few if any floating cities that I can think of. You will have dozens of choices within a zip code and hundreds if you want to drive a little.

The Chesapeake Bay (along with the Pacific Northwest) is an amazing body of water, you will not be disappointed.

I'd imagine it to be a pretty cool trip(never done it) to come around from the Great Lakes to the Bay by boat. Good luck with whatever comes your way.

James

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:14 pm

Jamie and Rb spoke the truth, The bay is great ! we've moved our boat 3 times now. To get her in areas that we want to go to. She's now going to be 90 miles from home. But we spend 3 to 4 days on her a week after Memorial day. Check out Active Captain.Com it'll give you all kinds of info and best of all it's from boaters and Free...

And if you really like the boat, then yes it's worth the bucks to change over. And if you can read and now how to hold a wrench the change over isn't that hard...And you got all of us to tell you how to do it 50 different ways...

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:15 pm

I could totally do the work, that isn't an issue in swapping over, just seems like the exchangers can be pricey. I was hoping to be able to dock up at a marina that was fresh water to avoid having to switch over. Seeing that most will be brackish i guess it would just eat it alive.

On the dock, this is what my dock looks like today, i guess this would be pricey then.

I'm not sure where to dock, and have no clue on housing yet. This is a perminate move if I make it too. Office is close to downtown baltimore so I would want to be ~30-60 minutes from work, and anything less than 2 hours from the marina is good. Heck today I'm 4 hours away living in Chicago and docking in Lake Erie OH.

I was planning to drive it down too.

Expensive but a once in a lifetime event.

jefflaw35 · Post by **jefflaw35** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:54 pm

good luck! thats alot to think about, but seems like a fun life altering project. You will like the bay!! I see saltwater in your future!! We are building a plan to be In Florida in 5 years. I have to many projects

need helpers

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:12 pm

rbcool wrote:......2 seacocks for a V-drive?....

I've seen several Walter V-Drives with this set up.

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:44 pm

Big D wrote:
rbcool wrote:......2 seacocks for a V-drive?....
I've seen several Walter V-Drives with this set up.

Yeah, no water pump, just two directional scuppers one forward, one aft and as the boat moves forward it forces water through.

Going into salt i would say that needs to go, the walters isn't going to hold up to direct salt. I would need to tie it into the engine cooling system.

This is a 90% deal so i'm sure I'm going to need pointers. After spending money the last two seasons getting her in tip top shape I'm feeling like I would rather do this and keep it, versus sell and buy again and start over.

Although I always wanted a 44MY!

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:05 pm

Aaron, do you ever have an issue with temps when going slow idle? Guess you can`t idle for very long without being in gear?

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:14 pm

No temp on the V-Drive but i've touched them and never warm. Oil in them is crystal clean. Engines are direct cooled and no, never over 140ish.

When you are cooled via heat exchanger do you have two water pumps (not including the engine water pump), or is the engine pump good enough to circulate the exchange and V-Drives? Then the raw pump just moves the sea water in/out of the exchanger?

My merc maintenance books have the flow diagrams for this, but just asking. Anyone have to ever buy an exchanger? Found a few sites, looks like about $500-$1500 for them depending. Suppose I will be calling Bob and asking.

rbcool · Post by **rbcool** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:45 am

I think your on the right track Aaron.
Since this is your (2nd) home, tell the boss man you'll need a little extra moving stipend

My marina is about 2 hrs from Bmore and would cost you 2k for a full year. Very nice marina and laid back too! Plus some of the best fishing on the bay.
Good luck with the decision making process.... you'll be studying like a 12th grader for SAT!

Ron

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:38 pm

aweimer wrote:....When you are cooled via heat exchanger do you have two water pumps (not including the engine water pump), or is the engine pump good enough to circulate the exchange and V-Drives? Then the raw pump just moves the sea water in/out of the exchanger?....

Just one raw water pump on each engine that I've ever seen for that app.

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:09 pm

So the word is in. Office is in New Castle where they want me. So i'm looking at the north end of the bay. Looking at the marina's i want to find a nice place that has a pool for the kids. That is what they love at our current location. Beach would be a plus, but pool at a minimum. I'm still searching.

Then again, i've also been looking for a place that I can afford that is right on the bay with my own DOCK!

Looking like a pipe dream though. hehe.