Boating vacation trips

JB MARSHALL

JB MARSHALL

Active Member
Aug 1, 2015
410
Mystic CT
Boat Info
2009-48 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins QSC 8.3
So under the current conditions (Covid-19) who has plans to travel away on their boat. Where are you planning to go where you can get out and enjoy the normalcy's of boating lifestyle?

We are leaving on July 2nd for a week long trip out to the sound with multiple stops on the Conn, Rhode Island side since New York is still slow to open up. Anyone have any knowledge of what is happening on Block Island?

Let's get on with summer boating
JB
 
We are certainly trying, but some marinas are closed to transients. I was going to take 1st two weeks of August off and travel Michigan's west coast. I don't think that is happening now.
 
Mass does not have a quarantine rule, so Block and The Vineyard will be ok in that regard. But marinas still are private business and can choose to not allow transients. Keep in mind Restaurants only started to re open in Mass and are limited to outdoor dining or take out.

NH is open, and that leaves the NH SeaCoast open. With Portsmouth mostly the best choice. I know Wentworth by the Sea is open to transients.
 
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We have been going back and forth on this subject the past month. Our plans have changed because our daughters 7.5 weeks of sleep over camp that is supposed to be over the summer got canceled so now they will be with us so we need to keep that in mind when picking places to go so we can keep them happy. We have lots of 3-4 day trips planned such as Nantucket, Newport, Provincetown, The Vineyard, etc but we are holding back on a longer trip we had planned to NH/Maine because if I am going to burn all that fuel I would like to have things open so we can enjoy them and not just do take out on the boat. I think it will be easier to get slips this year so we are going to risk it a bit and hold off on some plans and if things open up some more then plan a longer trip for late summer.
 
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Well I can say for being back traveling for work now for the past 4 weeks and currently sitting in a hotel room in Peabody MA the north is a lot different than the south. I spent today in NH visiting my stores and while they opened a few things up there a couple of weeks before MA the whole north is "taking this more serious than the south". I have been in New Orleans, Mississippi, Atlanta over the last month. The south is open for business and completely a different vibe. Good bad or indifferent it is just strange to see the difference in how everyone is dealing with this. My plans remain the same, weekends in the Bahamas are my get aways this year since Europe is closed. Proabably get a trip to the Keys in there also. Just waiting for the Bahamas to open July 1 so I can get to Bimini mid month. Next week is New Jersey so going to be interesting to see how it is there....
 
I am itching to get to some of my favorite spots on Vineyard and ACK, but all restraunts, etc are basically still closed except for outdoor dining, which is limited. Talked to a local owner here in Falmouth yesterday and he is just struggling to keep up with the ever changing rules and conditions. I am planning on doing some remote harbor/lagoon "camping" this year. Going to be very different to say the least. I guess we all just need to keep checking chamber of commerce and town websites for information.
 
capecodcruiser said:
I am itching to get to some of my favorite spots on Vineyard and ACK, but all restraunts, etc are basically still closed except for outdoor dining, which is limited. Talked to a local owner here in Falmouth yesterday and he is just struggling to keep up with the ever changing rules and conditions. I am planning on doing some remote harbor/lagoon "camping" this year. Going to be very different to say the least. I guess we all just need to keep checking chamber of commerce and town websites for information.
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My buddy was in OB yesterday and said things were beginning to pick up. Nancy’s outdoor areas were full and people were hanging out. Donovan’s was open with a small line to get mudslides so sounds like it is starting g to get going. We were there 2 weekends ago and there were only 25 boats in the harbor although it was a windy day with North wind so a little chilly.
 
Maine just modified their 14 day quarantine rule the other day. They are relaxing it to any traveler who can produce a negative Covid test no older than 72 hours won’t have to quarantine. Lots of luck there as Covid tests in Mass still are only for those presenting symptoms.

As I mentioned earlier, the marina at Wentworth by the Sea in Portsmouth NH is almost fully open according to friends from our marina who spent the weekend there. Newburyport where we are is barely open. Restaurants within walking distance of our marina are still closed, but they only were allowed to open Monday. Most in town have outside seating so things may improve. Our marina shower facilities are closed, and restroom access is limited.

What’s the status of marinas and facilities south of Boston?
 
Great thread!

Soon as I find my next boat we want to trailer down to Florida Keys and enjoy crystal clear calm warm waters snorkeling and dodging sharks. :(
 
Henry Boyd said:
Maine just modified their 14 day quarantine rule the other day. They are relaxing it to any traveler who can produce a negative Covid test no older than 72 hours won’t have to quarantine. Lots of luck there as Covid tests in Mass still are only for those presenting symptoms.

As I mentioned earlier, the marina at Wentworth by the Sea in Portsmouth NH is almost fully open according to friends from our marina who spent the weekend there. Newburyport where we are is barely open. Restaurants within walking distance of our marina are still closed, but they only were allowed to open Monday. Most in town have outside seating so things may improve. Our marina shower facilities are closed, and restroom access is limited.

What’s the status of marinas and facilities south of Boston?
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I am at a private marina so no facilities but I have heard the ones down here are mostly the same as what you are describing. We are heading to Hyannis Marina this weekend to go for a short overnight trip and we will see what the feel is there.
 
We absolutely are proceeding with boat travel, but we recognize it will be slightly different from the past.

We'll provision some more "regular meals" to prepare onboard (with a grill, indoor and outdoor stoves, and proper cooking utensils, this won't be too difficult), we are researching ahead to find out which restaurants have carry out available, and we're finding out which marinas are allowing transient visitors.

Truth be told, we carry better wine than most of the restaurants in these smaller towns (Michigan/Wisconsin), so if we can just have their food with our cellar, and be guaranteed waterfront dining every night (i.e. the cockpit), it's not all that terrible.
 
FastMarkA said:
We absolutely are proceeding with boat travel, but we recognize it will be slightly different from the past.

We'll provision some more "regular meals" to prepare onboard (with a grill, indoor and outdoor stoves, and proper cooking utensils, this won't be too difficult), we are researching ahead to find out which restaurants have carry out available, and we're finding out which marinas are allowing transient visitors.

Truth be told, we carry better wine than most of the restaurants in these smaller towns (Michigan/Wisconsin), so if we can just have their food with our cellar, and be guaranteed waterfront dining every night (i.e. the cockpit), it's not all that terrible.
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I think you are right, this year’s boating model will be more like glammping than prior years. A bigger Yeti is probably in the cards for us. I’m certainly glad we replaced the ice maker fridge last year.
 
We're heading down to VA for July 4th and the week after with five stops planned. Already had one cancel on me due to COVID and currently checking with the others.

Heading out again for a week in August with 8 boats for four stops around the Chesapeake. We can deal with take out food but if the pools are closed or severely limited on capacity then it's a no go since we'll have 14 kids.
 
We typically head north to Canada, but the border is still closed and the word is that it will be that way until the end of July. So, plan B is Puget Sound boating which is just as beautiful and less $$$$. We have 7 outstations with the Tacoma Yacht Club and can stay at all for free and not heading into Canada will save a ton of fuel $$ and I don't have to worry about leaving my guns at home...
 
We have a trip to a place called Stehekin. It's at the end of the beautiful Lake Chelan,Wa.
There's going to be 8-11 of us, we're still going. Hopefully the NPS will open the boat in campgrounds as we have people with tents, and we will use the docks.
This is from a few years ago with our old boat.
Stehekin.JPG
 
wyrman said:
We have a trip to a place called Stehekin. It's at the end of the beautiful Lake Chelan,Wa.
There's going to be 8-11 of us, we're still going. Hopefully the NPS will open the boat in campgrounds as we have people with tents, and we will use the docks.
This is from a few years ago with our old boat.View attachment 86381
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Beautiful, I have spent many many summer vacations in Chelan and have been up the lake (51 miles) many times. In Chelan there is a brand new bar called "County Line" it used to be "Shot of Gratitude", my son bought it last year and totally remodeled it. They are currently waiting on the next phase so they can open the doors. Please check it out if possible, it's right next to the 76 gas station across from the Chevron station as you come into downtown Chelan.
 
I'm going to do everything I can to go up a day early and stay the night on the boat in Chelan.
If we do, I will most definitely check it out.
Thanks for the info.
 
wyrman said:
We have a trip to a place called Stehekin. It's at the end of the beautiful Lake Chelan,Wa.
There's going to be 8-11 of us, we're still going. Hopefully the NPS will open the boat in campgrounds as we have people with tents, and we will use the docks.
This is from a few years ago with our old boat.View attachment 86381
Click to expand...

This picture belongs in a boating magazine. That is a destination!
 
A little info on the lake. It's ice cold, even in the middle of the summer.
With a maximum depth of 1,486 feet (453 m), Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the United States.
 
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