We ran from Rock Hall, MD to Atlantic City, NJ today.... Burned about 300 gallons of diesel fuel in the process.
So here's what happened. Got into the inlet and cruised over to the fuel dock next to the marina. There was a young couple on a 50' custom sport fish that had been behind us all day and they pulled into the fuel dock next to us (they also picked up about 300 gallons). The fuel dock looked like it had seen a better day but at least we got fuel.
Both boats proceed over to the slips. I get no help from any dock hands when I get into E17 (which is fine by me). The other boat is a couple slips down from me. My kids and wife break out the gear to wash the boat and I proceed to hook up the power. Here's the power tower condition:
This thing is just crumbling apart from too much abuse and sun exposure over the years. I turn on the breaker and... no power in the boat. Change it to another plug on the tower... no power in the boat. I break out a volt meter and there is absolutely no juice in the thing.
By this time, a dock hand is starting to walk down E dock and I go tell him I have no power in the tower. He immediately spouts off "It was working just fine yesterday so you must of done something." Are you serious?! I said it really didn't matter about "yesterday" as "today" it is not working. He goes over and turns the breaker on and off and asks me to go see if I have power... Seriously? I put the leads of my voltmeter in to test it and he says "What kind of boater carries a voltmeter with them?" SERIOUSLY?! Guess what? No power. He then asks me to extend all the cord out of my Glendenning Cablemaster (50A heavy cable) and 75' doesn't reach the next power tower.
By this time, the guy on the boat that was behind me all day comes out and says he has no power either. The dockhand then calls it in and says they'll come fix it later... but he didn't really know when... He said we could move the boat if we wanted. I did find a slip further down that had a functional power tower...
They did come out and "do something" and I now have a steller 205 volts driving a 240 volt system... but there are 6 boats on the dock. SERIOUSLY?
I then go check in and another dock hand is talking to a guy named "Joe" who appears to be the dockmaster. The dock hand says that someone called and wanted to talk to him and "Joe" said "You need to find out what it's about before I talk to him." I somewhat blew it off as I just wanted to check in and go eat.
They did re-do one of the restaurants here and it's called the "Chart House." The couple in the boat next to us is in line a few people in front of us and the manager and hostess are standing there. They ask them if they have reservations and they said "no" and the hostess looked at the manager and he nods and she seats them. We get to the hostess... she asks if we have reservations and I said "no" and she said we could not be seated. I somewhat shocked... I said "OK"... we walked away... the older couple behind us says they need a table for 2 and the hostess asks if they have reservations... they say no... manager nods his head yes and she seats them. The only difference is we have a 12 year old and 16 year old kids.... I walked back and asked what gives and the manager walks away and the hostess says it's not her call.
I'm now really pissed. I go down to talk to the dockmaster and complain about the whole treatment here and a dock hand is at the desk. I ask to speak to his manager/dockmaster. He says to me "You need to tell me what it's about because he won't talk to you unless he knows what you want to talk to him about first." I give him my business card and ask him to call me. He never calls. I guess I'm not worthy.
This is unbelievable. I have spent $1400 here today and have been treated like third class steerage. And I can't even talk to a manager unless I make my case to a dockhand first.
I will never be back here. I prefer to part with my money with places that make it a pleasant experience and not with some power playing dockmaster and a restaurant that judges people at the podium before seating them.
A few more great shots of this wonderful place.
and
So here's what happened. Got into the inlet and cruised over to the fuel dock next to the marina. There was a young couple on a 50' custom sport fish that had been behind us all day and they pulled into the fuel dock next to us (they also picked up about 300 gallons). The fuel dock looked like it had seen a better day but at least we got fuel.
Both boats proceed over to the slips. I get no help from any dock hands when I get into E17 (which is fine by me). The other boat is a couple slips down from me. My kids and wife break out the gear to wash the boat and I proceed to hook up the power. Here's the power tower condition:
This thing is just crumbling apart from too much abuse and sun exposure over the years. I turn on the breaker and... no power in the boat. Change it to another plug on the tower... no power in the boat. I break out a volt meter and there is absolutely no juice in the thing.
By this time, a dock hand is starting to walk down E dock and I go tell him I have no power in the tower. He immediately spouts off "It was working just fine yesterday so you must of done something." Are you serious?! I said it really didn't matter about "yesterday" as "today" it is not working. He goes over and turns the breaker on and off and asks me to go see if I have power... Seriously? I put the leads of my voltmeter in to test it and he says "What kind of boater carries a voltmeter with them?" SERIOUSLY?! Guess what? No power. He then asks me to extend all the cord out of my Glendenning Cablemaster (50A heavy cable) and 75' doesn't reach the next power tower.
By this time, the guy on the boat that was behind me all day comes out and says he has no power either. The dockhand then calls it in and says they'll come fix it later... but he didn't really know when... He said we could move the boat if we wanted. I did find a slip further down that had a functional power tower...
They did come out and "do something" and I now have a steller 205 volts driving a 240 volt system... but there are 6 boats on the dock. SERIOUSLY?
I then go check in and another dock hand is talking to a guy named "Joe" who appears to be the dockmaster. The dock hand says that someone called and wanted to talk to him and "Joe" said "You need to find out what it's about before I talk to him." I somewhat blew it off as I just wanted to check in and go eat.
They did re-do one of the restaurants here and it's called the "Chart House." The couple in the boat next to us is in line a few people in front of us and the manager and hostess are standing there. They ask them if they have reservations and they said "no" and the hostess looked at the manager and he nods and she seats them. We get to the hostess... she asks if we have reservations and I said "no" and she said we could not be seated. I somewhat shocked... I said "OK"... we walked away... the older couple behind us says they need a table for 2 and the hostess asks if they have reservations... they say no... manager nods his head yes and she seats them. The only difference is we have a 12 year old and 16 year old kids.... I walked back and asked what gives and the manager walks away and the hostess says it's not her call.
I'm now really pissed. I go down to talk to the dockmaster and complain about the whole treatment here and a dock hand is at the desk. I ask to speak to his manager/dockmaster. He says to me "You need to tell me what it's about because he won't talk to you unless he knows what you want to talk to him about first." I give him my business card and ask him to call me. He never calls. I guess I'm not worthy.
This is unbelievable. I have spent $1400 here today and have been treated like third class steerage. And I can't even talk to a manager unless I make my case to a dockhand first.
I will never be back here. I prefer to part with my money with places that make it a pleasant experience and not with some power playing dockmaster and a restaurant that judges people at the podium before seating them.
A few more great shots of this wonderful place.
and