Recreation on the Bay
Given the hectic and often draining pace of modern life, "re-creating" ourselves is no small thing. Psychologists have pointed to the importance of solitude, and to relating to something larger than ourselves, something many people find in the great outdoors.Wallace Stegner, widely admired for his writing about the American west, noted that while we were working on the wilderness, "it was working on us." The same could be said for the Chesapeake Bay — when we spend time on the water, whether in a rowboat, a motorboat, a kayak or under sail, the water works on us, teaches us something about time and our place in it.
As Tom Horton wrote in his award-winning book, Bay Country, "Wonder lies in the Bay and its watershed in full measure. It is nothing alien or mystical or reserved for the expert."
In fact, a remarkable body of literature (see Maryland Marine Notes, July-August 1998) has grown up around the Bay, the result of direct experience with this vast estuary and those who live and, like watermen, work along her shores.
Bay-related recreation also plays an important role in the region's economy. A study undertaken by marine economist Doug Lipton and his colleagues has documented the value of recreational boating activity in Maryland at well over a billion dollars a year — and that's not counting the sale price of boats.
Boating
While great fun, boating also carries risks, from collisions and other serious accidents to weather-related dangers such as lightning, rough seas, and hypothermia. As more people take to waterways busy with other recreational boaters and big ships bringing cargo to the port of Baltimore, the potential for accidents increases. To help promote safe boating, Maryland Sea Grant has produced print and web publications on lightning protection, navigating near big ships and weather on the Chesapeake. Other Sea Grant programs as well as state and federal agencies have produced valuable publications and web resources for recreational boaters and others who spend time on the water. A selection of these is listed below.
- Lightning
- Maryland Sea Grant, Lightning: Grounding Your Boat (html) pdf
Responsible Boating
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Your Boat and the Bay
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland's Clean Marina Initiative
Safe Boating
- Maryland Sea Grant,
Keep Clear: Big Ships on the Chesapeake (html) pdf
- Alaska Sea Grant,
Water Wise: Safety for the Recreational Boater by Jerry Dzugan and Susan Clark (1999)
- Minnesota Sea Grant,
Survival in Cold Water: Hypothermia Prevention by Chad P. Dawson
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources,
Maryland Safe Boating
- U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety
Weather
- Maryland Sea Grant,
Bayside Guide to the Weather
- NOAA Satellite weather information
- Boat U.S. Marine Weather
Recreational Boating Insurance
- Alaska Sea Grant, What You Need to Know about Recreational Boat Insurance by Terry Johnson (2001)
- Maryland Sea Grant, Lightning: Grounding Your Boat (html) pdf
