ChesapeakeBayMagazine

Whether lurking as hazards beneath the water’s surface or becoming eyesores as they drift ashore, abandoned boats are a growing problem in Chesapeake Bay waters—especially in Virginia. The U.S. Coast Guard has documented 170 abandoned and derelict vessels in Virginia waters since 2013, and state officials are building...

More than six weeks after two construction barges broke loose amid heavy water flow on the Potomac River, attempts to salvage the larger barge are finally beginning. And it could take up to four more weeks to remove it. A spokesperson for C&O Canal National Historical Park says contractors finalized...

Ernest Sigmon III, 44, went out fishing in the Bay on Dec. 29, 2021 and was never seen again. His 25-foot Sportsman Open 252 was found circling off Plum Point in Calvert County. Ernie Sigmon’s disappearance prompted a large-scale search by police and other emergency responders, but also inspired thousands...

When Bay Bulletin reported last week on two boat fires at marinas in the span of just three days, it was alarming to many boaters—especially those who plug their boats into shore power and those who sleep aboard. Cheryl Costello went to a fire safety advocate to find out what the rest of us can do now to help prevent dangerous and destructive fires in the future. Watch below:

The National Folk Festival is in its final year of residency in Salisbury, Md. The Eastern Shore city has hosted this longtime festival since 2018, welcoming some 350 artists to the shore—musicians, dancers, storytellers, and craftspeople. For the first time, the festival will be held in late August, giving...

When a fishing boat started taking on water offshore of Ocean City, Md. on Monday morning, every moment mattered. The Coast Guard was able to rescue the people aboard and save the boat, all thanks to a useful feature on the boat’s VHF radio. The Coast Guard says four...

A time-honored Bay tradition continued this month—the Patuxent River Wade-In went on despite the loss of its founder, former Maryland State Senator Bernie Fowler, who passed away last December at age 97. Sunday, June 12, members of the community, elected officials, friends and family of the late Sen. Fowler...

The Washington, D.C. section of the Potomac River has made leaps and bounds in water quality over the past several years. But it’s still illegal to swim there without a special permit. Waterkeepers and water access advocates are pushing to change that, allowing people to enjoy Our Nation’s River....

Three boaters are safe thanks to their decision to wear life jackets—and the efforts of emergency responders on the Chesapeake Bay. The Coast Guard says the three people were on a catamaran that capsized Saturday night near New Point, Va., at the tip of the Middle Peninsula. A family...

When the Chesapeake Bay’s winter dredge survey results came in a month ago, they revealed the worst overall blue crab abundance in the survey’s history. Fishery managers in Maryland, Virginia, and Potomac River hinted at possible season changes in response to the crab decline. Cheryl Costello explains that...

With a preliminary study on a possible new Chesapeake Bay crossing complete, Maryland transportation officials recommend building a new span alongside the existing two between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties. The Federal Highway Administration has given preliminary approval to the plan, too. Now, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has...

An Annapolis restaurant known Baywide for their oysters was significantly damaged in a two-alarm fire last Wednesday night. Sailor Oyster Bar, owned and operated by Scott and Gabrielle Herbst, suffered catastrophic damage when a fire broke out in the rear of the two-story building June 8 around 8 p.m. Heavy flames engulfed the row building, burning inward and down into the establishment.

The Coast Guard continues to search for two Virginia Beach natives who haven’t been heard from in nine days during their attempt to sail to the Azores in Portugal. The pair, Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, left Hampton, Va. on June 8 for the Azores. They were aboard the sailboat Kyklades. But on June 13, they told Jones’ daughter that heavy weather had damaged their vessel. They’d decided to head back to Hampton. But Jones’ daughter never heard from them again.

In his book Works of Art, John Koehler explains that he was born with the ability to “see things and put them down on paper.” His digital creations burst with wonderful colors and imagination—and it’s all accomplished on an iPad. Starting this weekend, you will be able to see his works in a new exhibit in Virginia Beach, Va.

The Chesapeake Bay region’s anglers are some of the most dedicated around, so it’s no surprise that new state fishing records are being set multiple times a year these days. (In Maryland, it’s happened three times in the last three months!) But it’s not every day that...

Just three days after a fire at Podickory Point marina on the Bay’s Western Shore destroyed two boats and damaged three more, a large marina fire broke out at Great Oak Landing Marina on the Eastern Shore. On Sunday around 2 a.m., a 42-foot powerboat caught fire at the...

The Hampton Roads-area landmark cruise boat, Spirit of Norfolk has finally been towed to a shipyard, where investigators will try to determine the cause of the fire that broke out with 89 children aboard. The Coast Guard said Sunday afternoon that salvage crews completed the tow of Spirit of Norfolk...

Yacht builder Joseph “Joe” Conboy, a native son of Virginia’s Eastern Shore passed away at age 87 in North Carolina. For nearly 20 years, Conboy built wooden and fiberglass boats at his yard on Robinson Creek in Urbanna, Va. He specialized in custom-built yacht construction and repair and built sail and trawler yachts using wood and Airex/fiberglass.

A major fire broke out at a marina just north of Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. Luckily, no one was injured, but unluckily, the fire spread to at least two other boats. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department say they got the call just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Podickory Point Yacht Club marina. When firefighters arrived, a 35-foot boat was fully involved with flames and no one was on board.

Jeff Holland published his first article in Chesapeake Bay Magazine in 1981. It was about the new turning basin at the end of Ego Alley at Annapolis City Dock. He had just arrived in town aboard a sailboat with his father, Bill Holland, and he’s been here ever since. While contributing articles and photographs to this magazine and other publications over the years, Jeff has also served at the PR guy for Annapolis Boat Shows, the director of the Annapolis Maritime Museum for its first decade in existence and as the Riverkeeper for the West and Rhode Rivers.