Tips and Advice 1. Make General Intentions If you’re reserving a slip somewhere, allow for wiggle room or at least a week extra in the schedule knowing Murphy’s Law seems to thrive on messing up cruise plans. We have “general intentions” of being somewhere and often we need that fudge factor to make up

for unforeseen circumstances. When Hurricane Sandy slammed into the east coast in 2013, we spent a long October week in Portsmouth, VA, before we even got to Mile 1 of the ICW. Ask any long-term cruiser and they’ll tell you their engine, air conditioning, holding tank, or refrigeration has gone on the fritz and delayed their plans.

##High Life at anchor

2. Avoid Stress Being flexible is the key to enjoying being aboard which translates to stressfree cruising. Let good weather dictate when you slip the dock lines, not a deadline to meet someone. Often it’s easier and safer for guests to get to the boat (in a rental car) then you going out in foul weather to meet them. 3. Nitty Gritty Info about Your Boat Length, draft, beam, height (air draft) and power requirement. The draft of your boat will determine routing your course. When you call a marina for a slip, you’ll be asked the length, draft, beam, and power requirements for your boat. Every time you approach a bridge, the air draft (with or without lowering the antenna) is a detail that allows you to either scoot beneath it or have to wait for an opening.

4. Care and Feeding of Your Boat Spare parts take up storage space aboard, but nothing makes you happier than having the fan belt or impeller needed to keep the boat running. Granted Fed Ex and UPS have made getting spare parts quicker than in the

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Dockage While We Work!

We specialize in complete marine systems:

designing, installing, interfacing & repairing.

Keep Our Water Clean– use pumpOuts

• Discharge of raw sewage is illegal anywhere within 3 nautical miles of the U.S. Coast. • Maryland marinas with more than 50 slips are required by state law to have a pumpout. • Grants are available to marinas to install or replace pumpouts.

• Electronics • Electrical • Plumbing • Climate Control • Refrigeration • Navigation • Communication Systems

J. Gordon & Company Complete Yacht Repair Center on Back Creek

410.263.0054 • JGordonCo.com 48 September 2015 PropTalk.com

For more information, or to find a pumpout in Maryland, visit dnr.maryland.gov/boating To report a broken pumpout send an email to pumpout@dnr.state.md.us or call 410-260-8772