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View Full Version : East Coast Sailing...recommendations??


Steverino
03-23-2005, 10:34 AM
To be more specific, we live in Central PA and are looking for campgrounds that either rent small sailboats or are close by places that do. We enjoy spending time in/on/around the water and since we can't tow a boat and the TM...

Any recommendations would be appreciated. I suppose we'd be most interested in places relatively nearby (PA, MD, NY, ???) but any good suggestions will be considered for future journeys...

Thanks,

Steve

Bill
03-23-2005, 01:04 PM
Steve -

If you can talk yourself into going that far, Casco Bay (Portland Harbor and surrounding area) in Maine is some of the best sailing on the east coast. The "rock-bound coast of Maine" is just beautiful. The wind never fails, the tides make everything interesting, the weather is gorgeous in the summer. The calender islands (there are supposedly 365 islands in Casco Bay) make for really interesting sailing and lots to see as you do it. Some of the islands are large, and inhabited year 'round. Some are so small that they are inundated at low tide. Most are in the middle, rocky, covered with pine trees, state-owned and so quite legal to drop anchor and go ashore and explore. Kids love it, too. Many of the islands have secluded coves where you can pull in for an hour or overnight (I'm thinking of Jewell Island with its so-called Cocktail Cove, where many people pull in for some evening socializing, or for the night. This is much different sailing from Florida, for instance, where you drive a quarter mile off the beach, turn left or right, and sail back and forth in a straight line for the rest of the day, then come home.

Casco Bay is filled with sailing craft in the summer - everything from small center-board sit-on-tops to four-masted schooners, and everything in between. Somewhere in there I'm sure you'll find your niche.

The city of Portland is a wonderful place to be. The restored waterfront district is lots of fun. I won't try to sell you on the attractions, but if you rummage around on the web, you'll find out a lot. I love Portland.

Give it some thought, anyway.

Bill

Speckul8r
10-13-2005, 07:26 AM
Not that this reply is late or anything but have you gone to the NC Outer Banks?? Lots of places to rent sailboats in the sound areas. Great beachs and good fishing. Surf fishing or wading areas in the sound. We like to go to Frisco which is just south of Hatterass light (Buxton). The Fed Park campsites are great but no electric. Cold showers (Which are welcome in August), flush heads and running cold water sinks. This campground goes up a hill and the higher you are, the more sea breeze there is. Keeps the bugs down.
Frisco Woods is a decent private campground on the sound side with most all the ammenities. Electric, water, very nice pool, etc. See web site for more info.
http://www.outer-banks.com/friscowoods/
Campgrounds on the sound side and the more protected areas seem to have more 'skeeters. But so long as you are not in the trees, I've not had any real bad experiences.
We love it down there. I tow with a 4X4 Sierra and we spend a lot of time cruising the beach, shelll hunting, swimming and body surfing, looking for fish and nappin'.

ps If you have a 4X4, stop at the 1st ranger statiion out of Nags Head on route 12 and pick up a "how drive on the beach" brochure. READ IT AND HEED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!