Marina Review for Oxford Yacht Agency

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Oct 23, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

They do have nice basic transient facilities, but not attended unless you call ahead. Oriented to the repair & maintenance business. Good location for protected waters and local restaurants. Fuel service is weekly, and a likely bargain for those who can make use of it. Owner has a much larger repair & storage facility at "Oxford Yacht Agency at Dickerson Harbor" about 10 road or water miles away on La Trappe Creek near Trappe, MD.

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Marina Review for Schaefers Canal House & Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Oct 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Free docks on opposite shore were silted in. Came here. One is exposed to canal but very little canal traffic. No wake issues. Tied-up just east of bridge but never noticed bridge noise above our heater-fans noise. Dock guy, Steve, carefully made sure we were tied with long spring lines to handle the tide. Great Restaurant.

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Free Dock Review for Town of Chesapeake City Municipal Docks - MD

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Oct 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 1

I tried to get in at mid-tide level. Four feet draft. Approaching as recommended and near the dock, the boat quit drifting (I.e. dragging keel on bottom), depth sounder quit (indicating lots of particulate in water ), then wife yelled, "your kicking up a lot of mud". I backed out and went to marina on opposite shore.
Town office said it was going to be dredged next month.

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Marina Review for Farley State Marina at Golden Nugget Casino & Hotel

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Oct 11, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 3

Link to marina:
https://www.goldennugget.com/atlantic-city/amenities/marina/
The 1800 number dumped me to a dead line.
Dockwa.com does their reservations

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Bridge comment on Bridge C-1, 112th St, SR 470

Comment by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Oct 2, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'

10/3/2023:
I just went under this bridge. With a tape measure while I drifted under , I came up with a number in the 25’ range.

10/2/2023:
Raymarine/Navionics current charts and Bridgecalculator.com list this C-1 112th street bridge as 20.0 ft. Waterways guide and I-boating list it as 25.+ feet. My guess is Navionics is wrong, but I will keep my 21' tower down until passing.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  See the Waterway Guide comment about clearance in the bridge listing.

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Marina Review for Mohawk Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Oct 1, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 2

Nice modern dock facilities, but no restrooms, showers, or any other services. In summer season it is attended. Off season, unattended and you are on your own, except they can collect fees via dockwa.com. On the plus side, restaurants are nearby. Narrow harbor entrance, but harbor well protected from storms and wind.

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Free Dock Review for Lock E15, Fort Plain, Erie Canal

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Sep 30, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

Tie up above lock preferred. Below has current from dam. Nice quiet little park. One power location, a blue switch box at upper end of tie off wall. You will need a long cord. Easy hike to town, The Table at Fort Plain is a nice restaurant. Save A Lot groceries store in town. No showers, has portable potty.

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Bridge comment on Highway 400 Bridges

Comment by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Sep 14, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'

I have a Grand Banks 42 with a mast that tops out a little under 21'. I did the entire Trent-Severn with it up. All bridges that I went under were listed as 22' or higher. We watched carefully under a few low bridges, the 22' appeared correct. As for water levels, they are managed very carefully to keep canals optimal, but ask at locks for current conditions.

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Bridge comment on Veterans Skyway (Dundas Street) Bridge

Comment by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Sep 14, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'

I have a Grand Banks 42 with a mast that tops out a little under 21'. I did the entire Trent-Severn with it up. All bridges that I went under were listed as 22' or higher. We watched carefully under a few low bridges, the 22' appeared correct. As for water levels, they are managed very carefully to keep canals levels correct, but ask at locks for current conditions.

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Lock comment on Lock and Dam 7 Glen Ross

Comment by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Sep 2, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Nice quiet rural place to stop for the night. Well stocked with basics small general store with a great ice cream bar next to locks. Abandoned RR bridge is adjacent. No shore power.

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Marina Review for Oswego Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Sep 2, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

All recent comments are valid, except town looked nice, not old and tired.

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Marina Review for Meyers Pier

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Sep 2, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

As a transient, I did not realize the $2 mil liability requirement until arrival. I left the question blank on the check-in form and they did not say anything it. All prior comments valid.
Some local insurance agents must be on the city marina advisory board.?

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Marina Review for City of Barrie Transient Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor , Reliance, on Sep 2, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 3

Barrie has a nice modern transient dock and adequate shore facilities. The location is off the beaten water path for loopers. The facilities are run with minimal staff. An OK stop, but is rather self service.
Beware, all downtown car parking is $50 a day.
Some nice restaurants a few blocks up from the docks.
They do have a super nice water park and beach next to the marinas.
The second marina shown on the map is really smaller boats with seasonal slips.

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Lock comment on Lock and Dam 45 Port Severn

Comment by: Tom Taylor, Reliance, on Aug 19, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 5.0'

Concur with 2019 comments. CA 400 bridge had a noticeable current. Channel under bridge is tiny, one large boat at a time. The channel to Huron has two choices, the shorter one has some narrow spots and tight turns. It had me holding my breath a few places.

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Marina Review for South Haven Municipal Marina - Southside Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

Southside marina seems to be reserved for transients. Very nice facilities. Hundreds of boats along river. On prime boating days gets pretty busy. Great museum. Easy walk to beach and downtown. I borrowed a marina provided bike and rode it 1 mile east to Meijer's, a Walmart like mega grocery. Remnants of big rollers will make it up the river and cause minor boat rocking.

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Marina Review for Washington Park Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

Great spot. Zoo, ships store, museum, several restaurants, beach all are easy walks. Cheap fuel relative to southern Michigan.

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Marina Review for Ellenwood Landing-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

Very nice private yacht club marina. Great location. Big grocery store across the street. Yarn store (for knitters) is a three block walk. Kids liked the club pool. Splash park nearby. Good laundry facility in clubhouse. Showers have cloth bath mats provided. It is a long way across the bay about 1/2 hour to this facility. Bay/lake has speed limit of 8 kts for boats over 40 feet.

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Marina Review for Ludington Municipal Marina/Harbor View Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

Fine marina, and town. Easy walk to downtown. The sailings of the ferry "Badger" a daily event. Very interesting maritime museum. Children's museum kept the grandkids interested for two days. A good beach.

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Marina Review for Frankfort Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 5

We liked Frankfort and the Municipal Marina. Easy harbor to access, easy walk to numerous restaurants, playground right at marina, nice marina showers and restrooms. Marina would only take reservations for the current day.

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Marina Review for Leland Township Harbor

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 4

Very nice smallish marina and tourist town. Multiple locals recommended Leland to me. Access to the nearby islands seems to be the main draw. As towns go, we preferred Frankfort 40 miles to the south.

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Marina Review for Hammond Marina

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 26, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 4

I assumed lots of food choices at Casino, not so. Times have changed. No breakfast only coffee bar, hamburger lunches, steak house weekend evenings.

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Free Dock Review for Joliet City Dock

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 25, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 4

Nice spot. All previous comments relevant. Prefer this over most marinas. Well lit, quiet park in evenings. A homeless woman did show up for a while to cook her lunch with a portable grill. Visited with her, seemed just down on her luck. Gave her a little cash to help out, but for the grace of God, there go I.

Cop car is frequently parked across the park.

We recommend Juliet's Tavern Restaurant on the far bank, easy walk.

Locals recommend parking upstream near the Jefferson St. bridge. Power outlets are better and lower risk of errant barge hitting you. A few barge hits have reportedly happened over the decades, very rare, we did not lose any sleep over it.

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Lock comment on LaGrange Lock and Dam

Comment by: Tom Taylor on May 21, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

This is a wicket dam. In times of high water they drop the wickets and you motor through.

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Marina Review for Logsdon Tug Service

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 21, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 3

They are indeed a small assist-tug towing service. They let us loopers tie up with them. Fee is $1/ft paid in cash in a steel drop box in the crew break room. The tugs are on channel 10, they will answer. The phone if no one picks up just has a dial by name directory. The crews are happy to help if at the dock and standing by. Tug crews work 12 hour shifts, they do not live on the boats. See previous comments by others below.

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Bridge comment on Florence Highway Bridge (Rts. 106 and 100)

Comment by: Tom Taylor on May 20, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'

If high water contact bridge on 16 for passage.

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Bridge comment on Hardin Drawbridge

Comment by: Tom Taylor on May 20, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'

Bridge monitors 16 then once contact is established switches to 14. In spring high water, clearance in my case was reduced to about 20'. I needed 21 plus a margin.

NOTE: Pool estimated to be 10 above normal.

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Lock comment on Wilson Locks and Dam

Comment by: Tom Taylor on May 16, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

They have no lock wall upstream for the big locks. Nothing to tie barges to. Therefore, they keep a couple of harbor tugs around to help move barges through.

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Lock comment on Wilson Locks and Dam

Comment by: Tom Taylor on May 16, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

VHF 13 or 14

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Marina Review for Paducah Transient Boat Dock

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 16, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Very nice dock. Fuel and pump out equipment on dock. You have to call the city to get service. Docking is available on both sides of pier. I heard some comments about shallow water on the shore slide but our 5' draft had no problems. My measured depths were 15'+.
Farmer's market on Saturdays just other side of flood wall. Quilt museum is well done and interesting. Downtown well preserved and interesting.

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Anchorage Review for Browns Chute

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 16, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

Anchored with main channel 3.5 kts current and about 6' high above normal pool. Anchored in the middle of the lower end of the chute. Nice spot. Sand bottom.
Warning, #1 wing walls (weirs) in area, waiting to take your rudder away. They are submerged in high water.
Warning #2 in high current, buoys will bob under the surface for a minute+ at a time. We saw three do this. Taking out props is a game those bored buoys love to play.

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Anchorage Review for Cotton Wood Bar

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on May 16, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

We anchored on the west chute just south of the island on a day with 3.5kt current and waters about 6' higher than normal, late spring. The West chute current was about 1/2 channel current. When I anchored close to the west bank, anchor dragged about 50' per hour. Moved about 100 yards SW of the bar and anchor held in 16' of water.
Good spot, no rocks downstream from you, should you drift off and far enough away from the tow boats.
Up close to the west side island, there was a shallow bank that I beached on for a moment. In normal water it will likely be dry.

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Marina Review for Shady Grove Harbor

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Apr 7, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Nice quiet marina, keeps limited hours. Full service with pump out and fuel. Possible anchorage on other bank, we did not test. Bridge just pass marina has an estimated not verified clearance of 18 feet.

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Lock comment on Chickamauga Lock & Dam

Comment by: Tom Taylor on Apr 7, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

VHF for lock is now ch 14.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  Thanks, change made.

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Anchorage Review for Bluewater Creek

Reviewed by: Tom Taylor on Aug 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

I would not return here with a big boat for an overnight. The old lock walls block the up stream half of the inlet, only visible during low water. The downstream half has submerged timber that is not clearly locatable. The physical channel markers do not agree with Raymarine Navionics channel markers. Usually Raymarine chartplotter is right and current has moved the markers. In this case the chart plotter was wrong. Local bass boats took a path close to the downstream shore and seemingly unrelated to the physical markers as well. The two physical markers are red/white, which online documentation says are safe path markers. Very confusing, I recommend avoiding this unless you confer with the locals. Otherwise nice spot if you don't mind the gauntlet :).

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