Boat U.S. - January 2008 - (Page 33) Water ont Living Today, Solomons remains much as it was back then, a yachting center with 14 marinas, including the 400-slip Calvert Marina, the 300-slip Zahniser’s Yachting Center, the 246-slip Spring Cove Marina and the 95-slip Harbor Island Marina. It has a rich nautical heritage that bustles with life during the season but slows down considerably by late fall to the consternation of those who would like to see the area enjoy a more year-round lifestyle. And, city fathers seem to agree. Much has been done in recent years to develop attractions that are in keeping with and take advantage of the community’s culture and heritage. At the epicenter of this effort is the Calvert Marine Museum, a state-of-the-art facility with a 15-tank “Estuarium” where visitors can explore the rich diversity of life that thrives in the Chesapeake Bay and at the same time gain a much better understanding of the area which has stood at the crossroads of early American history since well before the founding of the Republic. Part of that nautical history at the museum includes two lighthouses, the aforementioned Cove Point Lighthouse, as well as the completely restored Drum Point Lighthouse which was constructed in 1883 and is actually on the museum’s site. Docked nearby is the Wm. B. Tennison, the only Coast Guard-licensed log-hulled vessel in America. Built in 1899, visitors can climb aboard for a one-hour cruise around Solomons Harbor and the Patuxent River. For more information, go to www.calvertmarinemuseum.com. Worth visiting at the southernmost tip of Solomons Island is the ominous-sounding Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. In truth, the facility welcomes those interested in fisheries science and environmental chemistry. Its fisheries group played a pivotal role in the development of the plan that led to the recovery of the striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and is doing state-of-theart work on habitat use by fish such as tuna, sturgeon and white perch. Its environmental chemistry group is breaking new ground in understanding how toxins affect reproduction and development of turtles, how organic contaminants move between the atmosphere, sediments and water, and carbon cycling in the Arctic. But Solomons is not all strictly reading, writing and arithmetic. Another “attraction” adding a certain amount of local character is the annual opening of the island’s infamous open-air Tiki Bar. The early April event has become a firmly entrenched southern Maryland tradition with crowds reportedly in excess of 10,000 partygoers. The house drink is the Mai-Tai, the potency of which, it is claimed, “has been known to cause people to react in a variety of ways.” Another event worth noting is the PassageMaker Trawler Fest which takes over the town just prior to the Annapolis boat shows in late September. Last season’s three-day gathering featured more than 60 show boats, 50 land exhibits, 22 seminars and over 2,000 attendees munching on a seemingly inexhaustible supply of crabs. The 2008 event is slated for September 25-28 and more information is available at Trawlerfest.com. Annapolis • • Washington DC single-family homes for “active adults” 55 years and older who want to be able to live in nautically inspired traditional homes just steps away from their boats and marina (liveatsolomonsisland.com). “There’s no other place on the Bay like this,” says developer, builder and BoatU.S. member Bill Gerald who expects those who live here to be able to “vacation every day.” If you don’t want to take your boat out, a trip “downtown” to the village’s restaurants and shops will be just a short water taxi ride away. The Harbors at Solomons Island is expected to infuse new life into this seasonal community by attracting just enough residents to turn Solomons into a year-round retreat for those who want to enjoy small town waterfront living and yet be not much more than an hour’s drive from either Washington, D.C. or Annapolis. It is expected that half of the residents of The Harbours will be retirees and the other half will be second-home owners. While 55 and older means that at least one owner must be at least 55, it also means that children under age 18 are not allowed to live on site for more than 90 days at a time. Gerald’s vision echoes that of longtime Calvert Marina owner Matt Gambrill who arrived in Solomons in 1981 from Washington, DC, purchased the peninsula and hopes the development of The Harbours at Solomons Island will anchor the town’s population and generate enough economic activity to take what is now a less-than-fully-developed area to the next level. “I’m working hard to ensure that this development will add to the economic viability of the whole community and that those buying at Harbours will be interested in our waterways and the nautical lifestyle,” he said. Given the current real estate market, he expects to make a decision on when to break ground in late January and figures that having firm commitments from 20 buyers will be enough to launch. Given that, you may want to consider rethinking the old real estate maxim that the three critical factors in buying a home are location, location, location. As important in getting a good deal in today’s ever-dwindling waterfront market may very well be timing, timing and timing. — By Michael Sciulla 4 Solomons Island For sailors, Solomons hosts the annual Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge, now in its 15th year. Some 1,000 people attend the July event which draws 150 boats for three days of hotly contested racing and bragging rights. Considered a “testing ground,” it’s one of the few regattas that draws teams from all over the Chesapeake and midAtlantic. See www.smsa.com for more info. If you don’t have a boat to bunk in during these events, you might want to consider the next best thing: a suite with your very own Jacuzzi tub and water view available at the Comfort Inn (410-326-6303). The next stage in the development of Solomons is just over the horizon. Just across Back Creek to the east of the village and surrounded by water on three sides is a 120-acre peninsula that is home to the 400-slip Calvert Marina. The property, a BoatU.S. Cooperating Marina, will soon be transformed into The Harbours at Solomons Island which will include — in addition to the marina — a residential enclave of 252 Photo by Jim Kirby BoatU.S. Magazine January 2008 33 http://www.liveatsolomonsisland.com http://www.trawlerfest.com http://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com http://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com http://www.smsa.com
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