OnBoard Magazine - Issue XII - 2020 Season

A sk any of the Bluewater staff or our customers about their favorite boating experiences, and you will likely hear some similar themes that include Bluewater’s annual Summer Cruise. For many years running, this has been Bluewater’s premiere event, taking place each July at a getaway destination within Chesapeake Bay. It’s a wonderful opportunity to pull in friends from various areas, get to know one another and celebrate our mutual love for boating. In 2019, the goal was to take the Cruise to somewhere completely fresh and new from previous years. In fact, the popularity of the cruise has made it a challenge to pick destinations at times, due to how large our customer group—and their boats—have become! After quizzing past participants about their favorite locations, we landed on Herrington Harbour North in Tracey’s Landing, MD as our latest cruise destination. Herrington Harbour’s facilities offered plenty of space for our variety of large yachts, beautiful settings ashore and plenty of amenities for a relaxing trip. Event Coordinator Lauren Stevens recorded at least 27 couples in attendance, with about 85 percent of those folks being repeat participants. Couples such as Bill and Nancy Creamer and James and Nancy Bricker, attended the 2019 Summer Cruise together again for the third year in a row! The cruise kicked off on Thursday evening when participants from across the Mid- Atlantic began arriving at the marina. As guests filtered in, we gathered for a great night of food, music, and a rum tasting from our friends at Pilar Rum. “There was quite a summer rain shower that evening, but everyone crowded together and had fun despite the weather!” Marketing Manager Blake Tice recalls. Friday began with mimosas and an omelet breakfast, which gave way to the signature Bluewater Christening ceremony on the docks of Herrington Harbour. This year there were eight christenings, and the stories were as entertaining as ever. The group listened as each owner spoke about their boat and their choice of name before cascading champagne across their rails to get the celebration started! This year’s group of christening vessels was perhaps highlighted by Jeff and Meg Taylor attending their first Summer Cruise on their brand new customized 2019 Sabre 48 Salon Express, named Megnificent —what a beauty! Later in the day, folks gathered for a seminar from The Sailing Academy’s Jeff Bowen, who taught about handling common emergencies at sea. We convened for a catered lunch, and then broke out for activities such as boat demos, volleyball games, and kayak tours with a local guide. The long summer day endedwith a cocktail party and another evening of camaraderie under the Bluewater tent. Maryland on Our Minds Bluewater Summer Cruise Returns to the Middle Bay 4 BLUEWATER