14 years was a good run
Solomons boat ramp closing soon
My husband and I have been married for nearly 15 blissful years. Last week he broke our wedding vows.
Before you think the worst, you should know that we had a somewhat unconventional ceremony. Our services included just a handful of friends and family, with the nuptials taking place in the lovely manicured gardens of the Santa Barbara County courthouse, with customized vows all our own.
Two of those vows might come as a surprise knowing my upbringing. I grew up on a horse farm and my dad was an avid fisherman. Since I knew both pastimes can take up a lot of time and even more money, we vowed that we’d never own a horse or a boat.
Well, last Thursday my husband bought a boat. I guess 14 years was a good run.
Next June when we reach the 15-year milestone, I think we should renegotiate some other vows. Who knows, maybe I’ll be getting that horse.
If you are a fellow boat owner, you’ll want to pay attention to the following announcement.
The Solomons boat ramp located under the Gov. Thomas Johnson Bridge will close Oct. 15 to April 15 for an overhaul.
Karyn Molines, Calvert County Parks and Recreation Natural Resources division chief, said it was a joint decision between the county and the state to close the facilities for construction instead of repairing the existing structures. The boat ramp was built back in 1986 and is over 30 years old.
According to Molines, the cement is starting to crack and
there are concerns the ramp might break.
“The ramp has reached the end of its lifespan. As for the wooden docks, we’ve repaired the decking until it can’t be repaired anymore.” she said, “Providing safe public access is an important priority for the county and state.”
In addition to a new boat ramp, the wooden docks will be replaced with floating docks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. With floating docks, the distance from the decking to a boat will be consistent regardless of the tide.
Other plans include a new kayak launch and solar powered lighting. In the past, kayakers and paddle boarders would wait in line with the powerboats to use the ramp. Now they will have their own dedicated area to access the water.
Molines said a lot of consideration was given to the timing of this closure.
“We’d rather avoid the beginning of rockfish season,” she said.
The construction, even accounting for weather delays, should be completed by April 15, in time for the spring trophy season.
I stopped by the Solomons boat ramp this past Sunday to take a look for myself. A few people were in line for the boat
ramp, and no one I spoke to was aware the facilities were closing in less than a week.
When I talked to Molines, she told me signs have been posted at the ramp since the end of August. I was expecting something big that would catch a person’s eye, but after looking around for a few minutes, I did spot a notice sign printed on 8 by 10 paper on the
side of a shack under some much bigger signs and another taped to the tackle shop’s door. Some bigger signs would certainly be helpful, and hopefully this column will help get the word out.
There were also more than 30 trailers in the parking lot that day, which leads me to the next part of this column. What happens when the fall bite picks up and folks pull up to the ramp only to find it closed for business and wondering, “Where do I go from here?”
That question was posed to me by light tackle guide Capt. Brady Bounds last week. Many thanks to Capt. Bounds for the idea for this column and for compiling this list of alternative launch sites that will get you in the same vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay as the Solomons boat ramp. Calvert County
Breezy Point Marina, 5230 Breezy Point Road, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732 (443-968-8346): Two double wide boat ramps, $15, located directly off the Chesapeake
Bay, ample parking
Mill Creek Marine, 12565 Rousby Hall Road, Lusby, MD 20657 (202322-3656): One ramp, 4 feet deep at MLW, 6 mph zone for 2 miles out, Mill Creek to the mouth of the Patuxent River; $10 honor system with video cameras, or you can pay $25 the night before and put your boat in a slip so you can be ready to roll the next morning, there’s room for more than 15 rigs
Navy Recreational Center Solomons: ase access required
St. Mary’s County
Buzz’s Marina, 49675 Point Lookout Road, Ridge, MD 20680 (301872-5887): Located on St. Jerome’s Creek, 2 ramps, $10, abundant parking, marine non-ethanol fuel and tackle for sale, abundant parking
Clarke’s Landing Road, straight ahead at the end of the road, Hollywood, MD 20636: Single ramp, free, very limited parking for about 4 to 5 rigs, located on Cuckold Creek
Drury’s Marina, 49768 Airedale Road, Ridge, MD 20680 (301-8724480): Two ramps, $10, located on St. Jerome’s Creek approximately 1 mile from the bay, diesel and marine fuel for sale, space for about 20 rigs but park conservatively
Forrest Landing, 44600 Forrest Landing Drive (off Sotterley Road), Hollywood, MD 20636: Single narrow ramp, free, parking limited to about 8 rigs, located on Cuckold Creek
Patuxent River Naval Air Station West Basin Marina: Base access required