| Home |
| Search |
| Today's Posts |
|
#11
|
|||
|
|||
I had a thought. My son built his own computer for his 16th birthday
(instead of a car...whew, saved me a fortune in car insurance). On his order he "snuck in" a WiFi detector to see if anyone in the area on his way to school had WiFi to play his DS game with. It is a HAWKING 802.11b/g WiFi Locator and only sells for about $19.99. When I saw it, it thought it may have great use for boaters. It has a bar kinda like a digital telephone so you can see how strong the signal is. Just curious if anyone boaters out there have tried one of these gadgets. Kathy of "Quiet Time" Catalina 22 (We purchased our boat in Baltimore two years ago and love the area. The previous owner was Bert Kirkland, maybe you knew him Harry? We love the area and can't wait to learn enough and move the boat from PA. to the Chesapeake area.) "Rosalie B." wrote in message ... wrote: Thank you everyone for the advice so far. Harry, I'll drop you a note when we get further along with our plan. Herrington Harbour marina is supposed to have a good WiFi service (BeaconWiFi.com). Grandma Rosalie, as usual your advice and recommendations sound very thorough and thoughtful. The secret to getting good WiFi service at anchor or on a mooring is altitude. My adapter is 20 feet off the water and piped into the main cabin vis a USB hub on the flybridge. Keeping the hub and cable connections dry is a major engineering challenge since none of the first three liked rainy days very well. The adapter itself is double wrabbed in zip lock bags and seems to do OK. I was mildly surprised to see Baltimore on the list. Is there really a good cruising destination there, and if so, whereabouts? I've always thought of Baltimore as a busy commercial harbor not particularly friendly to pleasure boats but I'm open to being re-educated. I noticed that people seemed to be avoiding mentioning it, but it really is a good place to visit http://p.vtourist.com/644898-Leaving...-Baltimore.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/1654905-Pataps...-Baltimore.jpg although the water may be dirty, and you want to have marina security if you stay in a marina - it is right downtown. There isn't a lot of commercial activity right downtown. There are drydocks out by Bethlehem Steel (Sparrows Point), and there are commercial docks at Lazeretto Point http://p.vtourist.com/644899-Lazarre...-Baltimore.jpg opposite Ft. McHenry and along the south side of the West Channel as far as Locust Point, but no big tankers or cruise ships or container ships in the Inner Harbor itself. The inner harbor has a lot of touristic activity. http://p.vtourist.com/642813-Baltimo...-Baltimore.jpg They have rental paddle boats and the area where the paddle boats are located is a small anchorage next to the USS Constellation. We stayed at Inner Harbor East which has the Rusty Scupper restaurant - http://p.vtourist.com/643019-Rusty_S...-Baltimore.jpg http://www.innerharboreastmarina.com/ The food was OK but I think we paid mostly for the view. You can get a water taxi to the other side of the harbor. We wanted to go to Anchorage Marina (quite a number of live-aboards there) but they didn't have any transient space. They are opposite the Locust Point Marine terminal just east of Fells Point which is an interesting neighborhood to visit. They have wi-fi and also a water taxi. This URL has a list of marinas. http://www.digitalharbor.info/visit/..._business.html Things to do in the Inner Harbor area include: Baltimore Maritime Museum Pier 3, East Pratt Street 410-396-3453 Baltimore and the nation's maritime heritage await you with tours of the USCGC Taney, the last surviving warship from the attack on Pearl Harbor; the U.S. submarine Torsk, which sank the last two Japanese combatant ships of World War II; and the Lightship Chesapeake, a floating navigational lighthouse. This also includes Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse http://www.baltimore.to/MaritimeMuseum/index.html Maryland Science Center 601 Light Street 410-685-5225 One of Baltimore's premier locations for family entertainment! Explore three full floors of hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater, a planetarium, newly renovated kids' room, an observatory and our café. National Aquarium in Baltimore http://p.vtourist.com/643022-Nationa...-Baltimore.jpg Piers 3, 501 East Pratt Street 410-576-3800 Dive in for an unforgettable journey under the sea. Stunning exhibits and more than 11,000 aquatic animals make this Inner Harbor destination Baltimore's most popular attraction. The USS Constellation Museum http://p.vtourist.com/643026-Inner_H...-Baltimore.jpg Pier One, East Pratt Street 410-539-1797 The USS Constellation is the only surviving Civil War battleship still afloat. Her Naval history includes the capture of three slave ships off the coast of Africa, freeing 700 people, and the delivery of famine relief supplies to Ireland. Today it serves as a maritime museum where you can learn about Naval history and find out how thousands of sailors lived and worked onboard. Fell's Point Maritime Museum 1724 Thames Street 410-732-0278 Housed in a 19th century barn for the horse-drawn trolley service, the Fell's Point Maritime Museum tells the story of the notorious Privateer Clipperships of the War of 1812. Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine http://p.vtourist.com/2321706-Fort_M...-Baltimore.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/2321707-Fort_M...-Baltimore.jpg End of East Fort Avenue 410-962-4290 During the War of 1812, the successful defense of this star-shaped fort inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner," which became our national anthem. National Historic Seaport of Baltimore 802 South Caroline Street 410-675-4814 The National Historic Seaport of Baltimore is a collection of attractions in Baltimore's Inner Harbor that tells Baltimore's maritime history. The Power Plant http://p.vtourist.com/642819-7_Foot_...-Baltimore.jpg (picture behind the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse) 601 East Pratt Street 410-752-5444 Located in the Inner Harbor, this premier entertainment complex, a Cordish Company development, features a Hard Rock Café, ESPN Zone, Gold's Gym and Barnes & Noble. Top of the World Observation Level World Trade Center, 27th Floor 401 East Pratt Street 410-837-VIEW Start your visit to Baltimore with a breathtaking view of the city's skyline and beyond from the world's tallest pentagonal building, designed by I.M. Pei. Top of the World offers a spectacular 360-degree view of the horizon. Exhibits on Baltimore's past and present and a shop filled with unique souvenirs are now open. Project Liberty Ship Pier 1, Clinton Street 410-661-1550 The SS John W. Brown is a restored liberty ship, open for tours as a living memorial museum. Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards http://p.vtourist.com/2246798-Inner_...-Baltimore.jpg (one of my grandson's Little League teams from Miami) 410-685-9800 Catch the Orioles as they take on American and National League baseball teams. Individual and group tickets, party facilities and year-round ballpark tours are available. There's also stuff farther away from the harbor of course like the Washington Monument (first one), the shot tower, Lexington Market, the dental museum with George Washington's false teeth, E.A. Poes grave, and the B&O Railroad Museum. grandma Rosalie |
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
|
One other thought. I think I'll take it to the Annapolis Boat show and see
what kind of WiFi they have around there, just for fun. If your in the area an excellent place to get seafood is the Harris Crab House in Grasonville. They have their own boats and sell by the bushel and also supply most of the area restaurants. http://harriscrabhouse.com/. I think they have access from water taxi, but we were there too late to catch it. "Kathy Mumma" wrote in message ... I had a thought. My son built his own computer for his 16th birthday (instead of a car...whew, saved me a fortune in car insurance). On his order he "snuck in" a WiFi detector to see if anyone in the area on his way to school had WiFi to play his DS game with. It is a HAWKING 802.11b/g WiFi Locator and only sells for about $19.99. When I saw it, it thought it may have great use for boaters. It has a bar kinda like a digital telephone so you can see how strong the signal is. Just curious if anyone boaters out there have tried one of these gadgets. Kathy of "Quiet Time" Catalina 22 (We purchased our boat in Baltimore two years ago and love the area. The previous owner was Bert Kirkland, maybe you knew him Harry? We love the area and can't wait to learn enough and move the boat from PA. to the Chesapeake area.) "Rosalie B." wrote in message ... wrote: Thank you everyone for the advice so far. Harry, I'll drop you a note when we get further along with our plan. Herrington Harbour marina is supposed to have a good WiFi service (BeaconWiFi.com). Grandma Rosalie, as usual your advice and recommendations sound very thorough and thoughtful. The secret to getting good WiFi service at anchor or on a mooring is altitude. My adapter is 20 feet off the water and piped into the main cabin vis a USB hub on the flybridge. Keeping the hub and cable connections dry is a major engineering challenge since none of the first three liked rainy days very well. The adapter itself is double wrabbed in zip lock bags and seems to do OK. I was mildly surprised to see Baltimore on the list. Is there really a good cruising destination there, and if so, whereabouts? I've always thought of Baltimore as a busy commercial harbor not particularly friendly to pleasure boats but I'm open to being re-educated. I noticed that people seemed to be avoiding mentioning it, but it really is a good place to visit http://p.vtourist.com/644898-Leaving...-Baltimore.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/1654905-Pataps...-Baltimore.jpg although the water may be dirty, and you want to have marina security if you stay in a marina - it is right downtown. There isn't a lot of commercial activity right downtown. There are drydocks out by Bethlehem Steel (Sparrows Point), and there are commercial docks at Lazeretto Point http://p.vtourist.com/644899-Lazarre...-Baltimore.jpg opposite Ft. McHenry and along the south side of the West Channel as far as Locust Point, but no big tankers or cruise ships or container ships in the Inner Harbor itself. The inner harbor has a lot of touristic activity. http://p.vtourist.com/642813-Baltimo...-Baltimore.jpg They have rental paddle boats and the area where the paddle boats are located is a small anchorage next to the USS Constellation. We stayed at Inner Harbor East which has the Rusty Scupper restaurant - http://p.vtourist.com/643019-Rusty_S...-Baltimore.jpg http://www.innerharboreastmarina.com/ The food was OK but I think we paid mostly for the view. You can get a water taxi to the other side of the harbor. We wanted to go to Anchorage Marina (quite a number of live-aboards there) but they didn't have any transient space. They are opposite the Locust Point Marine terminal just east of Fells Point which is an interesting neighborhood to visit. They have wi-fi and also a water taxi. This URL has a list of marinas. http://www.digitalharbor.info/visit/..._business.html Things to do in the Inner Harbor area include: Baltimore Maritime Museum Pier 3, East Pratt Street 410-396-3453 Baltimore and the nation's maritime heritage await you with tours of the USCGC Taney, the last surviving warship from the attack on Pearl Harbor; the U.S. submarine Torsk, which sank the last two Japanese combatant ships of World War II; and the Lightship Chesapeake, a floating navigational lighthouse. This also includes Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse http://www.baltimore.to/MaritimeMuseum/index.html Maryland Science Center 601 Light Street 410-685-5225 One of Baltimore's premier locations for family entertainment! Explore three full floors of hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater, a planetarium, newly renovated kids' room, an observatory and our café. National Aquarium in Baltimore http://p.vtourist.com/643022-Nationa...-Baltimore.jpg Piers 3, 501 East Pratt Street 410-576-3800 Dive in for an unforgettable journey under the sea. Stunning exhibits and more than 11,000 aquatic animals make this Inner Harbor destination Baltimore's most popular attraction. The USS Constellation Museum http://p.vtourist.com/643026-Inner_H...-Baltimore.jpg Pier One, East Pratt Street 410-539-1797 The USS Constellation is the only surviving Civil War battleship still afloat. Her Naval history includes the capture of three slave ships off the coast of Africa, freeing 700 people, and the delivery of famine relief supplies to Ireland. Today it serves as a maritime museum where you can learn about Naval history and find out how thousands of sailors lived and worked onboard. Fell's Point Maritime Museum 1724 Thames Street 410-732-0278 Housed in a 19th century barn for the horse-drawn trolley service, the Fell's Point Maritime Museum tells the story of the notorious Privateer Clipperships of the War of 1812. Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine http://p.vtourist.com/2321706-Fort_M...-Baltimore.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/2321707-Fort_M...-Baltimore.jpg End of East Fort Avenue 410-962-4290 During the War of 1812, the successful defense of this star-shaped fort inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner," which became our national anthem. National Historic Seaport of Baltimore 802 South Caroline Street 410-675-4814 The National Historic Seaport of Baltimore is a collection of attractions in Baltimore's Inner Harbor that tells Baltimore's maritime history. The Power Plant http://p.vtourist.com/642819-7_Foot_...-Baltimore.jpg (picture behind the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse) 601 East Pratt Street 410-752-5444 Located in the Inner Harbor, this premier entertainment complex, a Cordish Company development, features a Hard Rock Café, ESPN Zone, Gold's Gym and Barnes & Noble. Top of the World Observation Level World Trade Center, 27th Floor 401 East Pratt Street 410-837-VIEW Start your visit to Baltimore with a breathtaking view of the city's skyline and beyond from the world's tallest pentagonal building, designed by I.M. Pei. Top of the World offers a spectacular 360-degree view of the horizon. Exhibits on Baltimore's past and present and a shop filled with unique souvenirs are now open. Project Liberty Ship Pier 1, Clinton Street 410-661-1550 The SS John W. Brown is a restored liberty ship, open for tours as a living memorial museum. Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards http://p.vtourist.com/2246798-Inner_...-Baltimore.jpg (one of my grandson's Little League teams from Miami) 410-685-9800 Catch the Orioles as they take on American and National League baseball teams. Individual and group tickets, party facilities and year-round ballpark tours are available. There's also stuff farther away from the harbor of course like the Washington Monument (first one), the shot tower, Lexington Market, the dental museum with George Washington's false teeth, E.A. Poes grave, and the B&O Railroad Museum. grandma Rosalie |
|
#13
|
|||
|
|||
|
"Kathy Mumma" wrote in message ...
I had a thought. My son built his own computer for his 16th birthday (instead of a car...whew, saved me a fortune in car insurance). On his order he "snuck in" a WiFi detector to see if anyone in the area on his way to school had WiFi If you have a computer on board and a wifi card why don't you download Netstumbler (free) and let it detect any nearby WiFi sources. Google is your friend here. If Netstumbler can detect it, it could be connected to by your computer. Just a reminder, It is illegal to connect to a WiFi source without permission weither the source is secure or unsecure. It is thieft of services! Vic -- __________________________________________________ ______ Victor Fraenckel - The Windman victorf ATSIGN windreader DOTcom KC2GUI |
|
#15
|
|||
|
|||
|
In article .com,
wrote: We expect to be in Chesapeake Bay for 2 or 3 weeks starting mid-October or thereabouts. Other than obvious choices like Annapolis and Solomons Island, I'm looking for good places to hang out during the week. Priorities are something like this: 1. Good WiFi service. 2. Good storm protection. 3. Room to anchor, and/or moorings with launch service. 4. Availability of groceries, laundromats, restaurants, etc. On weekends priorities change with WiFi becoming less important, and more oriented towards interesting places to be. All suggestions gratefully appreciated... Even if you were going for a week, I'd recommend the Gunkholer's Guide mentioned elsewhere in the thread. We wore out our copy of the 1st edition over a decade. It can get you into the most amazing places. Don't try to do too much, though. Two or three weeks is barely sufficient to sample one section of the Bay. Add in the number of "we don't want to move in *this*" days in October and I think you'll find that you won't go as far as you're thinking. We "live" in that area and have done 2-3 week cruises for the past dozen seasons. Since it's your first time, I'd suggest concentrating in the Annapolis, Baltimore, Rock Hall, St. Mike's loop. Leave the Solomons and south for another trip. DEFINITELY do the Wye River complex. It and the Sassafras are perennially voted the prettiest rivers on the Bay. Our favorite spot is all the way back in Dividing Creek. Once you take that last right turn, you're in the Bay of 500 years ago even when 20-30 others are in the creek. Strongly doubt that you can get WiFi or cell-phone coverage there, though. By agreement, Xan doesn't have any technology not required for navigation, so I can't comment on the WiFi with personal experience, but expect that Baltimore, Annapolis and possibly St. Michaels will have it. The Guide will tell you what anchorages have the rest of your requirements. -- Jere Lull Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD) Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ |
| Reply |
|
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads
|
||||
| Thread | Forum | |||
| Chesapeake boating/area question.... | General | |||
| Glorious day on the Chesapeake Bay! | General | |||
| Chesapeake Light | General | |||
| "Chesapeake Bay Boat Buying" followup/Boat search update | Cruising | |||
Linear Mode
