Chesapeake Lights

My major complaint is about the lack of direction and organization upon arrival, so let’s get that out of the way first. The tour takes place in a marina complex among many other buildings (marina, inn, diner, etc.). So where do I go to will-​call my tickets? I searched the entire marina complex on foot like a chicken with its head cut off, worrying all the while that I’d miss the boat tour because it would leave without me. It turns out, you just show up to the boat and worry about ticketing while on the boat; toward the end of the cruise, the captain comes around and takes your info and that’s that. Fine, but some direction in the beginning would have been great.
We did the Passage To 5 lighthouse tour, which lasted 5 hours out on the Bay. Each lighthouse is beautiful and unique. The captain and first mate tell you a bit of history about each one. A couple of real nice guys. You also travel under the Bay Bridge, pretty cool in itself. We also got to see a lot of birds such as osprey who nest on old wooden poles out on the water.
5 hours out on the bay can be exhausting, and I think 5 hours is definitely my limit. So if you’re new to boat tours, start with a short one for your first time and then gradually try ones of longer duration, just to get a feel for it. Pack a bag or cooler with food and drinks. You’re going to need to stay nourished and hydrated out there. And sunscreen, sunglasses, hats too.

We arrived at 745 am for a lighthouse boat tour of the Chesapeake Bay. We got underway at 8am. We arrived at 10am at the second lighthouse: Thomas Point Light when the boat started taking on water. The captain threw the anchor overboard and called the Coast Guard requesting a pump and assistance for 14 passengers and two crew on the 36 foot boat. As we all put on life jackets the DNR police as well as the Coast Guard arrived and other boats come full speed to our location. It was determined that the plug in the bottom of the boat «had vibrated out» thus allowing water to gush into the boat and placing the passengers in a precarious predicament of sinking. Eventually at 11am the pumps started to work and the captain was directed to go to the nearest Coast Guard Station for a boat inspection. We spent two hours at the Coast Guard station at Cox Creek (thanks to all the CG staff for their assistance) until the boat inspector came from Baltimore. The boat got inspected and we were allowed to continue our trip wit the following restrictions: 1. Call the Coast Guard every hour to make sure the boat was still seaworthy and 2. The boat had to be pulled for inspection on the next business day. 3. It was determined by the Coast Guard that the hand pump on board wasn’t functioning. The rest of the trip was uneventful until the Captain decided to leave the decision up to the passengers whether to extend the tour another 2 hours and arrive after dark to see all the lighthouses scheduled. There was obvious tension between the passengers because the captain didn’t make the decision. The captain said «for those wanting to go back you don’t get anything, but for those who wanted to see the far Northern LH they would get a free trip». So, was this an unfortunate accident or neglect or stupidity? The boat takes on water because the plug wasn’t secure and couldn’t have been check before the trip, the hand pump didn’t work, we lost three hours from 10a-​1p sitting on a boat with life jackets or at the coast guard station and the captain lacked any customer service skills in providing any compensation for all these variables. If you consider going on this tour: I simply ask think about these things.

While staying in St Michaels we decided to book a boat tour… Chesapeake Lights offers multiple boat tours in the Chesapeake Bay… we chose the Northern Lights tour which is an ALL DAY boat tour.
It’s easy to find and get to, only about 15 minutes from St Michaels.
The boat is sufficient, definitely not luxurious, but sufficient. It could probably hold about 25 people, our tour had 14 plus a crew (normally 2, but we had a capt in training with us too so we had 3). The back part of the boat was covered with a canopy and had plastic «walls» to shield you from the bay spray. We rode in the front. We got wet. We got sunburned. (Note: DO bring a change of clothes in a water proof bag with you and honestly, rain gear is not a bad idea. You won’t get continuously soaked, but it can be uncomfortable. DO bring sunscreen — and use it. Even if you wouldn’t need it on land, remember the water is reflecting back at you from all angles… ALL DAY). The boat does not have seats… it has benches — hard benches that you bounce on constantly for 8 hours. (Note: Bring one of those stadium cushions). There is a «head»… but my husband used it and said I wouldn’t, so I didn’t check it out… it’s «down below», but apparently there are no doors, just a curtain. (Note: Do not down a bunch of coffee before getting on the boat. And do use the restroom before you get onboard.)
It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day to be on the boat. I romantize about lighthouses and so I thought the tour was fabulous. You go under the Ches Bay Bridge, pass enormous ships, see a trillion sailboats, learn about efforts to «build islands» in the bay (seriously). The Capt is quite knowledgeable. «Jane-​O» the mate was less so… she knew some stuff, but eh… I still learned alot. It was an awesome tour!
I was content with the length of the tour, although Hubby really hit his limit after 5 – 6 hours, and so did some (most) others. I am going recommend you opt for the shorter tour… they have one that does 5 lighthouses instead of the 10 we saw. We really were on the boat from 8 – 5 except for an hour stop for lunch and refueling.
Be advised, the place where you stop for lunch is not a «nice» restaurant. It’s clean and sufficient if you’re hungry (we were starved), but it won’t impress you, and there is NOTHING there but a place to park, refuel and grab a bite, so you aren’t walking a block to another restaurant. I had a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. Hubby had a steak and cheese that he says has to be Steak-​ums. They also have a ham sandwich and a crab cake sandwich on the menu and a couple other things. Like I said, sufficient. With the exception of the crab cake, it’s probably what you would eat at home if you were spending a Saturday fixing your car and got hungry. The prices are about $ 6 for sandwich, so it was the cheapest meal we had all weekend.
One more note — you can and should bring a small cooler with snacks and sodas or even a beer if that is your preference (just remember somebody’s gotta drive home and that sun + beer + bouncing can get to you).
So glad we did this tour! Now I am looking for similar tours for other points on the bay so I can see ALL the lighthouses…