Boating SchoolsLearn the basics of boating or advance your skills. Take a safe boating class ... learn to sail ... brush up on your navigational skills. View our list of boating schools and classes.  How to Read a Nautical Chart: A Complete Guide to the Symbols, Abbreviations, and Data Displayed on Nautical Charts. By Nigel Calder. In 2000, the U.S. government ceased publication of Chart No. 1 , the invaluable little book that generations of mariners have consulted to make sense of the complex system of signs, symbols, and graphic elements used in nautical charts. Now Chart No. 1 is not just reborn but expanded and improved in How to Read a Nautical Chart. Arranged and edited by Nigel Calder, one of today's most respected boating authors, and containing four-color illustrations throughout, How to Read a Nautical Chart presents a number of original features that help readers make optimum use of the data found in Chart No. 1 , including a more intuitive format, crucial background information, international chart symbol equivalents, electronic chart symbology, and thorough explanations of the practical aspects of nautical chart reading. Click here for more information. Buy from Amazon.com.
 
Guide to Cruising Chesapeake Bay 2012 Edition The folks at Chesapeake Bay Magazine have produced a new, 2012 edition of their excellent guide to cruising the Bay. They've provided lots of updates and new content this year. This edition features larger NOAA charts, navigation guides for virtually every creek on the bay, updated tours of 30 favorite ports of call, waterfront restaurants, and more.  
Dozier's Waterway Guide Chesapeake Bay 2012 Updated annually, Waterway Guide's 2012 Chesapeake Bay Edition is a popular guide with Chesapeake Bay cruisers. The guide provides plenty of navigation information, with marked routes on aerial photos. There's also marina information and "Goin' Ashore" articles about Chesapeake Bay ports.  
Atlantic Cruising Club's Guide to Chesapeake Bay Marinas: Cape May, New Jersey to Hampton, Virginia The Guide to Chesapeake Bay Marinas includes full page marina reports, over 2,900 photographs. 253 marinas are reviewed and rated. A searchable CD ROM is included.
 
Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide By William H. Shellenberger. "Were it only a navigational aid, the book would be worth owning, but its introductory chapters and sidebars lift it into the realm of good travel writing as well." - Mid-Atlantic Country. Acclaimed as the ultimate guide to uncrowded anchorages, Cruising the Chesapeake is the reference of choice among sailors and powerboaters seeking to avoid the beaten path. This new Third Edition has been expanded to include coverage of the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, including Delaware Bay. Plus, readers get a cruise planner for short or long itineraries, an expansive catalog of GPS coordinates, and major updates to all piloting and shoreside facilities.
Rudlow's Guide to Fishing the Chesapeake 
Rudow's Guide to Fishing the Chesapeake is the most comprehensive guide to angling on all of the Chesapeake's waters from main-stem Bay to tributaries and tidal creeks. Detailed charts show over 550 specific hotspots and 35 public shoreline fishing hotspots. Click here for more info or to order Rudow's Guide to Fishing the Chesapeake Racing on the ChesapeakeThe Chesapeake Bay offers a wealth of sailing and motorboat racing opportunities. Many yacht clubs sponsor weekly racing series. The Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association is an organization of over 75 member clubs that helps organize and manage races in more than 50 different classes of boats. More Information on Chesapeake Bay Racing.... Boating AccessThe large amount of shoreline and miles of tributaries within the Chesapeake Bay watershed provides many places to put your boat in the water. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has published an online guide to boat ramps in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has an online public access guide that includes boat ramps in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Chesapeake Bay Program has issued a public access guide listing sites for boating, fishing, wildlife observation, and beach use, which can be accessed online at their website. Weather ConditionsBayDreaming.com's Chesapeake Bay Weather and Tides page offers weather forecasts and information on current condition. Current conditions information includes wind strength and direction, valuable information for sailors. Cruising DestinationsCruising boaters can select from many Chesapeake Bay boating destinations. From Annapolis to Urbanna, there is plenty to see and do. Boating Courses and SchoolsIf you would like to learn how to operate a boat or want to increase your boat handling skills, there area plenty of good boating schools located in the Chesapeake Bay region. Courses are available to teach you basic boating skills, sailing, and navigation. Some schools specifically prepare you to handle a bareboat charter. Click here to see BayDreaming.com's listing of Chesapeake Bay boating schools. Safe Boating Courses: A boating safety course is a great way to learn how to be safe in the water. Taking one of these courses is recommended for all boaters. They teach you about how to operate and maintain your boat, navigation, rules of the road, fire prevention, weather safety, and more. There are many courses offered around the Chesapeake Bay region and online course are being offered now, also. Follow the links below for more information. Paddling around the Chesapeake BayThe shallow, protected waters of the Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries are excellent for canoeing and kayaking. These quite, shallow draft craft allow you to get up close to nature and explore areas inaccessible to larger boats. Paddling in these small boats has become an increasingly popular activity in the Chesapeake Bay region. More Information on Chesapeake Bay Kayaking and Canoeing.... Additional Chesapeake Bay Boating Links:Chesapeake Bay Boating Schools. Chesapeake Bay Navigation. Maps, Charts, and GPS. Boating Safety
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