There’s something very special about getting out before sunrise and catching the workboats on the #Chesapeakebay
The iconic “deadrise” hull was born on the Chesapeake Bay—designed to handle shallow waters, chop, and ever-changing conditions. “Deadrise” refers to the angle of the V-shaped bottom. That simple design helps boats cut through waves smoothly while still working in shallow water. These boats were built for watermen—hauling oysters, crabs, and fish. They’re basically the pickup trucks of the Bay. Early #deadrise boats were made entirely of wood, often built by hand in small local boatyards. No two were exactly alike. Many classic builders passed their techniques down through generations. Traditional deadrise #boats used “push poles” and sail before engines became common in the early 1900s. Their flat-ish bottoms let them navigate waters that would strand deeper boats—perfect for oyster beds and marsh creeks. Today, many are still working boats, while others are lovingly restored. For many on the Bay, these boats aren’t just vessels—they’re a way of life tied to generations of #watermen 🛶 🦀 🦪

What better way to end the weekend! Came home just in time to catch a dramatic sunset🔥
#Chesapeakebay #Sunset #boats

#SilentSunday #Sunrise #ChesapeakeBay

53 Chesapeake Bay Fish You’ll Actually Encounter on the Water

The Chesapeake Bay holds more aquatic life than most anglers ever stop to count. Stretching nearly 200 miles from the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland down to the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach, it's the largest estuary in the United States — and one of the most biologically diverse bodies of water on the East Coast. Whether you're casting from a pier in Annapolis, trolling the shipping channels near Baltimore, or wading the tidal flats of Virginia, you're sharing the water with […]

https://animalofthings.com/types-of-fish-in-chesapeake-bay/

Stone Horse – Days 2 & 3

Most people think the captain is always in charge. But there is a brief window every day, ordained by a certain alignment of celestial bodies, when a lowly deckhand is lifted to the pinnacle of importance and completely supersedes the captain’s authority.  This occurs when the sun is in ascension, perpendicular to the zenith, in contact with the horizon. At this precise moment a portal opens. Like a Druid at the solstice in Stonehenge, Buddha beneath the Bodhi Tree, Newton struck by the apple, a muezzin singing the sun to prayer from the top of a minaret, the lowly peon is transformed, becomes a priest in service of a god. He becomes “The Barista”.   Voices are hushed, movements slow and subdued, until the sacrament is complete. The magical elixir is handed up to each member of the crew for their ablutions. At which point normal order resumes, and he who moments ago held the very mysteries of the universe in his hands, is once again a shambling swabbie, sent forward to haul up the anchor from the mud. Such is the importance of hot coffee on a cold and misty November morning. Mug of joe in hand, we motor out into sunrise on a mirror of polished brass. Dazzled by the light, we drift out of the winding channel until the keel brushes bottom and we ease her back. We round Stingray Point and head north across the mouth of the Rappahannock River toward Windmill Point. Birds perch on the poles of fish traps like crucifixes. The sun boils the mist and lifts it overhead, a breeze riffles the water now and then. […]

https://eyeinhand.com/2026/03/18/stone-horse-days-2-3/