We got back last week from a quick 2 week trip from SE Virginia up to the western end of LI Sound. The highlight was 5 days in the middle in NYC with Broadway and a few other cool things there.
It was amazing to me how empty the marinas were everywhere we went. A few years ago, even right after the crash, there weren't many boats out but the marinas were still relatively full up that way. You had to make reservations at the "hot spots" months in advance. This year, for the 4th of July we were in Liberty Landing Marina and it was about 3/4 full. Absolutely amazing. Where have the boats actually gone? They on the hard somewhere? In a repo's yard?
Times are so tough that at the crab house in Rock Hall, which is normally packed, was pretty much empty the week before the 4th. I've been to Rock Hall a few times and the week before the 4th is usually a zoo... this year... ghost town. It was so bad that I had one of these fruity sissy boy beers with an orange in it:
The next time I ordered... I asked for "two orange slices." This is what I got:
I don't even like oranges in my beer... but wow..
It seems the "cruising economy" has gone from bad to worse. I have to wonder how many stores and such will make it. I know when we were in Essex, CT, several of the stores had been vacated... Very sad.
It was amazing to me how empty the marinas were everywhere we went. A few years ago, even right after the crash, there weren't many boats out but the marinas were still relatively full up that way. You had to make reservations at the "hot spots" months in advance. This year, for the 4th of July we were in Liberty Landing Marina and it was about 3/4 full. Absolutely amazing. Where have the boats actually gone? They on the hard somewhere? In a repo's yard?
Times are so tough that at the crab house in Rock Hall, which is normally packed, was pretty much empty the week before the 4th. I've been to Rock Hall a few times and the week before the 4th is usually a zoo... this year... ghost town. It was so bad that I had one of these fruity sissy boy beers with an orange in it:
The next time I ordered... I asked for "two orange slices." This is what I got:
I don't even like oranges in my beer... but wow..
It seems the "cruising economy" has gone from bad to worse. I have to wonder how many stores and such will make it. I know when we were in Essex, CT, several of the stores had been vacated... Very sad.