Set along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, this first novel tells the story of Clay Wakeman, who spent his boyhood on the water and finds he can't leave it. When his father is lost in a storm off the Eastern Shore, Clay drops out of college to take possession of his father's boat and his work as a waterman, that is, as an independent commercial fisherman. Since the old boat constitutes his sole inheritance, Clay starts out small. He recruits his oldest friend, Byron, a traumatized Vietnam vet, to join him in a crabbing business. Just as they're breaking even, Hurricane Agnes roars in to ruin the salinity of the eastern Bay waters. Agnes forces them across the Bay to set their crab traps along the Virginia shoreline and to move in with Matt and Kate, Clay's uppercrust friends from college. It's in these unfamiliar waters that their real troubles begin. Clay falls irrevocably in love with the spoken-for Kate; Byron's demons pursue him with even greater vengeance; and out in the Bay the partners stumble onto a drug running operation. Lines are drawn by the dealers. And, at the very end, in a riveting boat chase, Clay comes very close to losing the battle . . . forever.

Long Island Sound is not only the most heavily used estuary in North America, it is also one of the most beautiful waterways, with picturesque seascapes and landfalls. But centuries of pollution and other abuse have gradually been killing off its marine life and have pushed the Sound to the brink of disaster. This fascinating book traces the history of the Sound and its use as a resource from the time of contact between the Native Americans and Dutch traders through the suburban sprawl of recent decades--and tells how a group of scientists and citizens has been working to save the Sound from ruin. Tom Andersen begins by describing the dramatic events of the summer of 1987, when a condition called hypoxia (lack of dissolved oxygen in the water brought about by a combination of pollution and other factors) killed large numbers of fish and lobsters in the Sound. He discusses how scientists first documented and explained the development of hypoxia and how research and cleanup are now being carried out to restore the Sound. Interweaving current events, natural history, and human history, Andersen presents a cautionary tale of exploitation without concern for preservation.

"Shellenberger has perfected the art of gunkholing . . . An excellent book for both those who enjoy weekend cruises and those who merely want to know more about Chesapeake Bay." -- Daily Press (Newport News, VA) "With more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, the Chesapeake Bay offers a treasury of cruising spots. Shellenberger's book provides the key to unlock it." -- Virginian-Pilot "An 'insider's' look at the hundreds of places cruisers and weekend boaters love to hole up in. . . . It is also a loving portrait of the bay, its history, its people, its wildlife, and its environment." -- The Mariner "A truly monumental guide." -- Sunday Capital (Annapolis, MD) Dotting its more than 3,000-mile shoreline are creeks, coves, and inlets--or gunkholes in Chesapeake Bay parlance. They are as challenging as they are charming for cruisers to fi nd and enter, sometimes discouraging the less adventuresome. But thanks to author Bill Shellenberger, you will be able to enjoy these hidden treasures like an old pro. For more than twenty years, Bill Shellenberger's Cruising the Chesapeake has been the guide of choice for sailors and motor cruisers seeking to avoid the beaten path. Here Bill shares with you his engaging, heartfelt evocation of the Bay, its shores, history, wildlife, and people. No other guide to the region offers such complete, detailed coverage of virtually every point of interest on the Bay--from the secluded east fork of Langford Creek to the bustling hearts of Baltimore, Washington, and Norfolk. Find your path to Cruising the Chesapeake with A cruise planner with suggested itineraries for cruises of 3, 9, and 16 days, supported by overview charts and planning tips Waypoints for anchorages and key locations that make planning your cruises and integrating navigational data into your GPS unit a snap NOAA charts and aerial photos of key anchorages and tricky passages Updated information on piloting and shoreside facilities Expanded coverage up the Atlantic seaboard from the entrance of the Chesapeake to New York City and its anchorages that make this the ONE guide for the mid-Atlantic boater A comprehensive cruise planner and navigation guide and a vivid celebration of one of North America's natural treasures, Cruising the Chesapeake is a book no Chesapeake boater will want to be without.

The Chesapeake Bay restoration effort has been touted as the nation's premier environmental restoration program. Yet the Bay and the living systems it supports remain in dismally poor condition, with fisheries in decline and drinking water in danger. This book addresses the Chesapeake Bay as a political problem and reveals how the political process has worked against the interests of science, the public, and environmental advocates all at once. Author Howard Ernst shows that the forces driving environmental degradation are sown deeply into the political soul of America, posing menacing challenges to those fighting to restore large ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay. The book serves as a political roadmap for the future, suggesting how a different course of policy action is needed to 'Save the Bay.'