There When Needed A History of Smith Point Sea Rescue

With its rich landscapes, lush marshes, white sand beaches, and quaint tidewater towns, there is no more inviting destination for boaters than the Chesapeake Bay. 200 miles in length, it is the nation’s largest estuary, where Atlantic saltwater and freshwater tributaries mix. The resulting diverse habitats are home to more than 250 species of fish and the winter destination for more than a million migratory birds. Drawn by the scenic beauty and seemingly gentle waters, approximately ten million people also live on or near the Chesapeake’s shores. They flock to docks and boat ramps, taking to the Bay in everything from paddle craft to runabouts, trawlers, and deep-keeled sailboats. For despite the sense of comfort created by its 11,000 miles of shoreline, the Chesapeake Bay can be dangerous and deadly. In warmer months, the combination of incoming cold fronts and high levels of heat and humidity spawned by the Bay’s 64,000 square miles of water create a volatile subtropical microclimate, regularly producing sudden storms and squalls with winds in excess of 20 knots.