In 1989 I went to a local boat show and on a whim purchased a 21’ Bayliner cuddy cruiser. I planned to use my first boat on Lake George with family and friends. I did just that for the summer of 89'. Little did I know at that time this would be the beginning of a wonderful passion.
In the fall of 1989 a job promotion moved me to Philadelphia, Pa. and I discovered the Chesapeake Bay and all its beauty. I also discovered that the bay and my 21 foot boat were not made for each other.
My first trip with the Bayliner was to Baltimore Harbor in the spring of 1990, in the pouring down rain and 3 foot waves. I kept the Bayliner for the first summer and used it to discover all the gunk holes along the eastern shore of Maryland, from Northeast to Rock Hall. I realized by the end of the summer of 1990 I needed a different boat!
I traded in the Bayliner for a beautiful 34 foot Pequod named the “HKG”. The model name “Pequod” was given by the manufacturer, Pembrook Boat Company, out of Concorde NH. after Moby Dick's ship. The next 5 years I traveled the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay finding some of the most wonderful boating places to visit on the east coast. I spent every weekend and vacation weeks up and down the bay, making frequent trips to Worton Creek, Dividing Creek, Rock Hall, Chestertown, Baltimore, Annapolis, St. Michael’s, Cambridge, Oxford, Tangier Island, Solomons, Crisfield, Herrington Harbor, Rhode River, Tilghman Island, Miles River, Kent Narrows, Havre de Grace, Northeast, Georgetown, and the C&D Canal. I met a lot of wonderful people and friends along the way. I experienced a way of life that I knew in my heart was now a part of me and my future.
Another business transfer brings me back home to NY. The brackish water of the Chesapeake was in my veins, and I knew I needed to find a “home” on the water. So the adventure to find a new boat began in 2005.
I was raised around the Hudson River for most of my life but I never realized its beauty until I gave into the call of the water once again. I purchased a boat and for the next two years using Sea Ray Express cruisers I traveled to great places such as Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Sackets Harbor, while traveling the Erie and Champlain Canals I discovered the beauty and history of the NYS Canals. I wanted to find a marina I could call home and soon discovered a beautiful quiet, secluded and peaceful place called Lock 1 Marina on the Champlain Canal. I didn’t know at the time how this jewel would play such an important part in my future.
Although I enjoyed my travels in an express cruiser something was missing and I learned it was the life style aboard a trawler type boat. So the adventure began to find a boat that reminded me of my life on the Chesapeake Bay.
Trawlering…”enjoying the journey without longing for the destination”
This chapter in my boating life brought me to Port Clinton, Ohio and a chance meeting with a 42’ Jefferson Motor Yacht which I purchased and brought home to Waterford, NY in the spring of 2005. I traveled the entire length of Lake Erie, the entire length of the Erie Canal to my destination home port of Waterford, NY. The journey brought me through some of the old canal port cities of Lockport, Brock port, Spencerport, Ilion, Palmyra, and Little Falls. At each stopover I remodeled the boat piece by piece.
I spent the next two years boating on the Hudson River, watching bald eagles perform lazy circles in the sky while I remained anchored in my favorite spots.
In 2006 I learned Lock 1 Marina was for sale, and I thought this would be the chance of a lifetime to not only live and play on the water but also to own this jewel of a marina.
I am now in our 4th season as an owner of Lock 1 Marina. I look forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and welcoming old ones. I extend an open invitation to all who read this to come and enjoy this beautiful Marina.
Captain Michael Trimarchi