Sailing Charters

MainSail Charters

Beam Reach and Beyond

Potomac River Charter aboard the Potomac Belle

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MainSail Charters offers sailing aboard DreamCatcher, a Hunter Passage 42, out of Holiday Hill Marina, Mayo Maryland on Weekday and Weekend Charters as well as the late afternoon/evening sunset cruises where you can sit back and enjoy the Chesapeake and sail home into the sunset.  Charter rates are $100.00 hour, minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 8 hours.  Late afternoon/sunset cruises are three hours.  By arrangement, longer sails can be arranged to include overnight stays. As a bonus, you can expect most charters to last about an hour longer than the time for which you pay. The extra hour is to compensate for "travel time" to and from the points where sails are raised and lowered.

BOOK YOUR CHARTER NOW!! The 2015 Season is near and times are being booked up now.

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CHARTER TOUR PACKAGES

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LIGHT HOUSE TOURS

Two National Register of Historic Places nominated Lighthouse are within a day's charter from DreamCatcher's Holiday Hill Marina port-of-call. You may charter to either or both of these Chesapeake Bay monuments to navigation.

 

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THOMAS POINT SHOAL LIGHT

Thomas Point - Located at 38.899°N 76.436°W on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay between the South and Severen Rivers, was first constructed in 1875 and was first lit in 1875. In 1986, the light became fully automated. The light has a square on hexagonal shape, and is 43 feet in height above mean high water. The original lenses on the light house were 4th order Fresne lens.
Currently, the lens are 250 mm solar-powered. The light has a range of 11 nautical miles. The light is now on the National Register of Historic Places as well as being a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Thomas Point Shoal Light Station is the last unaltered screwpile, cottage-type lighthouse on its original foundation in the United States. This is the light house most often seen when one researches the Chesapeake Bay for the first time. (source:wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Point_Shoal_Light - 2010 / National Park Service.http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=657238217&ResourceType=Building)

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BLOODY POINT BAR

Bloody Point Bar - Located at 38.833°N 76.391°W, is the classical "Spark-Plug shaped round tower. Construction of the light began in the early 1880's and was firt lite in 1882. It is 54 feet in height and uses 4th order Fresnel lenses giving it a range of 9 miles for its white light and 7 miles for it's red light. When in operation, the light flashes white and has two red sectors. This picture shows the lighthouse prior to a major fire that occured in 1960. (source:wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Point_Bar_Light- 2010 / USCG (http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMD.asp)

You may see either of these Historic Structures in a 4 hour charter (weather providing), and you may see both of these structures in a six hour charter (again weather providing).

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OTHER NEARBY CHESAPEAKE BAY LIGHTHOUSES

If you are really interested in Lighthouses on Chesapeake Bay, then check out Places to Go, Stay and See for a list of Lighthouses within a day's drive from Holiday Hill Marina.

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FALL LEAF WATCHING

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All Charters, if possible, are requested to book at least two weeks in advance.  A tour of the sailing vessel DreamCatcher may be arranged.  All Charters require a deposit equal to one-half the total fee. Deposits are to be received one week prior to sailing or taking a course and are non-refundable except in exegent circumstances. 

Discounts of 25% on all rates are given to Military, EMS, Police and Fire Service Personnel and College Students

Get and give a personalized Gift Certificate for someone you know and turn them on to sailing. It is and makes a great gift anytime.

After you have sailed with us, send us a referral and get a free gift from MainSail Charters & Research, LLC.

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PLACES TO STAY, EAT & SEE

If you are coming in from out of town and want lodging or a place to stay or some places to see before or after sailing aboard DreamCatcher, then click here.

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All boat Captains are United States Coast Guard Licensed with extensive sailing resumes.

For More Information, call or write:

Captain Bill Ganzer, (USCG OUPV License, Reference Number #:  2756950)
MainSail Charters & Research, LLC
1216 Travis View Court
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879

Tel: 240-401-4464
Email: CaptainBill@starboardbeam.com

Rates:  

$100.00 / Hour, Minimum of 4 Hours / Maximum of 8 Hours - Up to 6 Persons Maximum

Sunset Cruises: $100.00 per hour, 3 hours. (Call to inquire for times as these vary depending on the time of the year.)  Plan however, for most cruises to begin between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm

Fall Cruises:  See the colorful splender of the Chesapeake in the fall. Get out your cameras for the reds, yellows and oranges of late September, October and November -  Special rates of $75.00 per hour,  Book 2 hour or 3 hour voyages.  This is not a sail expedition but an exploration by water of the beauty of the fall foliage in the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the YMCA Camp Letts areas.

MainSail Charters Payment Schedule:  When you sign up and are scheduled for your charter or sailing course, you will be asked for a 50% deposit at the time. The remainder of your balance is required 5 business days prior to the start of your course. You may pay by check or through PayPal for both the deposit and the full rate. In the event that you must cancel, you will receive a full refund provided that you notify us 7 days in advance.

Want to Pay by PayPal? When using PayPal, please select from below for payment to MainSail Charters & Research, LLC. 

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POTOMAC BELLE - MOTOR YACHT CHARTERS ON THE POTOMAC RIVER

Specializing in private yacht charters leaving from Old Town Alexandria,
the Potomac Belle is ideal for corporate events, special family events, dinner cruises and spectacular panoramas of the Washington, DC skyline.