Baltimore Dinghy Tour

Thursday 10-1-09

There's a lot of new buildings going up near this marina.  More re-development of the waterfront.  Just outside the entrance to the marina, there's some construction being done by an open shop (non-union) contractor.  The unions are picketing around the construction site.  Only thing is...............the union workers either have work elsewhere or are too lazy to picket themselves.  So they hire the homeless people to do the picketing for them.  They march around in circles and chant the usual union propaganda.   Sounds a little like a pep rally.   When I first heard them, I thought it was similar to the start of the day at a Japanese auto manufacturing plant, but it turns out to be just the opposite.

We went out for a tour of the harbor in the dinghy this afternoon.  All the sights we'd seen from the shore, we saw again from the water.  I usually prefer nature over buildings.  However, I really enjoy looking at the structures around Baltimore Harbor.

Here's the Science Center

The Hard Rock Cafe and Barnes and Noble from the water.

We went in several canals and under a few bridges.  Here's the National Aquarium from the under the connecting bridge.

We toured several marinas and found an Urban Pirates sail boat.  I thought it interesting that it has dual outdrives.  Pirates indeed.

The USS Constellation.

This ship was unloading sugar at the domino Sugar plant.

We also couldn't help but notice the Laurel.

I looked it up on the internet, and found it to be the 9th largest mega yacht in America.  (240')  I also found it's fuel capacity, and at the current prices here in Baltimore, it would cost $143,316.44 to fill it up.

On the other end of the boating spectrum, here we three are in Inner Harbor East.  Again, it's costing us $8 each per night to stay here.  Thanks to Frank for finding it.

We're leaving Baltimore tomorrow.  Pam and I may stop here again on our way south next week.