'Part Skill, Part Art': All Aboard The Annapolis Water Taxi
By SARAH HAINESWORTH
The Capital
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Here in the sailing capital of the world, it's common for men, women, children and even dogs to enjoy a leisurely boat ride on a weekend or warm summer day.
Then, it's back to work, school or camp they go.
For some, the joys of life above the water never have to end.
They're the drivers of Watermark's fleet of water taxis.
Captain Phil Anderson has been with Watermark for 17 years, after he retired from a police department in Colorado.
Now he lives in Riva and can often be found driving one of Watermark's tour boats or water taxis.
"Water taxis are more fun, I think, because you get to sit and talk to people," he said.
"It's always fun to ask people where they're from. We get people from all over the world coming through Annapolis."
Anderson and the rest of the water taxi captains pick passengers up from City Dock and deliver them to destinations such as Truxtun Park, the Annapolis City Marina, the Naval Anchorage and the Annapolis Landing Marina.
With fares between $3 and $8, depending on the destination, passengers can board a water taxi as early as 9 a.m. and sometimes as late as 1 a.m., avoiding downtown parking.
Each water taxi is equipped with 17 life jackets and captains licensed by the Coast Guard.
Most trips go smoothly, Anderson said, but occasionally there can be setbacks.
"Weather, drunks," he laughed. "Wind is always a challenge."
A large part of being responsible on the water is paying close attention to traffic as kayaks, wake boards and boats big and small share the space.
"As a professional captain, I just assume nobody else out here knows the rules so I try to avoid everybody," he said.
Bill Richards, a water taxi captain with Watermark for the last three years, agreed.
In addition to watching out for others in the water, weather can be another challenge, he said.
"Wind is not our friend," Richards said. "It's a little bit of a ballet dance. We'd rather it be calm."
Richards, an Adamstown resident, was a captain with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue for 35 years.
He said many of the water taxi drivers are retired from law enforcement and easy to talk to.
"Anybody can get the hang of this after a while, (Watermark) wants people persons," he said. "Next to being a taxi driver, you are the restaurant go to guy. I try different restaurants here because people always ask."
Anderson said the majority of his trips are from City Dock to Eastport restaurants.
Other rides might involve dropping passengers off at another boat.
"Coming up on a boat is part skill, part art," he said. "We've got four water taxis and they all handle a little different.
On a recent Sunday, he drove a couple and their dog to a yacht docked in the Annapolis harbor and after inching the water taxi as close as he could to the yacht, he used his hands to pull the taxi a bit closer.
Then, the couple and their dog went on their merry way.
"Another successful delivery!"
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
