BERLIN – A childhood spent boating in the back bays, 10 years in the Coast Guard and several summers driving Ocean City’s floating billboard leave little doubt — Danny McDorman knows the water.
The Eastern Shore native hopes to share his love of the local waterways through his new business, Ocean City SwimCall. McDorman is offering customers the chance to go sightseeing, host on-the-water parties and do just about anything else they would like to on his boat.
“I love being on the water,” McDorman said. “I just want everyone to be able to experience what I’ve experienced.”
Having spent most of his life in the Ocean City area, the 30-year-old McDorman is familiar with the various tour boats that cater to tourists eager to get out on the water. While they do provide a boat ride, McDorman says the experience is often rushed and crowded.
“They shuffle you around like cattle,” he said. “I want to make it enjoyable.”
With SwimCall, McDorman is offering customizable boat trips. Customers can hire the
Danny McDorman
50- by 14-foot vessel for a sightseeing trip, bachelor party, birthday party, sunset tour or even to watch Ocean City’s Fourth of July fireworks from the water. The boat, which was originally designed to be a classroom, features rooftop bench seating as well as a wide open cabin where patrons can do whatever they like. A group hosting an event like a family reunion, for example, would have plenty of room to set up a table of refreshments. Although McDorman does not serve food on the boat, customers are invited to bring their own food, drinks and even alcohol. McDorman says his goal is to provide customers with a relaxing atmosphere in which they can simply enjoy being on the water.
“This is a little more relaxed and comfortable versus the other tour boats,” he said.
McDorman says he’s happy to work with clients to create just the sort of experience they are looking for.
“We’ll do anything you want within reason,” he said. “The first year is going to be a bit of a learning curve but the customers will help me fine tune it.”
McDorman has been developing the SwimCall concept since last year. He purchased his boat in November and then struggled to find a place to dock it.
“It was hard to find a place to keep a boat this size,” he said, adding that he also wanted to make sure to settle on a location that would be easily accessible.
He eventually settled on a boat slip near The Shark at the West Ocean City Commercial Harbor. He hopes the West Ocean City location will be convenient for visitors and locals alike.
McDorman also spent a significant amount of time prepping the boat and taking it through the required inspections.
“It was a lot more work than I thought,” he said.
He does not expect actually operating the boat to be as difficult. With 10 years of experience working on Coast Guard ships in Alaska, New Jersey and Michigan, McDorman relishes the opportunity to be in his home waters.
“This is where I was born and raised,” he said. “I love it here.”
For more information on SwimCall, visit www.ocswimcall.com or call 443-235-4950.