(June 4, 2015) Berlin resident Danny McDorman said he fell in love with the sea during his 10-year stint with the United States Coast Guard.
Looking for a way to turn his passion into a profitable career, McDorman launched OC Swim Call, a tour boat business, located near the Shark on the Harbor restaurant in West Ocean City.
The vessel, a former houseboat that was also briefly used at a private school in Rhode Island, has been in the water in Ocean City for about a week.
“My main job in the Coast Guard was search and rescue – basically I was a boat driver – and I fell in love with the water and I had loved being in the water my whole life,” McDorman said. “I wanted to find to a way to bring those joys that I got from being out on the water to everyone else.”
OC Swim Call offers standard boat tours lasting one, two or three hours, as well as private functions such as birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties.
“You can pretty much customize it however you want to,” McDorman said. “If a customer wants to call or email me for something special, I could arrange that.”
That includes the ultimate on-the-water date night.
“Couples that want to surprise their significant other … they can come and set lights up, music, tables and reserve the whole boat and go on a nice little dinner date where you bring your own food and alcohol,” McDorman said.
The boat also acts as a VIP room for special events, including the Ocean City Air Show. “I might anchor near the Ocean City Airport, and that’s pretty cool seeing them take off and land,” McDorman said. “We’ll do the same thing with the Fourth of July fireworks, but you definitely have to call in advance for something like that.”
Preliminary Coast Guard measurements allow for 49 seats on the boat, McDorman said, adding that he expects final approval around that number within the next few weeks. The boat includes a top observation deck and an enclosed lower seating area.
McDorman hopes OC Swim Tours eventually turns into a year-round business.
“In the wintertime, when it gets cooler, you can seat people inside [in the lower deck],” McDorman said. “I’m also planning on getting a TV with a moving satellite dish where you can watch football games, soccer games, you can reserve it with your friends and you can have a couple of beers and sit in here and watch the game we drive around on the water.”
For more information, call or text 443-235-4950, or visit www.ocswimcall.com.
Looking for a way to turn his passion into a profitable career, McDorman launched OC Swim Call, a tour boat business, located near the Shark on the Harbor restaurant in West Ocean City.
The vessel, a former houseboat that was also briefly used at a private school in Rhode Island, has been in the water in Ocean City for about a week.
“My main job in the Coast Guard was search and rescue – basically I was a boat driver – and I fell in love with the water and I had loved being in the water my whole life,” McDorman said. “I wanted to find to a way to bring those joys that I got from being out on the water to everyone else.”
OC Swim Call offers standard boat tours lasting one, two or three hours, as well as private functions such as birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties.
“You can pretty much customize it however you want to,” McDorman said. “If a customer wants to call or email me for something special, I could arrange that.”
That includes the ultimate on-the-water date night.
“Couples that want to surprise their significant other … they can come and set lights up, music, tables and reserve the whole boat and go on a nice little dinner date where you bring your own food and alcohol,” McDorman said.
The boat also acts as a VIP room for special events, including the Ocean City Air Show. “I might anchor near the Ocean City Airport, and that’s pretty cool seeing them take off and land,” McDorman said. “We’ll do the same thing with the Fourth of July fireworks, but you definitely have to call in advance for something like that.”
Preliminary Coast Guard measurements allow for 49 seats on the boat, McDorman said, adding that he expects final approval around that number within the next few weeks. The boat includes a top observation deck and an enclosed lower seating area.
McDorman hopes OC Swim Tours eventually turns into a year-round business.
“In the wintertime, when it gets cooler, you can seat people inside [in the lower deck],” McDorman said. “I’m also planning on getting a TV with a moving satellite dish where you can watch football games, soccer games, you can reserve it with your friends and you can have a couple of beers and sit in here and watch the game we drive around on the water.”
For more information, call or text 443-235-4950, or visit www.ocswimcall.com.