Chesapeake Bay · Charter for Veterans
For wounded, injured, and ill active servicemembers and veterans — a day to look forward to, to experience fully, and to build more great days of life upon. All Inclusive. Fish from your chair, service dogs welcome.
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Our Impact & Mission
"I'm having a great time and I haven't even left the dock yet."
"This is the first time I've seen my son smile in months."
Charter for Veterans was created with a simple, singular focus: to give wounded, ill, and injured active duty servicemembers and veterans a memorable, restful, and invigorating day on the water.
My father Lenny and I have decades of experience bringing joy to countless boating guests on the Chesapeake and other lakes and rivers throughout Maryland, Virginia and beyond. These experiences coupled with having both served in the Marines helps us to understand and know what to do to organize and execute the perfect day on the Chesapeake Bay for our veterans. We have brought this all together with the top charter boat on the Bay and one of the most well known and respected charter Captains in the industry along with high class and patriotic first mates. The end result is the perfect day on the water. A day to look forward to, experience and to look back on with fond memories. A day to build more great days upon.
Our Channel & Highlights
Welcome to Charter for Veterans! We are dedicated to providing memorable fishing charters and outdoor experiences for our nation's heroes. Check out some of our best catches, including our event record rockfish (striper) caught on the Chesapeake Bay.
Visit Our YouTube ChannelA Day on the Water
Veterans and volunteers meet at the dock at Rod 'N' Reel Marina, gear is loaded, and the boat heads out onto the Bay. Restroom and parking onsite at full service marina.
A full day of rockfishing with an experienced captain — may include spotfishing if livelining (spring outings) or trolling.
Enjoy iced down filets ready for transport home in a free bag cooler.
Our Outings
Fully equipped for rockfishing trips and comfortable outings on the Chesapeake Bay. Room for about 30 guests but we typically take around 8-12. Heat, AC and restroom onboard. State of the art electronics and Coast Guard Inspected vessel that was built in recent years for the Bay and the Atlantic.
Our Team
Help & Information
Our boat is equipped with state of the art fish finders, radar, heat, air conditioning and has a comfortable cabin which can seat the entire guest list.
Our team understands the challenges our guests may face getting released from last minute changes in your commands schedules, appointments or other responsibilities and does not in the slightest get upset if you can not make an event. If you need to cancel, for whatever reason, rest assured you are more than welcome to join us on a future outing. We are here only for our guests and will be happy to take just one servicemember fishing should all others cancel.
We coordinate the majority of our events through the event coordinators at both Walter Reed National Medical Center and Quantico's Wounded Warrior Regiment. You can contact them directly to get on their event outing blasts.
We understand your situation may require some special requests. Just ask, and we will do what we can to accommodate.
For every outing we will bring a small cooler at a minimum for you to take home your catch. You can choose to have the entire fish, parts of the fish, such as the head, or intestines or just the filets. Our experienced mates will prep just how you ask. If you need the entire fish, we will have larger coolers available. There is always plenty of ice on the boat as well for making sure your catch stays cool for your trip home.
Our boats are fully stocked with an array of tackle prepped and ready for use by our experienced mates. There is a full size restroom in the bow of the boat. We recommend you come dressed for whatever season we are in. There is plenty of room for a day bag to be brought aboard and stowed dry in the bow as you may need to shed layers as the day warms up.
For every outing we typically cater from Wegman's a great spread of morning snacks and a full lunch or lunch and enough for dinner. There is plenty of food and any leftovers can be taken home in your coolers. We will have drinks as well on ice and can accommodate any special requests. A fresh box of Joe is brought each morning (sometime donated for free by the Dunkins in Maryland we use) and there is an onboard Keurig machines for any flavor you might want to bring.
Transparency
Delicious food catered for every single outing to keep our veterans fueled and energized.
Equipped coolers stocked with cold drinks and ready for taking home fresh fish.
Covering the captain, mate, and costs to charter the Wound Tight, a top boat on the Chesapeake.
Give a Day
Two meals, drinks and take home your catch all on us.
For 2026, 100% of donations go directly to supporting an outing. Our team covers all other company expenses.
On behalf of Lenny, Steve and my entire team, thank you for the generous support. A big thanks to our mega donors from Florida and Georgia who have gifted dozens of outings. A special thanks to our annual donors from California, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Japan. In loving memory of our donors from Fredericksburg, VA, Annapolis, MD and France. Bob Messick
Charter for Veterans
4222 Fortuna Center Plaza #278
Dumfries, VA 22025
Charter for Veterans is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Captains Bob and Lenny invite you to explore the rich history and waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Step back to 1607, a time before modern powerboats, bridges, or railways transformed the landscape.
In December 1606, Commodore Christopher Newport set sail from England, eventually landing at Jamestown in May 1607 alongside Captain John Smith. As England's first permanent American settlement took root, early colonizer reliance on indigenous Powhatan guidance laid the foundation for expanding maritime trade across the Bay's 150-plus tributaries.
Following mid-seventeenth century conflicts and British economic consolidation, port cities like Annapolis, Williamsburg, and Baltimore rapidly expanded. The Chesapeake Bay developed into an essential mid-Atlantic commercial network and cultural crossroads, bringing together diverse populations and circulating political ideas that eventually fueled the American Revolution.
Throughout the nineteenth century, steamboats expanded transport across the estuary. During the Civil War, the Bay served as a pivotal strategic site, hosting famous naval engagements like the battle between the ironclads C.S.S. Virginia and U.S.S. Monitor.
Today, the Chesapeake Bay remains vital for naval operations, commercial shipping, and recreation. Charter for Veterans brings former service members onto these historic waters to share camaraderie, build community, and enjoy rewarding days on the Bay.
Cheers