Capt Billy
After a lifetime on the Chesapeake Bay, the past 31 years as a charter boat operator based at his Ingram Bay Marina near Wicomico Church, Capt. Billy Pipkin has a big vision that reimagines Northern Neck tourism on the bay.
Along the way, he hopes to elevate the local tourism industry and showcase the Northern Neck as a captivating destination for vacationers craving sun, water and sand, as well as inns, shops, restaurants and history in a place short on bustle and long on charm.
“My heart is into the community,” Pipkin said.
His boat, Liquid Assets II, is 46 feet, modern and spacious. It carries up to 37 passengers.
Pipkin’s charter boat business features evening cruises, cruises featuring wines from local wineries and shops, bachelor and bachelorette parties, cruises for women that are “ladies’ night on the river” trips and other excursions, like a late afternoon and evening cruise to Tangier Island to enjoy a captivating sunset and authentic dinner on the iconic island.
He’s embraced the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s newest campaign “Crush Friday.” It’s aimed at Millennials—not exclusively—and encourages them to take Friday off and relax, preferably on Pipkin’s boat in the bay when he offers “Crush Friday” cruises on the second and fourth Friday evenings of the summer months.
Pipkin grew up on the Maryland side of the bay. By 12 he was a commercial crabber.
Entering adulthood, he eschewed his wet, salty roots and headed to the University of Alabama in the early 1980s. He got his degree in business management and entered the corporate world. But Pipkin was miserable. Saltwater runs in his veins, he said.
“I lasted less than a year,” Pipkin said. “I couldn’t take it.”
In the fall of 1985 he moved to a home on Ingram Bay that was part of an 18-acre waterfront parcel that included a marina. In 1987, he launched his charter business right at the time when rockfish were disappearing along with monster bluefish.
“I got in at the worst time,” Pipkin said. “You’re dealt a hand and there is no good hand or bad hand, it’s how you play your hand.”
The hand Pipkin played was hard work. To make ends meet, he picked up a couple of other jobs and delivered boats up and down the East Coast, even to the Bahamas. He also invested locally, joining the Northern Neck Tourism
Commission and giving back to the community by supporting events and offering trips to people, whether they were needy kids, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
His signature event is the annual “Bay Bash” family fishing tournament, held this August 11 at his Ingram Bay Marina. Pipkin describes it as an all-inclusive fishing event for families, individuals, serious and recreational anglers, and others. Proceeds from the event go back into the community.
“I’ve always believed in HAPI,” Pipkin said. “Having a positive impact—on people, the area and everything you do.”
Ingram Bay Marina/Capt. Billy’s Charters • captbillyscharters.com
545 Harveys Neck Road, Heathsville 22473 • 804-580-7292