Fort Armistead Park / launch ramp ??

sealover · #1 (**permalink**) 02-11-2010

Anyone have any experience with this park? Found it on this crude but useful site: The Chesapeake Bay Guide - Maryland Boat Launches On The Chesapeake Bay - Baltimore County (no affiliation)

Will my tow vehicle still be there when I get back? The two comments on google maps regarding that location do not speak well for it.

Thoughts?

sealover · #2 (**permalink**) 02-11-2010

Or how about this... what is a good launch ramp near Inner Harbor? I'd like to put in, sail to inner harbor, have lunch, sail back before dark. (not during the winter...) Preferably free or cheap, safe parking area, and a ramp not littered with drunken powerboaters in a hurry.

Suggestions? Also, any recommended tie-ups or transient slips at Inner Harbor?

jaschrumpf · #3 (**permalink**) 02-11-2010

I can't speak about transient slips at the Inner Harbor, but there's lots of places to tie up for lunch or dinner. You can tie up to the public landing right on the wall, or over at the Rusty Scupper (though they might prefer you have dinner with them if you tie up there). Here's an image from Google Earth that shows the landings in detail. On the left are the public tieups, on the lower right is the Rusty Scupper on the little peninsula.

I don't know how to save my map as a file you can open, but if you have Google Earth you can go there and see what it's all about yourself.

scottyt · #4 (**permalink**) 02-11-2010

there is a free ramp on boston street, right across from ft mchenry ( sp ) it has a good size parking lot and i have never heard of any problems with cars or trucks there and i live 3 blocks away from it. now i might be a little careful about over night parking in the summer, as a lot of fisherman spend a lot of time fishing there. and they come from all over the city.

its around the 3200 block of boston street

edit as for tie ups.

downtown 15 bucks for 5 hours, or IIRC 2 per foot over night

fells point free, but no water, electric etc. now for some things they do kick you out of fells point but its like 5 or 6 weekends a year

sealover · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

3200 Boston Street -- I see it on Google maps now. I didn't have an exact address and figured it was at the boat dealer up the street... That looks like a great place to start. Sail to the rusty scupper for lunch and back.

I don't need water or electric.

Public tie ups - I've seen them over by the Hard Rock and the concert pavillion -- they have them over where the Bay Lady ties up too? I've enjoyed Inner Harbor many times by foot but never by water. Really looking forward to this! Thank you both for your replies.

scottyt · #6 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

sealover all the ones down town are paid, ie 15 bucks for 5 hours. now you can also anchor for free if you have a dingy.

if you are going thru the trouble to set you boat up you need need to do more than just go to lunch, unless your power boater. take a sail around the fort just dont get too close its rocks and gets shallow fast. i nice little sail is out and around the fort by the key bridge, and take a look at the bouy they put in for the summer. its where key was watching the battle, then sail back for lunch, or sail after lunch

sealover · #7 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

My little 17 footer is basically a dinghy. I'll take your suggestion on the Fort -- All the times I've been nearby I've never really seen it from land or sea. $15 for 5 hours sounds fair. Can't hardly park a car near Inner Harbor for that. I've seen the signs -- hail the harbor master on a certain channel -- do they come out to collect or do I have to go find them to pay? I don't want to sound like a fool on the radio for the first time!

scottyt · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

you call them and they come around to you on a golf cart, sometimes its them them 30 mins. if you dont pay they throw a note in your boat that you mail in. or you can just tie up at the scupper and run in and pay, then sail on.

sealover · #9 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

Cool. So I could pay at the Scupper instead? Or it's free with dinner? Last time I was at the Scupper for dinner (via car) there was a 50'+ yacht tied up there. The kind of thing that has a little crane on the 2nd floor to lower a pair of jet skis.... Probably costs more to rent for a week than I make in a month...

scottyt · #10 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010

no there is a fuel and pump out dock there and the harbour masters office in there too. they are just in the basement of the same building. i dont know about dinner and a slip, but the harbor office closes at 5 pm, so there is no one to collect the money....

basicly if you are going to spend a few hours there, call them on the radio, if they are there you can stop in real quick and pay. ifr not you call them and tell em where you plan on docking, the wait for possibly an hour ( more likely 20 min ) for them to come to you. if you leave the boat you get a nice note from them telling you how to pay, if you dont the police get the name of the boat. maybe nothing if you dont pay but its not worth it to find out

and a 50 + foot boat starts at a million bucks.